"I stand there leaning against the cot, staring at it all: the dark wet patch on my red Superman pajamas, the orange swirly-patterned linoleum lumpy and bubbled like little turtles are living beneath it, the whitish brown cottage-cheese stuff in the ceiling corners, the ABC books I'd outgrown six months ago buried in the crates" (Story 1, p. 7).

"The ones that buy me candy don't last long. The ones that slap her last longer, but not as long as the ones that beat her with their fists and me with their belt [sic]" (Story 2, p. 44).

"I follow her to the elevator and look around, and cough loudly, hoping that everyone will see me leaving with somebody" (Story 3, p. 55).

"The beating has ended, and now I hope it's my turn, before he holds Aaron and forgets about me and my turn" (Story 4, p. 73).

"I move to her heavily, like I'm...