"Parting the wind as she ran, Azalea turned on Hobble Street, tripped on her untied shoelace and fell in a pool of October rain. A bosomy red gush drowned the cap of her knee. It was as bright as her rainbow-red sneakers, her reveling mood! Azalea reached in to touch the river that was flooding out of her. A warmness filled her as she scooped out fishes! Magic, thought Azalea. What joy! She reached in to scoop out a fishtail and pulled out a yellow mermaid. "What surprise!" Azalea exclaimed, dripping blood from her fingertips.

"Are you okay, young lass?" an elder asked, staring at her losing blood.

"Just fishing!" assured Azalea. The mermaid dodged her finger-fishing, trying to grab onto her pretty mermaid tail. Then vanished.

Read this harrowing tale of trauma, addiction, and self-loathing. Rose Collins' eye for psychological detail and flair for concision will win you over.