Mary Widdicks

Mary Widdicks is a former psychologist turned novelist and freelance journalist. Her writing has been featured in The Washington Post, Undark Magazine, Salon, Vox, Quartz, and more. Mary is also the author of The Mermaid Asylum psychological suspense series. She is a firm believer in strong, twisted female characters and unhappy endings. Her internet search history is not for the faint of heart. Follow her at: http://marywiddicks.com or on Twitter @MaryWiddicks.

THE BIRD by Mary Widdicks

There’s mud between my toes. Slimy, sticky, and covering the chipped pink polish that now decorates only the tips of my big toenails. It’ll be gone the next time Mom cuts them. The ground is hot even though the sun is starting to duck behind the trees, and I can’t stand still for very long or it burns the bottoms of my feet. I hop from grass patch to molehill along the side of the road, avoiding gravel and broken glass like a game of hopscotch, and trying desperately not to spill the water from the bucket dangling from my…

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