The first thing that strikes Lettuce as she descends below the ground is the smell. It's awful! "Did something die down here?" Lettuce asks. "How did you guess?" asks Candy sarcastically. Lettuce stiffens visibly. "Maybe we should go somewhere else..." she says tentatively. "And get mauled? are you crazy?" Candy cries. Her blue eyes widen considerably.
"Never mind," says Lettuce. 'I wonder what the chances of survival are?' she thinks. 'I hope Melody is Okay!' Pai can't shake the sense of foreboding. He feels like someone- or something- is watching him. He can't help but shiver. Then, Pai glances towards Lettuce. 'oh, man. If I'm worried, think of how petrified she must be! her daughter is somewhere in this nightmare!' Pai thinks. he can't help but pity Lettuce. And Melody, wherever she may be. Pai hopes she's alive and well. He says a quick prayer to Melody's God. 'Please, Melody's God, help her be okay. She always thanks you for every meal, as I'm sure you know, and for every blessing. Please help her and us survive this town of darkness. Amen,' Pai prays. Not the best prayer, but it will have to do. Pai doesn't have time to recite another one. They have reached the bottom of the staircase.
Lettuce looks around. She sees a fence, with something fastened to it. The fence is blocking them from a pile of rotting wood. Lettuce looks closer, and screams. The thing fastened to the fence is a blood-stained dogs collar, with the name 'Demon' scratched into it. "Don't panic," says Candy soothingly. "That's the least of the horrors we'll see." Somehow this fails to reassure Lettuce. she can't help but wonder if Candy might not be a tad on the unstable side. Pai is wondering the same thing. "Come on," says Candy, oblivious to their doubts. "We have to continue on. Never stay in the same place for too long, Or they'll come for you." Lettuce stifles a whimper. It's going to be a long eternity.
Pai pats Lettuce's arm soothingly. "don't worry," he says. he curses himself. He sounds like a frightened preschooler.
The odd group continues on, towards a dark corridor. "Can I trust you not to freak?" asks Candy. "Do you have a choice?" asks Pai. Candy heaves a sigh, and gestures they follow her. The hallway is dark, and Lettuce pulls out the cigarette lighter she keeps with her in case of emergencies. She turns it on. It vaguely illuminates the rambling hallway ahead. Candy takes random twists and turns. She appears to be muttering under her breathe. "Just going over the directions!" She calls back, then returns to her muttering.
"She doesn't have them memorized?" Lettuce murmurs to Pai. "Apparently not," he says, feeling quite sure that they are doomed. Of course, he can't say this to trembling Lettuce, who might cry if she heard this. So instead he pats her hand reassuringly.
Suddenly, Pai's alien ears pick up the distinct sound of... crunching? "Candy?" He calls. "Hmm?" says a distracted Candy. "What's that noise?" Pai is trying to sound calm, but inside, he's panicking. "What sound?" asks Candy, suddenly alert. CRUNCH. "That sound," says Pai calmly. "Whoo, boy, are we in for it," says candy. "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" She takes off, Lettuce and Pai following close behind. When they finally stop, they are gasping for breath. "What was that?" asks Lettuce between pants. "Uh, I didn't want to worry you, But the spiders down here are bigger than humans. They're famed for eating live humans, bones included," says Candy. That does it. Lettuce scrunches up her face, and looks like she is trying not to cry. Pai puts his arm around her shoulders. Candy watches with mild interest.
"So, I thought Melody said she doesn't have a Dad?" says Candy. "That's correct," Says Lettuce. "Really? I thought Pai was her Dad!" Candy nods at Pai. "You two look so... together, and Melody looks a lot like him. Except she has your eye shape, Lettuce, and your ears and voice." "You really think she looks like me?" asks Pai. "Yeah. The first time I saw you, I was like, 'whoa, that dude looks like Melody.' And I did a double take, and then I was like, 'whoa, that lady looks like Melody, too. She has like, the same face, but with different hair.' I mean, I could totally tell you knew Melody," says Candy, all in one breath.Pai blinks. he never realized it before, but she does look like him. A lot.
Lettuce also looks surprised. Most people think that Melody must have been adopted, because her and Lettuce look so different. But here's Candy, saying that they look alike. it is a lot to digest. as they venture on quietly, Pai can't help but ponder that...
Melody is sitting by the sea. Vicious wavelets come towards her on the bench where she rests, but Melody isn't afraid. She is surprised my the magnitude of all that happened. She doesn't understand it. How come she sang so well? What's going on? She sighs. Melody has yet to see her Mother, and Melody can only hope Lettuce is okay. 'she may not have known to sing!' Thinks Melody. "Thinking of someone?" asks Artemis. Melody jumps. "my apologies, I didn't mean to startle you," says Artemis.
Melody nods. "I hope Mommy is okay!" She cries. "She is," says Artemis calmly. "She is being guided through the darkness." Melody Smiles. "Okay." Melody cannot explain it, but Melody feels as though she has known Artemis for much longer than she has. She somehow knows that Artemis never lies, ever. "Artemis?" asks Melody. "Have I been here before?" Artemis smiles her ghostly grin. "It's quite possible," says the spectre. "Quite possible, Indeed." They sit side by side in companionable silence, watching the lake's turmoil.