“A message had been sent to EmmaVaile at an account I didn't recognize. It was from BennettStern at the same network.Four words: "I'm grateful for you.”

“Be grateful for whoever comes, because each has been sent as a guide from beyond.”

“And there was something familiar about the cadence of the words. The language. It was him. I wrote:I know who you are. I recognize your voice. by kidzeroI felt a little dizzy after I sent it, maybe because I had been holding my breath. A new message pinged and the air rushed out of me like a deflated balloon.you shouldn't be talking to strangers anyway. who am I? by anonymousI didn't really know his name or anything about him, but I couldn't admit that now. I wanted to keep talking to him. I quickly typed:You are the Unidentified. The Unidentified refuses to be typecast, target-marketed, corporate-identified, defined. by kidzero”

“I'd recognized it only recently. I wasn't sure if it was because she had changed or I had, but it didn't really matter. I recognized it just the same... If you just noticed the shiny veneer on the outside, they'd always look perfect. So you had to peer closer, watch them when they didn't think they were being watched. Eventually, you'd notice the dings.”

“I knew if I ate anything of hers again, it would lkely tell me the same message: help me, I am not happy, help me -- like a message in a bottle sent in each meal to the eater, and I got it. I got the message.”

“yesterday someone sent a message that was signed GOD! bernard said.really? dap said. i didn't know he was signed onto the system”