Flora’s Guide to a Second Chance at Love and Life

Explosion?

Bentley's mind flashed back to the mess on the floor when he'd come in earlier. He hadn't thought much of it at the time-just noticed Amy lying there, with bits of what looked like an antique vase scattered around her. But now it clicked: those scraps of fake skin had to belong to the imitation Amy.

He remembered, years ago, agreeing to this deal, already knowing the fake Amy wasn't human. She was a chip-based android, perfectly lifelike on the outside, but programmed to self-destruct to protect her code if things went south.

Bentley stepped forward and grabbed Amy's hand, gripping it tight. "Did she say anything to you before she died?" he asked, voice low and urgent.

Amy shrank back, putting on the perfect show of fear-her eyes wide, trembling like a helpless little thing.

Tears welled up as she looked at him, voice barely more than a whisper. “No, nothing. As soon as I got downstairs, she started hitting me. Just like before, when she'd lock me up and go crazy. I was terrified, I just curled up in the corner. She kept shouting about being conscious, about being a real person, and then... I must have blacked out. I didn't hear anything else."

cheeks, so pitiful that anyone watching would feel

the fragile victim, the safer she

felt guilty for everything Amy had been through, only believed

aside, then wrapped Amy up in a hug. She stroked Amy's back, comforting

pull Amy up and get answers, but

of options,

was just a mask-out in public, she was all grace

slipped out of bed and crept toward the door, listening hard. Sure enough, she could hear her parents talking just

locked up for years. There's no way she could know Grace was an

remembered something. "Wait-don't we have security cameras in the house? Did you check

"I did."