I met his eyes. Unlike Callie, he wouldn't be fooled with a smile. Once you've glimpsed something's true nature, it's hard to see the veneer as anything but false, no matter how bright the shine.

Given a choice, it seems like pity would be easier to bear than mockery, but that's not true. Mockery hardens defenses; pity slips through, finds the softest places you have, and slices to the bone. Pity will break you, every time.

It's not only the demons who have the power to break you. It's the small, unexpected kindness, the flame that throws the darkness into relief.

People spot a big black lens, and they worry about what they're doing, or how their hair looks. Nobody see the person holding the camera.

But there is something about their eyes, and the way they smile at you, that tells you they're not just regular kids.

I'm not a fighter. I usually smile and then go into my room and cry my eyes out.