I don’t know if you've ever seen those moving mannequins in the store windows, the ones that follow your gaze and blow kisses when you pass.

When the doorbell rings, Penny doesn’t want to open the door. She doesn’t want anyone to see how they live.

Cloud-soft, our animal floated through the room like slow music.

I shed my skin every seven years. I never realise it till long after the act of shedding has taken place.

Mother says I’m made of mud, eyes, and a little bit of the past. When she says this, she glances away as though she’s ashamed of what she did.