Prologue

Angela Carols stuck her apartment key into the knob of the door it belonged to and, with a slight jiggle, she let herself in. Carrying several bags of groceries in her left arm she pulled the key out, slipped it into her purse, and closed the door behind her. To her immediate left was a small kitchenette that was separated from the dark and small living room only by a counter that had a bar on one side. She placed her groceries down and walked back to the door to lock it. Once secure she pulled off her fitted tan trench coat and hung it in the closet beside the door she came through. As she hung the wire hanger back on the bar she was startled to find that she was not alone. "Do you really want to know?" a female voice dead panned.

Angela hesitated in closing the coat closet for only a moment. When she finally did close it she used the hair band on her wrist and pulled her mid-back length honey hair into a ponytail. "Of course I want to know," she said as she flicked on a light in the kitchen and began to unload her food, milk and eggs first. The room was silent as she did so but, once the perishables were put away, Angela eventually reached over and flicked on the light switch for the living room. Once the small room was illuminated she looked around curiously. "I've been doing work, on your behalf."

"I know."

"A little bit of awareness can go a long way. Nobody has any reason to fear you," she continued as she walked into the middle of the room and stood on the rug that separated her loveseat from her television.

"You would think," the voice said from directly behind Angela. It caused her back to tense and her body to become very aware of every vertebrate in her spine, "that by now you would know looking around will do you know good."

Angela turned around and stared intensely at the empty space right in front of herself, "Force of habit, I suppose. Not too many people I know…" she bit her lower lip and brushed past the person she attempted to stare. She felt the other woman's body graze hers but still saw nothing. Back in her kitchen she grabbed two mugs and filled up a metal kettle before she placed it on the stove, "So are you going to tell me or not, Emily?" she asked as she turned around and saw that Emily was now there.

"Well, I suppose so. I didn't drive two hours just to come say hello," Emily said as she ran a hand through her shoulder length brown hair. She walked over to the mugs on the kitchen counter and grabbed one by the bottom. With little effort Emily's hand disappeared along with the blue mug she was holding. Angela stared at the ivory colored knob of skin halfway down Emily's forearm where the divide between visible and invisible laid. Emily peered up at her and Angela glanced into her eyes before she looked back down at where the mug was. Carefully she took her right hand and gingerly felt for the porcelain handle. When she had it she pulled the mug out of Emily's hand and in an instant it reappeared in her own. As she stared at the mug Emily continued, "Unless you just want me to say hello and then leave, because I can easily arrange that."

Angela snapped out of her train of thought and quickly placed the mug on the counter next to its brother. "If you're going to just tease me all night then you can leave," she walked over to the sink and placed her hands on the edge to lean in and stare at Emily who now sat in front of her at the bar, "I'm sure you can manage parting without being seen."

Angela watched as Emily sighed and studied her carefully. She was nervous but she refused to let it show. After long minute of silence Emily leaned back in her bar tool and cracked a very small smile. "I suppose the story isn't going to get any shorter the longer I sit here," Angela relaxed and stepped away from the sink. She walked around the bar and into the living room to get comfortable as Emily spun on her stool to follow her every move. Once Angela was seated in a lounge chair by the love seat she crossed her legs and leaned back to mimic Emily. "But first, you need to make a promise."

"What kind of promise?"

"A promise that this story never leaves this room," Angela got ready to interject but Emily held up a hand and silenced her, "I don't care if it may help your cause and I don't care if your cause is meant to help me and the others. The moment some money mogul hears what I have to say they'll want to turn it into some bestselling book or Oscar winning movie. Not because they care about what you're trying to do but because they want to be a part of Oprah's book club. Are we clear?"

Angela bit her lower lip again and nodded, "We're clear."

"Say you promise."

"I promise."

"You promise what?"

Angela dropped her shoulders and rolled her eyes, "I promise not to tell anybody what you're about to tell me. Even if it could help you and the others."

Angela watched as Emily slowly nodded and got off of her stool, "Good. Except for that last part, but I'll let that slide," she walked over to the love seat and threw herself down casually in a way that was more becoming of a teenager rather than a woman in her early twenties. "I guess I should begin where it nearly ended. I was at the city courthouse and only sixteen when it happened. It was the first time I ever did it, but it nearly became my last."