NO AI TRAINING: Without in any way limiting the author’s (me) exclusive rights under copyright, any use of this publication to “train” generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to generate text is expressly prohibited. The author reserves all rights to license uses of this work for generative AI training and development of machine learning language models. Nicolette Louis was three years old when her hands turned into branches. The scream of terror her mother made that autumn evening forever haunts their street. Neighbors rushed out the door, some with sharp hands. They are called the Blades. “She too isn’t like them,” they murmured, “first the boy bursting into flames, now her”“Are they…