Ashley expected a lot less, but upon arrival, she couldn't help be impressed. Then again, most of her pre-pubescent expectations of life had been decimated over the course of half a day.

I have no one. My grandparents are dead. My father is dead. She even felt sort of bad about losing Gloria. Sort of.

Grace drove to the suburbs south of the city. The rich suburbs, as in million dollar homes. A billboard by the entrance read, New homes being constructed from $500's and more. Come join our community! Even without the sign, the homes dissuaded paupers, being sprawling estates made of brick. Two houses down sat a fountain big enough to swim in. The house they stopped at seemed modest compared to the others, not in size, but in outdoor ornamentation. The lawn was well maintained, but the mailbox wasn't customized into the shape of a mosaic mermaid or a dolphin. No statues or fountains.

They walked to the front door.

Before Grace knocked, Ashley wanted to know: "Is this your...friend's...house?"

She hesitated on the word friend because she meant to say Leemo, but decided against it. From the sound of him, Leemo wouldn't live in a nice place.

"Who else's house would it be?"A smile teased the woman's face.

She knew what Ashley meant to ask. She chuckled. Four knocks later, and she hollered, "Can you let us in already? It's fucking freezing out here!"

"I'm coming!" A man answered. When he opened the door, Ashley thought, Oh.

He looked about Grace's age, similarly attractive. No gold chain or white powder dotting his nose, though. Rectangular-shaped glasses served as his one accessory.

"Juniper, next time be nicer or I won't open the door." To Ashley, he said, "Hello."

"That was me being nice." Grace/Juniper said.

"Juniper?" Ashley mumbled.

She thought back to the three wallets in the truck. Did one of them read Juniper-something-or-other? Probably not.

The man stepped back, allowing them room to walk into his not-so-humble abode. Like his lawn, the indoor décor was sparse. No paintings on the all-white walls, and furniture only a single person could put up with: crates serving as end tables, wooden boxes for an entertainment center. A gigantic fabric couch stood out among the drudgery, guarding a giant interface mounted on the wall. Ashley couldn't believe one person could live in such a mausoleum.

"I would invite you into the living room to catch up, but let's get business out of the way first. Follow me."

Business. She knew what sort of business Juniper engaged in, and she didn't want any part of it.

"Wait." Ashley said. The man waited. "How do you know what we're here for?"

"When Juniper showed up at my door with a young girl, I assumed it was so I could help you the way I helped her. Am I wrong?"

"I do need help, but..." She didn't know what to say next. She didn't want to offend, but she didn't want to be violated either.

The man hunched over to look Ashley in the eyes. Usually, an adult getting down to her eye-level was condescending, but the man's voice and eyes read anything but.

"Are you lost? Are you alone?"

Two naked questions, with equally vulnerable answers. Ashley swallowed the ocean of spit in her mouth, ready to answer.

"Yes, I am."

"If you're a friend of Juniper's, I'll do everything I can to help you. Let's go to my workroom." He reached for a door at the end of the foyer, leading to an illuminated stairway.

Ashley's heart picked up pace. She heard her father's voice in her head, don't trust strangers. He had told her the same thing over and over, along with don't get in the car with strangers. Following a stranger into a basement would have probably been next on her father's list of no-no's. Another night, she might have gone anyway. Adults could usually be trusted, but the night's events had shown her adults could discard one face and then put on another. She had to choose between following these two strangers or getting answers.

"Why do we have to go down there?" She looked behind her. "Juniper, what are we here for?"

"You don't have to be scared." Juniper said. "You have to trust me and know I wouldn't lead you into a dangerous place. Do you believe me?"

Again, Ashley felt a strange tingle, and the faint roar built and fell behind her ears. "Yes, I believe you."

"Good. Then c'mon."

****