dangling from stringy fibrous tissue and encrusted in thick cakes of blood . His skin was already starting to turn blue , lips crooked , torn , revealing teeth with broken sharp edges , some missing . It was hard to tell if his tongue was still intact .
Callie didn ’ t want that image in her head and closed the bag . She wondered if the mother was in similar shape , so she opened that “ cadaver pouch ,” as some liked to name it . Callie immediately recognized her . Prissy was her nickname in school , a cheerleader and voted “ Most Popular ,” homecoming queen , the whole nine yards . She was also one of Callie ’ s tormentors , the one who ’ d stick her foot out and cause Callie to splat face down against the hallway floor . Callie would know Prissy was nearby whenever she heard Prissy ’ s heels clicking through the hallway … click-click , a distinct sound she associated with some evil deed that only Prissy could conjure up . Most days she ’ d throw Callie ’ s books and papers across the room then point and laugh in her direction . Prissy kicked her once in the back of the legs , and it took months for the bruises to disappear . Callie became Prissy ’ s target when they ’ d play dodgeball in gym class . One time it got so bad that Callie got a concussion and her vision was blurry for a month . Another time Prissy saved blood from a bat she ’ d dissected in biology class and splashed it in the back of Callie ’ s skirt as if her monthly had gushed . All the boys had pointed at her as she walked by ; a kindly teacher gave her a sweater to wrap around her waist and hide the offense . Whatever the outrage concocted in Prissy ’ s brain , others followed to torment Callie as well . It was almost
21