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?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7tMHToZy6
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxltWnvtlx
“Who are you helping?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ1CjQhC9e6
“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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPOZfnwtD4i
“Compromised?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oSpF5RRtf
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGRjdUzfVzB
“Trial? Like for criminals?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCqEPg1JTSM
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTzRph1Wsq
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?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYMlxzzT08N
“Weak.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VdhDFDeFb
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0cNRqagU5
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqp5141tuXI
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKOj8ex7Gn
“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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN8HBHWcc2B
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAnZSJem7aE
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNOuoDfw7Wy
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOHarbifBrM
“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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMDKgCRQJiC
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEe89xzdKS
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKhzdn44VJP
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJ860wCqod
“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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXXO9rDClPN
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kSVjXJm0C
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY7fSguZnt4
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2n6G2nQv3f
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0bxVSo9xl5
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNL6uHzGSZN
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1cHlgH4hN
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6G5RpL6fKG
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs4sPOrJqFy
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqgsaOQQcp
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF0dUZ4ng0q
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNx886nMi2
“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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpyN8Lj7Mh
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡInlkpGaLbh
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNza0zujSHi
“How old are you?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0iFGwybUU4
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡggV8tD92xf
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡijXxakyb9d
“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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqaicLEHJl1
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7VSfQcBRUh
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgu37fQJD0J
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtml36SMx6i
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRqcfVVdS4x
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVB5Q2r5WP
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZLNztzBV6
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSf60mRpbph
“It’ll take two and a half days.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3XEXV7Mm5S
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.” 539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwlDxKvw2cK
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxISKrccDB0
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.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHnnxTXP4Qz
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxwHQmrl7L
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlEk0awaWtl
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.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWfbGMFnIx
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIGEgpcrCs
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.539Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQTYcdz1ju9
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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