my name is matthias black, and i am a lasting mark left by the results of the nuclear fallout of 2023. the unknown side affects of new, more explosive weapons stain my skin, along with many others. it lets off a glow, reminding even those far away the beautiful horror unleashed by the carelessness of our unstable government. but i will not be undone by these changes to my physical form.

others do not believe me to be safe, say i should be quarantined with the rest of those "poor unfortunate souls." little do they know that the only true pain we feel is dealt by their swift judgment, by their rash dismissal of any and all things they do not understand. little do they know the discrimination and hatred they pass off as safety and mercy.

they see themselves as gods, healing the tiny broken animals that they themselves have stepped on. but i will live on, unbeknownst to them, the untainted with a trained peripheral vision that blocks me out. i will not be strapped down, hushed, and left to rot a safe distance from the rest of society. i will live on in the dark that my vibrant skin so wishes to penetrate.

i refuse to be seen.