CHAPTER 6: What is She Doing Here?

     We shimmy down the power cord. A hundred feet below us the hardwood floor spreads out beneath us like a view of earth from a plane coming in for a landing. Above us the dark underside of the table supporting the house slowly recedes into the sky.

       "Careful," I say.

     "I'm fine," Beta says.

     "OK. Sorry." I can't help but grin. This is exciting.

     When we reach the floor, we make for  the wall and stick to it, walking in single file as we make our way towards the door.

     "Just like old times, eh?" Zero says, and snickers.

       Suddenly it does remind me of those awful few days we spent on the streets after our first escape.

     "Don't remind me of that. What's wrong with you?" Beta says.

     He shrugs, but keeps grinning. "Look at them up there. Suckers."

     The house in it's glass case sits high and ominous behind us.

     "I wonder how long till she comes back?" I ask.

     "I think she's usually gone for at least a couple hours," Zero says.

    When we get to the towering monolith that is the door, I'm greeted by a familiar sight. It's one of the barriers like Naomi had to keep me in her room when she caught me wandering around her house.

    "Fuckballs," I say. "We're trapped in this stupid room."

    "All this work and suspense for nothing," Zero says.

     Beta looks around the room. "Oh hell no, I did not climb all the way down here just for nothing." She points to a metal grate in the wall. "There, we can use the ventilation system can't we? We just need to boost each other up there."      Me and Zero look at each other and nod, smirking.

     "What?" Beta says.

     We shrug and head across the room. "I dunno," I say, "It's just nice to be together again."

     "Assholes."

     We walk across the length of the floor. When we get to the vent, Zero cups his hands together for one of us. I go first, putting my foot into Zero's hold and pulling myself up into the grate. Then I reach my arms down to pull up Beta.      "I can do it myself," she says, carefully making her way up.

     The two of us share a brief look, alone in the vent, before looking away awkwardly. We reach down as Zero jumps up to grab our arms, and we pull him through. The ventilation shaft echoes our voices as we head down the dark hallway. "Hey Beta," I say, nodding to Zero and smirking.

    "Hm?"

    "Getting into here was a grate challenge eh?"

    "Oh Goddd," Beta says, "That was awful."

    "Hey don't mind her, Alpha," Zero says, giggling, "She's just venting, hehe."     "Nooo," Beta says, putting her face in her hands, "You guys are terrible."

    "I don't understand why she doesn't like our puns," I say, "Maybe it's some kind of mental conditioning?"

    "Okay enough with the fucking, vent puns Jesus Christ."

    "Uh oh," Zero says, "Looks this conversation is getting... heated hehehee."     "Well that's okay, if she takes a swing at me I'll just duct."

    Zero and I cackle in delight.

    "Fuck, why did I ever come out here with you two?" Beta says shaking her head.

     We come to the next grate and look through. It opens to a hallway outside, next to a waste basket. Zero decides to go out first, dropping to the floor. Beta is just about to go next when suddenly a door down the hall opens.

    "Shit!" Zero says.

    Huge clacking noises accompany Miranda as she enters the hall in high heels.     "Come on!" Beta says, gesturing through the bars.

    Zero looks around and makes a snap decision to run behind the waste basket instead of climbing back up to us. I concede and scuttle back into the shadowy vent.

    "Zero?" Beta says, looking through the vents.

    I put my finger to my lips and give her a reassuring gesture. The floor trembles as Miranda strolls by in laced boots that reach up just past her knees, and we huddle silently in the shadows. She tosses some some small soft items into the waste basket as she passes us by, making us jump in fear. She stops at the end of the hall and slides open a closet door. Peering out through the vent I see her pull out a light mop and a bucket of liquid. Humming to herself, she methodically unties the laces of her boots.

       Eventually she tosses them into the kitchen. Then she swishes the mop lightly in the bucket and after squeezing it out, pushes it in front of her as she walks back down the hallway. It leaves a winding damp streak on the floor, marked by her footprints, as she passes us, humming happily. She goes back into the room, and the door swings shut.

     "What is she doing here?" Beta whispers. "I thought she took Jeff to his new home?"

    "I don't know. Zero!" I whisper hoarsely, "Move it!"

    "But..." he says. He looks back, staring at something beside the giant waste basket.

    "Come on!"

    Zero disappears around the other side of the can, but reappears shortly. We pull him up into the grate.

     "Whats that?" Beta says.

     "Isn't this... this is Jeff's shirt isn't it?" He says.

     We stare at the torn scrap of green fabric in his hands.

     I feel a shiver in my chest. "Let's go back."