The Devil and the Dark Water

by Stuart Turton

“Questions are swords and answers are shields,”

Lia bit her lip sulkily, staring at the unsatisfactory pulley. “It’s such a small thing. Why can’t I—” “Because men don’t like being made to feel stupid, and there’s no other way to feel when you start talking.”

No mother wanted to tell their child to be less than they were, but what use was encouraging a child into a thornbush.

“I didn’t go there expecting to succeed. I went there knowing I would die.” “Then why go at all?” “Because I couldn’t have lived with the guilt of having not tried.”

Some songs weren’t mere songs. They were memories curled tight and set alight. They made you heartsick.

“Anger makes good men stubborn and stubborn men petty. They won’t hear you.”

Sammy always said to hold on to what you knew until you understood what it meant.

“Strong is strong and weak is weak, and it doesn’t matter if you wear breeches or skirts if you’re the latter. Life will hammer you flat.”