By the time Coco stumbled into her room, the searing agony from the burns had dulled to a persistent, throbbing ache but the second her reflection caught the light, her heart dropped into her stomach.
Tears welled before she could stop them, hot and stinging, and they cascaded over her ravaged cheeks, setting the raw flesh ablaze all over again. She bit down on a cry, her hands flying to the vanity to steady herself.
The face staring back wasn't hers anymore. The top layer of skin had sloughed away in patches, leaving behind something mottled, weeping, and utterly alien. She traced the edge of what used to be her jawline with a trembling finger, and the touch sent lightning bolts of pain shooting through her nerves.
She fumbled for her phone, fingers slick with tears and the viscous ooze from her wounds. The screen blurred beneath her gaze as she punched in her mother's number, each ring an eternity.
