“You’ve always been in the way,” my sister whispered, shoving me out of the chopper while my husband watched, silent and complicit for the $5M payout. Everyone thought I was dead. But when I pushed open the church doors during my funeral service, my husband went pale. I locked eyes with him and said…

Exhale weakness.

By day three, infection began to ravage my system. My skin burned to the touch, and my injured leg pulsed with a hot, toxic rhythm. I chewed raw pine needles, desperately hoping their natural antiseptic properties would hold the fever at bay. The pain separated from my physical form, becoming an entity in the shelter with me. I named continue reading …