Questions About The Machine

by James Smythe (Goodreads Author)

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I didn't quite understand the story completely. The ending is where I have difficulty in understanding what actually happened. Beth removes Vic's memories again or was Vic just part of her imagination the entire time?

Kevin The "alternate" Vic clearly seems to be a hallucination/apparition which Beth created by using the Machine on herself, i.e. she did quite literally "d…moreThe "alternate" Vic clearly seems to be a hallucination/apparition which Beth created by using the Machine on herself, i.e. she did quite literally "download Vic into herself." But there's also a certain amount of ambiguity here, like Vic scaring away the group of kids on the beach, or more so the cut on Beth's temple - did she throw the dish *at herself*? The question of whether other people can see Vic or not seems deliberately left open, since there are details in the story which suggest either answer. So ultimately, I end up uncertain and slightly confused, which I can't imagine wasn't the intended effect.(less)

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