Florence’s eyelids flew open.

Her head rested against the leather briefcase. Her dripping-wet sister sat next to Florence under an unfamiliar chiseled ceiling. Her sister pushed her palms on Florence’s chest over and over again.

Florence coughed, spitting water out from her mouth.

Her sister yelped.

“Pardon me, where am I?” Florence asked. She blinked, scratching around her inflamed forearm.

But, instead of her sister sitting beside Florence, it was Stella.

The door with an electric warning sign creaked open at the end of the main room. Jack entered, carrying the soaked Aisling and Yuze. Then Jack hurled Aisling onto the oak dining table and Yuze into a bin next to a towering lily painting.

Aisling rolled to her side, vomiting a volume of liquids.

Jack stomped across the floor, reaching into his orange polo shirt pocket. He took out a finger-sized metal stick with a plug and tossed it onto the oak dining table. “How did all of you mess this up so badly? And, by the way, thanks for giving me that USB drive, Stella.”

“Are you asking me?” Florence asked.

“Yes, you. But also literally everyone here, excluding me, of course.”

“I was only trying to help out because both Yuze and Stella—”

“So what?”

Florence turned around, glancing over at Aisling.

Aisling whistled, avoiding eye contact with Florence.

“I mean… I was, you know,” Stella said. She hugged her duffle bag.

“Yes, it’s okay,” Jack said. “You can take your time.”

“How about me,” Aisling said.

Jack clenched his fist, turning his hand white. He glared at Aisling.

“Not me if I’ve to kinda guess,” Aisling said.

A loud scratching inside the duffle bag reverberated throughout the air. Florence shivered, cupping her nose as she sneezed.

Those crushed rocks clattered within the tunnel. From the corner of Florence’s eyes, an individual with brown hair obscuring their physical appearance walked through the entrance with an electrical warning sign.

Aisling smiled. “Feno, Jack is being mean again.”

“Pardon me, is that a bipedal bear?” Florence asked.

“Rude, by the way, Florence. She’s not a bipedal bear.”

“Pardon me, did you say that she is a gal?”

Feno crossed her arms, shaking her head at Florence.

The bin with Yuze still inside wobbled, tipping it over and rolling towards the oak table. She stretched her arms, crawling and wiggling herself out. “Yeah, woman,” she said.

“Good, at least those two know,” Feno said.

A droplet dripped from Florence’s hair, splashing on the floor. She pushed herself back to her feet. Her damp dress was shrouded in coldness. She inhaled and exhaled. The bodies coming out of the pipes on the tunnel ceiling still haunted her.

Aisling rubbed her face. “So could we kinda not talk about that?”

“So… I saw this body or something,” Florence said.

“This is exactly what I meant.”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing.”

Jack cupped his television head, coughing and wheezing. He clutched his back, hunching his shoulders. His feet tapped on the floor as he hobbled towards a door leading into another room.

“Don’t worry about Jack,” Aisling said. “Sometimes he is kinda like that.”

“It is just that those things reminded me of… well, those bodies.” Florence scratched the back of her head.

Yuze groaned. She cuddled her bandaged left thigh, which was now soaked. Aisling lowered herself down from the oak table, landing next to Yuze.

“Florence, I think she needs your help again,” Aisling said.

Florence trudged towards them, kneeling next to Yuze. Then Florence grabbed the soaking wet bandage, untying it, squeezing the water out. No blood bleed from Yuze’s open bite wound on her left thigh. Florence tucked her leather briefcase, containing only a scissor, under Yuze’s head.

Florence sighed. “Thank god.”

Aisling’s jaw dropped open. “This is not alright. You gotta help her now,” she said. Her fist whitened, slamming Yuze on the stomach.

Yuze wheezed.

“Could you be more gentle with her, Aisling?” Florence asked.

Yuze nodded. She stretched her hand out, pinching Aisling on the cheek.

A moment of silence dawned between everyone.

“Come on, Florence, how could you say that?” Aisling clicked her tongue, clenching her abdomen. “Why’re you scolding me but not her?”

Footsteps sneaked behind Florence, getting closer by the second.

“Everyone calm down,” Feno said.

“No,” both Florence and Aisling said at the same time.

Feno crossed her arms, twirling her hair.

“Sorry,” Aisling said, raising her palms in the air. “I’m gonna be honest; I didn’t mean that.”

Stolen novel; please report.

“At least Yuze is getting slightly better,” Florence said. “Of course, this is compared with the last time I checked on her. But she must get to the hospital.”

“I don’t get it.”

“You have to believe me when I say it.”

Feno clapped, clearing her throat.

Aisling gave a thumb down, turning back at Feno.

“I’m sorry,” Florence said. “Those bodies from the leaking pipes… I thought I could have forgotten about it.”

Aisling scratched her chin, tilting her head. “What body? This doesn’t make any kinda sense.”

“Carnivorous trees,” Yuze said. She sat back up, leaning against a leg of the oak table. She averted her gaze away from the towering painting of a lily. However, she still squeezed Aisling’s cheek.

Aisling slapped Yuze in the face.

“Stop acting like a bearcat, Aisling,” Florence said.

“A bearcat?” Aisling squinted her eyes. “What’s that?”

Stella sat quietly in a corner, covering her face with the duffle bag. “Could we keep… I mean, not argue a bit,” she said. “I’ve got what you wanted, Feno.”

“Yes, that would be nice,” Feno said.

“Yup, I completely forgot about that.” Aisling placed her palm on her forehead. “Why am I such an idiot?”

“Big idiot.” Yuze smirked, her lips shivering. “Dummy Aisling.”

This time Aisling furrowed her brow, poking Yuze’s injured left thigh. Yuze rolled to the side, cupping her mouth as she screamed.

“Enough of this nonsense,” Feno said. “Did you bring the thing that’s needed, Stella?”

Stella jumped to her feet. “Of course… I mean, indeed I’ve.”

“Where’s it then?”

The duffle bag ruffled, and Stella hugged it. But soon, she stood up, pointing at the USB drive on the oak table.

“Thanks,” Feno said, looking at the oak table. “Actually, could you put your bag right over there?”

Stella nodded.

“I want to talk about something important,” Florence said.

“Spit it out,” Feno said.

Aisling waved her hands. “Could we not?”

“Back in the tunnel, I got pulled in by the body, and then I somehow felt like I was sinking into this massive body of water.” Florence bit her lips. “But how would that be possible? First of all, the body is dead. Lastly, it would not be possible for those leaking pipes to create a lake there.”

“Well, there’s always a possibility,” Feno said. “It might be a ghost.”

“I’m sure it doesn’t kinda look like that,” Aisling said. “I think at least we should talk about this somewhere else.”

“Is it a ghost or not?” Florence glanced around her surroundings.

Stella set the duffle bag next to the USB drive on the oak table. “I’m sure it is a ghost… I think?”

“Many trees,” Yuze said.

Everyone looked at Yuze.

“You’ll get used to her soon, Florence,” Aisling said.

Florence raised one of her eyebrows. “You are talking about her hallucination.”

A smug smile plastered on Yuze’s face.

“Nope,” Aisling said. “Anyways, do any of you want ice creams?”

“We don’t have any here.” Feno tugged at the end of her hair. “You should’ve already known that.”

Aisling curled up into a ball, falling onto her side. She laughed, hitting her head on the floor.

“Feno, are there sugary drinks here?” Florence asked.

“Look around you for a minute.” Feno spread out her arms. “Do you think we’ve got this luxury around here?”

“Does not look like it.”

“Exactly.”

Yuze groaned, putting her thumbs up.

“Hey, you guys.” Feno pointed at Aisling, Yuze, and Stella. “I need to talk with you guys, so come outside right now.”

“Actually, am I getting paid for this?” Florence asked.

“Yup, I’m kinda sure Feno will,” Aisling said.

Feno pulled a phone out of her hair. “No, have you seen her stats at all? It’s horrendous.”

“Why?” Florence said. “I was talking about the charity work in that tunnel outside.”

“Yup, I’m sure… Wait, what?” Aisling stuffed her hands into the pocket of her hooded shirt. “But last time you…”

“Trees,” Yuze said.

“Do you seriously think I could avoid hiring another employee? Couldn’t have been more realistic.” Feno tapped her right foot on the floor.

“But why?” Florence asked.

Feno sighed, staring blankly at Florence.

“Florence’s stats,” Aisling said. “I’m sure it wasn’t so bad.”

Feno showed them the phone’s cracked screen, which displayed Florence’s stats. “Did you see this? All of her stats are errors.”

“How did you get my stats?” Florence reached for her apron pocket, but her phone was no longer there. “Where did it go?”

Feno tossed the phone back to Florence.

“Pardon me, is this mine?” Florence asked.

“Yes.” Feno nodded. She turned around, walking to the entrance with an electrical warning sign. “Aisling and Stella come with me now.”

Aisling ambled toward Feno. Stella also inched her way to them, her legs trembling with each step.

Feno glanced at Stella. Immediately, Stella quickened her pace, following Feno out to the tunnel.

“Wait a minute,” Florence said. “How did you get my phone? However, before she could get any answers, everyone left.”

Florence stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles on her dress.

Now what? Somehow, she found herself stuck here. She shrugged. Of course, given the circumstances, she might discover clues or anything that would get her one step closer to her sister.

Florence wheeled around, tumbling through a door connecting to another room. Jack didn’t move inside, sitting on a stool and staring at the refrigerator. He removed his orange polo shirt and rubbed a red eye tattoo on his lower back. A ball flattened below his feet.

“Pardon me? I want to know about a certain thing from you,” Florence said.

A ball whistled past her face. The crushing of bricks boomed behind her.

She wheeled around.

A hole with the size of a ball was found in the wall.

She turned back, her mouth wide open, staring at Jack.

“Sorry,” Jack said. “I thought there was a ghost.”

“I am certain this is not how you eliminate a ghost,” Florence said.

“How would you know? Ain’t you new here?”

“I am just saying.”

Jack looked over his shoulders, not speaking a single word.

“How many sugary drinks do you have?” Florence asked.

The refrigerator door creaked as Jack opened it. The interior lamp shined, reflecting on the empty metal shelf.

“I should have listened to Feno,” Florence said. She slumped her shoulder.

“Yes, I know.” Jack wore his orange polo shirt back on.

“How did you know?”

“Because you told me.”

An eerie silence floated between them for a few minutes. Florence’s heart sank.

Jack closed the refrigerator door. “So why are you asking me that?”

“For Yuze,” Florence said. “I am trying to make her feel better.”

A clanging of metal rang behind her. She turned back. At the doorway, Stella peeped through it, holding onto the toolbox.

“Hello,” Jack said.

Stella yelped, trembling her legs. “Feno… I mean… she asked me for help.”

“You are already back?” Florence raised her eyebrows. “Did Feno ask you out?”

Stella shuffled, shifting her weight from left to right, ruffling her skirt.

Florence shrugged. “Was it weird?”

“Yes,” Jack said.

“She did pay me to fix… wait, what was it again?” Stella pulled out a phone that was broken in half. “Even though I’m… I mean, not qualified for it.”

In the main room, Yuze crawled into view. “Disgusting plants.”

“Go and do it now, Stella,” Jack said. “Before she comes back.”

Stella nodded, jumping in the air. Her feet pushed against the floor, and she ran away to get on with her work.

“Florence, I know things might be hard for you,” Jack said. “I don’t know what you want. However, feel free to stick around.”

Florence bowed, returning to the doorway and trudging into the main room. A loud ruffle and scratching rang in her ears. No. Not in her ears, but somewhere from the wobbling duffle bag on the oak table.

She lifted her foot, tiptoeing closer.

Her hand stretched out, grabbing onto the zipper. She opened the duffle bag in one pull, revealing a pair of glowing eyes within a void glaring back at her.

A hiss echoed.