Skinny

From Skinny I know what they think because she whispers their thoughts into my ear. I can hear them. Clearly. Constantly. "If I ever look like that, just kill me." Her name is Skinny. I don't know how long she's been sitting there on my right shoulder, whispering her messages. She popped up when I was about ten, when I started gaining weight after my mother died. At first, her voice came infrequently--softly--but as I got bigger, she grew stronger. She probably looks like a Goth Tinkerbell, maybe a winged fairy kind of thing, but I've never actually seen her. I only hear her. Excerpted from Skinny by Donna Cooner All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.