Snow counted fourteen cows, six horses and three buildings during their bus ride.

The forty-five minute ride seemed to be much shorter, what with Snow constantly staring out the window thinking of what to do next, and how she could keep it a secret from her companion until the time was right.

When the vehicle skidded to a stop in the Denvermark bus and train station the two children hopped off, unfazed at the slumber that had affected the dozen other passengers. They walked a few minutes in the sunshine of the town’s streets before arriving at a strip mall.

Once inside Snow bought some new clothes, forced James to, and purchased a digital camera much to his surprise.

“A good model, this one,” said the man at the counter. “takes great professional shots. And we have a deal going on, any branch of this store will print your first thirty pictures absolutely free.”

The first picture Snow took was one of James. He was reading an article in the newspaper about a convicted cannibal (hilarious! He said it was) and when Snow called his name he was greeted with the camera flash.

“Well, that made sense.” He said, rubbing his eyes to see clearly again.

Snow then skipped off to the camera store and got it printed out. James never bothered asking why.

“Where are we going now?” James asked monotonously when they left the mall.

“Nowhere special.” Was Snow’s only reply.

They walked for another hour without complaining when Snow stopped.

“Stay here.” She told James.

“Why?”

“Don’t bother asking, just do it.”

“Where are you going? Snow?”

“Police station. Now stay.”

She skipped towards the small police station stuck in between two suburban clone houses.

“I am a rebel.” James said to no one when she was out of ear’s reach.

He sat on the sidewalk and proceeded to crawl towards the police station. After a minute he didn’t cover any distance, so he sighed, swore, and made a run for the police station. He hopped in a bush and watched Snow through a half-open window.

“Hi.” She said to the pretty police woman filing papers behind a desk.

The woman looked curiously back at the young girl for a moment.

“Hello. Can I help you with something?”

“.

“I am a rebel.” James said to no one when she was out of ear’s reach.

He sat on the sidewalk and proceeded to crawl towards the police station. After a minute he didn’t cover any distance, so he sighed, swore, and made a run for the police station. He hopped in a bush and watched Snow through a half-open window.

“Hi.” She said to the pretty police woman filing papers behind a desk.

The woman looked curiously back at the young girl for a moment.

“Hello. Can I help you with something?”

“I hope so.” Snow took the picture of James she took at the mall and put it on the desk. “I was wondering if you had ever seen this boy.”

The woman looked at it for a minute, then called in the intercom for a certain Marvin Bates. Marvin was a thin, olive skinned man, with a pleasant smile that wrinkled his nose and snowy white hair. He got to the desk a minute after the woman had called him, and frowned when he saw the picture.

“Where did you get this, little girl?” He asked Snow, still frowning.

“I found it.” She replied innocently.

“What’s your name?” The woman asked gently.

“Sara Bruin.” Snow said sweetly. Marvin sighed.

“Well, Sara, the boy on this picture looks an awful lot like a boy that disappeared a few years ago in this very neighborhood.”

“ooh.” Snow said. “What was his name?”

“Felix Simon.” He said. “He was a very nice little boy. About your age.”

“What happened to him?”

“We don’t know, one day he disappeared and we couldn’t ever find him.” He placed the picture on the counter. “This is why you should never go with strangers,” he said, “sometimes they end up being mean and then you might get hurt. Like Felix here.”

“Ok.” Snow said. “Thank you for your time.” She smiled sweetly. “You can keep the picture.”

She waltzed out of the station, leaving the picture on the counter.

“Ho hum.” She said in a singsong voice. “James did’nt listen. James? Or should I call him Felix…”

James jumped out of the bush and gave her an evil eye, opened him mouth but she shut him up quickly.

“Quiet. Don’t say a word, get back in the shrub.”

He did.

Snow instructed him to crawl on the grass into the rows of bushes that were on the edge of the sidewalk.

He did.

She then started walking, and he crawled after her, still in the bushes. After five minutes and when they were out of sight of the police station he stuck his head out of a shrub.

“You, my dear.” James said, spitting out a leaf, “are a manipulative and evil bitch.”

“Why thank you.”