Alessa goes to school feeling scared and ashamed. She knows that the other students will try to hurt her again. It is now an every day routine for them. To prolong this routine, she hides until it is time for all the children to go inside. In the classroom, she finds that her desk has been scribbled on. The children begin to giggle when she sits down. 'Witch' and 'Go home' stands out among all the graffiti. Mrs. Kim Gordon can do nothing but scold the children for laughing. She demands to know who committed the hurtful deed. There are no extra desks so Alessa is forced to sit where she is.

After lunch, Alessa decides to hide in the bathroom instead of going outside. It is the only thing she can do to avoid recess. In the stall, she pulls her feet up every time someone comes in. It is possible that someone would recognize her shoes and expose her. At the last five minutes, some older girls come. Alessa can tell they are older because of their voices. "Nah," one of them is saying. "My brother said she was here this morning."

Another girl says, "Maybe she went home."

"I doubt it. We would've seen her climb the fence."

"Yeah. She's probably hiding somewhere." It suddenly grows quiet and Alessa tries not to breathe. If she can hold it in long enough, they will leave. A few minutes pass before the squeak of the door signals that they have gone. She quietly lets the air get back into her lungs again. The bell rings in the hallway so she comes out of her hiding place. As she heads to the door, she is grabbed. The noise of the children coming in covers her yelp. The three girls that had beaten her up before now had a hold of her.

"Hiding from us were you?" the first girl says. It is obvious she is the leader of this small group. "Well we found you and now you're going to get what you missed out on yesterday." The beating commences and Alessa is pushed down to the ground. The toe end of their shoes hits her ribs hard. The door creaks signifying the entrance of an unknown person. The person stands there a moment then backs out. Tears soak Alessa's face while she is beaten ruthlessly. The salty liquid hits the floor and mixes with the thick red ooze that has run from her mouth. The kicking ceases but the relief Alessa feels is only temporary. She is lifted off the ground by the collar of her dress. "Make sure there's no one in the hallway," the leader says to one of her friends. While her friends check outside for teachers, threats are spat at the helpless child. "You're going to be sorry you little shit."

"It's all clear," a girl calls back. "Where are we going to take her?"

"Just shut up and follow me. Lisa, did you bring the stuff?"

"Yeah," the third girl says. She pulls out a piece of twine and uses it to tie Alessa's hands behind her back.

"Gag her," instructs the leader. Alessa shakes her head as she attempts to protest. "Shut up or I'll break your arm." To prevent them from putting anything in her mouth, she clamps her teeth together. With help from the other two girls, Alessa's mouth is pried open and a wad of paper towels is shoved in. It soaks up the saliva, making her throat feel as though it were stuffed with cotton. The leader twists a piece of cloth up and ties it around Alessa's head so it is in her mouth. The sides of her lips feel like they are being torn because the cloth creates so much pressure. They drag her down the hallway, down the stairs, and out the back door to the playground. The playground is completely desolate which makes it easy for them to go through with their task. After her feet are bound, she is placed on a swing. There she stays until one of the kindergarten classes come out to play. The children found her bloody and her face soaked with tears. She walked home humiliated and terrified.

Alessa's first grade teacher is immediately notified of her student's whereabouts. She is the only one willing to help the injured child. "Who did this to you?" She questions the little girl as she cleans the blood off. "You can tell me. If you want me to help you, it's important that you tell me who hurt you." The end of Alessa's tongues press against the back of her clenched teeth. She knows she cannot tell Mrs. Gordon or worse punishments will befall her. An extra dress the school keeps is slipped over her head. "Tomorrow I think I will have a talk with your mother."

Her eyes widen as she begins to protest, "No. You can't do that."

"She should know what's going on, Alessa."

"No, she can't."

"Alessa, is there something going on at home?" The child shakes her head wearily. "There isn't much time left so I want you to stay in here until school's over." The first grade teacher pats the child gently on the head then leaves. She sits on the cot in the nurse's office.

Claudia is sitting in the living room again once Alessa arrives at home. New bruises cover Claudia's face. "What happened?" Alessa asks quietly.

Claudia shakes her head, as she answers, "Nothing I just got into trouble."

"For what?"

"Why do you question me so?" Alessa does not respond to this. Never before has she heard another child speak in such a way. "Do you want to play cards again?"

"Okay. Let me go get them."

"I already have them. Your mother brought them to me. I've been shuffling them for hours while you were at school." She said this in such an accusing manner that Alessa felt like leaving her alone there and never returning.

"Why don't you go to school?" Alessa asks, also in an accusing tone.

"My father keeps me at home so I can study about God. Only those faithful will be saved once Paradise is brought upon us. Will you be saved, Alessa? Or will you be one of the damned?"

Alessa growls, "If this God you always speak of is so great, why does she allow bad things to happen? Why are the bruises on you not healed? Why is the dying not spared?"

"God does not need explanations for her logics. If you have faith you will understand."

"If you're so faithful, why can't you answer me? Can't you show me what I don't see?"

"Only God can show you the way." Alessa scowls and walks up the stairs to her room. She is tired of discussing 'God' with Claudia. It is an endless topic that keeps running in circles. The tread of footsteps catches Alessa's attention. She knows it is her mother who has probably come to punish her. To escape, she crawls under the bed. Her heart begins to pound against her bones at the sound of the door opening. The feet that carry the person who has entered are too small to be her mother's. It is Claudia who has come in uninvited. "Alessa," she calls quietly, "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I'm only trying to help. Alessa?"

Deciding to give up, Alessa shows herself. "I'm here," she says.

"Can you forgive me?"

"Yes, I forgive you. Do you still want to play cards?"

"I do," Claudia answers with a nod.

"Did you bring them up with you?"

"I did."

"Let's play then." They begin to play different card games that they both know. The talking that occurs between the two of them is kept at a minimum. They do not want to fight again so they do not speak to each other unless they have to. Once Claudia's father shows up, she embraces Alessa and whispers a goodbye. "Goodbye," Alessa says back. She then retreats to her room after they have gone. A sudden need to hide causes her to find safety under the blankets on her bed. Her head begins to ache and nausea fills her stomach with such disgusting bile that she wishes to vomit. It does not come though she gags numerous times. Because of the loudness of her heartbeat in her ears, she does not hear Dahlia come into the room. She does not see the devilish smile that slithers it's way on her mommy's face when she sees the speckles of blood on the sheet.

"The time is nearing," Dahlia whispers to herself as she steps back out into the hallway. Exhausted and weak, Alessa collapses. Her aching body takes time to rest though she is still plagued by the hurt in her stomach that awakes her tears and chases them down her cheeks. Throughout the night, she has dreams of demons, corpses, and an evil darkness that hangs heavy over the town. She wakes up screaming, dreading all that inhabits the night. She does not want to go back to sleep yet she does not want to stay awake. Even with the security of her blankets and her rag doll named Scarlet at her side, she feels there is no safe place. In the back of her mind she knows that there is something very, very wrong. It is when she sees the familiar, white rectangle lying lonely on the floor that an idea crawls in her head. The little lamp in the corner switches on, an action she has unconsciously made with her mind. Along with her sketchbook is a black crayon, which she will use to sketch the demons that torment her. Various creatures are brought to life on the paper. She works intently until the sun rises past the horizon and her sketchbook is nearly filled. Dahlia is pleased to see the horrifying images scattered about the floor. "It's time for school, Alessa," Dahlia announces.

"I'm not finished," Alessa says without taking her gaze off what she is creating.

"You can draw in school. I'll buy you a new sketchbook if you go."

"Okay mommy." She finishes her drawing then goes on her way to school. Once there she is thankful to see that recess has ended. She is anxious to get back to her drawings. An old bag she uses in replacement of her backpack is quickly placed in her locker where it belongs. She brings in the classroom her sketchbook and a black crayon. Immediately at her desk, she gets to work.

"I'm going to pass out some text books to you children," Mrs. Gordon announces, "and we're going to read some stories out loud in class today." The children pass the books down their rows to the last person.

One boy, as he is handing a book to Alessa, notices her drawings and asks, "What is that?"

"None of your business," she snaps. She does not know where this anger comes from but she does not care. To practice their reading skills, the children one by one begin to read the stories out loud from the book. When it comes time for Alessa's turn, she reads, "At this, the furious lizard hissed, 'I'll swallow you up in a single bite!' Then the huge creature attacked, jaws open wide. This was what the man wanted. Calmly drawing his bow, he shot into the lizard's gaping mouth. Effortlessly the arrow flew, piercing the defenseless maw. And the lizard fell down dead'." Reading that small section sparks an idea for a new drawing. She begins to sketch her version of this lizard. This lizard is going to be a true monster. Its jaw will open side ways, it will have no eyes, it will have no scales, and the color of its body will be that of blood and dirt. The children around her begin to notice her drawing. It awakens in them a fear they have never experienced until now.