The Memory Auction That Destroyed Us All Chapter 06

The Memory Auction That Destroyed Us All Chapter 06

Ethan took what was left of the diary in one clean motion.

“Restore whatever was torn out. I want to know what Sophie wrote.”

Sophie’s sister screamed once and then collapsed into herself on the floor, arms wrapped around her head. Her reaction was wrong in a way that made everyone in the room go quiet.

The torn pages were reassembled. A chemical solution brought the faded ink back up.

“Claire is my best friend. I hope after I’m gone she lets herself be happy with that idiot Ethan. They deserve each other. They have to be happy. That’s all I want.”

“Even if forever is too long to ask for, I just hope Claire grabs onto whatever happiness she can. After everything she’s done for me, after putting up with this disaster of a family I was born into, that would be enough. Now what do I even get her for a wedding gift. I have to leave Claire something worth keeping.”

The pages that Sophie’s sister had torn out first were worse.

“Why is my family like this. My stepfather and me. My sister and my uncle. My mother and my grandfather. I feel like I’m losing my mind.”

“Claire tore up my test results. She won’t let me go through with it. Why won’t she just let me go.”

“Claire, I’m sorry. Let me take you racing one more time. After this, there won’t be a Sophie anymore.”

The date on that last entry was the night of the crash.

Ethan stayed very still.

Test results. Depression.

The screen went to static.

The last piece had been there the whole time.

—

Nobody in that room was able to speak.

Two cars running hard through the rain, and then my voice on the recording, laughing, excited, about to get out and show off to my best friend.

Then the car behind me switched on its high beams, hit the accelerator, and drove the car in front of it through the guardrail and into the water below.

The guardrail caught the second car. The impact crumpled the frame into something unrecognizable.