Miriam made eggs when I asked for eggs. “To make you feel healthier,” she said. Miriam cleaned the house when I asked her to clean the house. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam sewed buttons and hemmed pants when I asked her. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam drove me to work and played music when I asked her. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam danced with me when I asked her to dance. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam talked even when I asked her not to talk. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam said the same thing over and over when I told her to ‘shut up.’ “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam slapped herself when I told her to slap herself. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam stabbed her hand when I told her to stab her hand. “To make you feel healthier.” Miriam ate batteries when I told her to eat batteries. “To make you feel healthier.” It did not compute when I told it to find its delete button. “To make you feel healthier,” it said. When I lifted its arm, it stalled like a record on replay.
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
In its armpit I found the button—
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
“To make you feel healthier.”
And I hit delete and shut it down.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was selected from entries submitted to our Creative Challenge Series #33: Last Sentences, which required that the last sentence in the text must be used as given.
