"I don't care what you do to me!" he yells, "I can take it! You can beat me up, do whatever—"

Fire flares up in front of the cotton-candy colored hair.

"Just leave my family alone," he whispers.

Then he

f
a
l
l
s

and he

f
a
l
l
s

into darkness

never to be found

—

another draft i will never finish