Flawed Perfection
By: Tonya Lovell
Sean gazed at the picture under the light
want him. No one expected anything from him
of the flickering streetlight of the woman he
but trouble, and he’d given it, plenty of it. But
was supposed to spend the rest of his life with.
then he’d met Rosa, she’d seen something good
But circumstances had made a future with her
in him, just as his foster mother had. So, he’d
impossible. He was a hideous monster, and she
decided it was time for him to turn over a new
thought he was dead. The boy she loved no
leaf. He’d shipped out the day before Rosa was
longer existed; he had died in the explosion.
to leave for university. She’d come to see him
He would never forget the sight of the disfig-
off, he’d promised to write her, and she’d given
ured bodies that surrounded him; he would
him her photo and had told him to promise that
never forget that they’d died because of him.
he would come back to her. He’d kissed her and
The scarred, hollow man that had replaced him
told her that he would.
was not worthy of her love. The great plan he’d
But he couldn’t go back to her, not like this.
constructed to keep them together had ended
He didn’t deserve happiness, and his scarred
up tearing them apart. He should have listened
face had guaranteed that. He put the photo
to Rosalie’s parents; he should have broken it
inside his jacket, and pulled the hood of the
off and walked away. Instead, he’d asked her
jacket more securely over his face and walked
to marry him and she’d said yes. He’d given
down the street, pushing away the guilt he felt
her a ring made of foil, wire and sanded glass,
every time he thought about Rosa. It was better
promising to buy her a real one as soon as he
this way. Sean turned his head sharply when he
returned. He’d enlisted in the army; he’d want-
heard a scream coming from somewhere in the
ed to prove to Rosalie’s parents that he was
alley that was stripped of light because it was
worthy of their daughter, and he’d wanted to
the victim of malfunctioning streetlights. The
earn Rosa’s love, although she was willing to
dull moonlight was its only foe. He squinted,
give it freely. Rosa had a bright future ahead
and made out three struggling silhouettes. With-
of her. He was the kid whose parents didn’t
out hesitation, he dashed into the alley in attack