Bitterness chews at me. No, something more serious. I press my hands against the ache in my
gut. Sometimes, the right amount of pressure makes it go away. Please go away. Pain-true
pain-spasms in my muscles like lightning and shivers across my bones. The fractures in my
orb shift and grate against each other, dusting my hands in shining powder.
The author's purpose for writing this passage was to
A. demonstrate that pain is necessary to heal a damaged soul orb
B. reveal that negative emotions cause the soul orbs to fracture
C. emphasize that soul orb dust contains valuable healing properties
D. argue that soul orbs cause people to have negative thoughts
