Miriam sat in the room and stared at Davis for a little time. He glared at her silently from his cell. What Jacob had said rattled her. The little light hanging in the middle of the room was pushed sideways by the top of the cage. The light reached him in lines and she could see just how tanned he was. It made those grey eyes jumps out from behind long eyelashes.

"Did you steal my hair?" she asked, looking at the soft black curls.

"It was the price," he said sourly.

"The price?" she asked.

"What? You thought wishes were free?"

"So we're here because of my wish then? I said I wanted to go home."

"No. You wished you could go home. So here we are. I admit I could have made a better deal from it but you didn't give me any warning. I was trying to catch your hair to stop you, so I took your hair as the price."

"So magic is real?"

"Magic? What's that?"

"Making us disappear and reappear with a few words is magic."

"You answered your own question."

"You're a dick," said Miriam, before standing up and walking out the door. He watched her go without a word. She found Jacob in a little room down the hall. On the way, she saw many windows looking at the desert outside but she didn't see any doors leading outside.

"Hel...lo," said Jacob, staring at her uncertainly.

"Hi," she said, looking around the room.

Every inch of the floor had a plant pot on it except for a winding path that led through them. Each of these pots had a plant, although many had tried to outgrow their boundaries. Echo came up behind her and grabbed her by the shoulders. She was smiling brightly.

Miriam saw Jacob and realised how old the man was. He was covered in dirt and dressed in rags that had long lost their colour, he had pockets stuffed with leaves. Twigs had found their way into his dirty hair. The only clean thing about him was the whites of his shiny brown eyes that were staring at the two girls in horror.

Echo pulled Mariam back and stood, growling, between them. He tried to hide behind a plant that was very long, but far too thin to hide him. He was trembling so badly water was spilling out of the chipped teapot he was holding. A watering-can lay at his feet.

Compared to him, the plants were beautifully cared for. They were all fresh green without any signs of age or withering, perfectly trimmed, the taller ones had support poles so they wouldn't crumble under their own weight. Some had flowers blooming in various colours and shapes. Mariam, having come from the lifeless ruins, reached out to touch a bloom, but stopped her hand when the man made a terrified squeak.

"Stop growling. You're scaring him," she told the other girl, taking a respectful step away from the flower. Echo stopped but watched him, unblinking.

"H-h-h-hello," said the man again before retreating further behind the plant, startled by his own bravery.

"Hi," said Miriam again, peeking around the plant with what she hoped was a non-threatening smile. He gave her the smallest, quivering smile and then dropped it when looking at the glaring reflection.

"Twin girls," he muttered, looking from one to the other with wide, terrified eyes. "A nice one and a mean one. Oh no, oh no, oh no-no-no."

"We aren't twins. Honestly, we aren't even sisters," Miriam reassured him.

"Ah? Not twins? Ah."

"That's right."

"Well then. Ah. W-welcome, then, to the agency. I was just watering my friends...the plants...plants aren't friends...I should stop and give you the tour..." he trailed off and looked longingly at the plants around him.

"That's alright. Do you have anything we could wear?" she said. She had become acutely aware of how unsuitable her clothes were in the climate she was stuck in.

"Oh. Yes. There are lots of spare clothes around. Travellers left them. Daisy left some too...Daisy left."

"Can we use them?"

"What? Oh, yes, you need clothes. Yes, out the door there and first door to your right. In there is where we keep the spare clothes, in the closet. They might not fit."

"Thank you," said Miriam, grabbing Echo's arm and leading her out of the room.

Jacob seemed confused and looked at his brown hands before shaking his head and going back to watering the plants with the teapot.

Miriam made sure to lock the door after going into the room. She opened the window and looked out, seeing more dark dessert. She opened every closet and drawer and examined the mirror in the room.

She found the clothes and threw some at Echo, who was just standing and watching her move about the room. She didn't bother looking for any to fit Davis. His clothes seemed to have done him well so far. Besides, she wasn't even sure if she would take him or leave him in the cage yet.

She pulled out a warm looking pants and top that looked as though they might fit her and managed to find two coats under the bed. One drawer she opened was full of little white seeds. Miriam didn't know enough about gardening to know what they were. She closed the drawer.

She had to make a belt out of a piece of curtain rope, found hanging with the clothes even though the room had no curtains. Then she took the monster's tooth from the pocket of the jeans crumpled on the floor and put it in the pocket of the thick coat, where it would not poke her.

"Don't worry," she told Echo, who did not seem very worried at all since she had found a pillow to cuddle and throw around.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

Miriam had given her a dress to wear over pants tight enough for her not to need a belt. It still had a little of its original yellow while Miriam's red curtain rope belt was the only thing that was not grey or brown or faded beyond colour.

Echo threw the pillow at Miriam and squealed with delight when she caught it and gently threw it back. She lay down on the floor, where there were several blankets and smiled out of the window. Miriam sat down next to her, not yet ready to go and talk to the strange old man. The other girl was like a child.

"I don't know why you're so happy," Miriam said. The girl cuddled the pillow in response. "I think I'll hold out for my own bed. We should be able to go home from here."

Echo brought a blanket around her shoulders and yawned. Miriam felt a yawn of her own but sniffed in an attempt to fight it, making her eyes water.

"It won't be long now. I won't leave you here. You can stay with us until we find you a family. Mum won't mind. She likes strange stuff so she'll love you. She's always complained that I never brought home any strays as a child anyway so this should make her happy."

The girl smiled happily and soon, Miriam found that she was smiling too.

"I'll introduce you to all of my friends. We'll play a trick on them first though."

Smiling still, the girl shook her head.

"What? Won't you come back with me? Is it because I left you in the ruins? I won't do that again. I promise."

Echo started making buzzing sounds with her teeth clasped together. She clapped her hands together and stretched. Miriam didn't know what to make of this.

There was a knock on the door and the timid voice of the old man asked if everything was okay. Miriam replied through the door that they were okay, and listened to his footsteps as he walked away.

"We need to sleep," she whispered to Echo.

Then she stood up, which made her legs wobble slightly. She pulled one of the beds, which was very heavy. It took some time and was very noisy. Echo watched her struggling to pull and push the bed into position but did nothing to help.

Then the bed was blocking the door from opening. Miriam climbed onto the bed to check that she had turned the key in the lock before climbing under the blankets. Echo climbed into the other bed, mimicking Miriam down to her breathing rhythm. Miriam turned away from her and fell asleep.

She woke up to the sound of crying. The man was back outside the door. Miriam could make out some words between sobs.

"You know what this means....find us now....sha-shadow day again..."

"Be quiet you old fool," said Caleb, the giner cat. "No one is going to find us. All we have to do is get rid of them-ouch! Ebb! Don't be like that. We aren't safe with them here. We don't have to hurt them. From what Jacob's said she'll leave on her own quick enough even if we don't ask. And he will ask. Won't you Jacob?"

"I won't kill her, Caleb."

"If we won't do anything-ow! Ebb, my love, why are you hurting me?"

"She doesn't approve of murder! Or going against everything this place stands for," said Jacob. Miriam noted that he sounded more resolute than he had before. Well, he didn't want to kill her now. That was an improvement.

"What about the other one? And the boy?" Caleb asked, a slight hiss coming to his voice.

"The boy is locked up and the other seems harmless enough."

Miriam lay staring at the dark ceiling and listened as the voices trailed away down the hall.

Her mum would come home too late and head straight for bed. Living in her aunt's house meant they actually had to talk to their neighbours. And the neighbours talked. They would talk about her. Talk about the arguments and late nights. They would talk about the painting she had thrown out in anger and about Aaren leaving for college. They would think she ran away.

Her mum wouldn't believe them. She couldn't. And even if she did, she'd know Miriam wouldn't go anywhere without clothes or a packed bag. She knew Miriam better than that. Didn't she?

Miriam turned to Echo and her thoughts about home vanished. Echo was awake and staring at the door. Miriam never knew how her face contorted when she was angry enough. She did now.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Telling secrets. Secrets telling."

"Uh-huh. Okay, crazy girl. No need to be mad. What you do need is sleep. We both do. We're no good tired and we have to be great to get back home."

That was true. Miriam needed rest if she wanted to be quick enough and smart enough to get home. Echo lay down, apparently in agreement. Within twenty seconds she was breathing heavily, sound asleep.

Miriam took a good deal longer to banish her thoughts and sleep. When she did she had strange dreams about seeds and bright lights and black cats. She woke up more than once, forgot where she was, panicked, remembered and panicked again before calming down.

But she did sleep, and dream of Aaren.

___________________

When Miriam woke up for the final time her bed had been moved and the door was open. That's not what she noticed first. She first thing that she noticed was the light shining through her eyelids and telling her it was morning.

Only it was still night and the light belonged to a hanging lamp. It was gliding along one of a series of rails on the ceiling of its own accord. It was over her and swinging back and forth as if trying to wake her.

"It's still night-time," she said groggily, clutching her pillow and pulling it over her face.

"Em. It's always night," said a soft voice from the doorway. Miriam threw the pillow at him in surprise.

"I thought you were the nice one," Jacob said, tears filling up, before walking quickly away from her.

Miriam got up and ran after him to apologise. On the way she passed Echo, who was happily chasing another hanging lamp as it sped quickly away from her in the other direction. A small, black cat was chasing Echo as she chased the lamp, laughing manically.

Miriam caught up with Jacob in the room with all the plants.

"I'm sorry about that. You surprised me. I locked the door."

"I didn't unlock it. The lamps did. They hate locked doors. They have to stick to the rails, you see, and that's not much room so they get rather upset if any of it is blocked. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Well, I got a shock. But I am sorry if I upset you."

The man looked her up and down.

"I've thought about it. You're a customer. I have to help you."

He sounded miserable about it.

He led her to a kitchen. Most of the space on the table was taken up by empty pots but he made enough room for her to have a breakfast, which looked like seedy bread but tasted like cinnamon and mint. She also had a glass of clear liquid that was creamy and spread a warmth through her. Miriam thanked him and they sat in silence for some time.

"Why do you have so many plants?"

"Um. There was a girl who came her before. Well, maybe a girl. She was sick and I helped her. Then she left. She gave me seeds," he said, his eyes glazing over and a dreamy longing coming over his face. "Her name was Daisy. She was so pretty."

Miriam sat silently and let him go to his memories as he stared at the table without really seeing it. Then he gave her a tray with food for Davis.

"We'll keep him here if you want but you'll have to deal with him."

Miriam thanked him again and walked back to the room with the cell. On the way, she passed Echo, who was still chasing one of the travelling lamps with the small black cat running at her heels. Miriam was smiling at them when she walked into the room.

"Enjoying it that much?" asked Davis. Miriam dropped the smile and pushed the tray to the edge of the cage. He reached through and grabbed a piece of bread.

"I'm glad," he said. "You should stay here. It isn't unpleasant. You could get used to the company. It'll be safe."

Miriam waited.

"It might not even be a bad idea for you to keep my light here. Although I'd rather have it with me. Not that you'd give it to me."

She just kept looking at him blankly. He huffed a silent laugh and smiled at her.

"But it's safe so long as you're safe. This also happens to be the safest place anywhere. So throw me out and stick around."

"If this place is really so safe, why do you want to leave?" she asked. Davis looked at her. Took a big bite of bread and chewed it slowly. He answered her only after taking a drink.

"You want me around that much?"

"Answer the question," she said. He flinched as if struck.

"I have to find someone."

"Someone?"

"My brother. He's in trouble. So I'm sorry to say I can't stay. But you should. Don't take my word for it. Ask the old man about the Queen. Ask the damn cat if you want. She's more likely to kill you than any monster you run into out there."

"So, I just stay here while you save your brother? And what about my family then? Or did you think I just appeared from thin air?"

He didn't respond.

"I have to go home," she said. "Eat your food."

She left the room and headed straight to Jacob. She had some questions for him.