[https://i.imgur.com/P0vfIaJ.jpg]

Half Submerged Hideout

September 17th X288

Travis sighed. “My bad, I screwed up. I didn’t do it on purpose, and I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“I know,” Juke said, calming down. “But we can’t just let these trespassers go. They’ll definitely report us.”

“I’m proud of the both of you,” Ronaldo said, zoning in and out of consciousness.

“Juke, there might be a way to fix this.”

Travis and Juke stepped outside the room. Sticks stayed to keep watch of the two hostages.

Ronaldo nudged Florian and whispered, “Florian. When they’re distracted by me, get out of here and don’t look back.”

Florian shook her head. “Don’t try anything. Just wait till help arrives.”

“You have to get out of here . . . Ow.”

“Wait. Something strange is going on. Their souls are aggressive, but they aren’t showing hostility.”

“You drew them back in the car.” Ronaldo recalled the souls in detail.

“The tall man with red hair, Juke. His spirit’s extremely agitated, but it isn’t showing any signs of hurting us. It opened its mouth and roared several times, but all the man did was yell at us.”

“He had the angler frog, right?”

“They said something earlier too. Something about following rules? I think they can’t hurt us. That’s why they’re panicked but not murderous.”

“Don’t think like that. Get out as soon as you get the chance,” Ronaldo said. Florian’s information is just what I needed. Anger. Aggression. Murderous intent. The shape of his soul and its actions explain so much. I know what I must do.

Juke Lucas and Travis Wit Law reentered the room.

“There’s a way to fix all of this,” Juke said.

“How does joining our group sound?” Travis said.

“What?” Florian’s jaw dropped.

“We can tell you both are merely civilians. In any other situation, we would have disposed of you by now. However, we have taken an interest in you.” Juke squatted down to eye level with Florian. “We have a lot of questions, and I’m sure you have some as well.”

“Of course, there’s a lot of money in it for you. So how about it? Let’s be friends and work together,” Travis said as his drooling lizard spilled its mane full of saliva.

Florian and Ronaldo shuddered.

“You know too much. Joining us will spare our hideout’s location from leaking and benefit us in more ways than one. It’s the best option for both of our parties. If you accept, we’ll let you go after proper introductions and exchanging of some information. However, if you refuse, we’ll have no choice but to kill you,” Juke said with a glint in his eyes.

If we accept, we live. The answer is obvious. Ronaldo looked at Florian.

Florian hesitated.

Juke folded his arms and checked his watch. “We don’t have much time. So decide quickly—”

“No,” Florian said.

“What was that?!” Juke said.

“I refuse—”

“You gotta be kidding me!” Travis said.

“I’ll never join you!” Florian said.

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Juke grabbed Ronaldo’s collar and lifted Ronaldo effortlessly. “Then I guess we’ll get this over with.” Juke fumed.

He opened a window. Below was a two-story drop to debris and river tides. Ronaldo could barely struggle; he was faint from the blood loss. Juke dangled Ronaldo out of the window with one hand.

🙠🙢

“Tell us how you found us!” Juke yelled.

“I can’t!” Florian fell to the floor, tears forming in her eyes.

“Who are you working for?” Juke yelled.

“I’m on my own! Ronaldo has nothing to do with this! Don’t hurt him!” Florian said. The dark urchin soul was cracking. Florian remembered the conch crab spirit breaking the same way

when Zachary Venmont died in front of her.

“Do you care what happens to this therapist?!” Juke hollered. The angler frog spirit looked Florian dead in the eyes. Its lips were frowning. The eyes were squinting with anger. Its glowing lure was no longer red but blue.

Florian smiled as tears rolled down her eyes. She wanted to test her theory.

“Kill me instead,” Florian said.

“God, I hate you!” Juke threw Ronaldo back in the room.

“You aren’t allowed to hurt us, are you? I wonder why?” Florian said with a teary-eyed chuckle. Their souls were giving away their bluff.

“Gahaha, this kid’s hardcore. That’s quality. I want her to join even more now.”

“Shut up, Travis!” Juke said. He turned to Florian. “Kid. Do you have a death wish?”

Florian smirked.

“Well damn, they’re going to report us. We were ordered not to hurt any resident. The therapist is already hurt, though. We can’t keep them here forever, and it’s only a matter of time until someone notices they’re missing,” Travis said.

“I know! Shut up, and let me think! Damn it! Why is it always the small jobs? I wish I could just wring that mayor’s neck and get it over with.” Juke crushed a chair with his bare hands.

“Take a deep breath. Hold it for three seconds, and let it out,” Ronaldo said in a daze.

“What’s that therapist saying?” Juke walked over to Ronaldo. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No, you’re doing great. You’re using your words to convey your stress. That way, we all know how you feel and can respond with words of our own.” Ronaldo laughed.

“Are you really doing this right now? I dangled you out of a window, and you’re laughing! What’s wrong with the two of you?! Is this city full of dumbasses like you that don’t know real danger when it’s right in front of you!” Juke said.

Ronaldo laughed and coughed at the same time.

“Woah. Calm down. Juke!” Travis said.

Ronaldo kept laughing.

“I am calm. Do you think I’m not calm? I am the calmest guy in this room,” Juke said. His soul twitched as its muscles tightened.

Ronaldo reached his wrist up to Juke’s ear. “Just relax . . . and don’t blink. . .” Ronaldo dangled the coin on a string in front of Juke and swung it back and forth.

“Take all that anger in a deep breath. . . Hold it. . .” His watch ticked thrice.

“Now . . . Let it out. . .”

Florian saw the dark urchin’s skeleton arm emerge once again. Miasma spewed from its breaking body. It broke off another needle and threaded it through Juke’s head. This time it pulled out the thread and unwound it freely across the room. The strings looked like a spiraling whirlwind of thoughts.

Florian had never seen a soul do such a thing. It terrified her.

The room went silent.

“What the hell is that? A string? Is that supposed to be a magic trick or something?” Travis laughed.

Juke stood up without saying a word.

Sticks, who was observing everything from the corner of the room, froze. Juke’s eyes rolled to the back of his head. As if in a trance, Juke began whaling on Ronaldo relentlessly.

“Whoa! Stop! Juke! What has gotten into you!” Travis grabbed Juke’s arm, attempting to stop Juke’s barrage.

Juke just kept punching Ronaldo, shattering the floor.

The angler frog swung its gorilla fists into Ronaldo. The drooling lizard climbed the angler frog, gnawing at its antennae. Sticks and his snake mouse stayed in the corner of the room, scared stiff. The dark urchin floated above Ronaldo. Its skeleton arm just pointed toward the door. Florian stood up and ran.

Travis turned to Florian. “Where do you think you’re going? Huh?”

Juke picked up Travis and chucked him out the window. Just like that, Travis vanished. He splashed into the river below.

Juke went back to beating up Ronaldo.

The coast was clear. Sticks was still distracted.

Florian took her first step but realized she was leaving Ronaldo to die. She stopped, grabbed a chair, turned around, and with all her strength, slammed it into Juke. The old wooden chair shattered to pieces, leaving only a stake in her hand. It didn’t affect Juke in the slightest.

Florian took the wooden sliver and stabbed Juke in the back.

“Get off him!” Florian said.

To Juke, it was only a splinter.

“You’re still here?! God, I hate you!” Juke let out a roar with his angler frog bellowing in unfiltered rage. “You can’t even run away correctly!” Juke slurred.

“Calm down. Juke!” Sticks said, snapping out of it.

Florian realized Juke was no longer holding back his rage. Nothing could stop him.

Florian finally realized that her life was in danger.