Greetings, Asylum Seekers. I hear your snickers. Yes, Melina’s humor can be quite infectious. She is a gem, that one. If I had three Melina’s doing the work she’s done for me, my job would be filled with fewer headaches. However, sometimes having three personas in one can be a dangerous proposition. Perry Shilahar is a perfect example. When Perry died in 1924, he had spent the entirety of the 23 years of his life under a circus tent. Born into the AMAZING SHILAHARS – a family of acrobats and clowns, Perry was tumbling and flipping, swinging and juggling, as early as his first memory. His mother and father, Jaleh and Farhad, were given a piece of the travelling carnival’s ticket sales as its featured act, so Perry lived a relatively comfortable life. He also inherited his mother and father’s athleticism. His parents were as loving as they were talented, especially Farhad who saw his son as a miniature version of himself. In all regards, as opposed to a good portion of the European townships the caravan visited -- many destitute families with little means, Perry lived a sheltered, happy life, under the Big Top. Happiness is a tricky endeavor. Farhad and Jaleh did everything they could to hide a dark secret that Perry harbored. Deep within the recesses of the young man’s mind, there hid a monstrous version of Perry – his own personal Hyde. This particular personality named itself Savas and, the mentality of a maddened toddler, saw nothing but red during the rare, albeit inopportune, times he was allowed to bubble to the surface. Savas was bigger, stronger, faster, far uglier, and filled with the need to shred, to rend... To murder. As opposed to Perry, who was kind and innocent, easily manipulated and overly apologetic, Savas was a dangerous blemish on an otherwise ideal life. It was during Perry’s final performance in which Savas had his most astonishing curtain call. A few hours prior to the show, Farhad had done everything he could to calm Perry’s darker personality and keep Savas from emerging. Perry’s father was unsuccessful, barely able to escape as Savas loped off into the Romanian countryside. Upon returning, Perry was covered in blood and disoriented. Fearful, Jaleh pleaded with her husband that they might flee the carnival to protect Perry. Farhad refused, cleaning Perry off and assigning his son a new singlet. “We are performers,” he proclaimed in their native Farsi. “We will put on a show.” And they did... It was glorious. High flying. An acrobatic feast for the eyes and comedic timing that left the audience roaring with laughter. The agile and charismatic Perry was the star attraction. His heart swelled with the thunderous applause. Then a mob of townspeople showed up and things dramatically changed. A man, carrying the body of his wife – her throat torn out, singled out Perry. That he was possessed (imagine that!) and that a demon lived within him (wrong again). Farhad attempted to appease the maddened mob, to protect his son and dismiss these claims. He was shot through the heart for his efforts. Jaleh fell to the floor, clutching her husband’s body in her hands and cursing Perry for irrevocably shaming the family. Perry, distraught, backed away as the mob converged. Off the sight of his mother bawling over Farhad’s corpse, Perry felt Savas pacing somewhere deep inside him, scratching the inner walls of Perry’s psyche to let the monster roam free. Perry was too weak, too defeated, to argue... Savas burst forth, a drastic transformation as the mob attempted to flee and many were ripped apart for their efforts. A number of the braver villagers, however, had steady aim and Savas was brought down in a barrage of bullets. When Perry was presented to us, the Malifecium argued that the he was a murderer and the argument of mental instability wasn’t valid when it came to morality and the darkness of one’s soul. The Authority council, an Angel Guide who was promoted into the Authority and a man I am pleased to work beside, named WEST, felt differently. Since we couldn’t tear Perry’s soul into pieces (there is yet another side to Perry that I dare not speak of), the Authority and Malifecium had no other choice but to allow Perry’s soul be weighed, and he was sentenced to a millennium confined in a cell that resembles a hall of mirrors, one of the funhouse attractions that existed in the carnival Perry’s family travelled with and, consequently, his favorite attraction. Perry now exists with Savas and the evil whispers of his third (unspoken of) personality. I’ve reached out to my mother, the Source, often about Perry. He is a child in so many ways and doesn’t deserve to be haunted by the creatures that constantly taunt his sensitive sensibilities. He should be judged for the personality (the heart) that counts. Perry could be the best of us all, but only the Source knows why he was cursed with these aberrations. I believe she may have answered me in the form of Donovan. If Perry (and Savas) can show that they both have the ability to help Donovan complete her task and save the human race, it will go a long way towards convincing the high council that Perry deserves salvation. It’s the third personality I’m worried about. Again, he is not to be spoken of. - MAGGIE