Chapter Twelve Page Two, Bren, Falling Rocks

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“Should I come back in a few hours, then?” She asked.

“Yes,” Seymour said, “We will make preparations for your installation ceremony. It is nice to see that you do not wish to wait. Such enthusiasm is most welcome among us. So many of our members do not have the energy of a youth, I might even say that they are almost…”

Ok, yeah, just say dead already.

“…dead.” He covered his mouth, and endured a single laugh. It wasn’t enough to be considered a chuckle. Not at all.

“I’m sure I’ll be a welcome sight,” Bren said, “I’ll be back… Around four?”

“We could have a ceremony prepared sooner,” he said. Bren was sure he wanted her to join before she’d have a chance to change her mind. There was no way he realized that she had been strongarmed into joining.

Or maybe he did? Maybe the whole stunt was to bring her there. The gauntlet could be waiting for her inside. The Scanners might have access to binding rituals, even. The ceremony might make her a permanent Scanner, if she liked it or not.

            “Brenda?”

            “How soon?” Bren asked.

            “One in the afternoon,” he said, “Even at noon, if pleasantries and refreshments are unimportant to you.”

            “Noon would be great,” Bren said, “Noon would work just fine.”

            “Return at noon, then,” Seymour said. He grabbed the side of the door, turning just enough for Bren to see past into the hallway. There was a robed member within, staring.

            Bren stared back. A hood obscured the Scanner’s face. There was paint on their face that reduced it to a pale grey color. Bren was mostly sure it was a woman, but the features were androgynous. The facial features was soft but sharp. As Bren stared, it seemed to shift between male and female.

            Seymour stepped back inside and closed the door, cutting Bren off from the staring contest. Although Bren supposed that for it to have been a staring contest, she’d have to have been able to look into the Scanners’ eyes. It wasn’t a fair contest otherwise.

            Bren was tired enough that she drove back to the college and tried to sleep. She figured that without her gauntlet she was safe enough to try to grab a few hours of shuteye before being inducted. She woke up around nine, though, and couldn’t fall back asleep. She showered and found a nice button down blouse to wear. It had wrinkles but she was pretty sure the Scanners wouldn’t care. They’d been lobbying her for years. Bren saw that Christina was still asleep, and decided not to bother her before leaving.

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