Florence couldn’t believe it. She somehow circled back to that same lobby in an oil-painted skyscraper. Everyone else here, from Aisling, Yuze, and Sam, didn’t seem unfazed, as if this was a regular Sunday, except for Stella, who thudded to the floor, dropping the four packaging boxes.

Jack heaved with stomping steps, chasing Mantidae, who rolled around the room.

Feno shrugged, walking up to the empty portrait. She screeched to a stop in front of it, folding her arms.

“Pardon me,” Florence said, “what are we supposed to do now?”

“Well, I suppose there’s one way,” Feno said.

Sam turned his back. His pupils widened. He slammed his paw on his chest. “Catnip. It must be catnip. I can almost claw it.”

“How is your cat getting high?” Florence asked.

“First of all, he is not high,” Aisling said. “Secondly, he is just being dramatic.”

“I’m not.” Sam hissed, with saliva leaking out the corner of his mouth. “Catnip.”

“Never mind… I absolutely can see it now,” Florence said.

Aisling tilted her head, inhaling and exhaling with trembling lips. Her eyes closed, and she coughed as she cupped her mouth.

“She is still here,” Feno said.

“Great, there goes another one.” Aisling wheezed. “It’s a miracle that I’m still alive with these idiots.”

“Who is here, Feno?” Florence asked. “Also, Aisling, who are the idiots you were talking about?”

“Me and Sam,” Yuze said. She jabbed her chin onto Florence’s shoulder.

“Hey, did you forget who pays for the bills and rent, pleb,” Sam said. He extended his claws and pointed at himself. “Catnip.”

“I… I’m just gonna give up,” Aisling said.

Florence glanced to her right, where Jack chased after Mantidae, rolling on the floor. Then Florence slapped herself on the face. Fantastic, absolutely nothing went according to plan… Only if they got a coherent strategy in the first place. She bent down, wishing or praying for herself to find the exit.

Feno stomped, splashing the wet oil paint. “Come out,” she said. She spun around. “I know you’re here.”

“In complete seriousness, Feno, who are you talking to?” Florence asked. She shrugged. “It is… getting concerning.”

“Who else am I talking about?”

“That is what I was asking.”

“You’re smart enough to figure it out.”

“Pardon me if I guess… is it that young lady who was in the painting a moment ago.”

Feno nodded.

Florence sighed. “Of course… it was her.”

“She’s a ghost.” Feno rustled her hair as she yawned. “In other words, if we’re within their domain, they can sense our presence.”

“Nice info dump, by the way,” Aisling said.

“Also, it feels like they can control whatever they like in their domain,” Florence said. “For example—”

“Yes, you don’t have to tell me,” Feno said. “All of us already know that.”

The oil-painted glass door vibrated like someone slammed their fist on it. Outside, a howl echoed into the skyscrapers, ringing in Florence’s ear. She crouched over, gritting her teeth. She covered her ears with that howling, getting louder every second.

Next to her, Stella thudded to the floor with her eyes rolled up her sockets.

Sam raised his entire body, prowling towards Stella. His ears pulled back and flattened against his head, and his whiskers stuck out like needles. He narrowed his pupils, focusing on the general direction of the pocket of Stella’s blouse.

Jack and Mantidae screeched to a halt. They both gazed around the place as if this never happened before.

Aisling unsheathed her dagger with her fingers turning white. Her footsteps echoed closer to the glass-painted door, splashing on the oil-painted floor.

“Aisling, where are you going now,” Florence said.

“Nothing really.” Aisling sniffed, rubbing the tip of her nose. “It just… something feels off.”

“I knew it,” Sam said. He stuck his head into the pocket of Stella’s blouse. “It wasn’t just me who could smell something was off—catnip.”

“Aisling did not smell it. She felt it,” Florence said. “And I am quite certain that everyone else also felt that.”

“No,” Yuze said.

Stella yelped, jolting back up. She waved her arms.

“Ignore her,” Aisling said.

“Who is her?” Florence asked, spreading her arms out. “There is more than one of her in this building.”

“Yuze, obviously.”

“Never mind… you are starting to make sense for once.”

Sam pulled his head out of the pocket. His fangs clamped onto a bottle filled with herbs rustled inside it. Then he released it, letting the bottle roll and slush through the oil. He extended his claw, scratching the cap at a clockwise angle. But… nothing. The cap managed to stay on the bottle with zero dents and scratches.

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

Aisling looked over her shoulder as she went forward. “Is that catnip?”

“Catnip,” Sam said. “I knew it.”

Stella blushed, turning her cheeks bright red. She jumped up, snatching the bottle of catnip.

A gust of wind burst the glass door open, snapping its hinge. It flew across the hall, crashing straight onto Aisling’s face. She slid across the floor, jerking her head back.

Bang.

Her body slammed on the oil-painted glass panel at the opposite end. She slumped with her head dipping lower.

“Catnip,” Sam said. “That’s what you get for not giving me catnip, pleb.”

Aisling clicked her tongue. “Hey, I’m not dead.”

Florence trudged to Aisling. When Florence reached Aisling’s side, Florence wrapped her fingers around the glass-painted door, pushing it with all her might. Her muscles strained. She could feel her blood pumping through her veins. But… no matter what, the glass-painted door moved a tiny bit. Then she glanced over her shoulder.

Yuze clenched her left thigh. She limped with each step, getting closer to Florence and Aisling. Then Yuze smirked, reaching into the pocket of her black leather jacket. She pulled out a phone, pointing the camera lens at Aisling.

The cap clattered on the oil-painted floor. Sam lifted the opened bottle of catnip between his paws, pouring the dried herbs onto himself. He snorted up the catnip, lowering his head and closing his eyes half closed. He licked and pawed at the remaining plant.

The glass-painted door shot to the ceiling as Aisling smacked her feet onto it. She jumped back up, clutching her fist, turning her fingers white.

Sam licked a pawful of catnip, chewing it.

“You’re gonna hand over those catnip to me, Sam,” Aisling said.

Sam shook his head, prowling away from Aisling. But before he could get out, the glass-painted door fell down, crashing in front of him. He hissed, leaping back.

Aisling rushed towards Sam, pounding her feet across the oil-painted floor.

Sam wheeled around, baring his teeth and growling at Aisling.

Florence raised her hands up, approaching them carefully. “I think both of you should wind down.”

“Me like catnip,” Sam said.

“You see that. This is what’s gonna happen after you sniff and chew those catnip,” Aisling said. She threw herself towards Sam.

But he sprang over her, pawing at her face.

“Stupid cat,” Aisling said. Her chin collided onto the floor with a splash.

“That’s what you get, pleb,” Sam said.

Florence waved at them. “Everyone, did none of you forget what I said.”

“Shut your mouth,” Aisling and Sam said in unison. “It’s none of your business. Hey, stop following what I’m saying.”

Yuze clapped in applause.

“Actually… I think… I mean, I think it’s not Sam’s fault,” Stella said.

“All of you plebs heard that, right? It’s not my fault,” Sam said. He drooled over the bottle, growling every second. His eyes closed fully shut.

Aisling snapped her fingers. “Hey, wake up.”

Sam bounced onto his feet, slurping the saliva. He shook his head from side to side, growling out loud.

“Yeah,” Yuze said.

“Pardon me, but could we all focus on the task?” Florence asked.

Sam stood up on his hind legs. “I’m ready,” he said.

“Here we go again.” Aisling rubbed her forehead.

“What is it?” Florence raised her eyebrows. “I do not understand.”

“For more catnip,” Sam said. He tilted his head upwards, sniffing the air.

Yuze gave another round of applause.

“I really should stop right here.” Florence slapped her thighs as she laughed under her breath. She stomped across the floor in heavy steps, heading away from all of them. “If none of you are trying, I will do it myself.”

“It’s beneath us, pleb,” Sam said.

“Absolutely. Sure. You are a cat, after all. You do not have to help me.”

“Nay, I mean that the exit is underneath here. Literally, pleb.”

“Pardon?”

At this moment, Florence’s face brightened. However, no stairs or elevator leading underground could be seen.

Stella curled into a ball and slumped on the floor. She chuckled and fidgeted with the side of her skirt.

Aisling shrugged, smiling. “Didn’t expect this to happen?”

Sam meowed. “Who could have known that?” He poked at Stella, who rocked back and forth while cuddling herself. “But she would.”

Stella nodded.

“See,” Sam said. “Even she approves.”

The smile on Aisling faded away, furrowing her brows. “Stop twisting her… action.”

“I don’t want to be here,” Stella said. “I want to go home.”

From the corner of Florence’s eye, Yuze smirked as she slipped her hands into her black leather jacket pocket.

“Look, we’re just gonna have to make this delivery,” Aisling said. She pointed at the four packaging boxes in Stella’s arms. “Then we’ll be all done and ready to go home.”

“Also, you forgot about the investigation in the harbor of District Nine,” Florence said.

“Yup, and that too.”

Silence rang along the hall for a solid second, and everyone stared at each other.

“Aisling forgot,” Yuze said.

Aisling coughed, clearing her throat. “Totally didn’t forget… kinda.”

“Anyways, how are we supposed to go underground?” Florence asked.

“Sounds suspicious, doesn’t it,” Feno said.

Suddenly, Jack groaned, rubbing his back. “It does seem odd that Sam could tell the exit is beneath us.”

Sam lowered his head, nose pointing downward. He sniffed the oil-painted ground. “Couldn’t any of you smell it? Also, that sound—it’s clearly coming down under, pleb.”

“Absolutely not,” Florence said. “Pardon me, but how can you hear sounds and smell things from beneath the floor?”

“Catnip.”

“I am quite certain it does not enhance your senses.”

“Couldn’t you tell that I’m a cat, pleb? One of the best hunters in the animal kingdom.”

“I know you are a cat. But how can you tell it is below us, beneath this floor?”

“Exactly.”

Florence sighed. Her hand rested behind her head. She crouched, hiding her face between her knees. What was even the point? Unbelievable that she somehow ended up just arguing with a cat.

“I agree with Florence,” Feno said. “I’m sure everyone here couldn’t smell and hear anything from down under.”

“I can kinda smell something. But I don’t hear anything in particular,” Aisling said.

Sam raised his paws. “I can.”

“Excluding him,” Feno said. She pointed at Sam.

Jack hunched as he leaned beside the empty portrait, rubbing his lower back. “Yes, and it might be too dangerous to venture underground in this sorta place.”

Florence scratched her chin. What else could she do to find the exit? Then, the portrait rippled, drawing her attention to it. Did the young lady in blue scrubs appear outside of the picture? Maybe the opposite would also be true, as in entering the portrait. But could it lead underground where the exit might be?

“Ideas,” Yuze said.

Florence trudged closer to the empty portrait. She stretched her hands to it, pushing against the bumpy surface.

“Florence, don’t do it,” Aisling said.

Footsteps splashed behind Florence. She glanced over her shoulder. Her palm sank into the picture. She tugged at her arm. In one blink, the portrait engulfed her up to the elbow.

Someone from behind wrapped around her waist.

The portrait swallowed her whole, and she descended deeper into this dense, chunky matter.