* THEY THAT DEVOUR.
01. WHAT IS A BEAST BUT A BAG OF BONES ? a skeletal thing that carries its starvation around like a weapon, dragging behind, leaving trails in the dirt : EVERYWHERE, EVERYWHERE. but the beast is many, many - faced, with many hungers & many desires. IT WILL MAKE ITSELF LOOK RED; OR RED, WHITE, & BLUE; OR IT WILL NOT LOOK LIKE ANYTHING AT ALL. she has seen all its faces, & she has bruised each one, left them gape - mouthed with broken teeth.
02. WHAT DOES IT WANT ? have you ever seen someone stop a flower from blooming ? crush their fingers around a bundle of petals until nothing but dust & a carnal smear of red is left behind ? [ IMAGINE THE ROSE WITHIN A RIBCAGE. IMAGINE THE ROSE AS A HEART. HER HEART. ] but there’s a problem -- they made her heart into stone, & forgot that they made it unbreakable. ( HAMMER, SICKLE. STARS, STRIPES. YOU’RE ALL THE SAME. YOU’LL NEVER HAVE ME AGAIN. )
