Free Hugs - Jennifer Shelby

Metaphorosis magazine - beautifully written science fiction and fantasy

Cyndl escaped the Tech Cults as a child, surviving with the help of a robot created to offer hugs. Years later, the Hugbots struggle to fulfill their client quotas in a world that views them as harbingers of bad luck. As Cyndl searches the ravaged world for the companionship she's lost, she may be the last friend the Hubgbots have left, and they are definitely hers.

Narrated by host Matt Gomez.
Published in Metaphorosis on 16 July 2021.
Find the original at magazine.metaphorosis.com.