"who did this to you."
she cradles her legs and smiles.
"did your mommy do this?"
she nods her head.
"what happened?"
"mommy got angry with what i said and, and, and then she went somewhere... she came back with a metal thing, twisted it to make it...thicker and then wacked at my legs..."
"does she beat you ofte-?"
"and then she tried to strangle herself..."
silence.
"so i had to stay..."
"what? does she still beat you?"
"i love my mommy."
"does she beat you? does she keep you by force?"
"no."
she drops the baby voice and her face ages without time.
"i fucked up. i already killed them all... and killed myself. this right now... is the afterlife. and it's hell."