Losing Eight Lives

A/N

OMG YOU GUYS

Well that was the end of Phoebe and the other Nine Lives. Hope you enjoyed the finale and I can't believe it's finally over. I've been working on this book for what seems like years and I'm pretty proud of how it turned out (Thanks to you guys).

I want to thank all my readers who stayed commited to Losing Eight Lives and stuck around until the very end. You rock and I wouldn't be here without you.

This book is doing so much better than I had hoped and it means so much that you're actually taking the time to read something that I wrote.

Feels good.

So enough with the appreciation, even though I do love you guys. Time for a story:

Halfway through writing this story I was feeling bored with what I was writing and I decided to write the last chapter. Well. That didn't end up actually being the last chapter. I wrote Over, instead because it made more sense and tied things up a little bit better.

And it's a small chapter so I thought it would be cool to show you anyway.

So here ya go. The origional ending to Losing Eight Lives.

- Lauren

-=-=-=-

I grin at my interviewer. "You know, you look a lot bigger in person."

He laughs and I force myself to join him.

Put on a good show for the camera, you'll make many friends. Catherine reminded me before the show.

I don't want friends, I shot back. But as usual, I listened to her advice.

"So Phoebe, so great to finally meet you." he shuffles through some papers he held in his hand and abruptly looked up at me. "I'm gonna ask you a few questions tonight, I hope you don't mind."

"If I minded I wouldn't be on this show!" I joke, which leads to another laugh from him and the audience.

"Indeed Ms. Bliss." he smiles and lets the live audience quiet down.

He grabs my hand and holds it softly in his lap. "So, Phoebe tell me, what's it like, being a Nine Life?"

I know exactly how I'm supposed to answer this question. Come up with a response that makes everything I've been through look like a walk in the park. But, instead of doing what I'm supposed to do, I stare at him and hesitate. Looking for the right words.

"What's it like, being a Nine Life?" I repeat.

He nods slowly.

"Well John, that would be about the equivalent of asking me: What's it like having your life fall apart right before your eyes?" I should stop there.

But of course, I don't.

"Just like asking me: What's it like to find out that your whole life was a lie. What's it like losing your best friend to something that was just a stimulation? What's it like, finding out your family and peers were Holograms? What's it like, not being able to tell the truth from a lie." I pause and look at the floor.

"What's it like loosing eight lives?"