Edna is watching the trains go by outside her window. The rain beats its familiar rhythm against the pane, and she drums her fingers against the glass in concert. She has not been to school in over a month.
There is a group of boys walking in the alley near her house. They are deliberately running into puddles, shoving and pushing each other. Suddenly, one of the boys sees her in the window. “Hey!” he shouts, pointing in her direction. Edna shies back, her fingers curling in upon themselves. The curtain closes, but it is too late; they have already seen her.
Edna scurries to bed and hides under the covers, clapping her hands over her ears when she hears the first stone strike her window. She prays her mother won’t hear. She knows what will happen if she finds out Edna’s been seen.
The boys continue throwing stones against her window, calling out harsh epithets in their high voices.
“Ugly ears! Donkey ears!”
Edna closes her eyes and dreams of a simpler time, before she woke up with the ears of a donkey.
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