Mechteld and Marquita work in silence as they gather papers, fold clothing and pack the large rucksack. After a few minutes Marquita asks, “Why are we going to Las Vegas?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIaMtFUv6Rh
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgYlTXmWpVC
“Who are you helping?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrmhthQiif
“Her name is Margreet and she’s one of my protégés. She’s discovered that one of her protégés has….” Mechteld pauses while she tries to find the correct word, “…..compromised herself.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy05uSvQV8N
“Compromised?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMar2qk6kL
Mechteld pauses again, unsure how to proceed. “Margreet believes that this person is trying to expose her immortality. It happens from time to time. When it does, they have to be captured and put on trial.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTokf9j00yg
“Trial? Like for criminals?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgVVTAIgpnv
Trying to sound casual Mechteld answers, “As I said Marquita, there are millions like us and we have a government and laws, just like the mortal world. For them, the worst crime someone like us can commit is exposing what we are.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Q6J49HcMP
Marquita raises her eyebrows and begins to open her mouth, but before her question can be asked Mechteld quickly interrupts with, “How are your legs feeling?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3dFZnH2gdD
“Weak.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzqhfs2yNx
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1i9hVtuvi
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNkCe5PMc2
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoyZKEaiVVD
“Sometimes, but aftermaths are usually carefully controlled. But this incident happened on television. Luckily mortals don’t realize what they’ve witnessed.” Mechteld takes the paper from the top of the stack and gestures to the Las Vegas article.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7PPWSqkSf
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqulRHCwTj1
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZD8lGvAMq
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLknbDiWjKQ
“You may not believe it now, but the mentor-protégé relationship is very significant. If she needs help, I feel compelled to help her the best I can.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vH2eH9cce
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCvtLZXA9O
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnt4MPyEk6M
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxzSrgTyEh
“No, we have to avoid transportation that involves over scrutiny of our identities. After all, you’ve been dead for a few days now.” Mechteld picks up her now bulging bag and turns it to access its pockets. “I don’t have a social security number, passport, or driver’s license other than the one’s I’ve stolen.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwl8NL7rie
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtSzp9apIXg
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfqBXBOrjyC
Mechteld pulls a small vinyl wallet out of side pocket of her rucksack bag and pulls out a license. “Come here, let’s see if this one works out.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmz7qbqKOpZ
Mechteld holds the ID up to Marquita’s face. Its former owner was a 19-year-old Edison, New Jersey woman named Jasmine Thomas. Her face was fuller than Marquita’s and eyes much darker. But their skin was the same smooth unblemished toffee.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4yY57vFiSN
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctJbNeJrHC
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsCZOLWr7G
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJjJO0JK84
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtFQxiCIRx
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8CO3yDsTBX
Marquita pulls the scarf over her head and tries to wrap it, but each attempt results in limp fabric hanging loosely around her head. Mechteld takes the scarf away from Marquita and folds it before quickly draping it over her head, pinching the fabric beneath her chin and securing it behind her neck.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtbOVz7mYgu
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6IejaISZf4
“Yeah, but stolen IDs provide a layer of anonymity. Sometimes I don’t like people knowing who I am and where I’m going.” Mechteld points to Marquita’s new license. “It’s vital you memorize the information on that ID. You’ll get caught by not knowing who you’re supposed to be.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyMVe0MSl03
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBf8RAoclJI
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNuxnla7okn
“How old are you?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe20sviXYxG
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8W34nxNg5k
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2C3DSU59V
“Lesson one Marquita, memorize everything. IDs, maps, faces, languages, accents, phone numbers, geography, it’s all important. Believe me, not knowing what the capital of New Jersey is when holding a New Jersey driver’s license is suspicious.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8xE1Igle0
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm1RDqaA59
Mechteld kneels over the bloody spot left from Marquita’s head and opens he bottle of antiseptic. “Lesson two: Never draw attention to yourself. Keep your head down and don’t talk to anyone.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6dvAiG3lgz
She stares at the blood for a moment before emptying the bottle on the spot and quickly dabbing with the rag. Without looking at Marquita she cautions, “Lesson three: Don’t piss me off.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnDm42D5ppK
Mechteld cleans the spot until it blends with the other faded brown spots on the floor. As Marquita watches Mechteld place all the bloody rags and tissues into a bag and set it aside.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU70j7I3cix
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRueZL27Spa
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvjU6aPlOVE
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz2InnMU7K
“It’ll take two and a half days.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlWrwSc0ElE
Silence falls between the two women as Marquita’s brow stiffens and she begins to feel a tightness in her chest. In a low voice she confesses, “I don’t like being in crowded places. The voices give me terrible headaches.” 600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhyl68zFEM
Mechteld dumps her mountain of cigarette butts into the trashcan, causing a small billow of ash to erupt. Unconcerned with Marquita’s complaint Mechteld says, “It has to be the bus. It’ll be a good place to practice.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4JTg9nEAV0
Before the cigarette ash settles, Mechteld turns and kneels beside the bed. She reaches underneath and feels around before pulling out an old and battered sword the size of her forearm.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMCvlQ8wZhb
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0ejxb2zbN
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNa44eTpRrM
She then quickly wraps it in a worn t-shirt, adds it to the rucksack and closes it. Mechteld again reaches under the bed and begins to pull, this time removing a large black suitcase. She pushes it towards Marquita and says, “Here, you can carry this.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIzEkCpqVUt
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhzr8qxr0w3
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.600Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ184sYiSTLC
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
ns3.143.236.11da2
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