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?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXDJPrxhEpZ
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaC57BxhcH
“Who are you helping?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWI0TnB3kKy
“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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxRYGdemY9
“Compromised?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVLZuqA2mZd
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1FVq41vnsb
“Trial? Like for criminals?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1vE5AoOgML
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7PFCzY2RPb
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?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvb8iJlD3u
“Weak.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ueuM99nSK
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5qAjlNXXpz
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaRH2by3KfI
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ89qi1zPYMQ
“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.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GJJza3Nyo
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugzh7P3C16
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIBhI1y31ph
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYhx4IC9iGB
“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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNibaZOuuU7
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYRHXu1CTpo
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1a8Hv9gqxt
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrfXHLzQLaC
“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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeTAOGygq6V
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡze90RWjdTO
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWCGin2j6Jz
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUvHDxUDBB
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.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWxrRp3xeb3
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhXNFV8XwCK
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6TBanS40yA
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZLVUDR5w9T
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYqUNpkt0Cj
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcQ7iIdSmd
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.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhivwo9kAfI
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjkZUNmKDML
“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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpjYhOCuKI1
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyZg5brB3IK
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5dPuuIFFYg
“How old are you?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD53AQwzOIJ
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe54vPDMOHU
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbW7qL7XRP8
“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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvnXlYYAX9k
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe6LgDRf1Gr
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1kxom8V8UD
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwkip3qticD
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.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk60c4BvrZO
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGzEwtJGMy
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBJOUR8qGd
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtwTZOQWZ2
“It’ll take two and a half days.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6KRuCPTSBM
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.” 665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbob7O1Q7Y9
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFeIjXIC8PJ
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.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL9gqqQBf9G
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLLG2UiBQqS
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Qo88ow12S
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.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt2tNSpI1KC
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYp4V0y4QS
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.665Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxCFNdCP70
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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