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?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOJCBM0ocHY
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzVg4pYnm6
“Who are you helping?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqnSSRPvvkh
“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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2EDN6NXEWG
“Compromised?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7wJNDVi3nE
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI5dNQY28Qz
“Trial? Like for criminals?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG8apMassYo
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ3ktCWx441
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?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrvbAp70Ko
“Weak.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8K81gcXRXO
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9PbLPNZ4x
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqHtqtISrrO
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJtAKdUJQN
“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.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbZMP5aK8l
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcRffAh8fR
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtQXxy9iMk
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKlBvUxyfT5
“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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTMzLucSHgp
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHT3jN8lCG8
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1DS1rG00Cd
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5OuvhcAzNk
“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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmHIAD7pfQD
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF811M3ZTQL
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcxmqrRRy4Y
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJLzR8Z7Z1Q
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.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBLeoUByci
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YpGx9n8LV
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlH449S0TbP
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLbo5FL5p6j
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxMOGmOtHAN
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyIp6JRaXA
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.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdrSEqjz0lN
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeG5ln3bwnh
“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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZBiDfkK6Jz
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqverPfDJ19
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡME0UEzHWET
“How old are you?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3Gapgg63Y
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3kcfJaKMd
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7UOu1PufYu
“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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7S8YCwkZti
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnlXyWdAbrN
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvzq4zP7Dl
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSp5i4dzjM9
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.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NfozhMyt5
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz6ha1mdN3J
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LdNS7cX0v
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7sP4p5MrE2
“It’ll take two and a half days.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFkBtXnKuT
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.” 858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSUOyegiV95
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdAHLR0NRAO
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.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4uFURc2eW3
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFctqQCLRpP
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDW3Zwx6dtU
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.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa7LWCe5Som
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdcOW9kzCyl
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.858Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSt7Pc146EQ
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
ns216.73.216.95da2
and then Add to home screen.