“That’s too expensive!”

“If you don’t want it, then leave.”

Noelle glared at the cloaked man. “$2000.”

He tapped at the shop’s menu board next to him. “Non-negotiable.”

Noelle clenched her fists. “How about just 9 months? I don’t have $3000.”

She couldn’t see his visage from behind the cowl, but there was a chilling feeling that she did not want to as she awaited his response. When it finally came as a sigh, she found herself shivering.

“Only this one time. What memory is it?”

She stepped forward, nails digging into her palm as her neck muscles clenched, the feeling of dread mounting as she tried to recall. “My uncle. He…when I was just twelve.” Her teeth had drawn blood against her lips, and she licked at the open wound nervously. “You’ll know what it is.”

“If you aren’t specific, it becomes a bit generic. The less precise I can be, the more of yourself you lose.”

“I don’t care about that bit of myself,” Noelle responded with a clenched jaw. “Just…take the memory. It’ll be Thanksgiving and Christmas soon and I can’t avoid this family gathering anymore.”

“Very well. Come closer.” He took off a glove and held out his hand. “Sit.”

Noelle sat down, and closed her eyes as she felt the palm of his hand grasp her forehead.

“If you try and bring it up I can —”

“No.” Noelle murmured. “Please. Just remove it so I can go to the family gatherings normally.”

“Very well.” The fingers gripped tightly around her face.

Noelle blinked, looking about her. The scene was familiar. It was the shop in the alley she had chanced upon going home from work, and if she was here there was something that needed to happen.

“What did I … forget?” she asked the cloaked man as he carefully funneled a strand of light into a vessel. “Oh, your $2000.”

“You’ll find out in nine months when I open this.” The man stoppered the vessel and stowed it away into his cloak.