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?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWKXvVq1z9
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8nHbrDfCW
“Who are you helping?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkXEkaLsEC
“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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHhYhLXBKPW
“Compromised?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphW48yPVjM
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcEgmghPIRb
“Trial? Like for criminals?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4UvVZeMbX
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4kpmiafOY7
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?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡujFYOWgRDB
“Weak.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC3QTqYtZYv
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQQ3pDx1HHX
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV72V8TE5Xg
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYDU6bcBp9S
“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.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbASzrFnxOG
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhGATGzuUNk
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGjV02sRhl5
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3HN4UAyXO
“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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHWbeUKDHb5
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhofxjxk5A
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfSv8g8KNW9
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV7eyxROMhx
“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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzGvALm2hz
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95ZJdVShzg
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLsUFx6CbE
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiF1DNeebJ9
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.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCGj2WuuZV
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7cg00HiWvs
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZL5t8gydy
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ38TLEW3r4c
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbrhqYn8G5u
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7n9pecLduD
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.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiaLvxZUv5K
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJqGCoNjuxy
“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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3gimOFErH
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ9qv6W1eX0
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXG8kFZ7tX0
“How old are you?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8STJOgiCBj
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5diVoMgxvW
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPwSfF6cWS5
“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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJRXWo7NdAz
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjMgUXHmWpP
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ06UdwziopZ
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdnNiGfbtl3
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.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX2MPhBsYu6
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡruf0dptIRe
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrSmltyptOe
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQW1rrk2FjC
“It’ll take two and a half days.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHWv51ZJ75
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.” 540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0SqybRFtYk
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgaz9A587DQ
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.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWCWUOCVpi
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTDIpJiLsOd
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVoSPxX4gE
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.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwVdgbaqc9K
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPBe3k4pm6b
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.540Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0jr7j0f8Xh
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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