---

---

Isla nodded to Hagan, stuffing her hands back into the pocket of her hoodie now that they were free again. She looked around with a slightly tilted head. Two of the teenagers were talking to each other while the other one was still strumming his guitar… which then started glowing blue in a similar way to how her beanie did whenever she teleported. He walked outside towards where Penny had gone and she shrugged.

"Fuck that. We need to hit up a place so I can get some damn cigarettes..."

“Orrr we could go to a place that has both!” Isla suggested with a grin. Convenience stores with both were a thing! She understood Zoey’s need for nicotine, but she also wanted food and was pretty certain they’d be able to find a place that had both.

"We're on the same page about leaving, yeah? But should we grab supplies or just haul ass? Do we even know what are our options for even leavin' this shithole?"

“I personally think we should grab supplies before we get outta here,” she said, turning her head to look where Trent and Finley were still sitting. She didn’t know shit about trying to escape some weird shared dream or whatever this was, but she could pretend to be confident. As if this wasn’t all highkey terrifying for her. She was completely on edge but it was easy to not show that, because she’d lived her entire life hiding that. “Dunno about you, but I find it easier to run when I ain’t worrying about whether I’ll run outta water or not.”

The last question was one she definitely didn’t have an answer for, but she still responded. “I dunno about options, but why don’t we just try walking? We ain’t checked out much of this place… Maybe there’s an obvious exit?”

She then looked towards the door, leading to where Penny and Odessa were. “I feel like if anyone has an idea, it’d be that Odessa girl, ay?”

---

“I think it’ll have to do, won’t it?” said Penny, looking sullen as she stared at the marker in her hand. She still felt defeated, but if Caelea actually did become an Apparition then it was nice to know that Apparitions like the Nurturing Will existed. Odessa’s story had given Penny some of her fleeting hope back. It wasn’t exactly what she had hoped for, but it was more than she had expected. Penny sighed and leaned back on the stairs.

“I’m from Shimmer,” said Penny. So, Paradise brought in people from different universes. “Hagan, Zoey, Caelea, we’re all from a town called Farmer Hill. We’re students at this dumb academy. That League of yours was using our town as a prison for this thing called the Glutton, this world-eating son of a bitch masquerading as a God. Things went to shit as they tend to do, it tried to kill a bunch of us, and we eventually unmade the damn thing. Everything got reset, but it was hard to go back to a normal life after that, you know?”

“Guess what I’m trying to say is that I get feeling lost and I get not knowing who I really am. I know I had a life before everything with the Glutton but the further I get away from it all the less and less of it I remember,” said Penny. Her childhood and early teen years were nothing but shredded images. She couldn’t tell if the loss was just part of growing older or something more dire. “The real sad thing is that fighting things like the Glutton might be the only thing I’m actually any good at.”

And she wasn’t even that good at it as her mind looped the image of Caelea getting ripped in two. Penny leaned forward and choked out, “What’s really frustrating is that because of that everyone just looks to me like I know what the fuck I’m doing when I don’t have a goddamn clue when it comes to any of this shit!”

She closed her eyes and knitted her brow as an old, familiar anger boiled inside of her. No, it wasn't just starting to heat up. It had been bubbling for a while like a volcano primed to explode. Odessa didn’t ask to hear any of this, but Penny had to vent. She couldn’t hold in her disgust any longer. Zoey and Hagan should’ve stopped Caelea. Caelea shouldn’t have been an idiot and try to talk to something that had attempted to kill them. Penny shouldn’t have been stupid enough to let them be on their own. The others shouldn’t have distracted her. Just one little release of the pressure and she’d be fine. She knew Odessa would be able to handle it. She seemed unflappable, perhaps one of the positive traits of giving up her humanity.

“Like, I try—”

"Uh, could I get some help? It started glowing when I played and I don't know what'll happen if I sing what I wrote," said Stacey as he walked down to the girls.

He could not have had worse timing in the world.

“Stacey!”

There was no hiding the seething annoyance in her voice as Penny jumped to her feet and turned to glare at the boy. She felt like she was his goddamn mom the way he always ran to her when he had the slightest of problems. Couldn’t he bother someone else for once? She didn’t even notice the glowing guitar as she raised her hand holding the marker and cocked it behind her head.



She chucked the marker downward with frustration. It repulsed away from her and exploded into a mist of black ink at the boy’s feet. Any higher and it would've hit him, doing who knows what kind of damage. Penny hands morphed into fists as she shoved them down to her side and took one step towards the boy. Her face was red, puffy, and twisted into an hateful, ugly expression of pure rage and utter revulsion like she’d just stepped into a pile of dogshit. From the way her hands were shaking, it seemed apparent that she was going to be scrapping something on the concrete. She took one more step towards Stacey and screamed the loudest she has ever in her life, spittle flying out of her jaws like a rabid animal.

It was odd... for someone like Penny to pour their heart out like that. It was strangely comforting, maybe Penny meant it when she said that she trusted her. Their woes weren't that much different. They both had something took from them, a piece that they can never get back... The Glutton. Just hearing that thing's name made her ball her fist, it would cause a bad feeling in her stomach but that part of her was no longer functional. As Penny explained it, Odessa merely shook her head slightly. Shimmer, Farmer Hill, the Glutton, it hardly elicited any type of reaction.

The League, however...

"... They're not my League," Odessa just had to note, "I've turned my back on those tyrants eons ago. And... I bet they don't want me back." She shook her head.

"I guess you and I are much alike... in that, the Glutton took something from both of us," Odessa's little speech began, "I... left this out because a lot of people don't take too kindly to even implying that thing exists - but I dedicated my whole life to stopping the Glutton only to fall short at the last second."

She shrugged.

"I guess I got what I want: a world without that orange ball... and the sad part is; I can't even be with the people I want to be with. And now that it's gone... I realized I was a slave to it. I am... nothing without the Glutton. And what doesn't help is that the Hound took my humanity, too."

“What’s really frustrating is that because of that everyone just looks to me like I know what the fuck I’m doing when I don’t have a goddamn clue when it comes to any of this shit!”

A tear ran down Odessa's cheek. However, she wiped her own tears and a part of her wanted to stretch a hand out to Penny. Given how she responded to Zoey touching her, she didn't think that was too good of an idea. "Everyone's scared, Penny," Odessa started, "We're trapped here - possibly dead - with no easy way out-"

That was when Odessa felt the tingle.

"Excuse me. Uh, could I get some help? It started glowing when I played and I don't know what'll happen if I sing what I wrote."

"Oh boy," Odessa muttered to herself as Penny didn't look like she exactly took that well.

“Fuck! OFF!”

Nope.

Not one bit.

Odessa started awkwardly laughing as she looked between the two as she stood straight up. Odessa had nary a clue how Stacey would take it, probably poorly. Still, she kept awkwardly laughing as she tried to find the right words. How could she try to mediate things with a firecracker like Penny and a kid like Stacey? Probably badly. She got up and walked over to Stacey, still laughing as the situation was uncomfortable.

"... I'll gladly help you, Stacey," Odessa started as she grabbed onto Stacey's hand with both of her own and then whispered in his ears. "Just, uh, another time. Just go back inside, trust me."

She released him as she took a few steps back.

And warmly smiled at him.

“Orrr we could go to a place that has both!”

"... Or you can eat my ass."

Zoey mumbled under her breath as she pushed out a puff of cigarette smoke. Whatever the case, she was not going on any journey without at least one cigarette every thirty minutes. Whatever journey that was... part of Zoey didn't want to move on until they gave Caelea a proper burial. Even if she had to stay behind in here, her conscious wouldn't be clean until she stopped that Apparition.

“I dunno about options, but why don’t we just try walking? We ain’t checked out much of this place… Maybe there’s an obvious exit?”

"And that is the only problem," Hagan said to her as he stood up on his feet and then put his hands back into his pockets. "None of us know the layout of...." He glanced towards the sign across the street and sneered.

"... Paradise."

He shrugged. "While I want to get out of here, this place looks pretty damn big. And I don't want to wander around this joint and get lost. While I love me a good hike we should at least try a car or train or something."

“I feel like if anyone has an idea, it’d be that Odessa girl, ay?”

Hagan shrugged. "... That bitch spooky, I stay away from her."

Zoey shrugged as she looked around. "Odessa sounds like she knows a lot... but nobody knows everything, sis," Zoey said before she shrugged. "People just know what they know. It's worth a shot."

The last thing Stacey expected was for Penny to yell at him, especially with the hatred and disguise on her face. "Stacey, fuck off!" Reminded him so much of what Sandy said at Thanksgiving last year. His mind ascended out of his body, he wasn't thinking when he whipped her new iPhone at the wall broke it. It's like he wasn't himself. He doesn't remember what happened in great detail; just what he felt at the time: Anger. Like he feels now. He should've known not to trust her, because pretty blonde girls were always trouble. Always. But no. He went against his better judgement when he should've trusted his gut, because she saved his life. EMTs did the same for him once, but he didn't sing their praises. Instead he hated them for bringing him back to his miserable life to meet more miserable people and now he's stuck here with the worst of them. Penny didn't do him any favors saving his life; nothing but a backstabbing malicious bitch that was waiting to break his heart. No better than Sandy.

"Just, uh, another time. Just go back inside, trust me." Odessa whispered to him, her hand on his. He snatched away from her, face red and closed off. He didn't want her help. He didn't want anyone's help. He was tired of needing people when he's better off alone. He's always been better off alone.

"Fuck you too, Penny! Caelea's better off dead with a piece of shit friend like you!" Stacey stomped back inside, face stormy and red in his fury. The door slammed behind him. He plopped back on the couch, guitar brighter than it was before. Fuck her. Fuck all of them. If he had to be miserable, then they all should be. He played the same cords from before violently and loud, the symbols returned and circled around him. Blue light crept up his hands to his arms and face, then spread down his body.

"What are you so afraid of?
What do you see in your sleep?
If you face your demons,
Then you'll be set free!"

He sang loudly. Blue shot off from him and covered the interior of the building for an instant, before it was gone. He stopped playing not knowing he fucked everyone that heard his curse. They'll hallucinate what they fear the most, and they'll have to deal with it until they face their fears.

---

There were maybe three entire seconds of silence before Odessa uncomfortable laughter echoed around the steps of the bank, but it only took Penny one of those seconds to instantly regret what she had just done. She took a step down as if that would help her uncross the line and relaxed her fists. Her face was still pained and contorted, but the red was more from embarrassment than anger and her blue eyes glistened. As Odessa moved to comfort Stacey, Penny quickly wiped away the tears as if her cool facade hadn’t already been trampled underfoot by her outburst. Still, if she apologized quickly enough maybe the boy wouldn’t spiral out into another panic attack.

“Sta—”

"Fuck you too, Penny! Caelea's better off dead with a piece of shit friend like you!"

Stacey’s words were a dagger to the chest. Penny jerked back like she’d actually been stabbed and nearly lost her balance, just barely catching herself on the railing as her mouth fell down in her stead. If it had been anyone else she would’ve screamed back, hell, she would’ve rushed them down and made them shit out those words, but with it coming from Stacey it had stunned her. Penny never imagined he had that kind of fire inside him. She clicked her tongue as she closed her mouth and avoided looking at Odessa. Penny believed Stacey was right about one thing: she was a piece of shit friend.

Still holding herself upright with the railing, Penny hung her head and hid her face with her free hand as she lost the battle with her tears. Her shoulders shuddered as she silently sobbed. Stacey’s words resonated with an idea that had already been forming in her mind, fertilizing the seed of a thought and turning it into a great oak tree with gnarled branches that overshadowed anything else in her mind. Penny bit her lip to keep it from quivering and smeared the sleeves of her sweater back and forth over her eyes in a hapless attempt to clean her messy face. Penny lifted her head and looked up at Odessa, determination and certainty shining through her bloodshot eyes.

“He’s not wrong. I am a shit friend. Caelea isn’t the first...” Penny frowned. She let go of the railing and balled her hand as she blew off the bitter memory. She had avenged them. She would do the same now. Penny turned and began to descend the bank steps. She paused only to look back and, with a wry smile, say, “Odessa, could you pass a message on for me? When the others ask where Penny went, tell them she’s gone to bury a friend.”

"Fuck you too, Penny! Caelea's better off dead with a piece of shit friend like you!"

"Sta-Stacey!" Odessa said in complete shock as the words cut deep even in Odessa. She had imagined that he wouldn't take it too well, but this was hurtful even for her. Still, everyone had to stay calm. Odessa sighed... her chest moved up and down. Stay calm, stay calm. Far as they could tell, they were the only people even here. If they couldn't work together then well... the Apparitions out there would find them for easy picking. Stacey stormed off inside and she shook her head. She would try to talk to him later if he would entertain her.

“He’s not wrong. I am a shit friend. Caelea isn’t the first... Odessa, could you pass a message on for me? When the others ask where Penny went, tell them she’s gone to bury a friend.”

Odessa fully understood what Penny meant but her jaw dropped at the mere concept. Because she couldn't wrap her head around Penny doing something so stupid. She clenched her fists and grit her teeth as she spoke, "Penny, you are not going off by yourself," Odessa made it abundantly clear that she didn't approve of the idea. "Strength in numbers. You know that this place is weird."

However, they heard footsteps approaching probably compounding her point. And Odessa's first response was to turn her hand into a mess of wooden vines tipped with sharp blades. She turned her head and upon seeing the person her jaw dropped. She was frozen... and if she could, shivers would go down her spine.

The person who walked up was an African-American girl of average height around their age with a head of kinky black hair. She wore a green dress with a jean jacket and Nike sneakers as she walked up with a book pressed up against her chest.

"You're right, Penny, Caelea isn't the first," The girl softly said as she sighed, "You point fingers at Zoey and Hagan saying they dropped the ball. But, I have a question..." The girl let the words hang up into the air before she said.

"... Why you let her kill me?"



In the middle of their conversation, Stacey stormed back in and Zoey realized that he was gone in the first place (Nice situational awareness, Zoey). He didn't exactly look like he was the best spot right now, and Zoey was tempted to ask him what the fuck was up but he pulled out his guitar and started jamming away. Zoey wondered what it was all about before it hit her...

Her vision was filled with a horrifying image that caused her to freeze in her tracks. It was the sight of herself, or her bodies, all over the place. Some had their throats slashed, others had holes through their bodies, torn to bits in horrific ways. As Zoey looked around, taking cautious steps as she saw herself killed in horrific ways. Her eyes landed on the glowing orange orb that was in the middle of the sky... as she didn't realize that this was all a hallucination.

"... WHAT THE FUCK?!" Zoey screamed.

Hagan was already on his hands and knees as the one thing that he feared the most was right in front of him. The one in the white robe walked up, as Hagan realized that it felt so real. Unlike the other visions. His tormentor had their hands hidden in their sleeves as they said.

"... You don't have nothing to fear, Hagan," They started, "I am always with you. Where ever you go. Where ever you hide. I will find you. And return you back to the loving grace of Mother..."

---

Penny stopped as Odessa spoke up against her going off alone to avenge Caelea. She was right. Penny knew she was right. Penny wouldn’t willingly admit it outloud, but she knew she wasn’t the smartest person around and even then she could tell that her idea was a stupid one. Only, it didn’t matter. It didn’t matter if it was dumb. It didn’t matter if it was suicidal. Penny had to go after that thing, and she had to kill it. She wasn’t worried that the others wouldn’t come along with her if she asked; she was worried that they would come along.

“Odessa, handling weird is kind of what I do,” said Penny, turning to catch Odessa’s look of horror as her hand weaponized into an array of barbs. At first Penny thought Odess was threatening her, but then she heard the footsteps too. She turned with her heart in her throat as she heard the eerily familiar voice. A smile of recognition appeared on her face. It couldn’t be! A warmth flowed through her body as she swelled with happiness and relief. How was this possible?

“Lynette!” shouted Penny as she jumped down a step to give the girl a hug.

"... Why’d you let her kill me?"

Penny flinched and froze a few steps above her friend. This had to be a trick, and it was a goddamn mean one. She placed her hand over her second sigil, the one that had once been Lynette’s, and cast the phantom of her friend a suspicious look. This place wasn’t just weird. It was hell, and it was torturing her. Penny drew in a ragged breath as she dropped a hand down to her bag. Odessa had said that all Awakened became Apparitions, but this felt wrong.

“She wouldn’t say that,” hissed Penny, as much to herself as it was to Lynette. Her hand shook. Even if Penny still blamed herself for her friend’s death, she knew Lynette had forgiven her. Lynette had even forgiven her killer, which was something even Penny couldn’t bring herself to do. Still, she hesitated, glaring at this Lynette through narrow eyes.

“What the fuck are you?”

---

---

Isla gave a slight nod of agreement to what Hagan said about getting out… walking definitely wouldn’t work. She opened her mouth to respond but then Stacey walking in caught her attention. He seemed far from happy.

Then he started playing his guitar like a madman, lighting up in an unnatural blue colour that had Isla’s eyes widening. She didn’t have anytime to consider what was happening as her vision suddenly swam and her mind filled with voices.

“Why did you tell us your parents were rich, Isla?”

“You’re not really dating him, are you?”

“Why did you lie?”

“Liar, liar, liar, liar.”

Isla slammed her hand over her ears as she curled over herself, shaking her head even as the accusations continued and the visions of people she just about recognised. She blinked once, then again, to try to get away but they followed her. This couldn’t be real, how was this even happening, how did they know about everything she’d lied about?

“Nobody will like you how you are.”

“You just make up everything.”

“Liar, liar-”

“Shut up!” Isla shouted, scrunching her eyes closed and curling into a ball over herself.

Something wasn't right here, it just didn't sit well with Odessa. Her ability to sense the Extra-Normal should have went right off... but it didn't. And she knows for a fact this "Lynette" was Extra-Normal. Odessa held her hands together below her waist as she watched the two interact with each other. Something wasn't fully right here yet she couldn't put her finger on it. It was like Odessa wanted it to be true, yet she knew it couldn't. A fantasy that was tempting her to indulge.

“What the fuck are you?”

The words hung in the air for a moment as Lynette looked... hurt by the words. Still, she shook her head as she replied with a wry smile on her face.

"... Forty-three kilograms of carbon, sixteen kilograms of hydrogen, seven kilograms of nitrogen, one-point-eight kilograms of calcium, one kilogram of phosphorus, zero-point-seventy-eight kilograms of potassium, point-fourteen kilograms of sulfur, point-fourteen kilograms of sodium, point-ten kilograms of chlorine, point-ninety-five kilograms of Magnesium... and oxygen."

She topped off the lengthy spiel with laughter as she said, "Or in layman's terms: human. I bet you could come up and poke me and I'd feel like it." She shrugged as she laughed again.

Smartass. Odessa rolled her eyes as the Lynette fumbled with the book in her hands.

"I'm just wondering why you were giving Hagan and Zoey so much shit for something you too are guilty of," Lynette started, "I mean it's okay - it really is - nobody's perfect." She shrugged.

"... I can say you aren't Extra-Normal," Odessa trailed off, "Which doesn't make sense because..."

"Well," Lynette said with a shrug as she threw a thumb back towards Penny. "She has it, Odessa. Which is a weight off my shoulders." Lynette said with a wry grin.

And Odessa was silent because those words cut deep. She took in a deep breath and let it out as she balled her fists. "I never told you my name." She simply said.

Lynette took a few steps towards Penny as she began to explain. "But, it isn't my place to talk about what happened to Caelea... I just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself out here, Penny."

She took a deep breath as she kept her distance because she knew that Penny didn't trust her. Not that she needed to be close to explain herself.

"Because... there are so many Apparitions because here... there's nowhere to move on to," The words hung in the air, "Souls are trapped here... boxed in without a key. And without the ability to move on they become Apparitions. And even the strongest minds get broken by loneliness over time, Penny..."

Lynette shook her head as a sigh escaped her lips.

"... I'd hate to see that happen to you when you still need to tell them about what happened."

Stacey finished playing and looked up, the anger, sadness, and betrayal faded some. He felt better like he always does when he plays out his feelings, except this time everyone else were freaking out. What the hell did he do? He looked down at his guitar. It wasn't glowing anymore, but whatever it caused had Zoey freaking out, Hagan on the floor, and Isla disappeared and came back all over the bank. Oh no. This is what he was afraid of. It's just like the Thanksgiving incident. What the hell is wrong with him?

You're a pussy ass bitch, that's what's wrong with you.

Stacey froze. He didn't want to look up, because there's no way Sandy is here. She can't be. If she had powers she would've fucked up the town if she could. Probably be on her way to world domination or drag him into a Natural Born Killers joyride across the country.

She's not wrong little bro.

Look at us when we're talking to you.

He looked up then. Standing in front of him were his ex and his older brothers: Sandy, Brodie, and Braeden. She was short and slight, wore a leather jacket, dressed like an alternative rock kid from the early 2000s, and she could stand to eat more, but she had a habit of skipping meals when she's in a bad mood, which was all the time. Brodie and Braeden looked like they came out of Abercrombie and Fitch ads. Tall, muscular, defined abs, straight short brown hair, and brown eyes. They could be twins, but Brodie was a year older than Braeden. They didn't have his wide nose, thick lips, and hazel eyes, nor his curly hair. They were everything he wasn't. Perfection in college football Letterman jackets.

"What? How?" He looked around, but no one paid him any attention. Too busy with things he...couldn't...see. Oh no. What magic he has caused this, didn't it?

Does it matter how? We're here now to keep you company.

Yeah, you disappeared on us all of a sudden. We missed you. Braeden's face said anything but. He looked more ready to punch him in the gut than anything else. Would probably be his face, but last time that happened sent him to the hospital under suicide watch.

"You're not real. You're not really here." He closed his eyes and tried to block them out.

You say that, but you really fucked up this time, Stace. You really think all these people would want you in their group now after what you did? You thought you had friends, but look where that got you. Now you're the most hated person here. More than the monster that took their friend. Told you all you truly needed was me.

He'll die here? No. He doesn't want to die here, but he can't survive if he has to hear and see the people that frighten him the most. At least she's not here. Wait, why isn't she? He turned left and right, even looked behind him, but nothing.

You looking for mom? She should be here, but you're not worth her time even as a figment of your imagination.

No. She'll come, because she's always lurking in the background ready to punish him when he steps out of line.

---

---

Finn and Trent had remained on their couch, the older kid still trying to make some sort of sense of their situation. The others had all eventually woken up, several chatting with each other or leaving the bank. Finn sighed, and turned to Trent.

"We sh-should try to find something for you to...to eat..."

And then there was screaming. One of the girls, at this point Finn wasn't sure, was yelling, and then Stacey rushed into the bank lobby, upset. Finn blinked, they wondered what had lead to that yelling match, and so early in the morning.

But then Finn heard a voice, raspy and weak and filled with hatred.

"Give me back my body you freak."

Finn quickly looked in the direction of this voice, and they found themself looking in a mirror. Well, not an actual mirror. They were looking at themself...no...not themself. It...looked like them yes, physically at least. But this was not Finn this was the girl. The girl in the car. The girl, still mangled and bleeding. A gash across her face, glass and mud mixed with the wound, her limbs snapped and bent. It was a miracle that she was even able to stand.

And she was glaring at Finn, trembling with rage. Finn was shocked, but before they could try to speak the girl spoke again.

"Give me back my body. Now!"

Finn swallowed. They had, for the most part, been able to keep themself looking calm. But their breathing had gotten heavier, their eyes flickering around. After stuttering a moment they finally spoke.

"I...I am so sorry. It was a mistake...I don't know how to le-"

"Kill yourself.

Finn blinks, trying to swallow the lump in their throat. The Girl spoke again.

"We are both trapped until you do.

For several moments Finn was frozen. But after a few, breathless, seconds, Finn stood up, slow and shaky. They looked towards the front desk of the bank, and after a moment began to walk to it. Finn walked with a strangely...neutral expression, seemingly not noticing the distress of the others around them. As they walked the Girl followed, her movements jerky and unnatural.

"You're not human, you know. You're a monster. You're pretending to be a human. You're a wolf dressed like a sheep. You're pretending to be something good.

Finn walked around the desk and began to shift through the drawers, eventually finding something they were looking for. A pair of scissors.

They slowly pull the scissors out of the drawer, clutching them in their shaky hands. For a moment Finn's eyes flickered around the lobby of this bank. And for a moment they were pulled from their terror. Everyone else, although they were muffled by the pounding in Finn's ears, seemed to also be distressed.

Finn raised the blade of the scissors to their neck, eyes squeezing shut as they tried to expel the vision of the girl from their mind. She couldn't really be here...right? But then again, the others called this place strange, said strange things and creatures were here. Maybe she really was trapped wherever they were.

They press the point of the scissors into their neck.

---

Penny shook her head as Lynette listed off half of the periodic table. A pained expression formed on her face as her denial swole until it began to leak from her mouth in soft, nearly incoherent refusals. The muted orchestra of nos, stops, and shut-ups played the harmony against her friend’s tune and ended abruptly when Lynette barked with laughter. Penny winced at the sound. The laugh was the perfect imitation. She twisted her head further down and bit her lip in a pitiful attempt to stop her body from trembling. No matter what this Lynette said, no matter if it was actually composed of all of the chemical compounds that constructed a human being, it couldn’t possibly be Lynette. She had seen the girl die. She had seen it almost every goddamn night.

"I'm just wondering why you were giving Hagan and Zoey so much shit for something you too are guilty of," said Lynette, the accusation heavy in her voice.

“I never said I—” The exasperated words that poured out of her mouth were cut short as Penny shut her eyes and covered her face. Her fingers squeezed her head so hard that she felt like her skull was cracking. How did Lynette even know that? Stacey had interrupted her before she could confess those feelings to Odessa. It didn’t matter. Lynette was right. Even the part that was aware enough to blame herself still piled most of the guilt upon Hagan and Zoey, making Penny think that she was only at fault for believing in them. Penny sat down on the steps with her hand on the back of her neck. She felt completely gutted.

“I just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself out here, Penny."

Penny dropped her hand and lifted her head. This sounded more like the person she knew. Her eyes watered as Lynette took a few careful steps towards her and then stopped. Lynette had always been so smart about not crowding Penny when she was clearly upset. Penny scrapped her thumb against her lip as she listened to the girl’s warning, her nail cutting a thin scratch on her cheek as the final thing Lynette said completely caught her off guard. Ever since falling asleep in an airport and waking up in Paradise she had been so distracted by everything going on that she had nearly forgotten what had made her leave home in the first place.

“Lynette, I am getting out of here alive,” said Penny, her voice strained. “I am going to avenge Caelea, find a way out of this shithole, and tell Jaden and Cierra about what happened to you. I don’t fear the loneliness getting to me, because I have the best goddamn secret weapon I could ever hope to have.” Penny tapped the sigil that had once belonged to Lynette. “You’re always with me. Your dreams, your memories, every shitty thought you had about me that was, I’ll admit, totally deserved? They’re always there when I need it.”

“So,” Penny kicked her feet out in front of her and jumped up with a shit-eating grin, “I’m never alone, but I appreciate the concern.” Penny tucked her elbow under the other and stretched, fixing Lynette with a glare. “But if you really think that some stupid city full of jerkass ghosts is going to get the better of me and make me break my promise then you can go fuck right off. I know Lynette. I know she’d never have doubted me.”

Lynette smiled at Penny.

"... You're right," Lynette said with that same cheeky smile on her face. "Go on then and tell Kimberly I said hi when you see her." She chuckled.

And when Penny blinked, Lynette was gone. Without a trace... was she even there in the first place?

Odessa was quiet the whole time... but wondered what was wrong here. With "Paradise"... was that girl an illusion or a figment of their imagination. Odessa was getting tired of the weird shit this place was throwing their way but she felt like this was merely the beginning of it all. She just shook her head as she just tried not to think too hard about it, for her sanity and tried to focus on Penny here.

Her hand turned back into flesh as she shook her head. So, it seemed like Penny was intent on doing this... which Odessa personally wasn't against. She wanted a piece of that Apparition as much as anyone else did, but she was going to go about it more smartly. Smarter than wandering around a place like this by herself searching for an Apparition - if she could even find the Apparition. The place's geography was... inconsistent, and that was what Odessa should have said earlier but the whole thing with Stacey kind of threw her off a bit. Just a tad.

Still, Mao and Lilith just disappeared and they all went from a recreation of Farmer Hill to a cruise ship... and now they're here (And Odessa didn't know how long that'd last). Talking Penny out of this was impossible, but what was also impossible was Odessa letting Penny wander off alone. So, they'd have to compromise here. Odessa sighed.

"... Penny, I know you're dead set on this, and I know I can't talk you out of this, but I can't let you wander off here alone," Odessa softly started as she put her hands together. "Let me help you... I know a way to get abscised out of a body, and this is partially my fault in the first place. If I had been a little faster, I could have sealed that Apparition when it was vulnerable."

She shook her head as she turned towards the door - halfway, she didn't trust Penny to not run off. Or do something else crazy. The girl was emotional at the moment and Odessa understood why. Truth be told if Penny left there would not be a thing Odessa could do to stop her. Nor would she attempt to track her in this hellscape. Odessa's hand made contact with the door and she opened it to tell the group that they intended to leave...

... only to see that the entire lobby was empty. Everyone was gone. Without a trace. And Odessa's jaw dropped as she turned back towards Penny.

"... They're gone."



... This shit can't be fuckin' real.

Zoey thought to herself as she fell on her hands and knees. This had to have something to do with Stacey because this shit ain't start until he came back in ready to cry. What did Penny do to Stacey... but as her eyes landed on the glowing orb that little tingle in the back of her skull began, well, tingling. This wasn't Zoey's first rodeo with the (to put it quite bluntly) fuckin' weird and it ain't her last as she started piecing things together one step at a time.

The bodies disappeared as she sighed. It's all... an illusion. It can't be real. There's only one Zoey, and even if she had a hard time believing it sometimes; she ain't dead. She took a deep inhale as she closed her eyes and put her fist behind her elbow and stretched her upper arm and focused on the sensation. The feeling of her arms stretching as she tried to break the illusion placed on her.

Like how she was going to break Stacey's ass when she kicks it.

Opening her eyes she let the air out and looked around as everyone else wasn't taking it too well. But then her eyes landed on one of the kids... Finn. Her fucking heart sunk as she saw the scissors at her neck and she operated off of instinct as she ran fast as she could towards the girl. Then she threw herself directly at Finn in some sort of weird tackle... and probably thought about how stupid it was to just throw herself face-first towards a girl with a sharp instrument.

That girl over there. Doesn't she kind of look like me? Stacey wishes she hadn't noticed. Wonder if she'll kick your ass when she finds out what you did.

You wouldn't stoop so low to let a girl beat you up right, Stace?

Bro, she looks like a linebacker. See how tall she is? She'd wipe the floor with him. Braeden nodded over to Hagan. Yeah, you're dead.

Nah, he'll be fine. Stacey can take his beatings. A guy like that couldn't kill you that easily, right little bro. Gotta make sure you come back in one piece, so we can rip you a new one for disappearing like that.

Stacey gripped his guitar close to himself, his breathing shallow. What was he going to do? He wanted to go home a few days ago, hell, he wanted to go home right before all this happened, because his family and ex were better than than monsters and powers. Now that they're talking to him he might reconsider. He also can't stay here. Not after they snap out of it. He has a feeling the hallucinations will come and go like his panic attacks. The group won't want him around he knows that, but where else can he go. He won't make it here alone and he doesn't want to be.

Calm, Stacey, calm, breathe. He just needed to drown out the noise like he always does. He played a song on the fly. It didn't glow this time, which is good, though he doesn't think another spell could make this any worse. After a few minutes he calmed down. Sandy, Brodie, and Braeden were gone, but he felt them in the back of his mind ready to fuck with him if he slips up. He stopped strumming at the same time he saw Zoey run across the bank and tackle Finley. What the hell? He stood up and looked around. Was there a monster he needed to get out of the way of, but there was nothing. What if Zoey taking out Finley was the work of a hallucination? But what should he did? He can't take her on. Braeden was right about that, but he feared approaching Hagan. He took his chances with Zoey and Finley. Maybe it wasn't what he thought it was. He walked over, cautious.

"Everything alright?" He didn't attempt to touch her. He read that touching someone in the middle of a hallucination could end bad.

---

---

It was strange. Part of Finn knew, or at least believed, that this was some sort of illusion or trick. It was too...specific to what they feared. But the much louder part of Finn knew that this could be completely real. And fear does wild things to one's mind. As Finn continued to press the scissor blades into their neck, the skin starting to yield and scratch, they felt like they had tunnel vision.

All they could see was their hands, shaking at they tried to pierce their neck. And all they could hear was the Girl and her raspy, furious voice, urging Finn to hurry up and die.

So Finn was a little surprised at the tackle. Well, more like completely.

Zoey was able to completely side tackle Finn, knocking them off their feet and sending them sliding into a nearby wall. The scissors are dropped with a clatter, a small splatter of blood drips off the sharp tip. Finn is dazed a moment, rubbing the back of their head where they collided with the wall, and flickering visibility for a moment. After a short recovery Finn began to look around, anxiously. A thin trail of blood dripped from a small cut in their neck.

But the Girl was gone.

"B-but...s-someone was...was..."

Finn stutters for a moment, looking around the lobby. They barely noticed Stacey approach, as their confusion began to change to embarrassment. Finn slowly puts a hand over the cut on their neck, looking away from Zoey and taking a shaky breath.

Honestly, Zoey had not a clue of what the fuck was going on right now. At least she knew that she stopped Finn from killing herself... from Hagan and the reactions of the other maybe everyone was seeing some fucked up shit. The same type of shit that she just saw. She took in a deep breath as she quickly snatched the scissors away and Zoey couldn't look at the traces of blood on it without cringing. Finn muttered something and Zoey was honestly too exhausted to even question it at this point. She took a deep breath as she asked a simple question to the girl.

"... Are you okay?"

A part of Zoey wanted to ask what the fuck did she see but that was not a good idea to straight up ask. Zoey wasn't a therapist - she needed a lifetime of therapy after what she's been through - and she didn't have the words or the place to question Finn on this. With another sigh Stacey walks up and asked if they were okay... and Zoey balled her fists as she completely ignored what he said and was about to say something...

The person in the white robe disappeared from Hagan's sight without a word. He looked around, the sheer shock of it was... disorienting. However, Hagan knew he wasn't that smart, but he had a strong suspicion about what happened. That fear was turning into a rage as Hagan quickly closed the distance between himself and Stacey and whipped the nerd around and snatched him by his collar. Hagan looked him in the eye as she hissed.

"What the fuck was that, Stacey?"

"... Yeah, what the fuck was that?" Zoey jumped in as Hagan started asking the questions that she wanted to know. "What the fuck did you do?"

---

---

Finn still felt...stunned. Coming down from the hallucination, the the sort of out of body experience their fear caused, made them feel...disoriented. The small cut on their neck hurt, sure, but what hurt more was what that cut implied. Zoey spoke to them, her voice feeling distant and soft.

After a moment Finn nodded, but couldn't quite speak. They were going to be fine, they just needed a moment to calm down.

But when Hagan suddenly grabbed Stacey, and Zoey joined him in shouting, Finn immediately began to panic again. If Stacey was the one who had caused them to hallucinate, Finn recalled him stomping back into the lobby, clearly upset, right before the visions began. Finn squeezed their eyes shut, clapping their hands over their ears. Panic rising in their chest, making it hard to breathe. After a moment Finn was able to stutter out, their voice full of fear:

"Don't yell at him! He's gonna...he's g-gonna do it again!"

---

Penny chuckled with the shade of her friend, the tender yet forlorn smile on her lips slowly dying as Lynette vanished into thin air. Yet somehow she felt better, the cold sorrow in her chest replaced by the warmth and excitement that came whenever Penny set her mind to something. She cracked her knuckles. She didn’t have a goddamn clue where to actually start looking for Caelea’s killer other than away from the bank, but she didn’t need one. Penny would turn over the entirety of the city if she needed. She was pretty certain she could, too, given the proper amount of art supplies and pocket rockets.

She had barely lifted her foot from the ground when Odessa called out to her. The words made her stop as Penny weighed the options. It would be nice to have Odessa along, solely because the strange girl could sense Extra Normals. However, that very ability was the reason why Odessa should stay with the others. She could warn them, give them a chance to prepare themselves against whatever other horrible things there were lurking out in this city. Penny could handle herself, but the others? They needed all the help they could get. She turned to reject the girl’s offer.

“They’re gone,” said Odessa from the top of the stairs.

Well, that solved the problem of Penny needing Odessa to stay behind to watch the others. Perhaps she’d take the girl with her after—wait. “They’re what!?” Penny took the steps up to the bank two at a time before rushing past Odessa. Echoes of feet pounding on marble tiles, doors slamming against walls, and names being shouted at the top of her lungs bounced around the empty lobby as Penny searched for the strangers. Bathrooms, offices, and open vaults were blitzed through, but there was no sign of anyone else being inside of the bank. When Penny returned to Odessa inside of the lobby her head was shaking and her eyes looked frantic.

“Seriously, what the fuck man why did they—how did they—where did they—” Penny gestured wildly and broke out laughing, mostly from the shock of it all. She spoke between chuckles, sounding so baffled that it almost seemed like she was a little amused by her own bewilderment “Like this is just great! How does everyone just keep disappearing? Searching for one person would be hard enough, but trying to find half a dozen? Shit!”

Penny threw back her head and groaned, effectively ending her own giggle fit. She turned to Odessa with a shrug, “Any guesses as to what we do? I mean obviously we got to find them, but like how? Can you do your weird thing and sense them?”

Stacey felt trouble coming right before Hagan turned him around and grabbed his collar.

"What the fuck was that, Stacey?"

He knew this would happen, yet he wasn't ready for it. It wasn't comforting when Brodie said he could take it. He's sure he could, but he doesn't have the benefit of a hospital if his ribs break or he gets a concussion. Overlaying Hagan's face was Brodie and Braeden, and other members on the football team. Black edged his vision. He panicked, slapping at Hagan's hands to let him go.

"Let go, let go, please. I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. She ki-kissed me first." Tears clouded sight. He cried. "I didn't touch her. I swear, Brodie, I didn't!" He hiccuped, breath short, fingers tingled as they lost feeling, and his face turned red. "Do-don't hit me, Brodie. I'm sorry!" He completely lost it, movements frantic to get away despite his body feeling numb and he couldn't breathe. Get away, get away, get away. He couldn't outrun them, but he could try. Could he get to his car and drive away? But he'd have to come home eventually and Sandy wouldn't want him at her house for long. He's not ready for a beating. "Please." He coughed, throat clogged.

---

---

As the whispering continued in her ears Isla blinked again, bashing right into the front desk with a pained cry. She held her head as the hallucinations followed her vanished and looked around, completely disoriented and confused from all the blinking she’d done while panicked. Zoey had grabbed Finley who appeared to have a knife to his throat. She shook her head.

They must have all seen stuff too.

Hagan grabbed Stacey by the collar and started shouting at him, and Zoey joined right in. Isla grimaced as she pushed her hair off her face and stood up. She disliked seeing shit as much as the next person but this was not the solution. As much as Isla wanted to give the guy a good slap herself… But that was beside the point. It helped that her hallucinations seemed to have been on the lighter end of things, going by Finley.

She walked over and grabbed one of Hagan’s arms, looking at him with a completely fake but convincing confidence. “Let go of him. This ain’t gonna help.”

She tilted her head in Stacey’s direction. “We won’t get any info outta him when he’s like this. He clearly has no idea what you're talking about or who you even are right now. Let him calm down first then we can question him.”

Even as she spoke Isla kept one eye on Hagan, knowing pretty well that grabbing someone who was angry was generally a bad move. She tensed herself to use her abstraction in the likelihood that he’d swing at her instead.