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I kissed her like I had a thousand thousand other times it was ... similar - the same movement and press the same taste the same lips and mouth and tongue the same warmth and wildness and yet ... it was like kissing a stranger something intangible had changed it entirely and my heart dropped like lead ... instantly, my eyes shot open and I backed away from her holding her at distance with outstretched arms tears already staining my face (now pale as the moon) "oh dear god!" I cried "you didn't ... you promised!" and it ALL changed then as if I was seeing someone I'd never met before though I'd spent more than half my life with this person "you don't understand", she replied "you CAN'T understand, because you're not like ... US" and it was that last word that killed me I knew then I'd lost her for good that no matter what I did she would forever be a million miles away and part of an existence that saw me as inferior, weaker ... even pitiable ... she had gone through “The Conversion", you see two-and-a-half million dollars (Daddy’s moolah, of course) and a week in the facility and now ... reborn! a cloned body that would never age never realize disease never end, but for unnatural means or accident and even THEN there was another version waiting her mind, id, emotions, passions, psyche - all that made her HER - saved to a hard drive and ready for download ... I could already see the ‘poor mortal’ pity in her eyes and I already hated her for it I let go of her and stood there a moment taking a mental picture while the foolish tears streamed "you've killed us", I said and I waited ... for an apology an argument a slap, a tear, a sigh SOMEthing ... but she just stood there pitying me and I could take no more ... "I will miss you", I whispered "but I won't miss this ... THING" and I poked her angrily as I bit that last word off like poison … it was a brutal comment but it was the only ammunition I had ... I took the gold ring off my finger kissed it tenderly dropped it at her feet wiped my face dry and walked away into the gloaming more alone than I’d ever been … before. Copyright © Gregory Richard Barden, December 29, 2022