SADE

I sat at my station and listened as Madam Valee spoke.

“Two weeks. You’ll be given two weeks to prepare for this exam. You’re to create a scent. Something that tells the story of your life. You might try to lie.” She paused and looked around. “But I’ll definitely find out if you do. Your scent will tell me.”

When she left, my thoughts wandered. I thought of how to begin. My life wasn’t something worth telling. It wasn't something people were supposed to know. My life wasn’t something people would love to inhale. I didn’t know people needed pain for a scent.

“What are you going to do…?”...