Part I

Carol Gillian Stickle sat on the edge of the jungle gym dangling her bare, shoeless legs in the air. Her tan, perspiring skin glistened in the summer sun. Her dark brown eyes � partially obscured by her long blond hair � were focused on something far ahead of her. She shifted her body slightly, slid one knee over the other, and rested her chin on an open palm. Her gaze hardly budged the entire time. Below her two toddlers were busy raising a sand castle using red plastic shovels.

Of the many varied people in the park, three were watching Carol with acute interest. One was her mother, Faith Gillian Stickle, who was sitting on one of the dilapidated park benches. Like her daughter she had long, luxurious blond hair, but unlike her daughter Faith�s skin was rather pale and her eyes sapphire blue. In contrast, her face � though rather young � had a drained, dry look about it. She was wearing an oversized white dress decorated with faded three-petal flowers.

The other two watchers did not invite much attention to themselves. They stood behind the three-foot tall black metal fence that separated the playground from the rest of the park. One was a tall, slim teenager, male, wearing short jeans and a black leather jacket over a red T-shirt. He was smoking a cigarette. The other was a petite teenage girl with a round face covered by thick, round lenses. She removed her glasses, spat on them, and wiped them with a tissue. After readjusting her specs, she looked up at her male counterpart.

�There�s no mistaking it,� said the girl. �She�s the one.�

The boy took the cigarette out his lips, tossed it on the pavement, and ground the smoldering tip out with his foot. The girl frowned.

�I really wish you wouldn�t do that,� she said in a mild, concerned voice.

The boy looked down at her as if noticing her for the first time, and smiled.

�What, smoking or littering?� he said.

�I meant the littering part, but you really shouldn�t smoke either.�

�It�s not as though smoking is going to kill me,� said the young man factually.

�Yeah, well, just don�t OK? Please?�

The boy snorted. He folded his arms and looked back up at Carol.

�How do you think we should handle this? he asked after a while.

The girl�s face screwed up in thought. She looked down at the yellowing grass clumped around the fence, patting her hip absentmindedly.

�We�ll just have to take a direct approach and hope the parents notice us,� she said.

�Sounds good to me.�

The pair walked towards the jungle gym, and then as if on cue they both looked up at Carol. A sandy-haired boy playing on the gym rushed past Carol, pushing her roughly so as to keep balance. Carol swayed slightly, but her gaze did not shift. A few seconds passed. Carol stirred from her trance, and slowly looked down at the two teenagers. The one with glasses smiled, saying:

�Whatcha looking at?�

Carol hesitated, looked back at her object of interest, and responded:

�The people over at that house are having a bar-bee-que.�

�Oh yeah, I smelled that,� said the girl with glasses, still smiling. �I bet you�re hungry, huh?�

Carol looked down at the girl quizzically.

�No, I�m not hungry.�

�Then why are you looking over there?� asked the girl.

�I like watching the grill,� replied Carol. There was something disquieting about the way she said it; her voice seemed to have a slightly different pitch.

The girl wearing glasses wrinkled her nose. The boy in the black jacket chuckled and said:

�Hey, squirt, do you��

�CAROL!�

The two teenagers whirled around and saw Carol�s mother Faith half-running toward them. She looked frightened. When she reached them she stepped out on to the sand between Carol and the two teenagers and held her arms up to her daughter.

�Oopsies, sorry Carol, we need to get going now,� said Faith.

�Awww mom, do I have too?�

�Excuse us. You�re her mother, right?� inquired the teenage girl.

Faith turned, gave a wan smile, and nodded.

�Yes, yes I am. And I�m sorry, but we need to go now.�

Carol hopped off the gym into her mother�s waiting arms. As Faith turned to leave the teenage girl spoke up.

�Wait, could you just��

Faith turned to face the two teens. She looked uncertain, perhaps a little spooked. She put Carol down but kept a hand over her shoulders.

�Yes?� asked Faith in a slightly exasperated tone of voice.

�Um�well,� started the girl. �We were just wondering if, we could just, ask you some, some questions.�

�I really need to get going,� said Faith.

�Wait, if we could just have a moment of your time�� continued the young lady.

�Please, just, go,� said Faith.

The girl with glasses opened her mouth to speak, but the boy cut in.

�I�m sorry if we gave you a bit of a fright there, Ma�am,� he said. �My name is Dennis, and this,� the boy gestured toward the girl wearing glasses �is Clarissa. You are�?�

�Faith,� responded Faith.

�Yes, Faith. Now, I, heh, well I don�t want to seem too forward here, but are you a single mother?

Faith frowned.

�That�s�really none of your business young man,� said Faith. She glanced behind her at the parking lot.

�Well, are you?� persisted Dennis.

Faith looked at the pair carefully, and then seemed to relax slightly.

�As it just so happens yes, I am a single mother,� she replied.

�Ah,� said Dennis, �Well, I might as well get to the point. We�re students from the State University here, and we�re doing some research in sociology. Specifically, single-parent families, and we were wondering if we could have a moment of yours and your daughter�s time. A quick interview, nothing big.�

Faith gave a weak smile, and then shook her head, saying:

�I�m sorry but I really wouldn�t��

�We�re willing to pay you fifty dollars for your time,� interrupted Dennis. �We could just meet over at that Starbucks over on Harold Street if you want; it�s just a couple of questions.�

This seemed to have an affect on Faith. Her lips tightened in the effort of thought. Below her Carol tugged on her dress, saying:

�Mommy, can I get back on the jungle gym?�

�Umm�no honey,� replied Faith. �We�re�just going to the coffee shop for a while, OK?�

�That�s great,� said Dennis, grinning. �We�ll meet you there in, say, thirty minutes.�

�Alright, um, see you there�� Faith�s voice trailed off as she led Carol � who gave Dennis and Clarissa a curious glance before departing � out of the park and into the parking lot. The two teens watched as they boarded a rusty old Volvo 740 and drove away.

When they were gone Clarissa and Dennis began walking along the playground. Clarissa turned to Dennis.

�Do you really think she�ll show up?� she asked.

�Of course she will,� replied Dennis. �Did you see that dress? And that junker she got into? She needs the money.�

There was a pause.

�That was pretty risky, what you just did,� said Clarissa, almost in protest. �I mean what if she wasn�t a single mother? How would you have�?�

Dennis shrugged.

�She didn�t have a ring. I thought of the excuse while you were talking to her. Good distraction, by the way. For the first time I think we did pretty well.� He paused, and then continued, saying: �Honestly, you need to pay attention and learn some basic persuasive techniques. Did you notice how protective she was of that kid? We first needed to make her feel as though we understood why she was concerned without actually saying we weren�t out to harm the girl. That�s why I apologized. I then introduced us because an exchange of names breaks the ice and stops us from being strangers.�

�Alright, Alright,� said Clarissa. �I know you�re a master negotiator and everything. Not everybody gets taught rhetoric in high school. Sometimes I wonder why they sent me with you.�

There was another pause.

�Do you suppose she�s�well, you know, like us, or is she like Jonas or something? Where she can sense us but doesn�t�manifest.� said Clarissa. �I really hope she�s the former.�

�Latter, you meant the latter,� corrected Dennis.

�Yeah, sorry. I always mix those two up. Anyway, what are we going to do if she�s the latter? We never really figured that out. Are we going to tell the parent her child is dangerous and has to come with us? Do we just tell the child and let her decide?� Clarissa took a deep breath. �I really hope she isn�t like us, because it will probably mean an end to that little family. I mean, I just feel sick doing this.�

Dennis grinned.

�Actually, I kind of hope she�s like us,� he said. �It�s always so�interesting learning about them.�

Clarissa said nothing, but her left hand curled into a fist.

--

Thirty-one minutes later Faith stepped into the Harold�s Street Starbucks clutching her daughter�s arm with one hand and her purse in the other. Her white dress had been replaced by a utilitarian gray jacket and faded long-jeans. She looked around the crowded shop, her gaze drifting past the counter, the circular order pick-up table, the impressionist landscape paintings on the wall, and finally upon Dennis and Clarissa, who were sitting at a corner booth. Dennis was drinking a large mug of steaming hot dark French Roast, while Clarissa held a perspiring clear plastic cup of icy-cold water on the table. Dennis glanced up and gave Faith a friendly wave.

Faith sat down and lifted Carol up on to the chair. Dennis looked at Faith, and then at down Carol, who smiled at him.

�I�m glad to see you decided to come,� he said, addressing Faith. �Can we get you anything? Coffee? A muffin?�

�No thank you. I, I just want to make this sure of this�I am getting paid fifty bucks for the interview, right?�

Dennis nodded.

�Are you going to feature this in some magazine or newspaper or something?� continued Faith.

�No, nothing like that,� responded Dennis. �It�s�uh, a smaller study, entirely for academic purposes. We aren�t even going to mention individual cases unless there�s something really notable about them, in which case they�ll be referred to as �Subject A,� or �The Mother,� or �The Daughter� or something nice and anonymous like that.�

Faith seemed placated by this. She cleared her throat and said:

�Alright, let�s get this over with. What do you want to ask me?�

Dennis turned to Clarissa, who smiled sheepishly, saying:

�Umm�well, first of all, how old are you and your daughter?�

�I�m twenty-four, she�s seven,� said Faith quietly.

Clarissa silently mouthed the numbers. �But that would mean�� she began.

�Were you born in this town or did you move her after you had your daughter?� interrupted Dennis.

�I moved here right after she was born.�

�Oh, that reminds me,� said Clarissa. �We never got your little sweetie�s name.�

�My name is Carol,� said Carol.

�That�s a nice name, Carol,� said Clarissa.

Faith smiled.

�I named her after my grandmother.

�Really? No way! My mother named me after her grandmother too,� said Clarissa.

�Did you ever know her?� inquired Faith.

Clarissa took a sip from her water, and smiled.

�My great grandmother? Heck no, I barely even knew my grandmother before she died.

�That�s too bad.�

�Is the father divorced, dead, or unknown,� asked Dennis innocently.

Both Faith and Clarissa stared at him.

�Un�Unknown I guess,� said Faith.

�What do you mean?� continued Dennis, even as Clarissa mouthed the word �NO� to him.

�I�well�didn�t know him�� murmured Faith.

�You don�t need to say anything more,� said Clarissa hastily.

�No, that�s not all we need,� said Dennis.

�It�s all we need to know,� responded Clarissa angrily.

�Clarissa, this is important,� said Dennis quietly.

�It�s none of our business.�

�It is our business, and you know it.�

�He was some guy at a party I went to on the Fourth of July. The next day he was gone. I don�t even think he was going to my high school.�

Dennis and Clarissa looked up at Faith. She was staring down at the table holding her daughter�s hand tightly.

�Mommy,� said Carol.

�It�s OK baby. It�s all OK,� whispered Faith.

Even Dennis had the decency to wait. When she had put the tissue away Clarissa cleared her throat.

�Sorry ma�am. Um�next question.�

�Which University did you say you were from?� asked Faith suddenly.

�The local State University,� responded Clarissa.

�Yes, but which one?�

Dennis jumped in.

�The one over on Malberry road. You know, next to the Xerox office building. We live in the dorms south of the Student Union.�

�Yes, yes of course. Are you working with that private academy over on Manchester? I�um, hear you guys sometimes do projects together,� inquired Faith.

�No, we aren�t working with them,� said Dennis cautiously.

�Oh, I guess you wouldn�t have,� said Faith cheerfully. �Seeing that it doesn�t exist.�

Dennis opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Faith stood up from her seat, holding her child�s arm protectively with both hands.

�I�ll be going now,� she said softly. �If I ever see you two again I will call the police, understood?�

She stepped toward the door, but Carol tugged her back to the table.

�Come on sweetie, we need to go,� muttered Faith.

�No,� said Carol.

�Please sweetheart this is important.�

�I don�t wanna go.�

Both Dennis and Clarissa were quietly staring at Carol.

�Come on, please,� said Faith, almost in tears. The tiny drama was attracting a few curious glances from nearby patrons.

�Mommy!� whimpered Carol as she struggled in her mother�s grasp. �They can help us!�

�No Carol they�re bad people, now come with me.�

Faith dragged her daughter through the crowded shop. They were just at the inner threshold of the door.

�Wait! Please wait.�

The urgency of the voice was enough to get Faith to glance back at her. Clarissa was holding a wad of five and ten dollar bills.

�You forgot your fifty dollars,� said Clarissa.

�I don�t want your charity,� growled Faith.

�But you need it. Just take it and you�ll never have to see us again.� Faith stared down at Carol, who was wiping a tear from her eye. She then looked around at Clarissa. The noises of the coffee shop had never felt so deafening to her ears. Finally, she made her decision. She stepped forward and snatched the money out of Clarissa�s hand. Saying nothing, she turned back to the door.

�I�m sorry we deceived you.�

Faith turned back to face Clarissa.

�We didn�t know what to do. I guess we were afraid that if we told the truth you�d think we were nuts.�

Faith stared at Clarissa. A young couple nudged their way past her to get to the counter.

�What, exactly, is �the truth?� said Faith skeptically.

Clarissa breathed in.

�Just come back with me to the table and listen to what we have to say,� she said quietly. �This time there will be no lies, no half-truths, no misdirection � just what we think is.�

Faith just stood there, unable to respond. Carol tugged on her hand.

�Mommy, I really think she�s a good person.�

Faith looked down at her daughter. She looked so small and innocent.

�Alright.�

--

Dennis placed both elbows on the table, wrapped his left hand around his right fist, and rested his chin. He looked up toward the counter, where Clarissa and Faith were waiting in line. His graze drifted back the table and over Carol.

�So, you�re seven right? said Dennis.

�Yep.� responded Carol.

�What did you get on your last birthday?�

�I got a white unicorn doll made in Taiwan,� she said happily.

�That was it?�

�Yeah, it was my best birthday ever.�

Dennis smiled.

�I bet you would�ve liked some more presents eh?�

Carol frowned.

�Well, I guess. But I really liked it.�

�But you probably could�ve had a lot more. A lot of people usually just take what they�re given, but the people who keep asking for more always get what they want. They�re the ones who deserve it anyway.�

Dennis leaned forward.

�Of course, you have to be strong to ask for it. Otherwise people won�t listen. You have to know the right words too; otherwise people won�t understand what you�re saying.�

�We�re back.�

Dennis glanced up at Clarissa and Faith as they sat down. Clarissa put a cardboard tray with three cups on the table.

�Dark French Roast, Espresso Macchiato, and Caramel Apple Cider.�

As Clarissa passed out the drinks Dennis gave her an odd look.

Don�t tell her everything. Just ask if Carol has ever done anything�unusual.

When she was finished Clarissa sat down and gave Faith a hard look.

�First of all,� said Clarissa. �We are not a part of any government, school, university, corporation, or anything like that. We�re just two teenagers from Arizona. I know it sounds kind of stupid saying this, but I think we should clear that up right now.�

�You�re�pretty far from home,� murmured Faith somewhat surprised.

�Yeah, well, we decided a few of us should go to each state just in case,� said Clarissa.

Faith cocked her head.

�A few of you? We?�

�Well, yeah,� said Clarissa. �There are other�people like us in every other state except Hawaii. But they�re just kids like us. Just kids. We keep in touch of course, but it�s not like we�re too organized.�

Not yet anyway.

Clarissa ignored this.

�About Carol�God, it feels so weird asking this. Has Carol ever done anything�really strange.�

Faith looked confused. Clarissa sighed and took a sip from her drink.

�What I�m trying to ask here is�damn�how should I put this�� she muttered.

�What�s Carol most afraid of?�

Clarissa stared at Dennis.

�Well,� began Faith. �She doesn�t like dogs very much, and bugs, but�� her voice dropped to a whisper �she�s really, really afraid of rats.�

�And when�s the last time she encountered rats?� continued Dennis.

�About a month ago. I was cleaning the apartment and left her in her room. I came in and there was this gigantic rat right in the middle of the floor.� Faith shook her head. �Poor Carol,� she said hugging her daughter, �She was kneeling in a corner, absolutely petrified. I grabbed the fire extinguisher and chased the thing out the window.�

�Did anything unusual happen then, besides the rat I mean.�

�Well�actually yes. You see,� Faith chuckled, �You see, it was a good thing I grabbed the fire extinguisher because there was a fire��

��That was nowhere near the outlet or any other source of heat, right?� interrupted Dennis.

Faith stared at him.

�Yes,� she croaked.

Dennis sipped his coffee.

�I also bet there was something unusual about Carol herself. I bet she was, oh, I dunno, lighter or heavier to hold, looked really pale � not just from fright either � or even glowed or something. Maybe she was really calm or really happy for a while afterwards.�

�Stop it! How do you know all this?�

�Because we�re like your daughter,� said Clarissa. �We know what�s happening to her.�

�Mommy, what are they saying about me?�

�Please,� whimpered Faith. �Can talk about this somewhere else?� Her voice dropped to a whisper. �Without Carol listening in?�

Dennis smiled.

End of part I