Chapter 6

"Thank you for picking me up from the airport." Beverley stated as she, Penny and Leonard drove through the city to get to Pris's work.

Leonard stared out at the rode, expecting Penny to reply.

"Did you hear me Leonard?" Beverly touched the back of his seat and looked at him in the rearview mirror. "I said thank you for picking me up."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was focused on the road." He lied. "You're welcome, Mother." Leonard was surprised that she thanked him. It was always an awkward exchange but today the weirdness felt like it could suffocate him.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Pris has to work late, so we're meeting her at her office." Leonard stated robotically, not sure how his mother would feel about the fact that Pris can't take time off from work at seven at night for dinner.

"Alright." Beverly stared out the window for a second and then turned to Penny. "So Penny, what do you think about it?"

"Mother!" Leonard exclaimed.

"What?" Beverley was confused.

"It has a name! She's my sister and I want you to be nice, please."

"I know she has a name, Leonard."

"You called her: It." Leonard stated.

"No, I was referring to the situation, not the person."

"Oh. Sorry." Leonard lowered his heart rate that had spiked when he thought she was being mean. He was on edge about this whole situation.

"Well, Pris is cute. She's smart and gorgeous. And funny. I think of her as an experiment. I mean, I didn't read the book or anything but she's perfectly normal to me." Penny answered the question eventually.

"Normal?" Beverley mumbled to herself and stared out the window again. "Leonard, where are we?"

They arrived at the address that Pris had given him. It was an abandoned opera house near the University. The gates looked old and high and the building behind it was lit like a haunted manor. Scaffolding frames that reached the roof stood abandoned after a day's work.

"Are you sure this is where she works?" Even Penny was scared.

"Yeah. That's her car." Leonard pointed to the blue Volvo parked near the front steps.

A guard walked up to his window. "Can I help you?"

"We're here to see Dr. Prior. I'm Leonard."

"The brother?" the guard asked.

"Yeah." Leonard said slightly uncomfortable.

The guard opened the gate and gestured for Leonard to drive in.

"Do you think Pris sent us here to kill us?" Penny asked as they walked up the grand stairs to the large front doors.

"What kind of a job does this girl have?" Beverley was slightly upset and confused.

"She's an instillation artist." Leonard said. He was actually excited to see what she did for a living.

"I don't know what that means." Beverley complained as they stepped towards the front door. They walked inside and found themselves in a dimly lit hallway.

"Pris?" Leonard called to no avail. After his voice echoed back, he searched for his phone to try and find her. Footsteps could be heard and suddenly a bouncy red headed woman ran into view.

"Hi, sorry. I'm Arena. You're looking for Dr. Prior, right? You're Leonard?" she asked before she even reached them. "Follow me." She said and turned around midway, turning down another long hallway. They followed her down the heavily musty hallway towards a rather large marble hall.

Arena held her finger to her lips, indicating that her followers should remain quiet and then she stepped into the marble hall. "DR. PRIOR!" she yelled and the words echoed like the best speakers in the world.

"Yes Arena?" Pris whispered right next to them. Leonard turned around but she wasn't there. "You don't need to yell." The whispering continued and both Penny and Leonard search for Pris.

"Did she die?" Penny asked. "And now she's haunting us?"

"Oh believe me, If I died I wouldn't be haunting you. I have a list of old advisories that needs to be scared out of their skin." Pris spoke in a normal tone and finally they caught sight of her.

She was hanging parallel to the floor from the ceiling with full wall climbing gear. She turned upside down and waved at them. "Hi Leonard. Penny."

Pris placed her feet on the ceiling and kicked off, sliding down the rope as the pulley slowly let her sail to the ground. She stepped on the floor and unhooked herself from the contraption.

"Mother, this is Persephone, Pris this is my mother, Beverley Hofstadter." Leonard introduced them as Pris walked closer.

"Hi." She said again and stared back at Beverley who was studying her. "You're not a hand shaker." Pris stated.

"No, I'm not." Beverley pulled up her nose. "That is perceptive of you."

"Yeah, it's probably for the best, my hands are dirty." Pris showed her dirty hands and wiped them off on her shorts. "Besides, the amount of pathogens passed during a handshake is staggering. It would be better for us to kiss."

Beverley stared at her and Leonard didn't know what to do or say.

"Yes it would be." Beverley eventually said.

"Please don't." Leonard mumbled. Pris laughed, and they relaxed.