I didn’t really know what else to say. Even though I’d been on Jasmine Jones’ couch on more occasions than I could count, counseling wasn’t my thing.
“The slippery slope argument, huh?” she asked.
“It’s real. I see it every day.”
“Can I recover from the things that she’s done?”
“That’s up to you,” I replied. “You could sit here and dwell on all the negative things that the media will surely throw your way, or you can accept that Kelsey Bloomfield was murdered by the mayor’s thugs and her body was left in the street to be discovered and broadcast across the city.
“If you can do that, accept it and move on, then you’ll be able to begin anew. You hold the keys to your future now, not some dead clone.”
“I want to be a good person,” she whispered.
“Then make it happen. Campaign for clone rights, donate your time at a food shelter, whatever you want to do. The future is wide open for you.”
She smiled and a few tears dribbled down her cheek. “I guess, in a way, being cloned was the best thing that ever happened to me, huh?”
“Without it, you wouldn’t be who you are right now. You’ve been given a new life. Go live it.”
“Okay. I will,” she agreed, standing up quickly and then leaning over, hugging me.
My arms drifted up awkwardly and I hugged her back the best that I could. She’d be alright. With that kind of determination, she’d be just fine.
Now, what about those killer cyborgs in Easytown?
Want more from Brian Parker?
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About the Author
A veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Brian Parker was born and raised as an Army brat. He's currently an Active Duty Army soldier who enjoys spending time with his family in Texas, hiking, obstacle course racing, writing and Texas Longhorns football. He's an unashamed Star Wars fan, but prefers to disregard the entire Episode I and II debacle.
Brian is both a traditionally- and self-published author with an ever-growing collection of works across multiple genres, including sci-fi, post-apocalyptic, horror, paranormal thriller, military fiction, self-publishing how-to and even a children's picture book--Zombie in the Basement, which he wrote to help children overcome the perceived stigma of being different from others.
He is also the founder of Muddy Boots Press, an independent publishing company that focuses on quality genre fiction over mass-produced books.
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Easytown Novels
The Immorality Clause ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B01HWOH1VC
Tears of a Clone ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B01NBDUZSH
The Path of Ashes
A Path of Ashes ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B00XATPU9E
Fireside ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B015ONZOU8
Dark Embers ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B01CPSAI1A
Washington, Dead City
GNASH ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B01ACTBBZQ
REND ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B01AYEQRUI
SEVER ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B01C7VEMG2
Stand Alone Works
Origins of the Outbreak ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B00MN7UFBW
The Collective Protocol ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUZDY4O
Battle Damage Assessment ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B00PCND2RI
Zombie in the Basement ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B00H6DUXY2
Self-Publishing the Hard Way ~ www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNQCZ9I
Anthology Contributions
Bite-Sized Offerings: Tales and Legends of the Zombie Apocalypse
Only the Light We Make: Tales From the World of Adrian’s Undead Diary