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?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOO7i8OKq1a
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEhSByZ01j2
“Who are you helping?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFpAfHgoHka
“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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOMvuT1OcFt
“Compromised?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMicJkxHO3
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKiQO28nWs2
“Trial? Like for criminals?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwIjunACl8
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7nczYVlTKA
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?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ93ztMTB5W8
“Weak.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdyzG71bTK
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKIXdzqYSX
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcM5uRPNhpJ
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7xiDxITSn
“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.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxy4SOZXEqi
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMQM4LBt8gM
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTCD9cSXyP
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnsJmwM6bT
“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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOP6YDQ7Oe
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoK0MGnKIQ
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnmVoZ32nd5
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkx3kNIFzFN
“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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1lcyi0nisr
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDUnltDZs2
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwgcM8bcFDh
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY9BJWf1TG7
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.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrs2v0ykmi
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPfGGgFsid5
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrddQVAVSq
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9IiZi92x5
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYyzt4Gdp62
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ul7wbzzBT
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.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJHZ6lr5TMe
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD5klCPNBmC
“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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllqRFjBFOL
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡePjxuz7TJG
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmAZyg6uq0
“How old are you?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jLGiQsI03
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphEApipmCB
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡysZSBmvodh
“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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡozpsCwD980
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cMTaktcJf
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyaPAuGxy0t
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOez1Vl7jR1
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.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9DsBIEMCrZ
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJDx7mHMVVK
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGr5IaqA0s3
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBsvqDCxUy
“It’ll take two and a half days.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn5M23r4Pms
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.” 620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrHh9kOtpg
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCN8sDLbvzZ
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.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRYYEv6jUB7
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0q4LuRGaQA
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZIRc2SQDVS
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.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdxmJX6TGDM
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhZfZ9MoZoo
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.620Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzS7sA9mnoa
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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