It had been exactly one month since the whole incident occurred - the weird cult down the mine, the ghosts... it all seemed like some kind of weird long dream.

Mae was doing much better. Her headaches had all but gone, her stress levels were way down, and her parents didn't seem to be quite so upset about her dropping out of college. In fact, she was even looking to try and get a position at the ol' pickaxe temporarily. Working with Bea would definitely be fun, and if she asked for a lower pay, it wouldn't be such a financial strain on Bea or her dad.

She tried to forget about Gregg and Angus moving to Bright Harbor. There were still a few months left with life as it was, so she figured it was best to shut up and enjoy the time they were still there for. Maybe she'd even move somewhere near them... if Bea would ever be able to move herself.

"Oof, as great as pastabillies was, Taco buck is pretty damn good."

"I can't argue with that, but I feel like I'm gonna die."

The car hummed quietly against the road as Bea and Mae drove through the thick forest on the outskirts of town.

"Who knew pizza and tacos would be such a good combo? That's like, two of my favorite things ever joining forces."

Bea smiled. "It was fine, wasn't that good."

"It was amazing!"

There was a pause as Mae watched the trees zoom past the windows. It was dusk, but she could still make out the forest around them.

"Uh... where are we going again, exactly?"

"Party. Out somewhere in the woods. You don't remember?"

"I'm not sure I would call it a party.. it's just you, me, Gregg, and Angus."

"Eh. A gathering, then. Whatever you prefer."

"What are we... even doing?"

"Who knows? I'm hoping they don't plan on eating stuff because... I can't fit anything else in my stomach, it might explode." Bea groaned, resting one hand on her belly while the other remained on the wheel.

"That would be cool. There'd be Bea stomach juice all over everyone."

"It wouldn't be cool at all. I'd probably be dead."

"Yeah, but that's a pretty great way to go out."

Bea continued looking straight ahead, face lit by the ember of her cigarette.

The car was silent again.

bruuuuuuuuu

"Did you just...?"

Bea had already gone red.

"Shut up, Mae."

"Oh my god, you did!"

"I said shut up."

"You totally just farted!"

Bea slowly wound down her window.

"Hahahahhahahahaha"

"Come on, what are you, 10? It's not that funn-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHHA"

"Jesus, Mae! I couldn't help it, tacos make me gassy."

"That sounded like a question! Hahahah! Bruuuuuuu!"

"Oh my god. Shut up, or I'm literally going to throw you out of the car."

Mae suddenly let out an exaggerated retching sound.

"Eugh! Oh my god! Is that your fart?"

"Mae. SHUT UP!"

"Ewwww... dude, that smells toxic!"

"Will you please stop smelling my..."

"I didn't volunteer to! It forced its way into my nostrils! I'm a victim here!"

"It's like you never heard someone fart before."

"I mean, I've heard myself fart. A lot."

"Well, yeah.. but... just leave it..."

There was another pause.

"That does smell pretty bad, though..." Bea couldn't help but smirk slightly.

"Right? I mean, what kind of smell even is that!? It's like... ew, I can't place it."

"It's gas. You're not supposed to 'place it'"

"Yeah, but like.. farts usually have a smell, yknow? Like.. rotten eggs, or something."

"You are disgusting, Mae."

"I'm not the one farting!"

"God, just leave it alone."

"Bea, roll the window back up."

"What? Why would I-"

"Please, just do it, quickly.."

Confused, the reptile put the window back up again.

frrrrraapp

"MAE!"

"No, no, I'm proving my point."

"Eurgh! Please do not ruin my seats with your farts!"

"You did it."

"Yeah, but that's different.. it's mine."

"Wait.. no... smell.. I wanna prove my point here."

"What point?"

"That farts have certain smells you can identify!"

"Euegh! Eughhh! Oh my GOD, that smells effing... that's not natural!"

Mae chuckled. "I try."

"Jeeeeeez... wow... eugh..."

"Hmm... see, that smells like cabbage."

"Oh my god, you're not seriously.."

"Yeah! Cabbage, and like... kinda eggs? See! It smells like something! Yours didn't even smell like anything I can recognize."

"Yours is a million times worse"

"Pfft. At least it smells of something."

"What did you eat to get something that smells so awful?"

"I dunno. I just kinda eat whatever's in front of me."

"Bleugh... rancid.."

"Wait, Bea, fart again. I need to test this."

"Oh my god no."

"Please! I won't tell anyone!"

"I mean.. I do have gas"

"See? It works perfectly."

"And I don't wanna have stomach cramps all night."

"Yeah!"

"Whatever. I don't even care anymore."

Bbrrrrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmpt

"Whoa. That was long!"

"Agh.. I needed that. I really did."

"Whew! So much for being embarrassed, huh?"

"Oh, shut up. You asked for it."

Mae sniffed the ripening air in the contained car, eyes and nose contorting.

"Eww, ok, that one smells a little worse than mine."

"It's not worse. Smells sort of.. satisfying"

"Yeah to you! But still... that doesn't smell like anything!"

"It smells like a fart."

"Yeah but, like I have no reference point for this smell. It's just a trash smell. A trashy smell."

"Thanks, Mae, very poetic."

"Hehe.. you know what this smell reminds me of?"

"No?"

"High school. That slumber party."

Bea once again went red.

"Please don't remind me. I was feeling sick that night, ok?"

"So it was you!"

"Yeah, you got me. I farted once at a slumber party like five years ago."

"Man, all these years I thought it was Gregg."

"Oh no, Gregg's farts have their own aroma, believe me."

"Haha.. I bet Gregg farts so cute"

"He doesn't. They smell awful, he finds it funny though. Like you."

"You ever farted in front of Gregg before?"

"I mean, apart from that slumber party.. no."

"You must be really good at holding them in."

"Well, I wasn't a few moments ago."

"Hahahah I just remembered."

"Eh, I do it at home mostly. Dad and me do it while watching tv, he doesn't mind."

"That's weird. I hide my farts from literally everyone."

"Mae.. you just let out a very loud fart right in front of me."

"That was to prove a point!"

"Yeah, and it smelled horrible, so I can see why you hold them in"

frrrrt

"Bea!"

"What? You said you wanted me to fart, right? I needed to."

"Well... it's kinda gross to just do it like that!"

"Eugh.. ok, I'll admit that was a little potent."

"But still, that doesn't smell of anything. I think my eyes are watering."

"Come on, it's not that bad."

"Your gas is like.. building up in here."

"Well, you made me close the window. This is a small car."

"Hmm.. this is gonna be bothering me all night. I mean, they don't even smell like tacos or anything which would at least make sense. You ate like, at least 100"

"Those were good tacos."

"They were good."

"God.. I can still smell It."

"Me too. You'd think it would fade away or something by now."

"Well, we're in a car with the windows rolled up. It doesn't really have anywhere to go."

"Apart from our lungs."

"Mae, stop being disgusting."

"What!? That's where it's going. We're breathing Bea farts right now."

"That is a kinda gross concept. Blegh. I need to open the window again."

The conversation was silenced again as the window rolled down, letting in a rush of fresh air.

"Hey, you know that time we went up to the graveyard to hunt for that ghost?"

"By 'ghost' you mean crazy cultist guy who almost killed us?"

"Ghost."

"Right. Anyway, yeah, I do remember that."

"And we met those emo kids who asked us those dumb questions."

"Uh huh..?"

"You said you farted in front of the class, I feel like you should tell me this story."

"I mean, it really isn't much of a story to tell."

"Cmonnn, while we're on the topic of farts!"

"You're the one who's on the topic of farts, I'm not."

"Anyway anyway anyway, tell me!"

"God, fine.. it was just in math."

"How long ago are we talking?"

Bea didn't respond for a good few moments.

"Not... that long ago."

"How old were you?"

"Well... this really isn't that interesting."

"It involves farts. I need to hear this."

"God, fine.. I was 17"

"Hahaha no way"

"God everyone's farted in class before it's no big deal."

"I never have. I hold it in until my stomach implodes, or I'm stealthy."

There was yet another pause, Mae's face now forming a sly grin.

"Eugh! Oh god! What the eff!"

"Stealthy!"

Bea tried to maintain control over the road while she raised her sleeve to her nostrils, trying to block out the smell of Mae's silent but deadly.

"You seriously have something wrong with you, that smells like..."

"It's like cabbage again! See, I have like, my own brand of smell."

"You are effing disgusting, Mae Borowski"

"Yeahhhh, and I love it!"

"I'm gonna come back to this car in like a week from now and I'll still be smelling *that*, i swear."

"Woo! I've left my mark on this seat so you'll never forget me."

"Man, my nose is stinging.. that was really bad... I think we ought to stop doing this now."

"What? Farts?"

"Yes, Mae... farts."

"Pssshh, you can never stop farts."

"I mean... I guess? I kinda got most of it out and the rest I can just hold. We're almost at the place Gregg and Angus chose, anyway. I think."

"That's promising."

"Look, it's not my fault they wanna come out here in the middle of who-knows-where to have a party. There are plenty of good places back in town."

"Really? Like where?"

Bea wasn't sure exactly how to answer that question. Now she thought of it, there weren't a whole lot of options.

"Their apartment?"

"Nahh, it's more fun out here."

"Well, we kinda nearly died out in the woods before so I'm not sure it is."

Mae waved her paw dismissively. The car pulled up at the edge of the road, headlights illuminating the manmade pathway leading up through the columnated tree trunks. The sound of an owl occupied the deepness of the forest.

"Right. We should be able to just walk up that way and eventually we'll meet up with Angus and Gregg. They said they've got a fire going so it shouldn't be hard to miss them... if my navigation is up to scratch."

"I was in scouts too, you know?"

"Yeah, but the difference is that I actually listened to this stuff."

"When is any of all that survival crap gonna come in useful?"

"Literally the situation we are in right now."

"But like... tying knots and shit. I can't think of many situations where I'm gonna desperately need to tie a special knot."

"You never know."

The pair walked through the forest, their path lit slightly by Bea's torch. There was a certain calmness around them, although both of them felt fairly cautious after the previous month's events.

"I knew I should have brought a coat." Bea shivered.

"I can't picture you in a coat. Seems too... happy for your wardrobe."

"Coats are happy now? Clothes have emotions?"

"You know what I mean. Like you're Bea Santello, you're too hardcore for a coat."

"Eh. It's cold."

"Well it is nearly December."

"True. Seems weird that you've been back for like.. a month now."

"Yep. Good old college dropout me."

"Almost feels like you never left at all."

Eventually the campfire came into view, and as Mae and Bea approached it Gregg's voice sprung into action.

"They're here!"

"It took ages to find this place, couldn't we have had this somewhere a little more convenient to get to?" Bea took a seat by the fire, warming her hands.

"Naw dudes I found something awesome here we need to see."

"What?"

"I'll show you guys later ok."

Angus walked up behind Gregg.

"So, how was the journey."

"It was cool. Bea farted."

"Hahahaha what? Really?" Gregg was clearly just as amused as Mae.

"Oh, shut up. You did too."

"Wait... you both farted? What have I missed!?"

"Nothing.. Mae was trying to prove some stupid theory of hers and I was a little gassy, that's all. We had tacos."

"Uh.. a theory that was proven by farting?"

"Yeah! Bea has alien farts, weird farts!"

"Wait what how"

"Like, they don't smell of anything I've ever smelled before, they are their own unique scent."

"Whoa." Gregg seemed amazed.

"Oh my god, you two shut up."

"Bea you need to show me this. You need to."

"I'm not doing that again.."

"Cmonnn I need to smell this!"

Bea, half annoyed and half amused, shared a glance with Angus.

"No way. It was just an accident, they happen ok"

Mae nudged Bea. "Those second two times didn't seem very accidental."

Her nudge was responded to with a stronger one from Bea.

"Well, that sounds interesting. We had a nice walk."

"How did you even find this place, Gregg, it's like... the middle of nowhere."

"Dunno. Me and Germ were just cycling. We just kept going. And that's when we found the thingggg"

"What thingggg?"

"All in good time."

Angus decided to step forwards again.

"We have food."

"Eugh. I knew you'd say that. Me and Mae already had Taco buck, so we're pretty full."

"Hmmm speak for yourself Beatrice, what food?"

"You call me that again and the food will be your burned corpse." Bea gestured towards the flickering campfire.

"We brought out some smores, and a few sausages to cook."

"Yeah, I stole them." Gregg seemed proud of this, patting his paw against his chest.

"You, uh, stole them?"

"Yeah! Crimes! I stole them from work!"

"Awww I wanna join in with food crimes."

"You were too busy having a fart contest with Bea apparently."

"Uh, hold on, when did it become a contest? At no point was this said."

"It was an experiment, I told you, but if it *were* a contest, Bea would have won for sure!"

"Ugh... I don't even know if that's supposed to be a compliment or not at this point."

"Pfft. Girls don't fart."

The group turned suddenly at the voice coming from the bushes: Germ was standing there.

"Germ! How long have you been standing there?"

"I dunno. A while."

"And you didn't say hi?"

"I was gonna scare you guys but then I realised I couldn't be bothered."

"So you just stood there watching us? And, um, what do you mean girls don't fart? Is this a challenge?"

"No, Mae, it is almost certainly not a challenge."

"Damn."

"I got marshmallows."

Germ threw a bag of half-eaten marshmallows onto the ground beside the fire.

"Uh.. thanks."

"Is there anything you guys plan to actually do out here besides show us some weird thing you found?"

"Eh, kinda, we could tell stories?"

"Stories could be fun." Angus was cooking a few sausages on the fire.

"What sort of stories? I've got some stories." Germ sat beside Gregg.

"There's this story about Bea farting on Mae's face or whatever."

"Oh my *god*, will you stop talking about effing farts?! And where did you even get the face bit from!?"

"Ohh, by the way Gregg, it WAS her at the slumber party that one time."

"I knew it!"

"Oh my God!"

"Wow, that was you?" Angus snickered briefly.

"Wait, what? You weren't even there."

"Gregg mentioned it."

"God damn... look.. how about we shift the topic here.."

"Who else has a story?"

Germ raised his hand. "Me."

"Go ahead. Can't be any worse than what these two think is a good story."

"So I was like out in the woods earlier and I found a dead rat."

"Oh."

"Oh."

"And I like, poked it with a stick and something came out its eye."

"Ewwwwww"

"Whoa, cool."

"I dunno how it died it was just like... dead under some leaves."

"Rat-related causes."

"Hey that reminds me." Mae spoke up.

"We had this rat once in the floorboards like when I was younger and every night I would hear it squeaking away."

"Aww did you help it?"

"Couldn't get to where it was without seriously damaging my floorboards."

"Hmm, but you're good at seriously destroying things."

"Yeah I wanted to but like dad and mom said I couldn't."

"What happened to it?"

"Well there was this little hole in my floor and I used to shove little pieces of cheese through for it and I'd hear it scurry along and eat it."

"Wow."

"And then one day I didn't hear it anymore. I dunno if it died or got out or what."

"Maybe it's still out there somewhere, hunting for more floor cheese."

"Maybe it was the same rat I found earlier."

"Whoa. That would be some crazy shit."

"Aren't rats supposed to like, smell if they die in the floorboards? We had that once in my old house."

"I dunno I never noticed a smell."

"Yeah you smell so bad you probably wouldn't notice that."

Mae narrowed her eyes at Gregg.

"Too bad you didn't fall and trip and burn in the fire."

"Too bad you didn't drive off a cliff."

"Too bad you didn't get lost and then eaten by wild bears."

"Too bad you didn't die from oxygen deprivation due to Bea farting in your face."

"Um, why are we returning to this again?"

"Sausages are ready!"

Angus passed them round, giving everybody one each. They sat in a moment of silence as they ate, all watching the fire dance around in front of them.

"I can show you guys this cool thing now."

"Wow finally I have so much suspense right now."

Gregg gestured Bea and Mae over towards some bushes, flashing a torch to reveal a small note, and some kind of small, red, bloody object.

"What the.."

"Is that a heart? Oh my god, that's a heart!"

"What does the note say?"

"'Red Rain, Blue rain coming at 17:15 Friday 13 November coming up, be there to receive delivery - 5 o'clock showing"

"What."

"Uhh..."

"I know, right?! It's like a mystery!"

"That sounds like drugs or something, dude."

"Yeah, that sounds drug-related."

"I dunno, but we should figure it out."

Angus stepped past and read over the note himself.

"It seems like some sort of meeting. Friday coming up... this Friday is Friday the 13th, so I guess it means then. Not sure where, though, there doesn't appear to be any address."

"It'd be a code address, all cool and stuff."

"Hey dude maybe it has something to do with the five o'clock showing bit? I dunno."

"Hmm.. this is a pretty good mystery." Mae tapped her chin like one of the detectives from the novels she was so fond of as a child.

"But what about the heart?"

"It seems like it belongs to a cow or pig. It's an animal heart."

"Creeeepy."

"Why does possum springs attract so many creepy things?"

"It's only since Mae came back. I think she has something to do with it."

"Hmm.. maybe. Maybe I'm super attractive to ghosts!"

"I think that's less plausible than ghosts actually being a thing."

"They totally are a thing! How do explain this heart? It was ghosts I tell ya!"

"How do we even know they'd meet in Possum Springs? This note could be here from anyone passing through."

"Possum springs is like the only main thing for miles around here, I dunno, I have a feeling."

"Hmm me too. Reminds me of the ghost feeling I got after harfest."

"You don't suppose..." Gregg seemed suddenly a bit anxious.

"What?"

"What if some of those people got out of the mine? What if this is them?"

"They couldn't possibly have survived..." Bea now shared his slightly uneasy glance.

"But what if they did? They could be like plotting something against us."

"You're being neurotic now, Mae, Let's have some s'mores."

"Ugh... I can't manage anything else."

"Just try not to fart again..."

"The threat about you going into his fire is still very much present."

"Ok ok chill out farty butt!"

"Oh my god. I'm leaving. You can walk home on your own."

"Noo! Wait! I was joking! Joking!"