KAT
Broken Things Made Visible
"Wait—" Dave's voice cracks on the word, but empty bellies don't wait for nobody.
The boy's teeth sink into that rabbit's throat like he's done it a hundred times before. Blood sprays across his sunken cheeks, and the rabbit's dying scream cuts through morning air like a knife through butter. I watch Dave's face go through it all—the horror, the understanding, then something deeper. This is what it looks like when the world lets kids raise themselves on scraps.
The child looks up at Dave with blood running down his chin, proud as any hunter bringing home supper. "Is good? Caught it myself. Mama says I'm a good hunter."
My chest gets tight. This baby, maybe seven years old, been catching and eating raw meat 'cause starving was the only other option. The r
