”Ed asked, “What is your name?”“I’m Alicia Machol, but most people call me Alice.”“Alice,” Ed said repeating her name. “I’m Ed Big...ers, the woman to my right is Ling, the woman to my left is Kelly, and the gentleman next to Kelly is Dan Biggerstaff. The young woman jumping rope is Betsy Carter.”Alice looked at Betsy and then at Ling. There was an expression of disapproval while looking at Ling. Betsy was puzzled by Alice’s behavior. Ling bristled. Alice looked back at Betsy before shaking her. "I shouted, "It's not true! I wasn't scared."However, I knew the truth. The assembly had frightened me, awakeningchildlike fear that hadn't existed since I was a little boy.***Flames surrounded me. The plastic snowflakes dangling from the ceilingof my room melted and then oozed downwards, nearly landing on me. I ranback toward my bed, hoping to find safety there, and forgettingeverything I learned in the assembly and hid under the covers. Fingersof flame burnt away the covers, blackening the. Shit.I was just about to turn around when the door suddenly opened and Alicestuck her head back in with a huge Cheshire cat grin on her face. "Youdidn't think I was just going to leave did you?"You little minx that's why she paused at the door she was making sure itwas unlocked."Soooo. What are you doing say Sunday?" she asked as she walked back overto me with her hands behind her back and that grin still plastered on herface."Ahhh nothing." I think my mouth was open when I said it."I managed. Remember, I keep telling you that it works both ways. Jeff has said that for a while, and well, we all know that he loves us. We can feel it. But seeing him suddenly attracted to the new women just as they are attracted to him, tends to really make a believer out of me. And like we talked about before, I know that our race is far from being the same as the healer's, but the parallels make me seriously think that we're more related than I thought, and maybe not merely in the eons distant past..