The Woman They Tried To Erase

trea

t space in my mind, the "i

through Anna' s eyes,

' t act. Cou

t w

my own head, i

ol smoothly, a

her expression melted in

good a

ice trembling just a little. "Are they

wide-eyed, the perfect

st, of course.

aged a weak,

nstantly. "You' ll be grea

k in his eyes. "We' ll be righ

apped

desty, her sup

me want

faced down a dozen Spore

ried about a

es I' d protected countless t

d last winter when he wandered into a

tty little head, Anna. You

ulled from a collapsing buil

rough stuff, but you, A

o

a' s illusions

heir preference for comfort

a protective circle, offer

for

walked towards the council hall whe

supportive han

assuring smile, the ki

d, a familiar

ed thei

ncern, so easily given

now reserved for the

r. Openly. Ev

s forced

sh part of me

ere deep down, remembere

e him, laughed with him under the Wyoming

a flicker of me ben

ed slightly, a delib

shot out, s

rmured, his voic

and the last slive

e full of An

e I' d hoarded from m

om, a strange

ense of self, as a small, worn name tag

H JEN

devotion to Anna, the edges

ters fl

premoniti

Chimera' s "the

pearing, pi

the ones I had protected