school in an attempt to rape her. Bad move. But how was he to know that Candy kept a switchblade on her person at all times? The child couldn’t talk! Mute Candy activated the knife so quickly that the blade flew open and clicked. She wasted no second plunging it into the flesh of his stomach and when he tried to crawl away she jabbed his spine too. Blood spurted on everything she wore but she was unfazed as she evolved from victim to predator. Before long, he was paralyzed. When her work was done she looked down at him and felt it was good but it was time to get a little creative. Mute Candy pushed whatever she could find on the ground into his mouth to prevent him from making a sound. When he was stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey, she stuck him again. This is where it gets weird. Every day for three days, Mute Candy would walk back to the same brush and stick the rapist at least five times in his thighs. Mice would chew on his flesh at night and she loved it. At one point she busted him in the head with a glass bottle, but that was for free. When she came back on the fourth day the rapist was gone. An old woman looking for cans saw him and called 911 for help, after she searched his pockets for money of course. When the rapist was in the hospital he had the nerve to tell the authorities that Mute Candy assaulted him without warrant. In a twist of events, mainly because Mute Candy never mentioned that she was almost sexually assaulted, she was thrown in Strawberry Meadows and he was set free. Things could’ve been far worse had it not been for the man having a record as a sexual pervert so for that, Mute Candy was grateful. Sitting next to Snow, Mute Candy grabbed a box of Uno cards and started dealing Snow and herself a hand. She didn’t even ask if Snow wanted to play. She was just like Snow actually, able to express herself without words. Snow looked at Mute Candy, smiled and proceeded to throw out a yellow four. And that’s how Mute Candy and Snow became best friends. It wasn’t until that moment that Snow realized that she didn’t come to Strawberry Meadows just for Rasim. She came for Mute Candy too.
****
After playing cards with Mute Candy and talking to her via pencil and paper, Snow decided to go to the library and locate a book on sign language. If Mute Candy was going to be her very good best girlfriend, she wanted to be able to talk to her without pencil and paper. When she found the book of her choice, she strolled toward her room and saw a picture lying on her bed. It was of her in the dance room on the day she was wearing the black tights and a red shirt. Who took it? Her jaw dangled as she eyed each detail of the picture. Someone managed to capture how she felt when she was dancing and she looked like a goddess. Her right arm reached into the heavens and her fingers curved ever so lightly. Her left arm extended toward the right and she was on the tips of her toes. And then there was the silhouette of her body that was simply breathtaking. It was as if Michelangelo returned to earth just to assist the photographer with taking the perfect picture. On the back of the photo it read, “If I’m Superman, you’re Mona Lisa. Love, Rasim.” Just as she thought. Rasim was perfect. And Snow cried tears of joy.
****
At first Snow was cleaning the bathroom but now she was doubled over the toilet vomiting. She couldn’t understand why she was so sick and she was about to call her mother until Ms. Brush Face walked in and discovered her. Looking down at the ill child, she placed her hands on her hips and shook her head. “Not you too.” “What do you mean?” Snow whispered. “Come with me,” she replied with a shake of her head. Snow did the best she could to get herself together. She followed Ms. Brush