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?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbqPQ1x2S9K
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSGavTjkXBY
“Who are you helping?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrLSwrmzAPd
“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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2dMAK9LG2
“Compromised?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNCLuTmrb1u
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXVSkMB1yg
“Trial? Like for criminals?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1OLINIwQaW
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYJ6kGlvnfT
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?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIFA36PkLF
“Weak.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR9iyZALuH5
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmI0Esk31M
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUqTQ2yY1y
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGIzaBPdVg
“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.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRVg7nTW1L4
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO1cG52Gk6i
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVAOHafxHhQ
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h62gbAiaG
“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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9zXKxbk668
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ597ESKIlrj
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPSSwnq0Rl7
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMW12Iy41bf
“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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ02d2WnORmk
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBv4YLMs7dS
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfKe4sdISgk
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3CIjqPNcxq
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.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkJevlBcH9Z
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsXsBVBhInY
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaEL7II2cEq
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmcBdaLkxgz
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ08cxDAyzbV
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG4vXOBjIaZ
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.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUYnSJeUO4g
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzP1Hqw58i
“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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8N8Q49RjV
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2vyRMUJr6z
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI8HmlL9Vne
“How old are you?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqptzpJdF3t
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxOukZSlD9c
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7JWF61fhT2
“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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM6nJxjtAoQ
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULFTgegq6x
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsE1f9nARmN
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88FMANVDvd
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.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10hiuy4Mlx
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEOVQIT591r
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKIAeuufM3
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxl5N0WmV6s
“It’ll take two and a half days.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOHZdGyxLe
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.” 660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWdOPPLJ6p
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSdVjz2zGAR
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.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwju9lM9EX
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDl56jWu4S
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAHPLWjUZ2q
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.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNw8tGjuizs
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBKbim66Sb5
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.660Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNaWcjkpiKA
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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