The Conversation (concluded)
“You do have to make a choice, Mr. Further,” the clerk informed him. “There’s only
two options.”
William sat up straight.
“Casey?” William started remembering his death. He remembered her standing over him
telling him to find her.
“Oh, yes,” the clerk said with a detached expression. “Maybe if I let you know a
little bit about her, it would make your decision a bit easier.”
He set his pen down.
“Poor Miss Harlow. Or Miss Spencer as you know her. She is always at the mercy of
others' Apoka. Every time someone close to her relives their life, it changes her.
She is another anomaly. She has no Apoka dates to help stabilize her existence. Did
you know that you and she got married and had a baby over a thousand times?”
William nodded no.
“Of course you don't,” the clerk responded.
“One thousand stories all the same. Your life ended with getting shot at a gas
station protecting a textbook. Her life with your daughter continued until your
grandmother chose Apoka.”
William rubbed his chest with his fingers. He didn’t recall ever getting shot. He
knew that he would never have tried protecting a textbook. He hadn’t touched one
since 1999 when he was in high school.