Soul Protector by Amanda Leigh Cowley Page A

time. I warmed to her immediately.
    “All in one piece, Kath,” said
Dan, handing the glasses back to her.
    “Thanks love,” she said, and
revealed a blob of red lipstick which had smudged onto her tooth.
She turned and looked in my direction. “So, is this the new
one?”
    “Yes, this is Gracie Reynolds.
Gracie, meet Kath, she takes care of all our records here.”
    “Hello, Gracie. Welcome to the
Office. You’re the first Reynolds we’ve ever had. It’s always
exciting to meet a random Soul Protector.”
    “Oh, have you met others then?
Random ones, I mean.”
    “Yes dear. Randoms are quite a
curiosity in the SP World, but you’re certainly not the only
one.”
    I smiled at her. Since
discovering I was a Soul Protector I already felt like a freak
compared to my normal friends. I didn’t want to be the odd-one-out
in this new world as well.
    An inner door clicked open, and
out stepped a small man in his fifties, wearing a smart grey suit.
He had short greying hair, a neatly-trimmed beard and moustache,
and a face that conveyed no emotion. He somehow managed to
intimidate me without even opening his mouth. I noticed Dan and
Kath instantly slip into a more formal mode.
    Mr Matthews nodded in our
direction. “Daniel.” His voice was without warmth.
    “Good evening Mr Matthews, this
is Gracie Reynolds,” said Dan, flicking his eyes towards me.
    Mr Matthews looked in my
direction. I met his gaze and smiled weakly, but before I could say
anything he looked away and pointed to a chair which was pulled up
next to one of the steel benches.
    “Come, Miss Reynolds, sit
here.”
    I looked up at Dan; he smiled
and gave me a small nod.
    I took a deep breath and walked
over to the chair. I swept my hair forward, over my ears, and then
plonked myself down.
    “Place your chin here,” Mr
Matthews said, indicating a contraption that reminded me of the one
my optician used. No please or thank you ? He’d obviously
gone to the same school of charm as Camille.
    I cleared my throat, “um,
what’s going to happen?”
    “Iris scan,” he said, without
looking up.
    I leant forward and put my chin
on the little plastic platform. Trying hard not to blink I looked
ahead towards a small black circle, and braced myself for a flash
of light, or a blast of air, or something.
    “Iris scan complete,” said Mr
Matthews. When he spoke it was in one tone and at one pace only,
virtually robotic.
    “Oh, that was fast,” I said,
relieved I hadn’t felt anything. I was just getting up, when he
spoke again.
    “Stay where you are Miss
Reynolds. We need to take a Mind Image next.”
    I was startled to see Kath
approaching me, holding sticky pads in each hand. I flinched as she
smoothed my hair back at the sides. She tucked it behind my ears
and began pressing a pad onto each of my temples. An image of the
detainee in the Switch Enforcement Chamber sprang to mind, and I
tried to swallow down the panic rising up my throat.
    I looked towards Dan, hoping
for reassurance.
    “Relax, Gracie, You won’t feel
a thing, I promise. Everyone has this done. It’s just so they can
tell who you are, even when you’re switched.”
    I took a deep breath and wiped
my sweaty palms on my top.
    “Close your eyes Miss Reynolds
and empty your mind completely.” Mr Matthew’s monotone demands
certainly didn’t help me relax.
    I shut my eyes and tried to
clear away all thoughts from my brain, but it’s easier said than
done. All I could see was the man from the SEC, and his terrified
face.”
    After a while Mr Matthews
stopped fiddling with the machine and stood up.
    “Your mind is full of activity,
Gracie. Clear it now, please.” Although he hadn’t raised his voice,
it was very clear he was losing patience with me.
    “I-I’m sorry. I’m trying as
hard as I can.”
    Dan stepped towards me and put
his hand on my shoulder.
    “It’s okay, Gracie. Nothing bad
is going to happen, I promise. Just breathe deep in through your
nose and slowly out of your