Black lowered herself down. Her hands and knees pressed down into the lush green grass beneath her. Behind her, her black cat tail swished. She peered over the edge of the hole that had opened up in Spider-Lily Park. “There is something down there,” she said. Her cat tail swished again. She leaned down, pressing her head a little closer to the hole. She leaned a little too close, and her black witch hat slipped off and fell in. A drop of sweat rolled down her right cheek. “And there goes my hat.” Her black cat ears twitched cutely.

Slimantha stepped up to Black’s left. She got down onto her hands and knees too. She leaned toward the hole, the tan skin of her hands pressing into the soft grass. “There is light down there,” she said. “Oh, look!” She raised her right hand and excitedly pointed down into the hole. “There is your hat. It is on that silvery stuff.”

“That is my hat,” Black said, still staring down into the hole. “I think that silvery stuff beneath it is a metallic floor. Why is that floor even down there?”

“Why is there even light coming from down there?” Slimantha said, still peering down into the hole. Then she glanced at Black. The eyes of the two women met, and they smiled at one another. Then they both returned their eyes to the hole. “That is definitely a sus space.”

“A sus space?” Mimi said. She stepped up to Slimantha’s left. Her golden shoes pressed down into the lush green grass at the hole’s edge. She lowered herself down onto her hands and knees, getting closer to the hole. She gazed down into the hole, and a drop of sweat rolled down her right cheek. “Oh my goddess, there is a sus space down there.” She pulled back a little and sat back onto her heels. She puffed her cheeks out. “Why does there have to be a sus space down there? I can’t just ignore such a space.” She sighed and then got back onto her hands and knees. Her golden eyes returned to staring down the hole, staring down at the sus space.

For a moment, Samuel just stared at the three women peering down into the hole. Then his gaze shifted to the hole itself. He sighed and stepped up to Mimi’s left. Now he got down onto his own hands and knees. He glanced to Mimi, who was just at his right. “What do you mean you can’t just ignore it?” he said.

Mimi blinked and then sat back again. Her shapely backside pressed down onto her heels. She looked at Samuel, and her golden eyes met his blue eyes. “Well, I am Bleakfyre’s mayor,” she said. She puffed out her well-endowed chest haughtily. “A sus space has been found beneath the park. Of course I need to check it out. Who is coming with me?”

Slimantha pulled away from the hole and sat back onto her own heels. Like Mimi, Slimantha also sported a curvy physique. She looked at Mimi. Her long brown hair swayed as her head turned to the mimic. “I’m in,” she said. “Sounds fun.” Her beautiful brown eyes then went to the cat woman at her right. “You coming, Black?”

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Black sat back onto her own heels now. The petite cat woman’s brown eyes met Slimantha’s brown eyes, and her feline ears gave a cute twitch. “I’m in,” she said. “Besides, I kind of need to fetch my hat anyway.” She gave Slimantha a smile, and Slimantha gave her one back. Then her brown eyes went to Samuel, who had returned to standing while the three women were talking. She looked up at him with a smile on her face. Slimantha and Mimi also looked at him with smiles on their faces. Black’s ears gave another cute twitch. Behind her, her tail swished cutely.

“Why are you three just staring at me?” Samuel said. He stepped back, backing away from the three smiling women a bit.

Mimi’s smile slipped from her lips, and she pouted. “Why?” she said. “You are the hero, aren’t you?” She crossed her arms, her golden eyes on Samuel. “Three beautiful maidens are about to enter a sus space. Who knows what they will find? You will be accompanying them, won’t you?” She puffed her cheeks out, still staring at Samuel.

“S-Sure,” Samuel said. “Count me in.” He gave a bit of a nervous laugh.

“Great,” Mimi said, lowering her arms. Then she smiled at Samuel before turning her attention back to the hole. “So the exploration team is decided then.” She stood up and stretched her arms. She hinged at her hips, continuing to stretch. Then she straightened up. Slimantha and Black also climbed to their feet. Now all four of them stood by the hole.

“I’m heading in,” Black said. She jumped into the hole. Mimi jumped in after the petite black-haired cat woman.

“Are we really just jumping in?” Samuel said. He glanced down into the hole. “Isn’t that kind of far down for that?”

Slimantha glanced down into the hole. Her brown eyes fell across the figures of both Mimi and Black. The two of them looked to have made it down just fine. Black had even put her hat back on already. Slimantha’s beautiful brown eyes went to Samuel, and she smiled at him. “It will be fine,” she said. “Just jump.”

“Are you sure you don’t have a rope?” Samuel took a shaky step back. “Maybe you could do something with your slimes.” He took another shaky step back.

“Oh great hero,” Slimantha stepped up to Samuel, “let me help you.” She pressed even closer to Samuel, her beautiful brown eyes sparkling. “I know just what you need.” Her face neared his face. Her lips neared his lips. A flustered red settled in on his cheeks. “You need,” she pushed him into the hole, “a push of faith.” A thud followed Samuel’s scream. Slimantha peered down at him. “You’re fine! Just walk it off!” She then jumped down into the hole herself.