"Are you some kind of shape shifter?"
"You're getting warmer."
"There were two of you," Kendra guessed. "Just like there was another me."
Rex sat down on the chair by his desk. "Want the low-down? Honestly, I came from a tree. I was originally a fruit. A stingbulb. We're not supposed to exist anymore, but here lam."
"I don't get it."
A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "When you reached into the box, playing the touch game, a stingbulb pricked you. Stingbulbs must be handled carefully. They become the first living thing they sting."
"That clone of me used to be the cactus fig?"
"We're amazing fruit. Takes about ninety minutes for the metamorphosis to occur. Throughout the transformation, we continue to draw matter and nutrients from the tree we were plucked from. Then the remarkable connection breaks, we survive for three or four days, and poof, we die."
Kendra stared at Rex, thinking through the implications. "So the Kendra stingbulb is going to pose as me."
"She is a remarkable duplicate. She even has most of your memories. She'll do a good job imitating you. Your guardians will be none the wiser."
Kendra scowled. "If she has my personality, why isn't she helping me?"
Rex placed his palms together, tapping his fingers. "Not your personality. Your memories. The majority of them, anyhow. Like any stingbulb, she has her own consciousness. So do I. Just because I can access Rex's memories doesn't mean he gets to run the show. We stingbulbs follow whatever commands we are issued after our transformation. My course is set. Rex was complicated. I'm not. I was created for the purpose of abducting you. While Ronda was leading singing time, I was issuing instructions to your duplicate."
"Why not disobey your instructions and let me go? The people who made you are evil! You don't want to help the bad guys, do you?"
Rex chuckled, smiling broadly. "Don't waste your breath. Stingbulbs are single-mindedly loyal, Kendra. Our awareness functions differently from yours. We accomplish what we've been programmed to do. Despite the fond memories of you that Rex possesses, I can only perceive you as my enemy. Tough luck. I'll only exist for another day or two. I must fulfill my assignment."
"What are you supposed to do with me?" Kendra whispered.
"Deliver you to my creator."
"Who created you?"
His eyebrows went up. "You'll see."
"Are we going far?"
He shrugged.
"Is the Sphinx behind this?"
"Is that a name I should know?"
Kendra pressed her lips together. "What was the mission of the other stingbulb?"
"Posing as you is her main task. If your guardians suppose you are snug in your bed, imagine how simple it will be to smuggle you away."
"What other tasks does she have?"
Rex nodded, leaning forward. "They said you would be full of questions, and that you would try to persuade me to help you. They said I should help you understand what had happened, that it would calm you. They didn't tell me much more than I needed to know, and I have told you all that I can."
"Who programmed you?"
"We're done talking for now."
"Rex, don't do this--you know me, you don't want to hurt me. Rex, they'll kill me. They'll hurt my family. Rex, please, don't give in to them, this is life or death. They're trying to destroy the world."
He smiled as if the plea were cute and pathetic. "Enough chitchat. I'm pretty well oriented--been in this skin for more than a day. I can't be confused or persuaded. Let's enjoy some music. I really like music. I've never had ears before. Don't scream, don't try anything. It will only make matters worse."
Rex switched on the radio atop his desk and turned up the volume. Kendra assumed the classic rock was meant to help mask any sounds she might dare to make. The blaring guitars and screaming vocals made it harder for her to think.
Would anybody catch on to this ruse? Would Warren come rushing to her aid? Or Elise? Or Seth? How could they possibly guess that somebody else had taken her place? Until he had revealed himself, it had not even crossed Kendra's mind that Rex could be a fake. If the counterfeit Kendra had her memories, what information might she share with their enemies? What might she steal? Who might she harm?
Rex remained beside Kendra in the chair, patiently watching her, occasionally beating an imaginary drum set. He showed no sign of letting his guard down. Try as she might, she could envision no way out of the predicament. It was a perfect, unforeseeable trap. The Sphinx had to be behind it. Would Rex take her to him? When? Closing her eyes, trying to tune out the rock music, Kendra yearned hopelessly for a plan.
Chapter 3 Impostor
Chewing on a bite of toast, Seth watched his sister shake an impressive pile of Cocoa Krispies into her cereal bowl. When she added milk, the mound of cereal rose, rice bits spilling over the edge of the bowl onto the table. As the cereal crackled, she brushed the fallen rice bits into her palm and popped them into her mouth. Then she dug in with her spoon.
"Hungry today?" Seth asked.
Kendra glanced over at him. "I love this stuff."
"That's your third bowl. Are you on some sort of anti-diet?"
She shrugged, spooning up another heaping mouthful.
"You're probably just in mourning," he teased, taking another bite of toast. "Last day of school until next year. No tests, no assignments, what will you do?"
"There's not much going on today. Maybe I'll skip."
Seth laughed. "Nice. Good one. Where are you heading instead? Over to the movie theater? Burn up some quarters at the arcade?"
Kendra shrugged.
Seth studied his sister. "What's your deal today? You hardly ever touch my Cocoa Krispies."
"Guess I forgot how tasty they were."
He shook his head in amused disbelief. "You know, you're almost to the bottom of the box, where all the chocolate dust is hiding. It's really good. Might as well."
Kendra looked into the box, sniffed it, then dumped the cereal remnants into her bowl. She stirred the cereal with her spoon and resumed eating. Her eyes widened. "You're right."
"Make sure you drink the milk at the bottom. Whatever is left will be delicious."
Kendra nodded, gulping down another mouthful.
Seth glanced at the clock. "I should get out to the bus stop, unless you're serious about ditching. If you were, I'd stick around to witness the miracle."
Kendra stared at him as if tempted, then rolled her eyes. "You know me better than that."