The soap burned more strongly against my bare skin, but the sting was bearable because it meant I could be clean again. When I was done lathering, my skin prickled everywhere and my scalp felt scalded. It seemed as if the places where the bruises had formed were more sensitive than the rest of me — they must still have been there. I was happy to put the acidic soap on the rock floor and rinse my body again and again, the way I had my clothes.
