In a town that’s never wanted me, I found solace in a girl named Hestia who welcomed me into her brackish waters with open arms. I didn’t know who I was, much less that I was falling in love until it was near too late. When the town that raised you turns its back on you, what else do you do besides join the monsters? This work was originally featured in a charity anthology by Pride With A Bite called We Bite Back benefitting HRC. Content Warnings: Body horror, violence, implied transphobia, internalized transphobia and homophobia, gun violence, side character death, strangulation, implied drowning. “THIS FUCKING EATS” -Sera Quim, Author of THICKER THAN BLOOD Cover, typeset and internal formatting done by Jun T.N.