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Plinth Terrace

September 8th X288

The Banquet residence, 6:30 p.m. On the porch was a makeshift stage and podium. Cameras were on air, reporters silent with questions at the ready.

That was when he appeared at the center of it all. The mayor of Tarot Tori City himself, William Rite Banquet. His brimming smile outshone his perfectly pressed black suit, red shirt, and black tie.

“Good evening, my dear residents of Tarot Tori City. I am sure you are all hungry for an explanation of our current situation. Let me start with this.” The sparkle in his eye turned into a sincere frown. “This afternoon, at four-thirty p.m., a ransom note was discovered in my inbox, and my beloved daughter, Blythe Banquet, was nowhere to be found.”

The mayor bowed his head in silence.

The crowd murmured as camera flashes captured the moment.

“And to my amazement, while we were frantically searching for my daughter, we received countless online donations to pay for the ransom. I am grateful to you all, but I cannot accept it. It is morally wrong to negotiate with these terrorists. I swear I will use every resource at my disposal to find another way to get my daughter back.”

Mayor Banquet pointed to the sky, and his stoic demeanor returned. “I swear I will make them pay for their crimes and prevent this from ever happening again!”

-POP-

The mob applauded as Mayor Banquet readied himself for questioning.

“Sir, are there any correlations between this and your reelection campaign?”

“I know the timing seems to fit perfectly. As of this moment, we don’t know the purpose or what goal these individuals are trying to achieve. But I do know I will do everything in my power to protect all citizens of Tarot Tori City. Everyone’s blood, sweat, and tears made this city the way it is today. I don’t plan to stop offering my own.”

-POP-

“May we see the ransom note?”

“I am afraid it’s in the custody of the TTCPD. It’s an ongoing investigation, so please remain patient.”

“What about your opposition? Has she expressed anything about the situation?”

“My political rival has not made a single comment as of yet. I assume out of respect and condolence. I am not speaking ill of her.”

-POP-

“Both of us candidates are unanimous in our utmost respect for each other, the city, and the previous mayor’s wishes. We promise to honor his memory as we take great strides forward for Tarot Tori City. It’s an honor facing such a prestigious candidate.”

-POP-

“In a city as developed as ours, every citizen tends to flourish extraordinarily. This is why I love this city so much.”

Florian arrived at the scene and shuddered at the large crowd. News vans, police cars, and onlookers blocked the driveway.

Blythe’s soul whimpered.

“Are you all right?” Florian asked.

“I don’t know what’s going on. I’m not scared. Maybe a little bit,” Blythe said. A single bubble came out of her soul when she said she wasn’t scared.

Florian hugged Blythe and patted her on the head. “Leave it to me. I will clear things up.”

Internally, Florian was still processing what to say.

Officer Keen directed the group. “Follow me.”

Florian, Blythe, Hope, and Officer Keen entered the crowd.

Each person and their spirit gazed toward the stage, as if entranced by every word the mayor said.

Florian didn’t let go of Hope’s and Blythe’s hands; she clutched them tighter.

“Blythe. If you can hear me, your father loves you, and I will bring you home. I swear my life on it,” Banquet said over the speakers.

-POP-

Florian felt a chill down her spine. The entire area was engulfed in bubbles.

These were not like Blythe’s dog spirit’s bubbles. They took different shapes and were multicolored. They looked as if they were dancing, synchronized, bursting in a coordinated manner.

What the hell is this? Florian could no longer feel Blythe’s hand.

“Dad!” Blythe ran to the front of the crowd.

“Blythe?” Banquet said over the mic as the crowd divided, revealing Blythe, Florian, Hope, and Officer Keen.

Silence ensued as the cameras focused on the group.

Florian looked up toward the stage. Mayor Banquet stood there in surprise and he smiled.

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At his side was no animal or pet. It was the thing blowing the bubbles that loomed over the crowd—perched on the mayor’s back like a pedestal. It had a hose-like neck, with lumps wiggling up to its head. Its gigantic distorted head had see-through wings at its nape. It was flapping and floating about aimlessly with its eyes crossed, smiling the entire time, twisting its throat, and tangling itself around the crowd. Sprouting out from its tiny body were two long wrinkly eel arms that caressed the giant bubbles coming from its huge mouth. It was monstrous, grotesque, and intimidating.

Florian couldn’t think straight. The cause wasn’t the stress from the events prior; it was the thing that loomed over the six-foot-three blond mayor. Just being in its presence, Florian couldn’t process her world.

“Blythe!” The mayor leaped off stage to his daughter.

-POP-

A bubble popped right next to Blythe’s head.

“Dad.” Blythe began to cry. After all that she had gone through, Blythe finally showed her real emotions.

The mayor crouched down to his daughter; they embraced and slowly sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Dad! I’m sorry.”

The press took pictures, and the onlookers applauded.

-POP-

A chain reaction of bubbles burst, clearing out most of the bubbles in the area.

“Vultures.” Florian overheard Officer Keen.

Everything was happening so fast, Florian didn’t have time to process what was going on.

The mayor hugged his daughter while his spirit coiled its lumpy neck around both of them. Bubbles inflated from the lumps exiting its mouth as it bobbed its head in the air. With tear-filled eyes, Blythe hugged her father unconditionally. Her bubble-tailed dog placed its paws up against the father, begging for a hug too.

The mayor glanced toward Florian with a smile. He covered his chin with one hand as if in thought. His eyes were not weeping; they were filled with excitement.

“You there, young girl. Are you the one who helped my daughter?” Mayor Banquet asked.

His soul, aimlessly floating about, reeled in its head and looked Florian directly in the eye. Its giant crossed eyes pulled together and targeted Florian dead center. It waited for a response.

Florian just froze up, analyzing what it was about to do next.

A neck lump squeezed toward its head. It inflated a bubble, like bubblegum, engulfing Florian’s head. Florian’s hair stood on end.

“What’s your name, young hero?” Mayor Banquet asked.

Florian was grossed out and wanted to wriggle free and run away. However, that was what a younger Florian would have done.

Hope clung to Florian the entire time. Blythe clung to her father.

“Cobblestone.” She could barely breathe. It was suffocating. The cameras, the press, each with their unique souls, all with their eyes fixed on Florian. She reminded herself of what Dr. Ronaldo had guided her to do when she felt anxious.

“Florian Lilly Cobblestone,” Florian said, making direct eye contact with the mayor. Above the mayor, his cross-eyed spirit looked down at Florian.

Ignore everyone else. Concentrate.

“You’re a mess; I can only imagine what you went through,” Mayor Banquet said with a smile.

-POP-

What!? Why did his spirit’s bubble pop? Was that a lie? Florian didn’t let any of her confusion show on her face.

“I have so many questions,” Mayor Banquet said.

“As do I,” Florian said.

She could barely utter a word with the cameras flashing in her face. The countless spirit eyes scanned every movement she made. Officer Keen’s spirit appeared from thin air between Florian and the mayor. Its fur color was different. It was the same color as the pavement. Its gray fur changed back to its red coat as it snarled at the mayor and the reporters.

“Hold on,” Officer Keen said, adjusting his greased hair under his officer cap. “We got first dibs on questioning the kid. Get in line.”

The mayor’s spirit turned toward Officer Keen. It didn’t inhale a single breath, yet it started to inflate another bubble.

“What a pity. Hahaha. You are. . .” The mayor looked at the officer’s badge. “Officer Keen. . . Oh! The rookie who was transferred here recently.”

The first bubble.

“Yeah. You know me?” Keen said as his fox spirit snarled, head low to the ground, ready to pounce.

A second bubble. It drifted over the fox spirit.

“Sure. What kind of mayor would I be if I didn’t? Tell me, how are your efforts going? Any luck?”

A third bubble. This time over the head of Officer Keen.

“What do you mean?”

The spirit’s eel arm reached over to the third bubble.

“You know,” the mayor winked, “the dating scene.”

-POP-

“How the hell do you? What?” Keen was flustered.

“Hahaha. Don’t let your enthusiasm for the ladies distract you too much. Hahaha.” The mayor patted the shoulder of Officer Keen.

-POP-

The chain of bubbles burst.

The cheerfulness of the mayor spread to Officer Keen. He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle himself, as awkward as it was.

“Now then, Florian, was it?” Mayor Banquet turned back toward Florian and Hope, his spirit in tow.

“They protected me, Dad,” Blythe said, clinging to her father.

“And your name?” Mayor Banquet addressed Hope.

Hope signed her name.

“Oh, Hope Cobblestone. I remember. I hope my letter made it to you. Hahaha. I am sad I will never get the chance to speak with you and hear your voice. We will have to settle with sign language,” the mayor signed.

-POP-

A bubble above Florian and Hope popped. Florian remembered the letter from seven years ago.

He knows sign language too? I don’t understand. The bubble just popped over me. Was that a lie? What lie did I fall for? Florian’s internal thoughts were jumbled.

Banquet smiled and turned to the cameras.

The live feed cameras just finished setting up in front of them.

“Citizens of Tarot Tori City! These are our young heroes! Florian Lilly Cobblestone and Hope Cobblestone. These brave girls are the reason my daughter is home safe and sound.

“I look forward to thanking them properly very soon. Since this is an ongoing investigation, I will let the police take it from here. Please direct all of your questions to them from here on out.” Mayor Banquet picked up his daughter and retired without answering any more questions.

When the mayor finished speaking, the chief of TTCPD stumbled up out of breath as if on cue. He tried calling out to the mayor, but the full brunt of the reporters swarmed the chief with questions.

Officer Keen escorted Florian and Hope away from the press for questioning.

“Damn it, Keen!” The chief gave him a mean look as he tried to shake off the reporters.

Keen covered his face and tilted his head, apologizing to the chief. He had lost an essential witness, Blythe Banquet.

Florian was still processing what happened. I’m no hero; I didn’t do a damn thing. The culprit is still out there.