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?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0pJ5ehsDQ
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJF8gcAsuY0
“Who are you helping?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHk5lxGOhWp
“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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc31pO2lUxy
“Compromised?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQHwb1UFIke
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx2qtiLVHg
“Trial? Like for criminals?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkK7g1DP8O
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8aM5hLsqy
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?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7uk642Tiz
“Weak.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSgDOwLNFV
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43nPY9gFq0
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1tOrGwKJWZ
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASWRNMEarG
“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.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWIzGkbrmFQ
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRKLTJvI601
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxIPjsIsXq7
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgcBNjxfXe
“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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWsw81yJNBX
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOcvZzLQ9U3
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFqntnDWizW
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrCX2iD9gkY
“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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4BbtY2usYB
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxzd3rGMGS8
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXGFGYfJzG5
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ynz0gJD2Z
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.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn4mEHR6yjJ
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLl29xwFhaW
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnj5cvqQtrT
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ43T9jVuV1n
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk1xpsF5FCc
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMLta298dkU
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.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMp4De48UcM
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmIzuoJFW86
“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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZy6jAKMRGz
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQAr92wbaaH
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSlp2Urxh0n
“How old are you?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhX3M4loPF7
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKQpKxkrsH
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡloAp2qIju6
“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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6trWs1d5Do
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEupRzZH1Sq
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNqUTC25lO
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs0MJ2gddRT
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.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTE15RAifN7
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAq8n9AFdo
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsDfwGgppuG
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOvOYvKjAih
“It’ll take two and a half days.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYU781CDyWg
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.” 560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXIBM1gNobA
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ps4tPKxvs
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.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkdOXi5SlLq
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaOnltV1HhA
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2FVxgpo7QX
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.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbR9fgTWCHX
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPcgk3uHGkM
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.560Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiGFNLLBA5F
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
ns 15.158.61.4da2
