The Chosen/Borrowed Lives — 2026-02-17 (Patreon)

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A little look Beyond The Screen…

Many of you are aware that I plan storylines out into the future, often planning for plot moments months in advance. Then, I write toward whatever I have planned. Sometimes, something needed further down the road needs to be established.

On the other hand, you also know that as I go, I often find things that need to be corrected, adjusted, or explained better.

Today’s chapter is both of those things!

As you will see, until today, there was never any mention of two things that are fairly fundamental to Mara and Evan taking on the duty of being decoys for Shay and Devon. Without spoiling this chapter too much, I realized that no earlier mention of phones had taken place. That gets addressed in this chapter.

I also realized that, though I had figured out how it would happen, I never made it clear how Mara and Evan would get in touch with their bosses at Ryder Family Protective Services Inc.

Then… as I was planning this post, I had an idea. Or you could say that the story told me something. I literally sat up in bed, got up, and added notes to my backstory file on this storyline.

So, what you will read today is an example of creating something needed for weeks down the road, creating something I overlooked until now, and creating something that invented itself while I was trying to sleep!

I hope you enjoy it, and I welcome your feedback!

~Thanks

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The Storylines are the heart of AGI-Stories, and they are found in the Collections section of the site

All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

Chapter 95: CALL FROM “MOM” by Mara Voss

Somewhere in the whirlwind of taking over Shay Ryder’s identity, it was never mentioned that we swapped phones, too—hardware and numbers. The Apple Genius guy at the apartments, Jacob, helped us wipe out things that didn’t need to transfer to the other person.

So, I’m here in the bathroom of the Twi-Lite Inn in Front Royal, Virginia, and I was like two seconds from putting shampoo in my hair when Shay’s phone rang.

Dripping wet, I grabbed a towel so I wouldn’t end up standing in a puddle, dried my hands, and answered.

“Shay?” I didn’t recognize the voice, but then why would I?

“Yes.”

“I’m not sure you remember me… I’m Marilyn Chambers, your mom’s assistant. She’s here with me. Are you in a place where we can talk privately?”

I decided not to mention that I was wearing a towel and was, therefore, completely in a private place. “Yes, ma’am.”

“First off, Mrs. Ryder wants to know if the jeans and jackets fit.”

“Oh, yes,” I said. “Thank her.”

“Of course. So to be clear, no one can hear your conversation?”

“Correct.”

“Okay, Mrs. Ryder has inserted herself into Shay’s security plan. She fully understands, of course. From time to time, she’ll call you from public places to chat and see how things are going. The idea is that if your mom checks in on you while others are watching, it will better sell the idea that you are on a road trip.”

“Mrs. Ryder is going to call me?”

“Call her ‘Mom’ when she does. It will be normal mom-daughter things… ‘Are you eating well? How are things with Devon? Do you need anything?’ Basically mom keeping up with her daughter. You just go with it.”

I let that sink in for a second or so. “People watching smile and take note that Shay… that I am in Florida or something, right?”

“Exactly. And if you call this number, I’ll answer. I’ll be your liaison to Ryder Family Protective Services. Call and ask for whatever you need. I’ll see that you get it. Be reasonable of course.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She went over it all a second time, then left me to wonder…

…if $7000 jackets are reasonable, what isn’t?

Chapter 96: WORKING LUNCH by Merritt Gray

When Will Robertson said Hannah and I could take on a design project from the ground up, we didn’t realize the hardest part would be scheduling a time when we could both meet to work on it. Will thinks we need to actually be in the same room talking it out step by step.

Hannah and I think he’s right. We also think being in the same room during working hours anytime soon is going to be challenging.

“Getting a new assignment,” Hannah commented, “didn’t take away any of our existing ones.”

We accidentally bumped into each other in the elevator. She’s on her way to Queens to meet with Mr. Stewart and take notes while he talks to a prospective client. I’m heading down to Lower Manhattan to see why a contractor can’t figure out where the fire alarm pull stations are supposed to be installed.

“Let’s pop into that grocery with the deli counter and grab some sandwiches,” I suggested. “It will be fast, and we can at least sync our calendars and find a time to meet in the office.”

So that’s what we’re doing now. Mr. Robertson showed us this place once. He says it goes back to the 1950s and has been remodeled at least twice. But the deli, he says, is just as good as it was when he was a new engineer at NYC SysCo.

“Some things don’t need to change,” he said. “But don’t say that too loudly. Our whole division depends on upgrading the old stuff.”

Hannah smiled. “I don’t think preserving a good ham and cheddar on Italian bread is a threat to our jobs.”

He smiled. “No, but knowing where to find one is a perk!”

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It is my belief that most of you who help with the costs are doing so because you want to support the production process and show your encouragement. I am honored and greatly moved.

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