I feel more like myself when I talk to you. I don’t quite know what it is.

Until then,

Agnes

EMAIL FROM ZOE CROSS

Date: 06/03/2000

Time: 1:07 p.m.

From: Zoe Cross <crushedmarigolds@[omitted].com>

To: Agnes Petrella <agnes_in_wonderland_76@[omitted].com>

Subject: Re: Thinking of you

Agnes,

This will have to be a quick response as I’m currently swamped with work. But I wanted to take a moment and thank you for your email.

I’m delighted to hear you’ve removed your posting from the website and that the apple peeler is safe under your care. Well done. I wouldn’t dream of having it any other way.

Unfortunately, I have plans for later this evening, so I won’t be online much. I can certainly try to drop by around 11 o’clock or so if you’ll still be awake.

I hope you will.

I look forward to it.

Zoe

INSTANT MESSAGING CONVERSATION BETWEEN AGNES AND ZOE

06/03/2000

[<crushedmarigolds> has entered the chat]

[<agnes_in_wonderland_76> has entered the chat]

11:04:05 <crushedmarigolds> Hey. You’re still up

11:04:09 <crushedmarigolds> I’m glad

11:04:19 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Can’t stay long

11:04:28 <crushedmarigolds> I get it. It’s late

11:04:39 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Did you have fun?

11:04:44 <crushedmarigolds> Fun?

11:04:57 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Wherever you were

11:05:09 <crushedmarigolds> I guess

11:05:18 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Were you with someone else?

11:05:26 <crushedmarigolds> Someone else?

11:05:35 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> I know it’s none of my business

11:05:47 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Are you seeing someone?

11:05:52 <crushedmarigolds> I was.

11:05:58 <crushedmarigolds> Not anymore

11:06:08 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Because something happened

11:06:12 <crushedmarigolds> Yes

11:06:19 <crushedmarigolds> Well, no

11:06:29 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> You can tell me

11:06:36 <crushedmarigolds> Because we were living past the expiration date

11:06:46 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Were you with them tonight?

11:06:51 <crushedmarigolds> We ended it tonight

11:07:00 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> So… you were with her

11:07:06 <crushedmarigolds> Yeah

11:07:14 <crushedmarigolds> I didn’t want to tell you

11:07:20 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Why?

11:07:27 <crushedmarigolds> Thought it might spoil what we have

11:07:39 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Is she there right now?

11:07:46 <crushedmarigolds> No. She left.

11:07:54 <crushedmarigolds> Gave me back her set of keys, too

11:08:01 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Are you happy?

11:08:09 <crushedmarigolds> I will be someday

11:08:16 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> What are you doing right now?

11:08:25 <crushedmarigolds> Watching TV, eating some cereal

11:08:36 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> What are you watching?

11:08:42 <crushedmarigolds> Some travel program about Thailand

11:08:51 <crushedmarigolds> Did you know there’s a place you can go to experience your own burial?

11:08:59 <crushedmarigolds> It’s like a ritualized form of “pretend death.”

11:09:09 <crushedmarigolds> You write your own eulogy, you’re attended by a crowd of mourners

11:09:18 <crushedmarigolds> Then, you’re interred in the earth for thirty minutes before you’re exhumed

11:09:26 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> That’s crazy

11:09:33 <crushedmarigolds> They give you an oxygen tank just in case, but I can’t imagine doing it

11:09:39 <agnes_in_wonderland_76> Me neither

11:09:45 <crushedmarigolds> My father used to have a saying when I was really little…

11:09:52 <crushedmarigolds> At the end of each day, he used to ask me, “what have you done today to deserve your eyes?”