Bearclaw Valley soot & violets

"nothing."
merrick's remaining eye burrowed into the fear and vulnerability behind val's young eyes. "look at me." look at the twists and ridges and burls of scar tissue, the toothmarks pitted long ago around eye socket and jawline.
"if i took you to the ocean and threw you into it, would you sink? would you allow your horror to consume you? or would you swim, val?"
it's the same as killing.