- The Damaged - The Ignition (eBook)
- The Damaged - Lobotomy (eBook)
- The Damaged - The Discussion (eBook)
The Damaged – Book 2: Lobotomy continues the gripping psychological journey of Petty Officer Clarissa Burton as she fights to survive the emotional, physical, and spiritual battles within the psychiatric ward at Balboa Naval Hospital. As buried secrets emerge and the line between healing and manipulation begins to blur, Clarissa must summon the courage to confront her deepest fears. Filled with suspense, resilience, faith, and redemption, this compelling second installment of The Damaged novelette series will leave readers eager for what comes next.
Author Clarissa Burton served honorably in the U.S. Navy from 1985 to 1990.
THE DAMAGED – LOBOTOMY
Chapter One – Airman Scott
Lobotomy
Scott lies to my left again, curled on his side with his knees tucked up close—small, fragile, childlike. Morning light filters through the narrow ward window, casting a pale glow across his freckled face. His reddish-blond curls look softer in daylight, like something untouched by the darkness that stalks him every night.
I rest on my right side, my belly a firm, round weight pressing into the mattress. My baby is quiet for once, as if sensing the stillness around us. I exhale, watching Scott sleep, hoping the demons inside his head are giving him a moment’s peace.
He looks so young like this.
Too young to carry the kind of torment I’ve seen in his eyes.
There is an innocence in him I can’t ignore—something raw and unprotected, something that makes me want to shield him even though I’m barely holding myself together. Maybe he senses that I’m safe. Or maybe he gravitates toward me because I don’t demand anything from him.
Either way, we’ve formed an unspoken bond in this place.
Two trapped souls.
Two damaged hearts.
Two people trying to survive the nights.
Clarissa Burton has been crafting poetry and short stories since the age of eight. Her work has appeared in the Charleston Post-Courier, The Kansas City Star, Flourish Magazine, and Kansas City Small Business Monthly. publishes essays and commentaries across several online platforms and is the founder of the Queen of the Pen Books® website. A lifelong observer of people and systems, she believes life continually offers stories worth capturing and sharing—if one is willing to look closely enough.
Clarissa is a United States Navy veteran and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Ottawa University in Overland Park, Kansas, Master’s degree in Business from Webster University in Kansas City, and a Doctorate in Higher Education and Adult Learning from Walden University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
She lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two dogs, and their two cats.
To schedule an interview or speaking engagement, send a request to support@queenofthepenbooks.com
Other Books by Clarissa Burton:
- Travel
- Elijah’s Great Race
- Princess Onyx Precious Gems
- Travel – The Journey Continues
- Rex the Nerdy Centipede
- Micah’s Grumpy Day
- Princess Onyx Hairy Business
- The Black Family Tree (Workbook)
- Creating Young Authors (Instructor’s Manual / Student Manual)
- The Damaged Book 1 - The Ignition