Chapter 3

Once the sun started setting, Marceline was able to venture off the porch and into the chilly winter evening. She crossed through a gate, above which a metal archway was twisted into the shape of a word. "Foster's." It meant nothing to her, since it was part of some other world. Which I should start exploring in greater detail, Marceline thought. It'd be useful to know if there's anywhere to easily hide from the Ooovians.

She set off down the road, which sloped steeply downhill after a while as it passed through a string of eucalyptus trees. Along the way, she came across a street sign marked "Bollinger Drive - City of San Castiel." Across the street was a road marked "Freeway Entrance: 280 South, Santa Marina." Seeing the fast-moving cars zipping by on the nearby highway, Marceline chose to give it a miss. Instead, she traipsed up Bollinger Drive, where she soon found a small round building. A sign outside proclaimed it as "Mary's Restaurant and Pies. Open 24 hours."

Open 24 hours? Marceline thought. Sounds like a great idea. She stepped into the restaurant and was instantly greeted by a short blonde server.

"Welcome to Mary's," the woman said in an annoyingly perky voice. "Would you like a seat?"

"Um, sure," said Marceline.

The server led her to a free table. "Just yourself?" she asked. Marceline nodded, and the woman continued. "Okay. My name is Olive and I will be your server today. What would you like to have?"

Marceline consulted the menu and found an entry mentioning steak. "Um, I'd like the New York strip," she said.

"How would you like it cooked?" asked Olive.

"Rare, please."

Olive gave her a double take. "Are you sure?" Marceline merely stared back at her. "Well, it's your health risk. Say, aren't you one of those imaginary friends?"

Now it was Marceline's turn for a double take. "Imaginary friends? You're not talking about that weird mansion up on the hill, are you?"

"That's the place," she said. "Foster's. They do a great service to the lost imaginary friends after the kids are forced to let 'em go. Bless the old lady's heart. But you don't live there?"

"No," said Marceline. "But I guess I might have to."

Olive smiled. "So you are an imaginary friend! Wonderful! In that case, don't bother paying for your steak. Imaginary friends always eat free here. What kind of friend are you? A goth? A vampire?"

Marceline bit her lip gently. "A vampire."

"Must've been some really sad little kid who made you. I bet you were a real comfort to them, huh?" Olive pocketed her notepad. "I'll be back soon with your order. Um, anything to drink?"

"Got anything berry-related?"

"There's strawberry Fanta," said Olive.

"Strawberry Fanta, then." Marceline leaned back in her seat and looked out the large window next to her table. The restaurant was built on a hillside right over the freeway, and on the other side was an enormous cemetery, with gravestones stretching as far as the eye could see. Wow, Marcy thought. What kind of crazy people build a cemetery that big? And who opens a restaurant right next to one?

Soon, Olive returned with the soda and steak for Marceline. "Hey, if you're still planning to go to Foster's...maybe you should hand thsi flier off to someone up there. There's this boy called Mac, he goes up there all the time and he lives practically by himself, poor kid. I've been trying to get him to come here, but he never seems to get the message. He could really do with some feeding up, you know?"

"I get it," said Marceline, remembering how thin and underfed-looking Mac had been when they'd met outside the front door of Foster's. "Hey, before you leave...would you by any chance know anything about this person? His name is..." She fought to remember what it was Lady had told her before she left Ooo. "F-Finlay J. Ward."

Olive considered. "No. Don't think I've ever heard of him. But I've only just come to this town about a month ago, so I'm not exactly the one to go to ask who lives where. Try a phone book, if they still make 'em here out west."

"Thanks anyway," Marceline said, getting up to leave.

Up the hill, inside Foster's, the Ice King emerged from a door next to the bottom of the main staircase. He looked around and stopped the first sentient being to cross his path - a short, thin green fuzzy thing with one eye. "Hey you!" the Ice King yelled. "Any chance have you seen a tall, glamorous young woman go by? Thin, white skin, wears all red and black?"

"A girl?" the green guy asked in a surprisingly deep voice. "Sure you're not talking about Mac?"

"What? No! It's a girl! Her name is Marceline! Don't you know where she is?"

The green guy crossed his thin arms. "Sorry, can't help you." The Ice King drifted out the front door, clearly aggrieved. "I always knew Mac was a bit of a weirdo," the green guy muttered to himself, "but this really crosses the line."

AN: BTW, for those wondering, yes, Olive from Pushing Daisies features in this chapter. She will be a minor character throughout this fic, so keep an eye out!