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?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOo4NwBkbBM
“Someone I know needs help.” Mechteld flatly answers as she sorts trash out of the pile.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAYzYnFYHPE
“Who are you helping?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPl0tgUQdek
“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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9aYytJyWn
“Compromised?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlzP6DvTEQC
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE3BLHIUqLI
“Trial? Like for criminals?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDYJPtTt13Y
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvlH0z0NcJl
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?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXjSNAf6NmJ
“Weak.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPcjiUYKNa
Mechteld gestures around the room. “Walking will help. Do a few paces, I don’t want to take the chair. ”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRty6HxzC14
Slowly Marquita balances her weight and begins to take small strides with outstretch arms.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oalwgjsyf
“Does it happen often? Immortals exposing themselves?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOsAwC971iV
“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.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡliksf6QBnH
Marquita brings the paper closer, “Then it’s not too big of a problem?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSEskayrbli
“No, it’s definitely a big problem and I have to help prevent it from becoming an even bigger problem.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWYgwRCRgL
“Why you?”Marquita asks as she returns the paper to the pile.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7AJPjn7ktg
“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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq8EWXkI9Tf
“Have you done this to a lot of people?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn6fjO1NVmV
“You’re certainly not the first.” Mechteld’s answers while taking another cigarette out of its pack.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49mvVdb7jR
“How are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we flying?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgPQA0nJiNe
“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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvQjpzX84N
“You steal people’s identities?” Marquita asks, taken aback.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeycLje22KL
Mechteld shrugs her shoulders. “It didn’t used to be like that, but now it’s necessary.” 677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPv7rmDFYaw
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5tUUkb7AJD
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.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ988SMbzP1B
“It’s the best I could do on short notice. I hope you’ll pass for nineteen.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFl3zvS8hR
Marquita takes the license and examines the picture. “She doesn’t really look like me.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFNxypLJZe
“Yeah I know. I’ll get you a better one when we return. In the meantime, you need to wear these.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPiXbx0MnX1
Mechteld hands Marquita the hijab and sunglasses from the hospital. Marquita holds them out and raises a scrutinizing eyebrow.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1DaWVvSeR
Mechteld points to Marquita’s scar. “Little girls with head wounds attract attention.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28h1UL8YtH
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.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ28qQEcAlsz
“Doesn’t this “government” of yours have IDs?” Marquita asks as she feels her new accessory.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2IneIjxIRF
“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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpmKojdq2f6
Mechteld quickly takes the ID from Marquita fingers and asks, “What’s your name?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0AdxNQq0EZ
Marquita searches her memory and confidently answers, “Jasmine Thomas.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUS0jaLJ3qO
“How old are you?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZiPJBBJgsb
Marquita pauses as she tries to remember.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP2G0KZjb3k
“Study.” Mechteld says as she pushes the license back while reaching for the bottle of antiseptic and bloody rag.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63reyePc5d
“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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9SNrGPYxH
“It’s Trenton, right?” Marquita says, as she looks closer at the license.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0go8C50Yib
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAkdRPDpqf2
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpcZXqloAXY
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.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXOYKyzo4CC
“So how are we getting to Las Vegas? Are we driving? Do you have a car?” Marquita asks.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskpZSozDkA
“No, we’re taking the bus. We’ll go to the Port Authority as soon as we finish packing.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGIQ1axY3kY
Marquita feels a flutter begin in her stomach. Nervously she asks, “A bus to Las Vegas? That’ll take days.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs62wNUzOsX
“It’ll take two and a half days.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB9lpQvRsDT
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.” 677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8uwT35FrYW
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡarNNkTtpv4
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.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXPTKTxJxoi
Marquita eyes the sword with a raised eyebrow. “Family heirloom?”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFbKObs45n
“Holy relic.” Mechteld answers as she examines the sword from handle to tip.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87zd906AeM
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.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5EN9PpFFm
Marquita stands the large suitcase upright and tests its weight. She lifts it easily off the ground several times before saying, “It’s empty.”677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKfNvTf0elK
Mechteld hoists her heavy bag on her back and then lifts her hood over her hair.677Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStAri7HCsc
“Let’s hope it stays that way.”
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