Until

She stops at the edge of the clearing.

You know why they call me that?

The creature?

A long time ago,

my parents finally let me go to the school.

But so many kids made fun of me,

pointing at my eye and the way my hands

never stopped scratching.

They called me “the creature,”

told everyone to stay away or they might get it, too.

I told my parents I wanted to be homeschooled again,

but my mom had just started back to work,

and they didn’t think it could be so bad.

Until.

She looks at her arms,

touches her fingers to her face.

You probably don’t remember.

We sang at the assembly.

I loved singing,

but my dress was so itchy.

She rubs her arms

like she can feel it now.

So I did what any little kid would do.

I scratched, scratched,

scratched, right there on stage,

my arms and hands everywhere.

My parents believed me after that,

and I haven’t been to school ever since.