Friday night. The possibility of two days off from work stretched in front of Carson. He smiled, sipping his daiquiri at the Salt Lake Bar & Grill not far from the office. He was alone, but Goldie was plenty company. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7J0fUImLID
Three true things you'd never say out loud, Goldie suggested. Go! copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡsZ41inmW8K
Carson pondered. They loved this game, and since Goldie was inside his head, there was nothing he couldn't answer. I was born above ground. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmOtaoJVNu
Ooh, why'd you move underground? Goldie asked. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡjUeka83wUL
My mother murdered my father. Then they moved me here. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡanLeo4BK0K
That's an interesting one. Next, Goldie said. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡvH6jagITcv
Um, I hate high places, Carson admitted. Yeah, I know it's silly. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡowqDQAMT7G
Well, you've got a good reason to, David. Okay, two, Goldie said. Last one. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡFh3qwsv7dv
Well, I guess Tex is kind of good-looking, he thought. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIdY1nfKhs
I knew it! Goldie said. I told you, she is so amazing! copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGYFjPg5In
Shut up, now! She's my boss. It doesn't matter, Carson said. Besides, I think she's married. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡMoFQObikiv
Too bad, Goldie said. But you don't actually like her like that. You just agree she's pretty. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡQbe3agrp0I
Yes. Carson took another sip, watching the ball game. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡSgpQVIFcOo
You guys are so awkward, Arc complained. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡzBMerBpKVI
Aren't you busy being bored? Carson jabbed. Shoo! Arc complied. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡgLTuO4KftK
What're you going to do? We've got two days, Goldie asked. Are we going up to Denver? copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡYl1ncX6S9U
Nope. Carson took a sip of his daiquiri. We're staying put and having fun. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJw2XXEnIz
"Fun"? Goldie asked. What sort of fun? copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Yk0s94dpy
Not sure. Just going to hang around town and stuff. Nothing big, he responded. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡYnUZL6WRY5
Got a girl coming over? Goldie asked. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfOihMfVaY
Come on, I've told you, no, Carson said. I'm going to do what normal people do. Sleep in, watch my feed, and maybe take a walk. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡvhWQipZnDp
You're not a normal person, Goldie said. You've got Arc and me. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBNPByWxpV
Carson smiled, finishing his drink. Let's visit one of those cool places you keep suggesting. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡDbastsfJnq
Like New York City, Goldie hummed. That's where I met Glace. She's so awesome. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡITHEJ04JnH
Carson shuddered from the onslaught of indecent memories rolling off his mind guest. Okay, fine. Let's go. He paid his tab and jogged home. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jiV8Uu5sT
The projector machine hummed as it scanned Carson's mind. Goldie provided the details to Manhattan and the landscape formed before them. The program filtered out the people, boats, busses, and other things, and formed an empty city of buildings in water. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ055ayzCOj0
"This is amazing!" Carson exclaimed. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡe1TWGDWKmk
She was a taxi boat driver, Goldie said. That's how we first met. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡrvDKrMEVR6
"You miss her," Carson realized. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡPRcU2KuFyN
A lot. But I don't blame you. It was an accident, Goldie said. I know how this weighs down your soul. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNPAJvdGfz
"I'm sorry." copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0G5Dqwp4rh
Shut up. Let me introduce you to my city, Goldie said. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡbg8nbb8FRH
They flew through the city, Goldie telling Carson everything about the city of her youth. It was beautiful, but above that, it was sad. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxui7eNkU2
This was my first apartment. I had a punching bag hooked to the ceiling and I'd practice all day long. My mom thought it was unhealthy, but I didn't care, Goldie said. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡUUJZy9wYeY
"You seem to have a nice mom," Carson said. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqfoNqAW6r
Had, Goldie corrected. She died of cancer fifty years ago. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡDzY7S6lGqg
"My mother's in a cell in Santa Barbara Penitentiary. I visited her about five years ago," Carson said. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡIlarlJBRHQ
I'm sorry, Goldie said. Your mother's a real jerk. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡPXh4l4vW0B
"Yeah." copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡnEbmL4s7KS
They flew around Central Park, a large lake that used to be a vast green park in the distant past according to Goldie. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡnseyUziwq0
"Isn't it called New York Lake now?" Carson asked. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡngXEljJQfK
Yes, but who needs post-war names when you remember pre-war? copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡsCoEYaIqhs
"You remember pre-war?" Carson asked. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFVxdQ7vny
I was three. So not really, but kind of. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡvKOsp9M801
They slid to a shady alley and Goldie stopped. She tinkered with the software and a scene from her memory started playing. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡTsEh6DsO4J
Goldie and Glace were walking down the alley, their arms linked and heads together. Glace whispered something and Goldie laughed out loud. This was it, Goldie said. The end of our innocence. Some days I wish I had stayed home for this, and other days I don't regret anything. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡhopcWC338q
A strange man appeared at the end of the alley. Goldie screamed, clutching her beloved. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡBDbp6AzSJz
"Give me all your money!" the man shouted, pulling out a gun. "Now!" copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡUC2zU8cnXg
Hesitantly, Goldie moved to reach for her purse. Glace stopped her. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7eEwrA8uEg
"Come on. Stop dawdling!" the man demanded. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡUfU6F0GfTq
Glace pulled it out of her pocket and it was done before Carson could blink. His eyes widened. "What?" copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO3QnYZzlW
Glace had shot the mugger in the face with her Glock. His spirit floated off his body and joined Glace. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsbvYC677K
"Sweetie. What?" Goldie muttered. "What did you just–?" copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡn20h8FiOUb
"Don't," Glace whispered. "Don't speak of this. Ever." copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡeJZizmgzWB
I knew there was something different about her after that, Goldie said, ending the playback. The alley returned to emptiness. She told her about it, and I got so excited. This could be the thing I was waiting for. We could live forever. But at a price neither of us ever expected. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡvM4Hi2jo9r
Carson nodded. "And then the greed came, and the boredom, and to elevate boredom…" copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8xt9OBO7pJ
Yeah. After a while, we did it for fun. Nothing more, nothing less, Goldie confessed. I look back to the girl who was saved by her girlfriend's quick action and… I don’t know anymore. I don't even know who she was. Somedays, I believe we really did die there, that day. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEsiX2FdBC
"Glace," Carson said. "Let's get a good night's rest. It's over. You're with me, now." copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7pTOHW855
Don't do what we did, Glace said. Don't give into the false promise. Follow Tex. Find a better path. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeC2nrEcz4
"I won't, I promise. After what my mom did, I can't," Carson said. "But thank you. For everything." copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡVRIoaGqQT2
It's the least I can do, now that I'm bodiless again, Glace joked. copyright protection150ＰＥＮＡＮＡsJ9RCYyy7E
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