[https://i.imgur.com/jW42l0g.jpg]

Tori Docks Abandoned Housing District

September 17th X288

When the gunfire ceased, the serene, tranquil sounds of the night returned, easing Florian Lilly Cobblestone.

Officer Keen tried to flag down an ambulance when a fire truck sped past them, heading straight to the hideout.

“Damn it! That can’t be good.” Officer Keen hobbled after them. Keen’s body was still injured, yet his fox spirit, full of energy, ran ahead of him.

Dr. Ronaldo turned to Florian. She stood without saying a word and walked toward the sirens, as if they were calling to her.

“Florian, I have to warn you, what we might find could be devastating. Are you sure you want to go?” Ronaldo stuck by her side.

“I’ll find out eventually, be it now or tomorrow. I would rather confirm with my own eyes.”

The trio went back to the hideout.

The apartment building was ablaze. Firefighters did their best to keep the fire contained, dousing the sinking building.

Dozens of police surveyed the grounds on high alert, taping off areas of interest. Medics were treating several injured officers along the sidewalk.

Florian silently gazed at the burning building, fists clenched.

Officer Keen, still restrained in his own cuffs, reported to the chief on site. He explained they had discovered the hideout and were held hostage until recently.

“Damn it, Keen! You had something to do with this? Disappearing, not answering your communications, and then reporting back from nowhere hogtied and in your underwear. I was about to fire you on the spot for screwing around while on duty.” The chief sighed after seeing Dr. Ronaldo battered and bruised.

“Dr. Ronaldo too? I thought I told you you weren’t on this case. Stay in the ambulance for first aid. Let me take care of a few things, and I’ll go with you to the hospital for further questioning,” the chief said, tipping his cap in discouragement.

Officer Keen had his cuffs removed by another officer and immediately took off to help.

“Here.” A paramedic handed Florian an emergency foil blanket as she tended to Dr. Ronaldo’s injuries. “Who dressed your wound? It’s very well done. What kind of knot is this on this sling?” she asked, seemingly impressed that Ronaldo could walk with injuries like these.

Florian enveloped herself in the blanket, looking like a burrito wrapped in aluminum foil. She sat in the back of the ambulance, peeking from her blanket, as a few stretchers were carted off toward the burning building. She stared in their direction, awaiting their return to assess the damage she caused.

A limo pulled up, parking in front of them. Florian shrugged, tucking her head in her silver covering.

Mayor Banquet stepped out of his Limo Force One. Even at a time like this, he wore a white suit and tie. His floating smile spirit was no longer stretched out, floating, nor smiling. Its enormous eyes gazed toward the burning apartment with a frown.

Mayor Banquet approached the police chief, his smile gone. His face showed actual worry. This was the first time Florian has ever seen the mayor act that way.

The stretchers returned from the burning building carrying two injured officers. The mayor spotted them; he walked alongside the incapacitated officers, saying something. They were too far away for Florian to hear, but the spirit on his back showed genuine worry. The floating head sobbed tears of grief above the mayor, dripping shimmering droplets onto the officers.

The stretchers entered the ambulance, giving Florian a good look at the officers covered in embers. They lay motionless, bloody, burnt, with their spirits unconscious by their sides. One officer clung to his soul with his bare hand. Florian could tell just by looking that the two were fighting for dear life.

Mayor Banquet stood beside Florian and Ronaldo. They watched the paramedics attend to the injured and drive off to the hospital.

Mayor Banquet smiled and offered a handshake. “You must be Dr. Von Nirvanas. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Oh, call me Dr. Ronaldo. I’m honored to meet you too. Thank you for helping the citizens of Tarot Tori City.”

“Oh, I haven’t done as much as you have, Doctor.”

-POP-

“I just did what the people wanted. If you must thank someone, thank the very citizens of this wonderful city,” the mayor said.

“You’re right. I should pay it forward somehow,” Ronaldo said.

Dr. Ronaldo fell for his lie. I hate this. Please. No more bubbles.

“Forgive me if I’m too upfront, but just between you and me, Doctor, I love the way the citizens think. I just can’t help but poke around a little bit.” Banquet smirked, looking down at the quiet person wrapped in foil beside him.

Ronaldo covered his mouth.

Florian was peeking through the blanket, watching the ambulance drive away. Bubbles began to surround her, sticking to the blanket like foam.

Without facing her, the mayor continued. “Good evening, young Cobblestone. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

Stolen novel; please report.

-POP-

“Catch any bad guys this time? Or did you start this fire too?”

-POP-

“Just kidding!” Mayor Banquet smiled, unlike his spirit. The head glared at Florian, sticking its face right in hers with unbridled rage. It was red and laughing scornfully.

Florian pulled the blanket over her eyes and turned around completely.

“Oh, don’t be like that. Let’s have a fun chat,” Banquet said.

His soul was hovering around her, eyes crossed.

Florian hunched over, covering her ears, fully enveloping herself, annoyed.

“Hmmm, you must be tired. I guess you don’t want to know how many casualties there were?”

-POP-

“Casualties?” Florian muttered, shivering at the thought.

“Do I have your attention now? Well, too bad. You’ll have to wait until the full report is published in the paper tomorrow, like everyone else.” Banquet smiled.

Florian sunk her head entirely in the blanket.

Dr. Ronaldo stomped his foot, getting between the mayor and Florian. “Stop addressing her that way! She’s been through enough tonight! So knock it off!”

The smile on the mayor’s face disappeared. What replaced it was a serious, no more nonsense expression. Banquet’s sharp eyes, filled with straightforward disgust, made Ronaldo shiver.

“In case I’m not making myself clear, I’m distraught by the events that transpired here tonight. More upset than the two of you combined. In reality, it all boils down to whether the individuals currently in critical condition survive or not. One thing’s for sure; I despise that girl hiding behind you, Doctor. Oh, with a burning passion, I hate her so much.”

“Why?! She saved your daughter, didn’t she? She’s a hero. Right? Those were your own words!”

“Oh, my hatred for her has nothing to do with that. I’m grateful to her for saving my one and only child.” His bright smile returned for a moment and disappeared once more. “It’s because we’re similar.”

“I’m starting to think I’ve misjudged you, Mr. Banquet. How’s she anything like you?”

“We both think in unorthodox ways. She hates losing as much as I do. She can’t stand looking at me like how I can’t stand looking at her.” He smiled, holding a glare filled with excited frustration.

“In fact, it’s quite ironic, see. That’s why I detest you, Florian Lilly Cobblestone.”

Florian didn’t say a word. She hid in her blanket, like a burrito, afraid that she would fall apart if she opened the wrapping in any way.

Banquet’s anger receded, and his gleaming smile returned. “Now cheer up, okay. I’ll see you at your award ceremony six days from now. If you thought you didn’t deserve it before, well, you definitely deserve it now!” He entered his limo with a chain of cheerful waves goodbye. His spirit hung out the window as the chauffeur escorted them away.

🙠🙢

“He’s gone.”

Florian could finally relax.

“What was that about?” Officer Keen, still in his underwear, asked.

“I don’t know. He’s nothing like I thought he was,” Ronaldo said.

“Maybe we interrupted his beauty sleep or something? Anyway, I’m going to head to the hospital; I think my natural adrenaline’s wearing off. You guys coming?” Officer Keen asked.

“Of course we are! I think the pain medicine that Sophie lady gave me is wearing off! I’m starting to hurt all over! Ow.”

Florian stood up, removing the blanket. “How many casualties?” Florian said.

“What?” The chief walked over.

Florian pointed at the chief, who had a pug dog for a spirit. “I’m not leaving without knowing how many casualties there were.”

The chief nodded. “As of this moment, we have three officers with minor stab wounds, four with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds, and two in critical condition with burn injuries.”

Florian sighed, realizing there was more by the sad look on the pug spirit’s face.

“The only casualty is an unidentified body of a woman,” the chief said.

“You can’t lie to me! Show me!” Florian grabbed the coat of the chief.

“I refuse to show a teenage girl a dead body,” the chief said.

“Where is she? Don’t you need someone to identify the body? I saw every one of their faces and heard what they called one another.”

“We’ll take you to the hospital. There we’ll call your parents and continue questioning. You can share your information where it’s safe,” the chief said.

“I can help!” Florian said.

“You can help us by cooperating,” the chief said.

“This isn’t the first time I’ve seen a dead body!” she yelled. “Zachary Venmont. I witnessed him die right in front of me! I couldn’t do anything. I was so annoyed with myself! I was mortified that I couldn’t do anything to help him. He was a citizen of Tarot Tori City, my neighbor, and all I could do was watch him die! I refuse to just sit by any longer! Show me so I can help you identify the body!”

The chief let out a sigh. “Fine, but it won’t be pretty.”

The chief brought the trio to a body bag next to another ambulance. He unzipped the bag, revealing the charred remains of an unrecognizable body still with pieces of clothing, jogging pants, and a running jacket.

“We found her floating in the river. There is also a gunshot wound in her head. We suspect the culprits had a falling out. Cruel sons of bitches. So, do you recognize her?” He zipped the bag closed.

Florian nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes as she pondered her thoughts. There’s no denying it. That’s the body of Alex and Sera’s mom. I don’t see her octopus soul anywhere. It must have died and disappeared like Zachary Venmont’s conch crab soul. What should I say? If I tell them her real identity, her death will reach Alex and Sera. This entire time, Alex and Sera were guarding my sister while their mom helped me escape the gang with my life. What if they find out I played a part in their mom’s death?

Florian mustered up words. “The gang called her Clarissa Lantern; she had brown hair and. . .” Florian continued with the description but didn’t tell the chief Clarissa’s real identity. Florian wished to protect Clarissa the same way Clarissa had done to protect her.

Ronaldo agreed with all the information Florian gave.

Officer Keen had been blindfolded, seeing only the face of Irina Halt and the monster with crimson hair.

“All right, we’ll continue this at the hospital. We also found two pairs of keys and two phones by the building. Almost like they wanted us to find them. I recognize one of them.”

“You found our phones; there should be photos of a few gang members on them. And these are my keys,” Ronaldo said.

“You know the drill; I’ve got to keep them as evidence until further notice.”

“Hey, the other pair of keys are mine, but where’s my phone?” Keen said.

“Keen. Hopefully, the hospital stay can fix your stupid,” the chief said.

“Hey, I almost died tonight,” Keen said.

They all rode with the chief to the hospital but not before stopping at Ronaldo’s car.

Florian grabbed her journal, flipped past the page with her spirit sketches, ripped out the gang’s profile sketches, and handed them over to Officer Keen.