Saving Face

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Aftermath

Unnoticed in the chaos of firemen fighting the huge blaze, swarms of news media, and crowds of renters demanding answers, Eirene commandeered a gurney holding one of the spare convict bodies. With Jill's face still fastened over her own, Eirene easily convinced the attendant the body was needed for an immediate transfer. The man seemed relieved to speak with someone who looked like they knew what was going on.

They slipped into one of the few still-standing satellite buildings that lay at the outer fringes of the Alterego complex. It stood not far from the back end of the parking lot where all the faceless were lined up on their gurneys. The small building housed grounds maintenance machinery and a couple of small offices.

"This will do," Eirene said with a nod, and set to clearing one office so they could fit the two gurneys inside. Then she draped a hospital sheet in one corner, as if concealing something from view. With a final nod of approval, she said, "Now, let's set you right."

With growing anticipation, Sarah changed clothes with the sleeping Marilyn. Then she helped Eirene remove the life support unit covering the head of the faceless convict they had brought along. So overwhelmed was Sarah by recent events that the sight of the smooth skin, broken only by a narrow slit where the nose should be, did not even faze her.

Eirene popped Jill's face free and pressed it down onto the waiting body.

After a brief moment of twitching while she settled into the new body, Jill sat up and said, "That was the freakiest time of my life. Who are you?"

"Better you not know. Now off you go. Find Mr. Fleischer. He'll need your help preparing for the return transfers."

"We can't trust him." Sarah cried.

"Never fear, my dear. Tomas is taking care of everything."

"You make less sense all the time," Jill said but, at Eirene's shooing motion, she left the building.

"Now, for you."

Sarah lay down on the empty gurney. Her entire body quivered with fear as Eirene lay fingers along her jawline.

"Try to relax," Eirene whispered soothingly.

She tried, but as the searing heat of the horrible magic rippled down her jaw, Sarah cried out and grabbed at Eirene's hands. She could not bear it, and had to get those hands off her face.

Before she could pry the woman's iron grip loose, her face pulled free and she lost connection with her arms. They flopped down to the gurney at her side as her vision shifted. Everything became flat, two-dimensional, and most color drained away until it looked like she viewed the world through an old black-and-white television.

Eirene sat her down on a nearby counter, and she couldn't help but laugh hysterically at how ridiculous it was to be looking out at the world through a shimmering face mask. She couldn't breathe, but her voice still emerged from shrunken lips, a whisper of its normal strength. She could smell nothing, but her ears worked exceptionally well.

Although she could not turn her head, had no head to turn, she clearly heard Eirene remove Marilyn's face and apply it to the body Sarah had just vacated. A moment later, Eirene returned Sarah to her own body and pressed her face in place.

A rush of feeling flooded her mind. Her lungs, muscles, skin, and every inch of her body clamored for attention as everything reattached in a rush. She gasped a deep breath, and laughed aloud at the wonderful feeling of rightness.

She was home. Everything felt right, from the weight of her hair to the tips of her toes.

"Hurry now, dear. Move along before Marilyn wakes up." Eirene helped her rise, and ushered her behind the curtain.