The Unhappening of Genesis Lee by Shallee McArthur

Author:Shallee McArthur
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Sky Pony Press
Published: 2013-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

15

A web is woven across the sky . . .

—Alfred, Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam III

Ren answered the door in her pajamas, her short hair standing on end. I grabbed hold of her doorframe. She was fine. She was fine.

“Gena?” She rubbed red eyes.

“What are you doing here?” “Wow,” Kalan said. “Digging the purple hair. And the frogs.” He gestured to Ren’s cotton pants.

Was he flirting with her? I glared at him.

So did Ren. “Who are you?”

“Kalan Fox,” he said cheerfully. “I can see where Gena doesn’t get her politeness.”

I had to stifle a laugh, still a little giddy from finding her safe. Ren turned from him in disgust.

“What do you want?” she snapped. “I was sleeping.”

“It’s three in the afternoon,” I said. “I didn’t think I’d be disturbing your beauty rest. I need to talk to you.”

“Go talk to your Populace boyfriend. I’m sleeping.”

“Hold on!”

The door slammed.

“Ren!” I banged a fist on her door. No response. I hissed into the door crack as loud as I dared, “I’m losing my memories.”

The door flew open. Ren had paled beneath her messy hair. “There haven’t been any thefts reported.”

“All my Links are here.” My words echoed in the stairwell. “I’m losing memories anyway.”

“Get in here.”

Kalan followed me into the tiny studio apartment. Mom and Dad would have been horrified at the clothes on the floor and the unmade bed. I didn’t mind. It wasn’t a disaster, just . . . lived in.

Ren sat on her bed. I took the single chair from her desk, leaving Kalan to park himself on the floor. Served him right after checking out my sister.

The place was sparse, almost utilitarian. No pictures, holo or otherwise. No sign of her once-beloved ceramic frog collection. Only the bed, desk, and an old TV. She didn’t even have another chair for her rickety kitchen table. I’d thought Happenings paid better than this.

“What’s going on?” Ren demanded.

I told her about losing my memories—twice.

“I don’t get it.” Ren crossed her socked feet on the bed. “What’s the point of siphoning from you? What would they want you to forget?”

“The Link thief, probably,” Kalan said. “It’s like someone’s trying to make her forget we’re investigating the thief.”

“Whoa, hold it.” Ren threw her arms up, palms out. “You’re looking for the thief? Gen, are you nuts?”

Do not yell back, do not yell back. “Cora’s my best friend. And I’m losing memories too, even before I started searching for the thief. What else am I supposed to do?”

“Let the freakin’ police handle it.” She ran a hand through her hair, standing it further on end. “You’ve never so much as picked your own clothes in the morning, and now you decide to hunt a memory thief. What’s wrong with you?”

Not true. I shopped for all my own stuff. “You’re the one who wanted me to grow a backbone.”

She frowned.

“Look, Ren, I need a little help with this. What can you tell me about Happenings?” I asked. “What about Happenings?”

Kalan reclined on his elbows. “Any chance

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