The House of Ash and Guilt
Then one bolder mutt sank its teeth into my calf and ripped off a chunk of flesh.
The pain cut straight through to my soul. I screamed without thinking, trying to scare them off. "Get back! Don't touch me! Get away!"
But no one could hear me. My hands passed through their bodies every time I tried to shove them. All I could do was watch as those animals turned my flesh into a feast—tearing, gnawing, reducing me to something unrecognizable.
I remembered my father, after hearing of Matthew's death, pointing a finger at my face—every word a poison-tipped dagger. "Eli! I curse you to die a wretched death, with no body left to bury!"