<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #008040"><div style="text-align: center;">Tessa</div></span></span></span><br/><br/>She was thankful for the explanation about Savate. She thought it sounded interesting, and wanted to ask more about it, but then they were being bowed into the dinning room. Tessa placed her backpack and guitar case down next to a chair that she claimed.<br/><br/>The panic that had been welling up inside of Tessa since the first odd thing happened on the subway, started to subside. The smell of food had been calming. Something about the house was bugging her, she felt like she was being watched.<br/><br/>“Wait, we have to help them!” David said suddenly. “There’s a girl, she’s 17 and the thing in the bowler hat said his colleague was going to kill her.”<br/><br/>“Help who?” Tessa asked, she was 17 was he talking about her? If so, who was the guy in the bowler hat, David had mentioned him earlier. That creature had attacked her, was it a 'colleague' of the bowler hat guy? Then someone else was talking. Tessa's eyes darted around the room trying to figure out where the voice was coming from, somehow she knew it was the eyes that she had felt on her. As she thought about it the sensation had been there from when she had first arrived in the house.<br/><br/>“I can assure you, there are strategies being implemented at this very moment. There are many things to explain, but as always there is never enough time. Even you, David, will soon realize that no one can ever truly master time. And these days, time is the shortest it’s ever been. It is unfair to you, young Cosmonauts, that you should be received under such dire circumstances. The laws used to function properly, before they had been bent so far beyond recognition. The Laws have been functioning less and less. Hence you entered the After Image before you were ready.” What was the After Image? “Oh, where are my manners. Please, eat. Relax. Even though it is hard to believe, here – for the time being – you are safe from those creatures you encountered in the Outer Realm.”<br/><br/>Tessa sank into the chair, she felt eyes on her again. She looked up and saw that David was looking at her. It seemed like he was trying to ask her something. She gave a shrug, and pulled a dish close to her that looked tasty, and piled some of the food into her plate. “What's the After Image?” She asked as she poured herself a drink, of what looked like apple juice, her favorite. “Why us? What are Casmanouts?” She was certain that isn't what the voice had said, but it sounded close enough. She really hopped that one of them would answer.<br/><br/>The Caretaker smiled at her. “We'll start with the Cosmonauts.” He gestured at the pair of them. “You are Cosmonauts.” He seemed to think that explained everything.<br/><br/>“Uh? Okay, but what are they?” The Caretaker took a huge heavy sigh.<br/><br/>“Comfortable?” Tessa nodded. “All right then. Cosmonauts have been around since before humans even figured out fire, since written words were first figured out in farthest galaxy.” The Caretaker shifted and leaned forward a little. “Cosmonauts are protectors of the innocent. Keepers of reality and law.” Tessa felt like she was out of her element. She wasn't stupid, but this was ridiculous. The Caretaker sounded like he was making stuff up.<br/><br/>Tessa looked over at David to see if he understood anything that the Caretaker was saying. “Wait, so we are Cosmonauts, and what were the creatures? The guy in the bowler hat and ...that monster.” She felt a shiver go down her spine thinking about the monster.