Love In A Strange Place

Professor Nick Cutter sat with his head in his hands, wishing he hadn't agreed to Jenny's suggestion of finding him a personal assistant. So far he'd seen nothing but giggly girls dressed as if they were going out clubbing rather than to an interview and ran off screaming as soon as they heard about the dinosaurs. Finally there was only one applicant left. The young woman who walked in seemed a much more likely candidate for the job. She was dressed smartly in black trousers and a white collared shirt. Her long dark brown hair was tied up in a ponytail and she was carrying a small black bag.

"First name, age, current occupation," said Jenny in a bored voice. Cutter snuck a glance at her and saw she was painting her nails behind the clipboard.

"My name is Emma, I am twenty-eight years old and I am currently an author writing a sci-fi about dinosaurs in our time, based on your TV show," said Emma.

"Why do you want this job?"

"I enjoy challenges, and becoming the personal assistant of the head of the anomaly team is definitely a challenge!" said Emma, with a grin.

"Why do you think you would be suited to this post?" asked Cutter.

"I am organised and systematic," said Emma. "Any of my friends will tell you I'm the organiser of us all. I am also very flexible and able to work late hours and come into the field whenever wanted."

"Well, I think we have come to a conclusion," said Jenny. "We will contact you to tell you the outcome of the interview-"

"Emma, you're hired," said Cutter, over Jenny. Emma gave a tiny squeal and ran out of the room. "Your office is upstairs, second corridor on the left, number 143!" Cutter called after her.

The next day, Emma began her brand-new job. All her fears were swept away at the first moment she stepped into her office. The team had tied an enormous bunch of gold balloons emblazoned with the word WELCOME to her desk and at least twenty welcome cards were sitting on her desk. She sat around not doing much for about ten minutes. In the day she discovered that Connor was the ARC's phantom biscuit thief. There were no anomaly alarms so the entire team lazed around drinking endless cups of coffee and tea and eating so many biscuits that Jenny had to dash to the SPAR to buy more. Emma and Cutter had a long discussion about Scotland, as that was Emma's home country and she was in England for a book signing. Her last novel, Walk Alone, based on a failed University romance, had shot to the top of the bestseller charts and catapulted her into the fickle world of fame.

"If you've become famous for your novel, why would you want to give it up and take this job?" asked Connor.

"I'll write my book around this job. Writing is an unpredictable job and if my next novel flops it'll be nice to have another source of income," said Emma, biting into yet another Jammy Dodger.

Within the next few weeks Emma became very much a member of the team. Each time the anomaly alarm sounded she would drop whatever she was doing to go with the team into the field. She was excellent at making up convincing cover stories and her natural charm could get anyone to do whatever she said. She reminded the team of Jenny when she'd first began her job, only a little less scary. She and Cutter had long discussions about Scotland almost every day, and in-between times she would be in her office, writing her book as fast as she could.

After a month at the ARC Emma prepared to visit her family in Bridge of Allan. Cutter left the team in Connor's hands and accompanied her. On the day she arrived Cutter took a trip to his parents' house and stayed overnight. The next day he went with Emma and her family to Stirling Castle.

"Emma, would you like to come out with me tonight?" asked Cutter as they stood at the highest point of the tower. "As colleagues, I mean."

"Sure, where?" asked Emma.

"Well, Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra is being performed at a theatre in Glasgow tonight, so we could go out for a meal then to the theatre."

"Cool," said Emma.

"I'll pick you up at seven," said Cutter, getting up from the bench and stretching.

"It's a date!" laughed Emma.

At five o'clock that evening, there was a lot of wheedling going on at Emma's childhood home.

"Please, Emma! Just this once!" whined Sara, Emma's youngest sister, holding up a sparkly gold dress. "It won't hurt you!"

"No way!" exclaimed Emma. "The last time I wore a dress was the prom, and that was ten years ago!"

"Please! Not even a black dress?" wheedled Sara, putting on her 'cutesy-pie' face.

"Well…" mumbled Emma, weakening slightly. "I suppose a black dress would be O.K…"

"Great!" exclaimed Sara, looking alive all of a sudden at the prospect of making her tomboy sister look girly, even if it was for just one night. "You go get dressed, Lauren and I will get your make-up and hair stuff ready." Emma gave a quiet moan.

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of!" she mumbled. Sara gave her a reproachful look.

One hour later, Sara and Lauren had made Emma look like a different woman.

"Look at yourself, Emma!" exclaimed Lauren. "You look wonderful!"

"Job well done, if I do say so myself!" said Sara. Reluctantly, Emma opened her eyes and looked at her full-length reflection.

She didn't look half bad actually. Sara and Lauren might be annoying but they certainly knew how to make people look beautiful. Her black dress reached the toes of her black pumps-she had flatly refused to wear high heels despite Sara's wheedling and Lauren's whining-and Sara had dressed up her loose, straightened hair with a black and silver hairband. Lauren had done Emma's make-up, which, luckily, was quite subtle.

At seven o'clock on the dot the doorbell rang. All three sisters raced down the stairs and almost broke their necks scrambling for the door handle. Nick Cutter was standing on the doorstep, dressed in a black suit and holding a posy of white carnations.

"Hello," he said when he saw Emma.

"Hi," Emma replied, feeling shy all of a sudden. Then she saw the car waiting in the driveway. "What the!…"

"I hired it for the night," said Nick gesturing towards the silver Rolls-Royce. "Thought we might as well start our evening in style!"

To Emma's relief, their dinner was an informal occasion at Pizza Hut, where she and Nick shared a thick-crusted margherita pizza and three bowls of ice-cream.

Afterwards they went to the theatre to see the play. Nick bought Emma a drink and some more ice-cream. The play was wonderful and Emma particularly enjoyed the scene of Anthony's death. Nick took Emma to a tiny all-night coffee shop and then took her home.

In the next few weeks Emma found herself thinking about Nick in a way that wasn't normal. Emma feelings for him changed from platonic to something more. Though she knew in her heart she did, she never openly admitted to having romantic feelings for Nick. It would feel wrong to make their relationship anything but purely professional. She had no idea that Nick felt exactly the same way.

Emma was by now a permanent team member. She had become good friends with both Abby and Jenny, and they'd often hide in the kitchen, and hold whispered discussions about the men in the team. Sarah and Becker had started going out after a few months of awkward, blushing, fumbling conversations. Feeling brave, Emma voiced out loud her feelings for Nick. Abby was shocked, and for a few minutes both women were speechless. After they'd got over the shock, they both encouraged Emma to go for it. After all, Jenny had gotten over her attraction to him a few months ago, so there was no reason she shouldn't.

The very next day, Nick asked Emma out on a date. It was only dinner and dancing, but it still got Emma excited. Now was her chance to tell Nick exactly how she felt.

Alright, Emma had lied to herself. She couldn't pluck up the courage to tell him, though she did hint ever so slightly that she thought their relationship was slightly more than professional, but he only responded with a gruff chuckle. Emma's one faint hope was the knowing that once or twice he had looked at her with more than friendship, and that he had clumsily kissed her on the cheek delivering her back to her tiny flat.

The next day, Emma told Abby and Jenny that she had not told Nick how she felt about him. They both told her off, then, together, they concocted a plan to get Nick noticing Emma and giving them the right time for a chat.

A week later, the ARC hosted a party in honour of its fifth anniversary. So much had happened in five short years. At the end of the night, Abby, Emma and Jenny put their plan into action. Connor set up a fake anomaly alarm that got all the guests leaving in a hurry. However, the team were well-educated in telling a fake alarm from a real one, and sat calmly with their drinks until the hall was empty apart from themselves, Christine, Rex and Sid. As planned, Abby, Jenny and Sarah took to the floor with Connor, Danny and Becker. Left standing by the wall, Emma met Nick's eye.

"Well, I guess we'll dance then," said Nick, mentally kicking himself for sounding so vague and non-committal.

"Um, O.K," said Emma, brightly, mentally kicking herself for sounding so every-day ordinary when this was really a very special moment.

They took to the floor and began to dance the waltz. As they danced together, everyone in the room disappeared, and the room itself seemed to dissolve into a whirl of colours. Each had eyes only for the other.

Nick looked at Emma. Much to her annoyance, the other girls in the team had insisted on getting her glammed up and she was wearing a white dress with silver sequins on it, silver high heels, her hair had been curled and a tiara was placed elegantly on top. Nick thought she looked beautiful. Now! his brain told him. It's the right time! Tell her how you feel!

Emma looked at Nick. He looked unusually neat, with his hair brushed and clean-

shaven. He was wearing a black suit with a slim, baby-blue tie and a white collared shirt. He looked incredibly handsome, even more so than usual. Emma loved him more than ever, and silently thanked the others for letting them have this special moment. Now! her brain told her. It's the perfect moment! Tell him how you feel!

"Emma, there's something I have to tell you…"

"Nick, there's something I have to tell you…"

They both spoke at once. "You first," said Emma, indicating Nick. Right on cue, Emma's favourite love song, Every River by Runrig, started playing.

"Emma, I…I think I love you!" said Nick. That was something Emma had not been expecting.

"Well, Nick, I, well…I love you too!" said Emma, when she had regained the power of speech. Nick smiled slightly and leaned down towards her.

"Are you ready?" he asked. The entire room drew in a collective gasp.

"Yes," whispered Emma. Nick's smile widened. He closed the distance between them and kissed her. Emma kissed him back, her arms automatically draping themselves round his neck, his arms encircling her waist. Emma closed her eyes and ears, so she wouldn't get distracted from this perfect moment by the titters and winks of her team mates. When they broke apart Emma kept her eyes closed, hoping to savour the moment. She opened her eyes to see Nick smiling at her.

"I love you," she whispered.

"As I do you," he said, smiling.

"Yay!" yelled Abby.

"Let's celebrate!" shouted Connor, throwing his hat into the air. Even grumpy old Lester cracked a smile at the happiness of the couple.

Later that night Nick invited Emma back to his house. From there they ended up kissing on the sofa, and from there they made their love whole. Emma stayed the night. Nick could think of nothing more perfect than lying in the pale dawn light watching Emma sleep. Though she hadn't actually said it, it was an unspoken agreement-they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. While he lay there in this perfect moment, Nick realised that he would now have to divorce Helen. It was a dreadful job, but someone had to do it.

Later that day, who should turn up at the ARC but Helen. Nick took her aside in a quiet office to tell her the bad news.

"Well, Helen, you see," Nick began, brain working frantically to come up with a decent explanation. "I've met someone else and…" Suddenly, Nick came up with the perfect explanation. If he said he'd met a woman, Helen would find her and somehow take her away from him. If he said he'd met a man, on the other hand.

"And he's perfect for me. He's like my soul mate, y'know?" he said.

"Hang on a minute!" said Helen. "He? You've fallen in love with a man?! You're gay?!"

"So, Helen, I think it best if we end our marriage now, before someone gets seriously hurt," said Nick, conversationally, as if he divorced angry anomaly makers every day. Helen gave a quick nod, then ran from the room in hysterical tears.

"What did you tell her?" asked Emma as he strolled back into the Main Operations room.

"That I'm gay," said Nick, casually. The entire team exploded with laughter. Nick suddenly saw Danny walking up behind Emma. He was holding a large tranquilizer gun. Nick saw him lightly press the tip to Emma's back. Danny had been moody and withdrawn ever since Sarah had started going out with Becker. He cared that Sarah could love any man but him. When Nick and Emma had fallen in love it had only made him worse. Danny's finger curled around the trigger. Nick sprinted over and punched him in the face. Danny reeled backwards, blood spurting from his broken nose.

"Don't you dare," growled Nick, "do that again. Ever." Danny nodded vigorously, pinching his nose. Nick took Emma's hand and gave her a passionate kiss.

"Emma, will you marry me?" he asked, as soon as they broke apart. Emma choked on the cup of tea she was drinking.

"Oh, of course I will," she spluttered, her white shirt covered in pale brown spots. Nick got down on one knee and slid a delicate ring onto her finger. Emma's eyes filled with happy tears. Nick kissed her gently.

After Nick's proposal, the entire atmosphere at the ARC changed for the better. Everyone became infected with Nick and Emma's happiness, and heart-broken Helen jumped off a building and killed herself, killing the anomalies too. It was a perfect time for the team, a time free of pain for everyone. Except for Danny, who was shunned by everyone, even Jenny, the women of his dreams. The date for the wedding was set as August twelfth, Emma's twenty-ninth birthday. Barely two months after the proposal, Emma discovered that her and Nick were expecting the patter of tiny feet in February. Emma made her best friend Beth chief bridesmaid, and had her other friends as bridesmaids, plus their children as flower-girls. The whole team had fun sitting in cake shops for hours at a time, searching for the perfect cake-heaven as far as Emma was concerned.

Emma's friends were still living in Scotland, so Emma arranged to meet them at London Airport after their flight. Emma saw her friends in the flight lounge and ran over to greet them.

"Hey guys! I've missed you!" she yelled.

"Group hug!" shouted Amy, and the seven friends hugged. Giggling, they rushed over to Nick.

"Guys, this is Nick Cutter, my fiancé," giggled Emma. Her friends smiled their biggest smiles. Beth was the first to speak.

"Oh, it's such an honour to finally meet you!" she gabbled, sounding breathless. "I've heard so much about you! Emma's always texting me about you. Oh, I'm such a big fan, I've been watching your show for ages and-"

"Beth, breathe!" interjected Megan. Beth grinned, took a deep breath, and started gabbling again. "I give up!" sighed Megan.

The next few months were really crazy. The date for the wedding was looming, and there was a rush to secure a venue, cars, photographer and outfits. All Emma's friends enjoyed watching her pained expression went they went shopping for a bridal gown. They encouraged her to go for a long train, as Kira, Lucie and Megan's daughters had been looking forward to holding up the train. Emma eventually went for a simple white dress with a few black details, white high heels with black bows and a white lace veil decorated with black lace flowers. Most of her friends were brilliant organisers, as all of them had already had their weddings. The colour scheme would be black, white, red, blue and silver. Megan, who had turned out to be a talented clothes maker and owned her own fashion line, revealed sweet silver dresses for the little girls, and Emma bought matching shoes. Kira, who, along with both Amy and Lucie, was a member of a world famous girl band, promised she would contact her band mates and prepare them to play at the wedding. Artistic Jade made the invites, place cards and organised the decorations. Beth had also become an author, and she wrote speeches and searched the web for individual wedding vows. All were determined that the last of them to walk down the aisle should have the most perfect wedding of them all.

Emma's family flew to England in July, and poor Lauren and Sara were recruited as part of the organisation team. They proved themselves excellent at make-up and hair so they were given those jobs to save on costs. Emma's dad was rather frightened when he was taken out shopping by seven girls and made to buy a smart suit.

"Oh, Dad, stop grumbling!" exclaimed Emma as they checked out his appearance at the final fitting. The suit was black and white to match Emma's dress. In fact, nothing at the wedding deviated even slightly from the colour scheme, including Nick's kilt, which was red, blue and black.

"Yes, you have to look smart to walk the bride down the aisle," said Lucie from the sofa, where she was struggling to unzip the large garment bag containing Emma's dress.

"Lovely!" exclaimed Megan, the resident expert. "Now go upstairs with Jade and practice your speech.

"'Chop, chop everybody,'" said Beth, to the room at large. "'No time to waste! We've got to get this girl ready for the ball!'" Beth couldn't resist quoting from their P7 Leavers' Assembly. "Sorry!" she grinned, when the whole room frowned at her. "Can't control my mouth!" Then she suddenly became business like. "Kira, Amy, Lucie, Anya, Louise. Upstairs, practice, NOW!" The band rushed up the stairs giggling. "Jade, are those decorations finished yet?"

"Nearly," said Jade, from the dining room table, surrounded by tissue paper, card, glue and other art materials.

"Sara, help her," said Beth. "Megan, get the other girls' dresses from the guest room. Emma, stand right there. Lauren, get the shoes and veil." Beth them knelt down to speak to the flower girls. "Right, girlies, you have to be very good little girls and behave yourselves. Can you do that?"

"'Ess," said Poppy, the oldest child there, while the other three just nodded vigorously, thumbs jammed firmly in their mouths. Megan returned with the dresses, followed by Lauren and the fitting began. Nick returned with his best man Connor to speak to Emma.

"Don't you dare come in here!" Megan told him. "You're not allowed to see the wedding dress, it's bad luck."

An hour later, everyone had been dressed up and were looking fantastic. Emma's mum peeped in and went watery-eyed.

"Oh, I think I'm going to cry!" she said. "Look at you! You girls are fantastic, you'll have to stay here and arrange the christening!"

"CHRISTENING?!" echoed Megan and Beth, looking quizzical.

"Er, did I forget to mention I'm pregnant?" asked Emma, looking guilty.

"OHMYGOSH!" yelled Megan, so loudly that the other girls came crashing back down the stairs to see what was going on. When they discovered what had happened they all screamed in delight.

That night was the night of the Hen and Stag parties. Everyone got ready in Emma's flat, and poor Emma silently wished that dresses weren't compulsory at events like this. She dressed up in a turquoise dress. The band girls wore flashy gold, Jade wore a dress that seemed to change from blue to lavender to sea-green and back again in different lights, Beth wore pearly-blue and Megan wore an orange dress of her own creation. The party was brilliant, and they all very much enjoyed Anya having too much wine and walking along the bar counter balancing a bottle of champagne on her chin. Everyone was constantly nagging Emma not to drink too much as there was nothing more likely to spoil your wedding than a splitting headache. The girls crawled into their camp beds at three in the morning, tired but getting up at the crack of dawn to be ready for the day ahead.

"Rise and shine, bridesmaids!" yelled Sara the early-bird, skipping into the room clanging an enormous bell. They all moaned and yanked their pillows down over their heads. But Sara persevered and eventually they had to get up. After a quick breakfast of toast it was down to work. The men turned up at nine and the girls retired to the spare bedroom to change. The band girls had to pack their concert outfits-silver leggings and black T-shirts with EMMA AND NICK'S WEDDING! on them in sparkly silver lettering-into a spare bag. Jade sent her husband and several other male guests down to the church with the decorations. Kira's husband, who was a DJ, went down early too, to set up for the reception, where he would be needed whenever the band wanted a dance or a drink.

Emma got changed and sat down while Lauren and Sara did her make-up and hair. The others got the little ones change-a difficult task as they had decided it would be fun to hide in the laundry closet-and then wriggled into their black dresses and silver cloaks. Beth took over make-up duties while Lauren and Sara got changed into their white dresses. The three cars arrived at twelve o'clock-a silver stretch limo for the girls, a Mercedes for the boys and a Rolls Royce for the bride and groom. They reached the church with fifteen minutes to go and spent some time in a side room going over speeches and vows, preparing the little ones with their baskets of flower petals and putting the final touches to Emma's assemble. Then Emma's father came to collect her, and the wedding began.

At the last moment, three women scuttled across the aisle and into their seats. The music began and Emma and her father glided down the aisle. Emma took Nick's hand with a little smile. The minister then began.

"Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man, Nicholas Cutter, and this woman, Emma Louise, in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honoured among all people.

"The union of husband and wife in heart, body and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly; but reverently, deliberately and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.

"You ask what is this love we here affirm, and I answer, it is a covenant you make, one with the other, a covenant born of commitment to each other's well-being and growth and commitment to your relationship itself, allowing it the possibility of change and growth."

Beth surveyed the room to see both Nick and Emma's mothers crying quietly into scraps of lace. Jade was wiping her eyes with her bouquet, and Beth felt tears pricking her own eyes. Everything had gone perfectly, as planned, and it was the most beautiful wedding any of them had had. Just then, the minister cleared his throat, and the room fell into respectful silence.

"Emma Louise, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honour him and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?" he asked Emma.

"I will," said Emma, who was almost crying, very unusual for her.

"Nicholas Cutter, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honour her and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?" said the minister to Nick.

"I will," said Nick, in a ringing, but somehow still soft tone.

The minister then addressed the congregation. "Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?"

"We will!" replied the congregation, very enthusiastically.

"You have determined that you will seal your vows today by the exchanging of rings," said the minister, once again addressing the bride and groom. "The rings you receive this day are marvellous symbols of endless love. The rings are made of gold, a symbol of purity." At these words, the minister opened a small jewelled box carried by the pageboy, Lucie's son Jacob. He produced two identical golden bands, glittering in the candlelight. "May your thoughts towards one another be pure. The ring is an unbroken circle, having no end, so it is emblematic of the enduring and unending love you have for each other."

"I give this ring in remembrance of this hour, a symbol of love that is beautiful, endless and complete," said Nick, solemnly, sliding the ring onto Emma's finger.

"I give this ring in remembrance of this hour, a symbol of love that is beautiful, endless and complete," said Emma, her voice quavering with emotion, sliding the other ring onto Nick's finger. The audience sighed. The minister smiled, and began to speak again.

"Nicholas Cutter and Emma Louise, you have now affirmed before your family and friends your love and your caring for each other. You have come from different backgrounds. You have walked different paths. You are different individuals. Your love has transcended these differences. In the years before you, may the richness of the traditions that have nurtured you enhance and brighten your lives as you help to create and shape the future. "May the challenges of your life together be met with courage and optimism. May you learn from your failures and grow in your achievements. May life bless you with children, friends, and family in a wide network of mutual support and enjoyment. May you face pain, toil, and trouble with a stout but light heart. May you share with others the radiance of your seasons of joy and pleasure. May you always remember that laughter is the medicine of God." The minister joined the couple by their right hands. "Now that Nicholas Cutter and Emma Louise have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder. Amen." The bride and groom kissed under a shower of petals and confetti. By now all the bridesmaids and several others were in tears. After prayers, speeches and the signing, the reception party began. Directly before, Nick and Emma together made a romantic speech. Together they recited:

"I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you, for the part of me that you bring out. I love you, for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart, and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can't help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out, into the light, all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find. I love you, because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life, not a tavern, but a temple. Out of the works of my every day, not a reproach, but a song. I love you, because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate could have done to make me happy. You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself. Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all."

The party soon started. Kira's band trooped onto stage and began to sing. Emma sat down at a table, too relaxed to move. She couldn't believe it. She was finally married, to a man who truly loved her. It was all she could have hoped for, and more. When she and Nick took to the dance floor, in the soft candlelight, to the quiet tune of Every River, Emma could not think of any moment in her life she had been happier. Not her first kiss, not her first date, not even when Nick had proposed.

Over the next six months, plans for the christening were in full swing. Emma spent an unendurable hour being told off by her friends for not telling them sooner. But they soon got over her 'betrayal' and began to enthusiastically plan a christening.

Six months later, Emma gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Emma had never felt so proud as the moment when she finally held the child in her arms. Her child, Nick's child.

"Our baby," said Nick, softly. "What shall we call her?"

"Claudia," said Emma, and saw tears appear in Nick's eyes. "Claudia Jayne Cutter."

"Little Claudia," said Nick, taking his daughter into his arms. "She looks like you."

"Apart from the eyes," said Emma. "She has precisely your eyes."

*

Faraway, a young woman with short, straight brown hair laid a white lily on an otherwise bare grave.

"Don't worry, sister," she said. "I will avenge your death. I will find away to stop the love of Nick Cutter and Emma Louise. I will, because I am Elli Pattinson, Helen's sister, and I know the secrets of the anomalies." And the young woman disappeared, into the darkness, waiting, watching, plotting…