Burned: An Inferno World Novella

I didn’t want to be this man.
I never wanted to be like my father.

I just wanted to be loved by him. Accepted. That’s how this happened, that’s how I became this person. Too many years of listening, too many years craving his approval. His words burned into my mind.

And now I crave things the world says I shouldn’t.

I open doors that should remain closed. I cross lines meant to be straight and narrow. But they’ll understand, they’ll see just like I did.

This is the right way of things. The way it’s meant to be.

And whether I have his name or not, at least I’ve finally become the perfect son.