The factory doors were wide open, like a host had kindly prepared a warm welcome. Pausing on the threshold, Suzy wiped her shoes carefully and gave a slight bow to the spirits dwelling there. Not too low, though- she still had her pride.
Grofo touched her shoulder.
Let me go first, okay? I've got the knife, so it makes Suzy nodded. If thinking that helps you, then by all means- go
The three of them flowed into the wide hall that used to be some kind of workshop. Dim light filtered through holes in the crumbling roof. All around were broken balusters, rusted machine parts, piles of bricks, and torn - up sacks that once held cement or something else industrial.
.. this place is not exactly cheerful, - Grofo muttered, pulling out his phone and switching on the flashlight. - Yeah, it's kind of bright in here, but you know we're gonna end up in those twisty side corridors. Answers are never found in the main hall. That's not how it works in books, right?
Not that I've read a ton. But I've played enough games to know- you always have to go deeper to find the final boss. And when we find him, he's toast!
He'll skin you alive and eat you for breakfast, - Roman - You don't have HP bars or armor or a magic sword. All you've got is a kitchen knife.
Before they could bicker more, Suzy interrupted them:
Grofo's We need to go down those corridors. Something's hiding back there- and you haven't met it yet. You?! And what do you know about what's in there? - The boys jumped at her with questions, but she waved it all off with one commanding gesture and massaged her chest: No, that's what my heart is And it tells me that flickers of night dreams are hiding in there…
Even she didn't fully understand what she was saying, and skeptical Roman muttered under his breath again, - This is nuts, - but her feelings couldn't possibly betray her now! Inside her, all those lacy strands of intuition were being woven on the loom of the heart, and she simply added a new thread at just the right moment. The weaver's job was a hard one, but the girl had never been afraid of challenges.
Suzy was a couple of steps ahead of the boys, forgetting entirely that Grofo had insisted on going first to protect their little crew. Inside her, two chimeras were clashing: one - the embodiment of the boys' disbelief, which could become real if they kept repressing their fear by covering it with humor like a shield. The second could easily turn into a true beast, something right out of myth. And it was very possible that this strange being was just about to materialize in the place they were heading toward.
Broken gravel, rusted metal scraps, bird droppings, and other garbage rustled and scraped under their shoes. Grofo didn't need his flashlight just yet - the many holes in the roof let enough sunlight through to illuminate things pretty well, including the mild surprise on Grofo's face as he noted:
I was here like a year and a half ago, and this place was way more trashed. Feels like someone moved in and cleaned up a The main hall's still a wreck, but the hallways are way cleaner. Look at this!
Probably all three of them said it at once, since each of them had already been noticing the same thing - it was definitely getting warmer. Grofo even unzipped his jacket and wiped off some sweat, though it was more from nerves than heat. Then they entered a room that flipped their entire idea of this place on its head.
Instead of mysterious spirits and other paranormal whatnot, this dark and spacious room had a perfectly patched - up ceiling, no holes at all. But that wasn't what shocked the guys most.
This is incredible! - Grofo breathed, squinting with his hand over his eyes like a visor.
The room was amazing, though maybe not quite as magical as the boy seemed to hope. Suzy had clearly hyped him up to expect something miraculous - like walls glowing with bioluminescent fireflies that lit up the air itself, or maybe swarms of enchanted butterflies or something. But what they found was both simpler… and weirder.
There was something glowing near the walls, but calling the light - magical - would've been a stretch. What looked like small greenhouses filled with mushrooms were glowing under steady ultraviolet lamps, which hung from the ceiling in large cages protecting the delicate bulbs.
The mushrooms lounged in their cozy little beds of substrate, clearly thriving, while machines buzzed softly around them or worked silently with focused precision. Everything in the room seemed designed to help these organisms live peacefully and comfortably.
Our… our dad's an ecologist, - Grofo suddenly remembered, and immediately strode into the pinkish haze like an expert. - That's a thermostat over there - keeps the temperature steady. And that thing's a humidifier; it manages Over there you can see air filters - they clear out the dust… Yeah, whoever owns this place really knows what they're doing to keep these mushrooms alive and kicking.
You actually listened to Dad when he rambled about all that boring stuff? - Roman raised an eyebrow. - Wouldn't have guessed. What, you think I'm stupid? - Grofo snapped Seeing Roman nod with a smug look, he short circuited like a busted console and couldn't come up with a His brother shook his head:
And how do you plan to handle hecklers yelling crap at your stand - up shows?