ZION/ZURI

Panic surged. I stumbled backward, away from the others. Away from Koda. From Tristan. From the boys who didn’t know, couldn’t know. They’d smell it soon. I ran until I found a small pond. I collapsed to my knees at the edge, stripping off the bloodied layer of my shorts, shoving it under the water, scrubbing frantically like I could erase what was happening to me.

The water swirled red. My hands trembled. A sob caught in my throat. Why now? Why today?

A ...