Chapter 5
The Band-Aids were exactly where the stranger had said they’d be. Cody, sitting down on the rim of the bathtub, used a wet cloth to swipe the dust from his foot before he could inspect the wound. When he found the splinter, it turned out to be an embarrassingly small one. Tiny wound, gargantuan pain. All the pain he had been feeling for so long but never found an outlet for seemed to be streaming out the minuscule perforation in his skin. As much as it hurt, it felt good at the same time. Like deflating an old mattress to get rid of the stale air inside.
The stranger had followed him and was peeking around the corner into the bathroom.
The only question that made sense to Cody to ask was, “Why are you dressed like Santa’s little helper?”
The man shrugged. “Because I am. Or, w
