'My gift to you will be to take away your freedom of choice for a while. Freedom can be very unhealthy and unproductive. Instead, you'll have freedom from choice.'

For months I had been trying to be less myself.

Lynn stalked. She had taken up stalking for health reasons, but it was not paying off as handsomely as she had hoped.

I bring Laura to the edge of the clapping crowd, and I watch her sink, becoming engulfed in the sea of clapter.