A pressure shaped like a palm pushed hard on the lower half of Florence’s sternum.

Florence threw up. Her eyelids flew open. She clenched her fist, sand running through her fingers. The blinding sun high above blurred her vision. The saltiness lingered on her tongue. A smoky, sweet whiff filled her nostrils and floated down her lungs. The swishing of waves vibrated her eardrums.

Another pressure pressed down on the lower half of her sternum.

She blinked, sitting in an upright position.

She rubbed her eyes, clearing her sight. In front of her, Aisling, with her hands cupping her mouth, sat on top of Florence. The water dripped down from Aisling’s hair and clothes, splashing on Florence’s lap.

Stella washed out from the waves, holding onto the soaked packaging boxes. But one of them was still missing.

On the right of Florence, Yuze and Sam spread their bodies out across the sand with their belly pointing to the sky.

“You really have one brain cell,” Aisling said. “And a thick plot amour if I’ve ever seen one.”

Florence brushed her wet hair aside as droplets of seawater flowed down her face. “Did you want me to give you some space?”

“Well, I didn’t tell you to leap off at the top of a lighthouse.”

“Look, I was also admittedly trying to kill two birds with one stone.”

“If that one bird is trying to drown yourself. Then, if I’m gonna be honest here, you fail miserably.”

Florence threw her hands up into the air. In a swift motion, she slapped the sand.

“Idiot,” Aisling said.

Florence raised her eyebrows. “Pardon?”

“Say it,” Yuze said. She smirked. “Again.”

Aisling smacked Yuze right on the stomach.

Yuze groaned, rolling to her side. She chuckled under her breath.

“About the other packaging box,” Florence said. “How are we supposed to get another one for... the delivery?”

Aisling pulled out a soaking wet packaging box behind her, waving it at Florence’s face.

“How did you find it?” Florence asked.

“It would be better if we don’t get deep into it,” Aisling said. “This is a long story.”

“Pardon me, where are we exactly?”

“In your mom’s basement.”

Florence nodded, tilting her head to the side as she stared at Aisling.

“Sorry, I just needed to get that out of my system,” Aisling said.

“I am just going to pretend you did not say that.” Florence leaned, sliding her fingers through the sand. “So, could you tell me where we are, seriously?”

“District Nine.”

“Wait, already.”

Florence spun around.

Skyscrapers of glass and steel scraped the sky above, towering over her. None of the sunlight could penetrate through the columns of smoke that snaked in between those buildings, rising up higher. The glass panels reflected red from the warning signs.

“If I have to guess what you are about to say,” Florence said, “we are going to make a delivery.”

Aisling nodded. “Exactly.”

“Pardon me, what about the investigation.”

“Should I give you the good or the bad news first? To be honest, there isn’t any good news.”

Florence and Aisling eyed each other silently, with explosions echoing through the street.

“Harbor,” Yuze said. “Other side.”

“Pardon?” Florence asked.

“Our investigation is on the other side of District Nine’s beach,” Aisling said, flapping a soggy packaging box. “So, we’re going to do our deliveries first.”

Stella huffed, crawling towards Florence.

“Dry me, pleb.” Sam rolled onto his paws. He licked his wet fur, gagging and meowing. “Also, clean me because I pay your rent and bills.”

Aisling stood, placing the soggy packaging box behind her head. “Nope. Good luck, I guess,” she said. She scattered the sand beneath her, breezing towards Stella.

“Help,” Yuze said.

“You cannot be serious,” Florence said, pushing herself up. “How are we supposed to deliver those boxes in such conditions? How about we contact the customer who could not deliver it? And then we could immediately head to the harbor for our investigation.”

“Nope,” Aisling said. She wrapped her arm under Stella’s armpit, lifting Stella up. “I’m paying the rent and bills. Not Sam.”

“Catnip addict,” Yuze said.

Sam hissed, baring his teeth. “I’m not an addict. Catnip is a necessity for my survival.”

Florence scratched around the scab of her forearm. “This is unbelievable,” she said. “Could we at least get it done as soon as possible?”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“It won’t take long… hopefully,” Aisling said. She carried Stella, breezing towards the columns of smoke snaking between the skyscrapers.

Florence stretched her limbs out. A crack on her upper back shivered down her spine. She groaned, smacking her forehead before following Aisling and Stella.

“Fine, I guess I have to go with this pleb,” Sam said. “I can feel it. It’s an adventure to snort some catnip.” He rushed towards Florence, leaping onto her dress. He climbed and clawed his way up to her shoulder.

“Wait,” Yuze said.

Aisling waved her hand without looking. “Good luck.”

A scattering of sand inched towards Florence. From the corner of her eye, Yuze limped and caught up to Florence.

They went deeper into District Nine. The skyscrapers towered over them. Columns of smoke rose from ignited cars and infernos inside dumpsters, casting a long shadow. The street was void of any Players, with only the crackling fire accompanying them. Even the cameras with speakers on the pole smashed to bits.

“Pardon me, I know it is a bit too late to ask,” Florence said. “But… what happened here.”

Aisling shrugged. “This happens occasionally. It could be many different things, to be fair.”

“Toilet papers,” Yuze said.

“Wait, what toilet paper?” Florence asked.

“Yup, I almost forgot about that.” Aisling laughed, covering her face. “You’re gonna see it yourself sooner or later.”

Yuze nodded, leaning and wrapping her arms around Florence.

Florence bit her lips. “This is certainly concerning. How does toilet paper get to do anything?”

The metal clanging reverberated, getting louder and closer. Aisling screeched to a halt. She stretched one of her arms out, stopping Florence from advancing. A crackle of electricity tensed up the surroundings.

Aisling tugged Stella to the alley at a quickened pace.

Yuze sank her nail deep into Florence’s skin, pulling Florence towards Aisling. Their footsteps echoed.

Florence groaned. “Why are we going in here?”

Aisling pushed her finger onto her lips. Her chest rose and fell. She hushed, cupping Florence’s mouth.

The clanging of metal resounded. The muzzle crackling with electricity emerged from the corner of the alley.

Aisling pushed Florence, Yuze, and Stella down behind a burning dumpster. Florence fell, scraping her bottom against the rough surface. Aisling’s arms trembled to the touch. At the same time, Sam chewed on Florence’s hair.

A dark silhouette of a humanoid emerged from the street, growing bigger every second. A company of pink androids with one of their arms transformed into a rifle came into sight, halting and looming over them. Florence held her breath, not contacting a single muscle. Her heart raced. Only the crackling fire filled the eerie silence as she dared not move an inch.

Suddenly, an explosion of shockwaves busted through the narrow passage. A brand new column of smoke snaked up to the horizon. Those pink androids wheeled around, marching out of the alley. The clanging of metals faded.

“Where are they going?” Florence asked.

“What? I can’t hear you,” Aisling said.

“Those androids. Why did they leave?”

“I don’t know. But if I’m gonna be honest here, it will be better for us not to know.”

“Why?”

Aisling jumped up, brushing her ripped jeans. She strolled away from the pink androids, tossing one of the lost packaging boxes to Stella.

Florence leaned against the glass panel wall. She took a breath. In and out. Then she stood up with her back rubbing against the surface with a squeak. She helped Yuze to get up as she clenched the bite wound on her left thigh.

“Pardon me, which way are we heading next?” Florence asked.

Aisling glanced over her shoulders, shaking her head. Her footsteps echoed.

“What do you mean, no? Answer me,” Florence said. She trudged while helping Yuze limp towards Aisling. “Could you at least not leave me in the dark?”

“Not dark,” Yuze said.

“I mean… I think we’ll deliver this to the customers.” Stella stood up, holding all the packaging boxes in her arms, stumbling towards Aisling. “But… I mean… I think we should just go.”

Aisling rested her hand behind her head. “If we stay behind and keep talking like that, we might as well turn into ashes.”

“Why?” Florence asked.

The fire crackled.

With nothing much left but to keep moving onwards.

Several minutes had passed. As expected, a smoky-sweet whiff accompanies Florence, Aisling, Yuze, Stella, and Sam wherever they go. The columns of smoke still raised from the fire scattered across District Nine, suffocating them. Without other Players in sight, Florence could only fidget with her thoughts.

Aisling stopped at the front glass entrance of a skyscraper identical to the ones around it. “I think we’re here,” she said. “Is that correct, Stella?”

Stella thudded to the ground.

“Stella?” Florence kneeled down. She tapped Stella on the cheek. “How could I help you?”

“Give her a minute or two to recharge. Her social battery is kinda low,” Aisling said.

“Pardon me, what is a social battery?”

“Is in the name. You can kinda figure it out yourself.”

Aisling scooped Stella up to stand. The glass door slid open, and Aisling tapped her feet across the floor, helping Stella enter the building.

Florence supported Yuze in limping inside, following Aisling and Stella. The lobby floor creaked beneath them, void of furniture. They climbed up the stairs to the eleventh floor, where a hallway with doors and doorbells ran along on each side. The droplets from the soggy packaging boxes splashed onto the floor, forming a long trail.

Aisling and Stella stopped.

Florence bumped into Aisling and Stella.

“I am sorry for my mistake,” Florence said. She bowed and placed her hands on her lap.

Aisling put her arms behind her back, slipping her hands away from Stella.

Stella stared at a poster on the wall displaying a four-piece band advertisement for a performance in the Prince Underground Railway. One of the gal guitarists in a blouse and skirt with white hair reached her waist, hiding her red eyes behind her bangs. At the back of this group, a pink-dye-haired female member played the drum with her drumsticks. But the final two members couldn’t be seen clearly with this paper being worn out.

Aisling reached for the doorknob. “Is it this one?”

“No… I think it is farther down the hallway,” Stella said.

“How could there be a poster inside this building?” Florence pushed her palm on her hip. “Either they are desperate, or… actually, I am not that certain.”

Aisling and Stella knitted their eyebrows with their lips loose, glaring at Florence.

“I am just saying,” Florence said.

“Bad girl,” Sam said. He chewed Florence’s hair. “Catnip.”

Aisling and Stella continued onwards, with Florence, Yuze, and Sam behind. Shortly, stopping in front of a different door.

“I think… I mean, this is the place,” Stella said.

“How are you certain it is this place?” Florence asked. “Why not double-check the address first… wherever it is written before we enter?”

Stella shook her head.

“Well… why bother checking the address anyway?” Aisling clenched her fist, knocking on the door. “Stella had already been… you know.”

Stella nodded.

“Wait a minute,” Florence said. “How did you know where the location is without checking it?”

“I think this is not the time to ask this kinda question,” Aisling said.

“I know. This might be late, but what are we delivering?”

“Pizza.”

“Why did you not tell me that we are making a delivery to the mafia?”

“What?”

The door creaked. Inside that room, a pink-dyed-haired gal sat on a wheelchair, blocking the entryway. She scratched her forearms, covered in scars. Her fingers convulsed, pinching a lever on the armrest. The blanket on her lap rustled.

“This is your delivery,” Aisling said. She jabbed the packaging boxes that Stella held in her arms.

The pink-dye-haired gal widened her eyes. “Stella… is that you.”