Legends of Windemere

(Grand Caravan seemed like such a nice place yesterday.)

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“This looks boring.”

“Go away before someone sees you.”

“All they’ll see is a curvy hat rack.”

“So, it will look like I’m talking to myself.”

“But you’re the sane one.”

“Then you see the problem.”

“Just give me a hug and end it all.”

Dawn frowns, but the crunch of footsteps stops her from responding. She turns away from Addison, who is wearing a wooly parka and snow pants, and smiles when three teenagers bring four more bags of laundry into the tent. They leave as soon as they put the clothes into bins that are marked with family names and camp locations. Alone with her whistling double, the tired woman focuses on the tedious work of folding a pile that is mostly underwear. Seeing a pair of plaid boxers float into the air, she throws a pair of rolled up socks at Addison. The projectile sticks in the reality-benders chest who staggers around as if she has been shot. Ignoring the display, Dawn finishes the pile and moves on to the next one. She hears a grunt and ducks in time to avoid getting hit by the socks, which are launch with enough force to dent the door of a metal cabinet.

“Why do people wear things like this?” Addison asks while holding up a lacey teddy. She is about to change it into an elegant dress when it is snatched from her hands. “With the state of the world, you’d think lingerie wouldn’t exist. Humans don’t have time for romance and foreplay these days. Just have to breed as quickly as possible to stop the monsters from wiping out the entire species. Not that I would dare to do such a thing because a life without toys isn’t worth living. Hey, you’re bleeding. Join with me and-”

“It will heal on its own,” Dawn snaps, the urge to smack at the other woman causing her arm to twitch. Fearing that she might make such a fatal mistake, she moves to the far side of the tent and does her best to fold a collection of shirts. “I don’t want or need your help. Every time we meet, you try to get me to rejoin with you. It will never happen, Addison, so leave me alone. I have trouble believing that you need me in the first place. Without me, you should be more powerful because you’re unrestrained. Even unfocused, you’re a destructive act of god in human form.”

“Awww, that’s so sweet,” the reality-bender coos as she strips out of her clothes. Picking up a nightgown, she puts it on and uses a nearby mirror to see how she looks. “This makes my right knee look crooked. You can have it back and I’ll settle for my parka dress. I hate that you’re right about me being powerful, but you’re wrong about my focus. With my head going in directions that humans can’t possible fathom, I can’t gain any leverage against Ian. My reflexes are slow and he can counter me quickly since it takes me too long to decide on what I’m going to do. Remember when the Great Lakes were turned into waterfalls to the moon? That was because I couldn’t think straight.”

Realizing that she has folded the same shirt twice, Dawn sighs and takes a seat next to a pile of unclaimed clothes. “This is not my problem. You are not my problem. Do whatever you want, but let me enjoy having an existence. Maybe the whole never any fun in normal thing is a total lie. You’ve been a freak for so long that it’s gotten boring. Look at me as the only chance at a quiet life that you will ever have.”

“That won’t do at all,” Addison claims without hesitation. With a snap of her fingers, she folds all of the laundry and leaves them with the scent of coffee. “Now, you have nothing keeping you here. Don’t talk about that girl either. Join with me and I’ll leave this entire caravan alone. Can’t make any promises about Ian, but they’re aimless journey will not have me as an obstacle. Otherwise, I might get angry and do something rash. Gemma won’t always . . . Where did I leave her? Think there’s a tree about five hundred miles away that I strapped her to, so I can’t stay long. Her voice gets really high and loud when she’s lecturing me. Then, I remove her voice and put it in her own head, which causes another fight. You know how its.”

“Not at all, but I still want you to go away.”

“Well, it does seem like you’re going to have your hands full.”

“What are you talking about now?”

Addison vanishes in a small gale that undoes the folded clothes and threatens to mix everything up. Fearing that she will get in trouble, Dawn hurries to clean up the mess to the best of her memory. She stops when the tent flap opens and a cold breeze caresses the back of her neck, which sprouts goosebumps. Turning around, she faces Melissa and three armed men in protective masks. They keep their guns lowered, but their fingers remain on the triggers in case they a fight breaks out. Waving for them to stay outside, the caravan leader takes a few steps inside and takes a sweater off the floor. She tenderly folds the warm clothing and tosses it to Dawn, who places it in the nearest bin.

“I would like to invite you to a private dinner,” Melissa states, her face unreadable and cold.

(Rafiki was wrong! The past does matter.)

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The creaking wheels of the stationary bike are no longer grating on Dawn’s ears, the sound having long since become part of the background. Even so, she is thankful when Kara arrives with an oilcan because it means she gets a short rest. Taking a cup of water and a towel, she puts at her bare arms and legs that are beginning to feel the winter chill in the air. Passersby stare at the woman who is wearing an outfit that is better suited for an indoor gym instead of the wilderness. None of them are aware that the reason for the tight shorts and colorful sports bra is because the doctors found Dawn to be too healthy. Flesh-colored sensors have been taped to her body and connected to a machine that is sitting next to the bike. Only a handful of people have approached to ask what is going on while the rest assume it is a bizarre device that the strange woman brought along for the journey. Jumping in place to keep her heartrate up, she waves to anyone who look in her direction for more than a few seconds. Most return the gesture, but a few avert their gaze and hurry out of sight. Once Kara is done and takes a seat in front of the beeping machine, Dawn gets back on the bike and gradually builds herself back up to the pace she had been keeping for the last fifteen minutes.

“I really wish they let me wear heavier clothes,” she mutters as she slows down to let a young man switch out the rechargeable batteries. He is about to pat her on the back when the box is locked in place, but turns the gesture into a thumbs up. “That’s the fifth time somebody almost made contact with me and stopped. Do I look sick or are they just afraid of strangers? You seem to be fitting in rather nicely. I’m starting to think the excuse that clothes would get in the way of the sensor wires was a lie. Probably want to see if my body does anything weird as I get tired and sweaty.”

“There have been creatures that pretend to be human and turn when under stress,” Kara explains while she writes down the information the doctors want. Shivering under her cloak, she takes out a thermos of hot chocolate and takes a sip. “At least you don’t have much longer to go here. Can you even blame them for being suspicious? The doctors said your body was too perfect for someone who lived in the wilderness. You have to admit it’s strange that you don’t have any scars or signs of disease. I overheard some people saying you look a little like one of the monsters too. Maybe Melissa only wants to put everyone at ease and that’s why she’s having you do this.”

Feeling an ache in her lower back, Dawn sits up and massages her muscles while continuing to pedal. “You might be right to some extent. I think it’s more that perfect body thing, which I would deny if they’d let me. Got a mole on my back, a birthmark on my inner thigh, and a few pimples on my chin. I know it’s nitpicking, but it shouldn’t be too surprising that there are some people out there like me. All you need is a stable environment, food, water, and shelter to avoid getting sick or malnourished.  The lack of scars is more luck since I’ve been injured by wild beasts in the past. What if this is only to keep me in one place while they choose a job? It isn’t like I’ve been a slouch here since I filled ten batteries.”

“The record is twenty by some Olympian.”

“They have professional athletes and I’m the suspicious one?”

“All of them have scars.”

“So, I’m being punished for being a good healer.”

“Your heartrate is going really high.”

“Because I’m getting angry.”

The machine suddenly beeps loudly and smoke comes out of a vent, which spits out a burst of flame. Kara scrambles away from the device and throws the last of her hot chocolate to put out the small fire. A blast of sparks fly into the air and hit Dawn in the leg before she can get off the bike. She yelps in pain as the polyester pants ignite and she rolls around the snow to avoid getting severely burned. People gather around to see what is going on, but their attention is more on Kara, who is throwing snow onto the burning machine. It is only after the flames are replaced by billowing smoke that the other travelers notice Dawn on the ground. Covered in snow and groaning in pain, the sight of her being injured inadvertently helping to prove that she is human and not a threat. Two men help her stand while an elderly woman puts a warm jacket over her shoulders. They guide her to a chair, but she is unable to sit down due to her melted pants having stuck to her skin. Waving for a towel, she ties it around her waist and carefully takes the tight shorts off underneath the covering. She hisses and bites her lip at the sensation of skin getting tugged, the fragile flesh tearing away with the clothing. By the time a doctor has arrived, Dawn has stripped down to her underwear and is using a borrowed towel to wipe at the blood flowing down her leg.

“It isn’t as bad as one would expect,” the doctor mentions while he examines the blistering wound. He uses tweezers to pull away the dead flesh and takes out an adhesive bandage to slap on as soon as he is done. “Not that I’m saying it’s suspicious. You rolled in the snow so quickly that the fire had very little time to do more than a first-degree burn. I’ll put some aloe gel on this and check on you every few hours. Considering you’re on laundry folding duty, I don’t think this will keep you away from work.”

“Just let me get some real clothes on first,” Dawn groans as she tries to stand. Feeling her legs quiver, she sits back down and slumps in the chair. “Think I reached my limit too. Give me an hour to rest and I’ll get to work. Kara can show me to our tent or wherever we’re staying. I should probably know that anyway. Can’t depend on her to lead me around all day. Don’t happen to have any crutches or a cane, do you?”

The doctor takes a pen out of his pocket and jots down a note that he hands to Kara, who empathetically nods her head. “We can give you a walking stick, but I’m sure you will be fine within a few days. If it’s true that you don’t scar then you have even less to worry about. I will expect you back at my office in an hour and a half, Ms. Stein. You have been a terrific assistant so far and I’ve requested that you continue helping me. I will give my report to Ms. Williams, so expect her to visit during your shift, Ms . . . Do you have a last name?”

“Chambers, but I don’t really see the point in using it these days,” she answers with another groan of pain. Watching the doctor leave, she lets Kara lead her away and is amused to see that the crowd is still lingering nearby. “I can’t tell if they’re curious or worried. Guess I have some time before I’m part of the background. Have to admit that I’m not liking the attention. Might be the years of being alone, but I feel like I’m being hunted. Congrats on getting what I assume is an important job. Are you happy here?”

“It’s everything that I ever dreamed it would be,” Kara gleefully admits.

“Then, I’ll do my best to fit in and not cause any trouble.”

Dawn smiles at how the girl is about to say something, but stops with her mouth open. It is not clear if she does not know what to say or was about to utter something embarrassing. The sudden rosiness of Kara’s cheeks makes Dawn think that it is the latter, but the thought of pushing for the truth is nearly as exhausting as her time on the stationary bike. Gripping the towel to prevent it from falling, she continues limping even after she stops feeling the pain. Even the aches and stiffness in her muscles has faded to the point where they are more a mild discomfort in her calves. She lets her other hand slip down to press on the dark red bandage without putting a hole in the thick gauze. Dawn is relieved to feel her fingers sink into an open wound that sends fresh blood trickling down her leg. The blossoming fear of discovering that she is not as human as she believes quickly dissipates, but she can already feel it lingering on the edge of her thoughts.

(Can you believe what happened last time?)

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Trudging through the snowy hills, the travelers stop at the mouth of a narrow pass and stare at the campsite below. A long line of people in heavy jackets lead to a collection of tents that are surrounded by a white wall. It takes Dawn a minute to realize that the barrier is really a circle of snow-covered wagons, which have been connected to each other by metal plates fitted into two grooves. Bike-powered generators are scattered about and the caravan members take turns maintaining the lights and heaters. Livestock can be heard from far away, but the animals are nowhere to be seen. As they walk down the steep incline leading to the valley, Kara points at a series of barns that look to be collapsible. Guards patrol the top of the wall, each one given a single car to stand atop instead of trying to leap over the gaps. Dawn frowns when a man whistles and shakes his gun in their direction, but the threatening gesture is quickly turned into a silent order to get in the back of the line. Not wanting to cause any trouble, the pair do as they are told and join the huddled figures who are hoping to be accepted.

Hours pass as they trudge along, the warmth of bodies in front and behind them helping to stave off frostbite. Teenagers walk down the line to offer cups of mild tea, the hot drinks a welcomed gift for the desperate masses. Dawn tries to keep herself near the edge of the mob and counts how many people are turned away. She is surprised that only five people are rejected, their vicious outburst and brandished weapons making it clear that they were perceived as a danger. Those with children are let in almost immediately, the three guards on top helping them up the ladders and onto an inflatable slide. Anyone traveling alone is sent through a door to the right while groups of adults go to the left. Dawn catches a quick look at the inside where a doctor and two nurses are waiting with their equipment. The lack of screams helps keep her fear under control, but a voice in the back of her head whispers about caution. The fact that it sounds more like Addison than herself does not help, but she takes Kara by the hand to remind her that getting the girl inside is the only thing that matters.

With only two families ahead of them, Dawn gets a clear look at the desk that has been set up in front of the entry ladders. There is a pile of papers that are kept in place by a long needle jammed through the middle. A cup of pens, a stapler, and an ink pad that goes with a stamp ring are the only other items in view. Judging by the Grand Caravan’s leader immaculate and simple clothing, Dawn assumes they are about to deal with someone who hates complications. The woman’s curly black hair goes down to her shoulders and she has a collection of butterfly clips in the thick tresses. Red gloves cover her hands and the left pinky dangles limp due to not having a digit inside. A pair of reading glasses dangle from the woman’s neck and she randomly puts them on as she goes over the questionnaire for each person. There is a quickness to her words, but her tone is not sharp or aggressive. It is her piercing gaze that causes Dawn and Kara to delay their approach, the guards having to remind them that they are next.

“My name is Melissa Williams and I’m in charge of the Grand Caravan,” the woman says in droning tone. Taking a sip of coffee, she scratches at her neck where a scar runs across her throat. “You’re the thirty-eight mother and daughter pair today. What is happening to the fathers out there? Sorry, but that’s just me noticing a trend. You two don’t look that alike though. Is she really your kid?”

“I can see why you’re in charge,” Dawn answers before pushing Kara forward. She puts her hands up when one of the guards shifts his gun, which causes everyone to stare. “I thought I was in trouble. Sorry about that. This girl lost her parents and the small caravan that she was traveling with. We stumbled into each other in a desert and I promised to bring her here. She’s very smart and wants nothing more than to travel to the haven with you. I don’t have to go along if you think I’m a danger. My only goal was to get Kara here.”

“We’re a package deal!” the girl declares with her arms crossed. She ignores the laughter from the crowd and refuses to change her defiant pose. “Dawn got me through so much that I can’t leave her behind. She might not be my mom, but I don’t want her to miss out on reaching haven. I mean, she is kind of weird and twitchy, but who wouldn’t be if they lived alone in the wilderness for years?”

“Alone in the wilderness,” Melissa mutters as she makes a note. Taking an unsharpened pencil out of her pocket, she puts it in her mouth and chews on the eraser end. “Kara can come in without question since we’d never turn a child away. That’s probably a belief you share with us, Dawn, since you escorted a total stranger. The nearest desert is about fifty miles away, which means you came a long way. I agree that it would be an insult to not give you a chance to earn a way in.”

Still unsure if she wants to join the Grand Caravan, Dawn runs a hand through her brown hair and bites her lip. “Honestly, I didn’t know what I’d do at this point. The idea of a haven strikes me as a pipedream. You aren’t the first group to go hunting for such a place. No offense, but that’s the truth. That isn’t to say I will refuse your offer. Feels wrong to hand Kara to you and walk away. At the very least, I should make sure she gets to where she’s going. I’ll decide if haven is for me when we get there.”

“Have to admit that I’ve never heard that before,” the caravan leader says.

Hearing an outburst in the line, Melissa stands on the desk and whistles at the sight of black clouds on the horizon. Several teams come out of the wall with tents and large beams that end in dirt-caked points. Preparing the structures for those who have not been allowed inside, the workers call for extra hands. A guard cuts into the line and waves for those in front of him to help while those who remain continue waiting to speak with Melissa. Cracks of thunder and an icy breeze stirs all of them into a frenzy that erects the cluster of tents within minutes. The beams take longer to set up with a hooded foreman making sure the dimensions are right before he fires a gun seven times into the air. People are urged to get into the tents where food and sleeping bags are waiting while two groups of guards come running around the wall. Those with large ladders to the lead and put them against the wall and the others stop to unfold the metal rooftop.

“We really should finish this quickly,” Melissa mentions while her people finish putting the structure together. Hearing people whisper about there being on way out, she clears her throat and spits on the ground. “It’s for their own protection. A door would take too long and they can simply pop the roof off if there’s flooding. I have one of my men in there with them. Now, Dawn, what can you bring to the Grand Caravan?”

“I can survive in the wilderness better than anyone,” the brown-haired woman swiftly replies without thinking. Noticing that the leader is not writing anything down, she puts her hands on the desk and leans forward. “As Kara said, I lived alone in the wild. I’ve learned how the monsters operate and know how to identify their traps. You can use me as a scout, a hunter, or a gatherer. I’m not much of a seamstress, but I can help with cooking if given instructions. I can even help with construction like what you did over there. Is that enough to get me inside, Ms. Williams?”

“Very good to know, but I do have a concern,” she admits before waving Kara to go into the door on the left. The girl is hesitant to leave, but a gentle push from Dawn is enough to get her moving. “She’s attached to you, which makes me worry that rejecting you means she’ll be left in the wild. You say that you can identify the traps that our tormentors have created, but I’ve heard that before. It’s by dumb luck and that eventually runs out. Now, you could be telling the truth and you possess an insight that every other human lacks. That’s what I’m concerned about. How could you have done that without seeing others make the mistakes?”

“Most of it was caution and watching animals,” Dawn states, remembering the time a deer blew up after eating some leaves. Catching a flicker of doubt in the other woman’s eyes, she sighs and takes a step back. “The forest I lived in before meeting Kara was a common playground for the monsters. It was where they tested out their traps and I just happened to stumble into it one day. Figured it was the last place they would look for a human and I happened to be right. They never showed up at the same time and would routinely try to sabotage each other, but I observed enough to get an idea of how they operate. Before everything went to hell, I was a behavior psychologist, which came in handy.”

“That’s a hard story to accept.”

“It’s not easy sharing it due to it being so ridiculous.”

“But it’s the truth?”

“As true as my birth.”

“Odd phrase.”

“My grandmother used to say it.”

Melissa clicks her tongue a few times before sliding the paper and a pen to Dawn. “Fill out the rest of this while I move the line along. If I like what I see then you can go into the door on the left. Anything suspicious and I’ll turn you away. Keep in mind that the storm will be here in twenty minutes and that form will take about ten if you answer honestly. You won’t be able to find cover around here in the time you have left. Also know that I’ll be keeping an eye on you for the next week. Not sure what it is, but there’s something about you that seems both familiar and unnerving.”

“Unfortunately, I have that kind of face,” Dawn claims with a smirk. Pinching her thigh to prevent an eye twitch, she spins the pen in her fingers and goes about answering the questions with the best lies that she can imagine.

(Fun fact: Like the rest of the story, I wrote the previous section while awake.)

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Sitting on opposite sides of a large tree, Dawn and Kara listening to the pounding rain that they narrowly escaped. A blinding curtain of water blocks their view of the area, but they remain dry thanks to the thick canopy above their heads. Only a few streams come through the network of sturdy branches and leathery leaves, which has given the travelers a chance to get clean and have a drink. Regardless of the serene atmosphere and the relaxing smell of fresh rain, they cannot relax as an inevitable conversation lingers on their tongues. Dawn is no longer trying to get around the tree to check on Kara, who has claimed all of the food for herself. The sound of chewing and the occasional burp continue until she is certain that that girl is trying eat as much of the food as possible. She waits for the sound of footsteps rushing into the rain, but they never come. Dawn takes it as a sign that her companion is willing to talk and will not disappear into the wilderness. The thought of angry mobs coming after her sends a shiver along her spine, but a part of her considers that she deserves such a fate. Unnerved by the dark thought, she gets to her feet and begins gathering rocks to throw at the fist-sized figs that are growing in the lower branches.

“Are you a monster too?” Kara asks from her side of the tree. The girl peeks around for a second and swiftly goes back out of sight before she is spotted. “I heard what Addison was calling you. Also, I know what absorbing means. There are beasts out there that do that to their prey. So, are you going to eat me?”

“I prefer chicken, beef, and moose,” Dawn replies, hoping to cut through the tension. Not getting a response, she sighs and continues trying to knock down some food. “I’m not a monster and I won’t eat you. If you were really listening then you’d know Addison was calling me the sane one. She’s always been crazy, but I used to be that flicker of sanity inside her head. Now, she depends on Gemma for keeping her slightly grounded. This is why you see so many strange things in the world. Addison has no focus and follows whatever whim she has unless somebody manages to stop her in time. It really isn’t that different than when we were together since she never listened to me. I had some control when Corvus was around, but that leash disappeared a long time ago.”

“I don’t get it,” the girl admits before tossing a package of crackers into the open. She shuffles around the tree when she sees the woman go for the food. “How did you get out of the monster? Why don’t you have powers too? Also, she mentioned a safe zone. Is that the place I met you?”

Chuckling at the barrage of questions, Dawn ties her hair back and leans against the warm tree. “Kids always get right to the point. I guess Addison keeps all the powers since she has the original body. My creation was an accident when Ian tried to remove her insanity. That would be like pulling the pulp out of this tree and expecting it to live. All he did was split us into two parts, which did do some damage. I gave Addison enough focus to use her powers with precision, but now she’s entirely random. Since you’re going to ask, I ran away as soon as I was knocked out of the body. Neither of them realized what happened until a week later, but I was long gone by then. Haven’t come across Ian since then, but you can tell that Addison and I have had a few encounters.”

“So, she made the safe zone for you,” the girl guesses as she comes into view.

“Yes, but she did a terrible job,” Dawn admits with a smirk. Fearing that the expression will turn dark, she fakes a cough and bends down to fix her boot laces. “Remember me telling you about those monsters? They were supposed to make sure I stayed in the territory, but they ended up wanting to hunt me. Addison’s goal was to keep me contained until either she found a way to absorb me or I came back willingly. Instead, she made me hate her even more because every day was a battle for survival. Still, it’s better than being stuck in her head. At least, I can control my own actions out here.”

“But you stayed in one place for all this time.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were still trapped in the safe zone.”

“As you can see, I could leave whenever I wanted.”

“Then, why did it take you so long?”

Dawn’s mouth opens to answer, but she cannot think of the reason she never considered leaving the safe zone. The urge to go back rises in her chest as she tries to remember if there was ever a time she tried to leave. A few brief outings to help people in the desert or show them the way out of the forest come to mind. Yet, none of them made her want to go far or travel with them like Kara. Tapping her chin, she stares at the girl, whose face is covered in chocolate and sprinkles. She does not see anything out of the ordinary, but the fear that she has walked into a trap refuses to disappear completely. Regardless of the fresh paranoia, Dawn knows that Kara will probably die on her own. The silent acknowledgement helps her strengthen her resolve and push the doubt into the back of her mind.

“I have no answer,” she finally replies as the rain starts to stop. Staring out at the sparkling landscape, she munches on a few crackers that are about to go stale. “It isn’t like I had a plan when I was given freedom. With all of the memories and knowledge in my head, I was still a baby with no personal experience. Maybe I was simply comfortable and happy to have a life of my own. There were a few times I interacted with people, but I never traveled with them. The best answer I can give you is that the only reason I left is because you were alone. I’m not insane and cruel like Addison. I feel bad about my actions. Letting you wander off to get killed in the wilderness didn’t sit well with me.”

“So, you’re going to protect me?” Kara asks with a smile.

Wetting her sleeve, Dawn cleans the girl’s face and promises, “I will make sure you get to where you’re going. Maybe I’ll stick around after that. Seems you’ve kind of grown on me even though you ate most of our food.”

“I saved you the vegetables.”

“We didn’t have vegetables.”

“Then, what are the green things?”

“Guess bringing cheese along was a mistake.”

(Check out Part 6 . . . These can’t all be silly.)

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“Almost there,” Dawn mutters as she finishes climbing the rope.

With Kara strapped to her back and their supply bags hanging from her arms, she barely has the strength to pull herself out of the hole. The ground is littered with feathers and chunks of meat left by the ravens, which can still be seen flying in the distance. A single set of large prints are near the edge of the broken earth, the tracks the only sign that the large bird ever existed. Not wanting to fall back into the decimated cavern, Dawn crawls towards a nearby stream and dunks her head into the water. She immediately comes up coughing and gagging, the taste reminding her of the ocean and leaving her tongue burning. To her relief, she hears Kara yawn and begin mumbling, which are the first sounds the girl has made in the last few hours. Undoing the rope harness, she puts her companion next to her and lazily flops onto her back to stare at the evening sky. She is surprised to see the stars gradually appear with no extra constellations, the normal sight giving her an odd sense of peace. The effect is nearly lost when the moon comes out as full, but sheds enough of itself to become a crescent.

As the minutes pass by, a shiver runs up Dawn’s spine and she leaps to her feet with renewed strength. Knowing that they are in danger, she grabs only one bag of supplies and puts Kara over her shoulder. Slightly awake, the girl tries to complain, but her throat is too dry for her to do more than whisper. Catching a sense of urgency in the faint words, Dawn turns around to see that she forgot her companion’s precious satchel. Sprinting back to retrieve it, she nearly chokes on the thick air that is flowing out of a forest to the south. Seeing the pulverized remains of the factory, she charges over the uneven ground and prays that they can find a hiding place in time. Leaping over a low wall, she stumbles at the feeling of electricity running up her legs. The shock is not enough to hurt, but she can only limp towards an overturned vat that is covering most of a hole. Holding Kara tight to her chest, Dawn forces her body to run and she slides into the narrow gap. Landing neck deep in a pool of cake batter, she quickly puts the gasping girl on her shoulders and puts her finger to her lips.

“I can’t smell them in here,” a voice says from nearby. Strange footsteps can be heard coming around the vat, the alternating noises being a meaty thwack followed by a barely audible hollow thud. “All of the food is making me hungry. Not that I have a stomach thanks to your botched repairs. Are you sure the missing you is here? The ravens didn’t find it in the underside and they’ve never made a mistake before.”

“There’s a first time for everything,” another woman replies with a laugh. Dawn steps back at the sight of heeled feet and a long, crimson skirt coming into view. “The stars distracted me when she was running. I know she came in here, but there are so many hiding places. Where would a normal, sane me go? I should just level the place and scrape the remains into a sandwich bag.”

“As far as we know, you need her alive.”

“That’s so boring.”

“Ian is the one who wants to kill her.”

“The little puppy really needs to stay out of my personal business.”

“You did inadvertently create him.”

“Stop blaming me!”

Without warning, the vat is knocked over by the woman with a golden eyepatch knocking her companion across the factory. Dawn makes out the limp form of a red-haired person whose right side is flesh and bone. Gemma’s left side is a mannequin that has half of her face drawn on its head and a large dent in its chest. The startled travelers are frozen in place as they watch the woman, who looks exactly like Dawn, walk over the hole and continue heading towards the former cop. Kara is the first to snap out of her stupor by leaping onto solid ground and run for a metal box that she can squeeze into. Unable to escape as quickly as the girl, Dawn tries to swim to the other side of the hole where she can press herself against he wall. She is halfway across when the batter erupts into a geyser that launches her into the air. The woman lands in the wreckage of an oven and narrowly misses hitting the bright red heating elements. She whirls around to see that the Gemma and her master are at the edge of the debris, neither of them daring to take another step.

“It’s been too long, Addison,” the woman with the eyepatch declares. Hearing Gemma clear her throat, she cocks her head to the side and giggles at her mistake. “I mean Dawn. You’re looking well, other me. Sane and normal, but healthy. That’s good because I could use those muscles when we recombine. Don’t you think it’s time for that? I promise to give you more attention. Maybe you can take the reins of our body during an eclipse. Do something mundane like read a book or . . . what else to the boring and sane do?”

“Leave me alone,” Dawn snaps while backing away. A wall of bodies and metal rises up behind her, but it bows inwards to avoid being touched. “You can only reclaim me if I go willing and I refuse. I had no room or purpose in your head. Out here, I have a body instead of being a bundle of subconscious thoughts that never gets to breathe. We’re both better off without each other, Addison. It isn’t like I have any of your power, so stop tormenting me whenever I leave my forest.”

“Why did you wander out of that safe zone?” Gemma asks, her eyes falling to the satchels hanging from Dawn’s shoulders. She is about to go in search of anything suspicious when her fake leg stiffens and refuses to move. “How about a compromise? Give me her body and she can have this piece of junk. I can feel human again while she will be free. You can alter it to look more like my true self, right?”

“Yes, but then I’d have nothing to put my hats on,” Addison bluntly replies. Floating over the debris, she reaches out to touch her sane self, but is shoved away by an invisible force. “The angry puppy put a lot of work into keeping us apart. Without you, I can’t focus enough to destroy him. All I can do is fight until I’m bored and then I go away. What if I give you the month of February?”

“I said no,” the woman growls.

“Nobody speaks to me that way, except my reflection.”

“I am your reflection!”

“That’s why none of my mirrors work!”

Dawn hurls a handful of batter at Addison, who swiftly ducks her head into her body like a turtle. Temporarily blinded, the reality-bender is unable to avoid a second glob that hits her in the chest. With a tired sigh, the god-like stares at her ruined dress and reaches up to tear the garment off her body. She stops when Gemma coughs and settles for wiping the goo off the smooth fabric. The smell puts Addison in a trance and she goes about licking her fingers, which gives Dawn an opening to sneak by the other woman. When the former cop reaches out to tap her master on the shoulder, her mannequin side is turned into a large spoon. The fleshy half falls to the ground and flops about like a panicking fish, the chunks of metal leaving deep cuts on her body. No longer paying attention to her sane self, Addison skips over to another pool of batter and stretches her jaw down to her knees to take in every spoonful. Seeing no reason to stay, Dawn casually walks over to the box where Kara is hiding and drags it away. For the next few miles, she can still hear Gemma struggling to talk with only half a mouth and bring her master’s attention to their escaping prey.