Narrated by Stephanie Malia Morris.
We do not discuss, Nell and I. In the early years of my imprisonment, I raged at her during her midwinter visits, but I soon learned that my prison only grew stronger with every fight: roots deepening when I screamed curses on her name, leaves withering when she laughed at my weakness. I stopped fighting the year I realized I could not discern bone from wood when I sliced myself open and peered inside.
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Read “Her Cage of Root and Bone” by Kali Wallace, in Issue #301
© Story content copyright 2020 Kali Wallace
Audio recording released under a Creative Commons License
Kali Wallace studied geology and earned a PhD in geophysics before she realized she enjoyed inventing imaginary worlds more than she liked researching the real one. She is the author of science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels for children, teens, and adults. Her most recent novel is the science fiction thriller Salvation Day. Her short fiction has appeared in Clarkesworld, F&SF, Asimov's, on Tor.com, and other speculative fiction magazines. After spending most of her life in Colorado, she now lives in southern California.
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