"Is that it?" she asked.

"That's it," Red replied.

"Actually, it's going to be kind of anti- climactic." They rounded the bend and saw a sphere of Light wedged into a crack in the wall.

"That's the Node. What you'll do is walk up and touch it. It'll give you a pretty good shock that may knock you out. When you come to, you'll be pretty disoriented.”

"How will I know if it's worked?"

"You'll know," Red said, trying to sound as calm as possible.

“People actually seem to gain a basic innate ability to use it, but total control will take time. Hey, if you want to back out."

"No," Jane said abruptly. She wanted to be strong . . . she wanted them to think she was strong . . . she wanted Red to think she was strong.

"I'm ready."

As Jane walked towards the light, her four comrades gathered around.

She felt the terror growing with every step. ‘What am I doing?' she thought. ‘I have no place in this! This is a world of fairy tales and things that go bump in the night. I'm just a worthless girl that the world barely took the time to stop and piss on as it went by.'

Then, something occurred to her. ‘So what do I have to lose?' She extended her hand and touched the sphere.

Jane was hit with what felt like a bolt of lightning, and she was blown backwards. Red caught her, but the force landed them both against the far wall. Red felt the power coursing through the girl's body, and wondered what would happen next. She found her feet, still holding Jane's limp form in her arms. She was as gentle as she knew how to be.

"She's beautiful,’ Red thought, waiting for Jane to wake up as her friends gathered around. ‘She looks so . . . innocent.‘ She shook her head. ‘Stop those thoughts.’

Jane moaned. The disorientation she had been warned about hit her with a vengeance. It was as if the entire world was spinning and she so badly wanted to spin and try to keep up. But she seemed to be held in place by someone's arms . . . strong arms. She fought to keep the nausea down.

"That . . . was more . . . than. . . a good . . . shock," Jane gasped.

Red smiled.

"If we told everyone the truth, no one would do it."

Talia suppressed a smile of her own. She saw how Red was holding the younger woman. She was cradling her like she would something precious, and had a peculiar look in her eye. ‘I haven't seen THAT look in a long time,‘ Talia thought. But she kept her thoughts to herself.

“So, feel any different?" Tarloh asked.

"Not. . . really," Jane said as Red slowly lowered the girl's feet to the ground. But as Red began to let go, something strange happened. Jane wouldn't Let go. More specifically, her hair wouldn't let go. It seemingly wrapped itself around Red's arms and shoulders and gripped with incredible strength.

Red looked around at the hair that was encircling her. It seemed to grow and strengthen as needed.

"Oh . . . kay," she said.

"This is new."