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?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXydUsbJCFa
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeakJX0nJpj
“Who are you helping?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pSaCCZkwX
“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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAoatjM6H5C
“Compromised?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHQhzTLDe2
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvWZeia5yfG
“Trial? Like for criminals?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwTl6S6oMNX
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr7uIvUos5
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?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7jzHO3Gl0
“Weak.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt3U02HXUHz
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvQhpbveRTV
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdgQKXbM2Xp
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3GxqN2fEv
“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.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBpgcgKf9r
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsR1ffaiNNN
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HSweMBwnh
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8MTF5s70q
“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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI95svDZcLo
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWMQO52bqk
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4clZcCmaK
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiBFEwVRCj5
“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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfjEC4YgiFy
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr1LWuvScDn
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOzOvZE3AfU
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXbnSMK8MBs
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.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8hrcXw7hIA
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgJgpfwQzC
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmXThgFLVrw
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuxlW5UPgv
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrsqU9OVtKu
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMB5sg8e1QY
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.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdMMHmLcgQc
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmOwEahHKct
“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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAyCAnP7UKO
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Z2zuAVXjy
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEavy8AeHOc
“How old are you?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhSZva1b9PR
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxFrVoN9wN
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN0L9YUYSDY
“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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY4bTkCRHF3
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfTueyVQuXC
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5fHVQtvGoh
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70m8xqQpcq
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.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ZroKJ7qGq
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsLKsA2E1v
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW0j8MhYMm
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIahk1b2IXb
“It’ll take two and a half days.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtNs8TN5uX
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.” 657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1yhunphRkA
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPj0avxSG8X
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.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPyMPUri4pK
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTIotL8RZkl
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEctm770La
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.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvMZPX1I5t
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcQoc5etoE
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.657Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU5nQd2EQwZ
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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