H-1 UMAN-1

Chapter 18

"Oh, shit!"

"Oh, damn."

"I got her, I got her!"

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, and ow! Should I say that again? Oh, my God, ow!"

"Do you have any idea what kind of faith that takes, being able to pitch yourself off the roof and

trusting that we'll catch you?"

"I take it, then, that you've never heard the quote 'Faith is taking the first step, even when you can't see the staircase?'"

"No, I have, it's just that I usually hear those lines applied to religion, not to everyday life. They

still apply, I guess I'd just never thought of the whole thing that way."

"That's certainly a good point, Mister ...?"

"Sorry, Electra, I never really introduced myself to you, now did I?"

"No, no you did not."

"Sorry about that, I usually introduce myself as soon as I meet someone, but don't you remember my name? I'm Officer Pietro."

"Oh, yeah," I said, sheepishly, embarrassed for not remembering the name of the cop who I met less than three hours earlier. "But that means you did introduce yourself, Officer, I remember you telling me telling me that. Sorry, I'm just a little bit frazzled, as I can tell you've figured out."

"That indeed I have, Miss Stehlen, but would you mind telling me and everyone else here just what on God's green earth you were doing standing up there on the peak of your roof?"

"Sure, but to tell you all everything would take the rest of the time we have, which, need I remind you, isn't much. Look, I'm feeling awfully sore right about now, so could someone just set me down?"

"Oh. Yeah, sorry about that, Miss-?" said the person who was cradling me in their arms.

"It's not a problem at all, sir, I'd just like to see if my legs are still willing to support my weight. As for my name, it's Schorennherr. Yeah, I know, it sounds weird, but it's the only last name I've got."

"It's okay, I get laughed at for my last name all the time."

"What is it?"

"Do you really want to know, Vincent, or are you just going to laugh at me?"

"Hello, have you ever actually seen my last name, Officer? I mean, I know that it's not that hard to say, but if anyone sees it written out, they won't be able to pronounce it, God, I wish I had something easier to say, I might have had a better life."

"I feel for ya, Vincent, I really do. My last name is- oh, you know what, I'm not going to tell you. You'll be just like like the others, I can tell."

"You barely know me, and you think you have me all figured out?" I sighed. "Look, I can't make you tell me anything, but I'm sorry, truly, if I've made you feel that way," I said, as soothingly as I could and making sure that any anger I felt at my fucked-up situation wasn't directed at this poor officer, because, as far as I could tell, his life had been enough of that kind of shit already.

Then it was his turn to sigh deeply. "Okay, I'll tell you, but you have to promise me that you won't laugh in my face like the rest of them. Promise?"

I looked at his face, and for some reason that I can't quite explain, I was expecting the officer to be joking. Yeah, nope. If it were possible for humans to have the ability to give others puppy-dog eyes, this guy certainly had it.

I couldn't keep it in- I started crying, too. "That bad, eh?"

"You have no idea. Really. And in all damn honesty, I have no idea why this name is so funny. Really."

"Well, you're going to have to tell me what it is if you want me to understand..."

"It's Preneur-Entres. You see anything funny there?"

"No, I don't, sir, but I see where others could. If you were to switch around the two parts of your name, then put the S in it at the end, your name would be Entre-Prenuers. Entreprenuer literally means 'undertaker,' though not in that sense, but most people are too dim-witted to know the difference, you know?

"Anyways, I'm willing to place a rather large wager on the fact that they thought for someone who wants to save lives, having a last name that, to them, connotes one who buries people, that's a little morbid."

"Yeah. Ugh, I hadn't even thought about that..."

"Well, then it's a good thing I did, huh?"

"You're certainly right, unfortunately."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?"

"Don't ask me, Vincent, I really have no idea. Now, seeing as you're hurt, and you don't look too hot, why don't we find some place safe where we can catch you up on a few things, huh?"

"Yeah, I say," blackness overtaking me again, "that'd be great."