Kiesha stumbled out of bed a few days later and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. Mornings were not her favorite time of day, but she managed to function with some semblance of normalcy nevertheless. Upon reaching the hall bathroom, she brushed and styled her hair and cleaned her teeth.

Kiesha's favorite part of the morning was arranging her hairstyle. She scoured the internet for tutorials on the subject, sometimes astonishing her family with the rather peculiar styles she discovered. When her rather long hair was not enough, she would add one of several hairpieces she had found at her local beauty supply. Today, however, her personal tresses were sufficient for her purposes and, after about ten minutes, were fashioned into her chosen coiffure.

"Morning, Mum," she said on her way into the kitchen. Her father had most likely already left for work.

"Morning, Sweetie," her mom replied. Kiesha thought her mom looked somewhat distracted but marked it up to the vestiges of sleep that still clung stubbornly. Kiesha sat down at the table, and her mother came over with the eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns she had just taken out of the pan. When Kiesha had washed everything down with her last gulp of orange juice, she looked up and was astonished to see her dad walk through the kitchen door.

"What's the matter, dad?" she asked. "Car wouldn't start?"

"Honey, can you come into the den?" he asked her, apparently ignoring her question.

Kiesha placed her dirty dishes in the sink and followed her father and mother into the family room. She wondered what trouble she could have gotten into this early in the summer vacation. On the other hand, her father's face hadn't appeared angry. Perhaps she wasn't in trouble after all! Maybe he was calling a family meeting for some other reason, though what that reason could be, Kiesha had no way of ascertaining.

She did not have long to wait before an explanation presented itself. When she entered the den, she saw a strange man in a business suit sitting on a couch. He rose when they entered.

"Kiesha," he said. "How nice to make your acquaintance."

Before Kiesha could respond, her father stepped in.

"You'll have to start from the beginning, Alastair. As I have already informed you, she knows nothing of any of this."

"Of course, Charles," the man said, nodding to her father. "Would you like to flesh out the details, or should I?"

"You were always more eloquent than I," Charles replied, taking a seat in his favorite chair. Malina sat on the couch opposite Alastair and motioned Kiesha to join her.

"Well, then!" Alastair said. "Now that we are all settled. I will explain my presence to your daughter. Kiesha, I presume that your parents have never told you about the Society of the Golden Lion?"

Kiesha thought this strange visitor had lost his mind but answered politely.

"No, sir, they haven't."

"I didn't think so. Well, The Society of the Golden Lion is a group of people with, let's just say special abilities. Those of us who are blessed with such talents train to protect the rest of the world. You might say that we are, in fact, guardians of the world."

"What does that have to do with us, Sir?" Kiesha asked, thoroughly confused.

"Your parents were once part of our Society, but after they had you, they decided to resign and live like regular people. However, now that you have come of age, your abilities are ready to burst forth, with the proper training, of course."

"Wait, what?" Kiesha spluttered. "My abilities? Now I know I'm dreaming."

"No, Honey," her mother said. "You're not dreaming. All of this is real."

"This is crazy!" Kiesha exclaimed. "I don't have special abilities. I'm ordinary. I'm just, well, just me!"

"My dear," Alastair said, leaning toward her, "I know this is all strange to you. Most children of Society Members know about these things from the time they are born. When they come of age, none of these explanations are needed. They simply begin their training."

"What training?" Kiesha asked. None of this made any sense to her, but she was still curious.

"At our Headquarters, you will be trained to tap into and use your powers to help those not born with them. If you are willing, we can leave today and start your training by the beginning of next week."

"You mean I'd have to leave?" Kiesha asked.

"Yes," Alastair replied. "Only at our Headquarters can we help you achieve your full potential."

"It's your decision, Sweetheart," Charles said.

"What about my parents?" she asked.

"We left that life behind us long ago, Kiesha," Malina said. "We have no desire to return to it, but we won't ask you to stay here if you want to go."

Kiesha hugged herself. She had never been away from home for an extended time. She even got homesick during the week-long summer camp she used to attend. Could she survive leaving?

"Once your training is complete," Alastair said, "you would be free to visit them whenever you wish."

"How long is the training?" Kiesha asked.

"It depends on many things, but usually only a few years."

"A few years?!" Kiesha exclaimed. "You mean I won't have any contact with my parents for a few years?"

"No, Kiesha, I didn't say that," Alastair answered calmly.

"You certainly weren't very clear about it," Malina said firmly.

"I apologize," the visitor replied. "Kiesha, you would have regular contact with your parents via video conference. You could contact anyone you know that way. It's not like you're going to prison."

"But, what about my school? I haven't finished yet! I still have a year left."

"You would finish your regular schooling at our Headquarters in addition to your training," Alastair said.

This strange man had answered all of her questions, but Kiesha did not know what to say. She honestly had no clue what she wanted to do.

After a brief silence, Charles cleared his throat.

"Alastair, why don't you give Kiesha some time to think about this. Surely she doesn't have to make a decision right now!"

Alastair nodded and rose from the couch.

"Of course, Charles. I am staying at the Hampton Inn Downtown in Room 225. Should Kiesha decide that she wants to join our Society, please bring her to me by Friday before the check-out time."

With those words, Alastair made a polite exit and took his leave.