A woman with ichthyosis, a skin condition in which dead skin cells are slow to flake off, tries to negotiate peace between her two daughters. One daughter shares her condition and one does not, leading to allegations of favoritism. From Teresa Milbrodt s Bearded Women: Stories, this tale is one in a phenomenal collection (Asimov s Science Fiction) of short fiction about the so-called freaks trying negotiate a world that is quicker to stare than sympathize.

ChiZine Publications (CZP) curates the best of the bizarre, bringing you the most excitingly weird, subtle, dark, and disturbing literary fiction. Look for more titles in the ChiZine short stories collection to build your digital library.