A very short story I wrote which was shortlisted for the A3 Review on the theme of ‘Tracks’

 
There are tracks on your arm from a parallel life, and I want to know all about it.
The truth now, you hear? No bullshit. Just the facts.
Don’t tell me your mama didn’t love you. Your papa beat you. Your girl ran out on you.
Cuz I can see something wild there. It glints.
Sexy? Sure. Scary? You bet.
Was it all just a crazy misadventure? Something you did one day cuz Jack – who you never see any more, and, come to think of it,what the hell happened to him? – said it was cool.
Would you do that? Follow some jerk just cuz he said so?
And then what? Did you just say ‘fuck this’ one day, and sweat and shake and vomit and cry? Then come to me?
Well, here I am. So tell me all about it.