Page 125 of Molt

Take me.

The man tilts his head. “Another?”

“Use me.” I stop breathing inside the memory.

He smiles. “Now that...” His eyes move over me. “...I can do.”

The memory snaps away. I open my eyes.

Sarah’s crying. She saw it.

I know she did.

“Oh my God.”

“I told him.” My voice barely works. “I told him to make another body.”

“August...”

“I gave him permission.”

“You were grieving.”

“I gave him permission.”

“You didn’t know what it meant.”

“I didn’t care what it meant.”

She flinches.

That’s worse.

Because it’s true. I didn’t ask questions. Didn’t care whose body. Whose life. Whose future. I only cared that Lenora wasn’t gone. “I did this.”

Sarah crawls closer. “August...”

“No.” I move back. “Don’t.”

“Stop trying to punish yourself for five fucking minutes.”

“Nine women. At least.” The correction lands. “At least nine women.” I laugh. There’s no humor left. “All because I couldn’t say goodbye.”

Sarah looks at me for a long time. “Then say it now.”

I stop breathing. “What?”

Her face crumples then wipes at her eyes. “You never did.”

“No.”

“You never let her go.”

“No.”

“Maybe that’s why this keeps happening.”

I shake my head. “We don’t know that.”