The Medium's Palette of Fear

Previously

…Friendships were even more elusive, fragile things that shattered under the weight of my knowing. I’d try, oh how I’d try. I’d watch other girls giggle and whisper secrets, their faces alight with the simple joy of shared confidences, and I’d yearn to be a part of it. But how could I? How could I offer a comforting word when I already saw the illness that would soon steal the light from their eyes, or the betrayal that would fracture their closest bond? I remember one girl, Anya, with a cascade of fiery red hair and a laugh like wind chimes. We were playing in the schoolyard, and she was telling me about her dream of becoming a dancer.would never come to fruition.