Crooked, yellow teeth,
a hunched back,
and a sinister smile.
I thought that’s what monsters looked like.

But then I saw him,
As perfect as anyone could ever be;
with his handsome face
and striking features.

He stood there,
over her body,
now empty and lifeless.
Her face bloodied and bruised.
There remained only a broken shell of what used to be.

I looked at him then,
and in that instant,
I knew without a shadow of doubt,
that that’s what monsters really look like.

–Meghna Jain