The Memory Market never sleeps. Beneath the city, in the shadowed corners of hidden rooms and abandoned warehouses, the pulse of trade is relentless. Because this, selling and trading memories, is the only way to survive. 

 

I’m known in the market for my skill. I slip in and out of minds without a trace, extracting even the most buried memories no one was meant to ever see. Of course, everything comes with a price. If you step into a memory and get too attached, you might never come out, forgotten like the memory itself. 

 

Here I am now, searching for the right one. The streets are bustling with people and everyone walks with purpose. Around me, traders and vendors shout and yell trying to get people’s attention. They all claim the memories they sell are rare and will be lost forever if not bought, but it’s really just a facade. Suddenly I see something. Something that might be just right. A little girl walking with her mother, smiling and pointing at all of the memories. 

 

Stealing from a child could end in something seriously dangerous but the mother might just do. I slip into her mind and shift through all of her most important memories. I find the one that she values the most and close my eyes, as the world around me changes

 

My feet land on soft, green grass. The sun is shining and the sky is clear. I hear light, airy laughter and turn around to see the mother and her daughter having a picnic. They both have little pink teacups and are sitting on a blue checkered blanket. The mother whispers something in her daughter’s ear and she giggles. Why is this so important to her? I reach one hand out and tap. Information floods my brain.

 

Rose. This woman’s name is Rose. The scene fades away and changes to a memory, hard and painful. Rose sitting on the floor, crying, mourning the child she lost. Rose trying and trying but failing. Rose losing everything, risking everything for this little girl- I claw at my head. I need to get out. The sound of crying and screaming grows louder. I pound at the memory landscape. I only have so long until I’m stuck. Finally I burst out of her head and I’m back on the street. I take one last look at Rose and then I start to run.

 

“Elara!” Small skinny arms wrap around my waist as I walk in the door. 

 

“Hi, Sophie!” I say, trying to hide the shakiness that I feel. My little sister smiles up at me with her big blue eyes.

 

“Sophie, let your sister at least sit down,” My mom scolds, walking into the room. Sophie, reluctantly, unwraps herself from me and skips out of the room.

 

“Thanks, Mom,” I say, heading towards the kitchen. I open up the fridge and start inspecting everything we have to eat.

 

“Hi, honey. How was the market today? Any good finds?” She asks, following me in and sitting down at the dining table. I try not to make any expression. 

 

“No, nothing good,” I say plainly, she gives me a weird look but doesn’t press.

 

A few hours later, I’m brushing my teeth, when my mom comes into the bathroom holding an envelope.

“This came in the mail for you today. Must be important,” She holds out a white envelope, crested with a gold seal. 

I put down my toothbrush and take the envelope from her. I open it with my nail and pull out a smooth cream colored paper.

Dear Elara Smith of the Smith Household,

 

I’ll keep this brief. You must not let anyone see or even get their hands on this letter. There is a job I need done and you are my best bet.

I need you to get into the mind of a certain high ranked official. I can not state any names nor hint at who this person may be but you will be given a map that will help you find  them. The memories they carry, could change everything. Your job is simple: track them down, infiltrate their mind, pull out what you need, and make sure you leave no trace that you were ever there.

This may seem like a tedious task but we must act quick. I must be alerted immediately if you do decide to take part in this. A messenger will show up at your door tomorrow at noon, so please drop him a letter of approval if you decide to participate. In the interest of everyone’s safety, I would advise caution. Do not give away too much information. 

If you succeed, your payment will be sent through the same messenger one day after you complete the task.

 

Please let me know what you decide, best of luck.

 

I flip the letter over and inspect the envelope, but there is no signature. Weird. But every job is an opportunity. Besides, my family needs it. Ever since my father died, we became desperate for money and my “ability”, if you will, is the biggest source of income. I have to take this job. Besides it’s just one memory, how bad could it be?

 

I spend the next morning carefully writing out a letter. Once I sign it and seal the envelope, I sit on the porch and wait. The second the clock strikes noon, a man dressed in a suit appears out of nowhere. 

 

“Elara Smith?” he asks.

 

“Yes,” I say as I straighten up.

 

“You have until tomorrow at 8pm to finish the task. Pleasure doing business with you,” he says, reaching out to take the letter from my hands. In return he hands me a small folded square of paper. I nod, take it, and he disappears once again. I shiver and try to stop the flurries in my stomach. It’s just one memory. Only one memory.

 

I spend the entire night tossing and turning, but sleep doesn’t come. At 7 in the morning, I give up and get out of bed. I brush my teeth and comb my hair, brushing it into a ponytail. I slip into a black jumpsuit with a hood, that has breathable, easy to move in fabric. Then I take a look at the paper that the man gave me for the first time. It is a map with precise lines and perfect illustrations. Huh. There is a red line, tracing the path that I need to take. It leads to the Reflection Sector, where our government headquarters, The Peacehold is. There is a circle around the building with Room 434 written next to it. I realize that I don’t actually know who I’m stealing from. I shove that thought away and start out. Maybe it's better to not know. 

 

I follow the map until I am in the middle of the city. The Peacehold, a huge building made of mirrors and glass, towers above me. A dizzying wave of deja vu hits me. I have been here before. But when? My body automatically leads me through multiple doors and halls. Once I reach floor 4, I simply follow the signs inscribed with room numbers. Room 434, like all of the rooms around it, has a heavy iron door engraved with its number. 

 

I stare at it for a little bit, weighing my options before settling on the most secure one. Ok here we go. I try to reach my mind through the door and grasp onto something-

 

I am almost instantly sucked up and falling. Falling for what seems like an eternity. Finally I fall into a dark, bleak pit, or so it seems. I try to keep calm as I stand up and look around. Something is off. I take two tentative steps forward. Nothing. Two more steps. Still nothing. I sigh and suddenly the floor around me opens up and I’m falling once more.

 

Tap tap tap. 

 

I open my eyes slowly, I didn’t even realize that they were closed.

 

TAP TAP TAP.

 

Bright artificial light fills the room that I am now standing in. White marble tiles line the floor, making everything impossibly bright. I blink as I take in the rest of my surroundings. I’m in some sort of lab filled with lots of white clothed scientists. They scurry around, taking notes and talking. It doesn’t seem like they can see me but I try to stay out of sight. As I creep around, I hear voices coming from an attached room.

 

“Doctor, I really don’t think that she is ready yet-”

 

“Now, now Samantha, you know that the deadline is March.”

 

“Yes, sir I understand, but she isn’t fully developed and might still have some genetic mutation.”

 

I sneak closer, curious. Through the doorway, I can see a middle aged man and a young woman, both wearing bright white lab coats. The man is facing away from me so I can’t get a good look at his face. 

 

“Will you please direct me towards our project? There must be a way to speed up the scientific process.”

 

“Of course, right this way sir.”

 

As they walk farther into the room, so do I. Eventually they stop in front of a large glass cylinder with something inside. I try to peek around them but I can’t.

 

“She looks fine to me,” the man grumbles.

 

“Her appearance isn’t what is out of order, it’s her ability. She needs to reach her full potential to be able to complete the job.”

 

What are they talking about? Who is she? Where have I seen this before? While I’m deep in thought, I accidentally knock over a huge tray of test tubes. Sounds of glass breaking echoes and everything goes eerily quiet. The lab workers have all disappeared. I slowly look up. The doctor’s assistant, Samantha, has also disappeared.

 

But the doctor is staring straight at me. He steps towards me and while doing so, he reveals what is in the glass cylinder. I try to stifle a scream. Because on the other side of the glass is a girl. Not just any girl though. It is me.

 

“Hello, Elara,” the doctor says. I shrink back.

 

“No need to be afraid, darling. I am not here to hurt you. In fact, you are here to help me. Why else would you have shown up at such a time?”

 

My heart starts to beat faster. My palms are sweaty. What is happening to me?

 

“Why don’t you just take a look for yourself?”

 

He touches my temples with his two index fingers.

 

My head e x p l o d e s. Memories are rushing back to me. Created by scientists. Tested on and modified to be the perfect weapon. Tortured and broken. Memories wiped and gone. Over and over again. I double over. The countless memories I stole. This is what I was made for. This is who I am. Simply a tool for the government, sculpted to help them achieve their one and only goal. 

 

I see their plans. I see what they want. Complete control. Everyone’s mind erased.

 

Everything around me starts to fade.

 

“Welcome home.”

 

 And then, I fall one last time, into never ending darkness.