Claire's footsteps echoed clearly as she scurried her way through dark, forlorn streets. If someone peeked out of the window to take a gander, they would not be able to discern if the silhouette darting beneath the street lights was a boy or a girl. Claire was utterly garbed in black – with a hood pulled over the head, cloaking her comely face in pitch dark shadow. Her journey wasn't that far anymore.

+++

"How much longer must we wait? I need to take off some highly overheated steam here!"

"We're waiting for the new one."

"Well, where is that wench, then?"

"Ssst! You want Haisley to hear you?"

*snort* "Let her hear me."

*scoff* "I would love to hear you say that when she's within earshot."

"Well, maybe you will."

+++

Gasping, Claire strolled the final meters of her journey at a walking pace. She saw someone waiting for her on the other side of a crossroad – a female. It was too dark to discern the person's features, but the sound of her voice gave Claire more than enough info as to who was standing there.

"I was afraid you might bail on me," Haisley said as a dark silhouette walked up to her.

Claire removed her hood and shook her head – flapping her hair from side to side, shaking back its volume. "Sorry, my mother gave me trouble."

"Well, that's what mothers do, right?" Haisley smiled. "Come, I want to introduce you to some people."

Claire ambled behind Haisley when the latter made her way to the corner of the street. Three other girls stood there. As Claire saw them waiting beneath the grimy orange light of a street pole, it was easy for Claire to recognize them as Haisley's posse.

"These are my girls. From left to right – Samantha, Dina and Cristel. Girls, this is–"

"I know who she is," Samantha interrupted – to the chagrin of Haisley. "it's the sophomore. She's in the same class as my kid cousin – who probably lies in bed already." Claire saw the short-haired girl gazing at her with a dirty look.

"Well, what are you doing here, then? I heard he always reads you bedtime stories before hitting the sack himself." Haisley countered.

"Its Claire, right?" Dina said – breaking the tense atmosphere between Haisley and Samantha. The gentle but pretty-looking brunette reached her hand out with a smile.

Claire nodded back with a smile and answered Dina's greeting. "Nice meeting you. Every friend of Haisley is a friend of mine." Dina said.

"Is it true that Sophie Wilkins is your mother?" Cristel – a cheery, blond girl – beamed and stepped forward while reaching her hand out – almost bouncing an indignant Dina to the side.

"Manners, Cristel. Manners, please." Haisley said.

Ugh, why does every popular girl finds my mother so interesting? Claire thought.

"Sorry," Cristel said with a sheepish grin. "Name's Cristel, but you already knew that." She winked, flirtatious.

"Samantha?" Haisley prodded her third friend, who did not show any intention of doing what was expected of her.

Samantha sighed and walked up to Claire.

"I know your name. You know mine. What more is there to say, right?" Samantha gave a curt smile before walking off.

Haisley rolled with her eyes. "Come, the car's this way."

"Where are we going exactly?" Claire asked from the backseat as she looked through the window. They were leaving the city's outskirts behind them.

"How typical Haisley," Samantha chuckled. "Dragging someone along without filling them in about the plans."

"We're going to do something illegal." Cristel whispered in Claire's ear. "and dangerous."

"Yeah, you better step out while still you can, girl," Samantha added.

"Don't listen to them." Dina flew in. "It will be very dangerous, only not for us."

Claire's eyes filled with confusion.

Haisley looked over her shoulder from the driver's seat. "You ever heard of section K?"

Claire nodded. "My mom mentioned it once a long time ago. It's the most secured area of Lilliputian territory."

"And you know why it's the most secured area of lilliputian territory?" Haisley asked.

"Of course, the girl knows," Samantha said. "It's because they find the Lillis so cute and precious, and they want to protect them, duh!"

"I find them cute!" Cristel chimed in.

"You find everything cute," Gina said.

"They panic so easily." Cristel chuckled and made matching sounds as she pretended that her index-finger crushed some lilliputian infrastructures stationed on her hand.

"As I was saying," Haisley retook word. "It's the most secured area because something is hidden there."

"Something mysterious and powerful," Cristel whispered in Claire's left ear.

"And we're going to find it." Dina's voice added from the right side.

"Are they guarding it? The authorities, I mean?" Claire asked. She started to rue her decision to come along with these girls.

"Mmm, with their lives, I'm telling ya." Samantha said.

"So, how come it is not dangerous for us, then?"

Samantha looked over her shoulder from the front passenger's seat with a sly smirk on her face. "Scared?"

"Well, don't be. I've got it all settled." Haisley said. "A friend of my aunt works at the border patrol and he owes me a favor. He'll sort it, trust me." she winked.

Claire looked out of the window as they passed a sign stating the line:

Do not enter. Trespassers will be shot on sight.

Claire did her best to gulp unseen.

"Convinced enough by Haisley's reassurance to give it a go, girl?" Samantha smiled.

"Your friend is starting to look a bit green there, Hais." Cristel looked at Claire with genuine concern.

"You alright?" Dina asked.

"Of course, she is," Haisley said. "Next to a daredevil, she's also one hell of an actress and you all fell for it, didn't they, Claire?"

Claire nodded absentmindedly.

Samantha sniggered. "Well, actress or not, no one in this car can deny that sharp smell of fear seeping out of her pores right now."

We're here." Haisley said and hit the brakes. The car screeched to a stop and all girls got out. Stretched out in front of them lay a vast field of unmowed grass – brilliantly lit by beams of moonlight coming from the clear and starry night. In the distance – about two football fields away – Claire could discern tiny, faint lights – an innumerable amount – dotting the landscape, sparkling there magically.

"That's lilli-land over there," Cristel's whispered in Claire's ear. "which is synonymous for fun-land to us Brobs."

"W-what are you all waiting for?" Claire asked as no one made an attempt to walk. They all looked at her like they were expecting something.

Samantha snorted. "Well, isn't that obvious? For you, of course! You're the greenhorn, after all."

"Come on. Go. You can do it." Cristel whispered.

"Will you quite the whispering, please!" Dina said. "It's getting lame."

"Sorry, just adding to the ominous atmosphere here," Cristel said.

Samantha snorted. "Here is your ominous atmosphere. Look!" she pointed. "You see that watchtower over there? There are snipers in there and they never miss. Now go, girl!"

"Or get back in the car. The choice is yours." Cristel whispered – which ignited a reprimanding stare from Dina.

Claire looked over her shoulder at Haisley – who simply nodded with her brows in the direction of the lilliputian civilization in the distance.

Closing her eyes, Claire pushed out a strong exhale before striding with a firm pace through the field of grass. Rustling with her feet through the dewed grass, Claire's eyes were mainly locked on the watchtower in the distance.

"Is she going? The girl is actually going." Claire heard Dina's voice punctuated with disbelief.

"Of course she is," Haisley said. Her friend's voice was punctuated with pride.

"Is she going to make it?" Cristel asked.

"No matter, ten more paces, and she's death meat," Samantha said.

Claire looked at the watchtower while counting down her steps. 6, 7, 8… 9………. 10.

"KAPOW!!" Haisley screamed. "You did it, girl!"

Claire turned around and looked like a squirrel who got suddenly ambushed by a pack of wolves when she saw all girls – except Samantha – running towards her all exuberantly.

"W-what are you doing?" Claire said as Haisley gave her a hug. "What about those snipers in the watchtower?"

All girls started laughing.

"No snipers," Cristel said with a wink.

"That thing is abandoned for years," Dina added.

"But, but what about that treasure over there? Who's guarding it?" Claire asked.

"All malarkey," Haisley said. "Just an urban myth which is strongly believed among many people still."

"Including you," Cristel smirked while bouncing her hip against Claire's.

"You believed it too!" Dina frowned at Cristel.

"So did you!" Cristel countered.

Haisley chuckled and looked at Claire. "We all did. You were just the only one who was bold enough to actually cross that watchtower."

"You're a badass, girl!" Cristel said.

"Or you're secretly nourishing some deathwish." All girls turned around when Samantha showed up behind them. Haisley narrowed her eyes as she watched Samantha walking up to Claire.

"But the fact stands, you've got some balls, Claire." Samantha smiled while clasping her shoulder.

First time she's saying my name. Claire thought.

Claire smiled, blushing a bit due to all these words of praise. "So, now what?" she asked.