I work at The Drowsy Spectre, a café positioned in a place sure to never get any business. No human business, that is. We haven't heard from Dan and none of us have taken the risk to summon John. But I did meet a sentient squishmallow. Things get a little weird here. If you want to get caught up, or start at the beginning, then go ahead and check this out.

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I've had the flu for the past week and a half. Never had it that bad, to be honest, and now I have to wonder if the void had something to do with that. I've got the worst tooth pain too. That isn't a usual symptom of the flu, is it? Regardless, besides a lingering cough and achy joints, I am better. I've got a few stories I need to tell, including some updates surrounding Laura. And a while ago I told you that someone was stealing my laptop, well we know who that was. I need to get on that, I know.

But I am sure all of you are more curious about what unfolded when the shop went into the void. Var'lovya, Selene called it. I left everyone on a cliffhanger that I intended on finishing immediately after, but being sick wrecked me. Fortunately I have a good memory when it comes to these things, however, so I should be able to recall most of it.

Where did I leave off? I think Barrow had his gun aimed at Maggie and Bilgoth. Turns out Evangel was dead, but I have no idea how long. I imagine it was the real her at the meeting, certainly Bilgoth couldn't fake that, was the goblin working with us the entire time since then? I guess it doesn't really matter. It is like Barrow said; we have a high turnover rate. I just hope I am not the next unfortunate missing person.

So Bilgoth and Maggie were fighting.

"No." Barrow moved the gun in Maggie's direction. "No one moves."

"What?" Maggie froze. "He's a monster, for Christ's sake! Shoot him, not me!"

Selene stepped towards Barrow. "Hook, what are you doing?"

"I am a person, that is a monster! Are you crazy?!" Maggie crouched, as if to make herself a smaller target. "Don't shoot me!"

"Barrow, it is Bilgoth." I tried. "He's worn two of our coworkers. I think it is fair to shoot him." Honestly, it seemed more than fair. If someone came over to your house wearing the skin of your best friend, you might agree.

A click drew our attention, we all turned to see the front door open. Em stared out into the endless expanse. "We must clean the forest." She mumbled. Her foot went up.

"Em!" I shouted, but her attention was on the infinite nothing.

"My father calls me."

"He's not out there, Em." Trying to split his attention, Barrow spoke as he faced Bilgoth and Maggie. "It isn't real."

"The forest is his." She took a step. "We must all pay our due."

Unlike the rest of us, Selene went into action. She grabbed Em's wrist before she could take another step. The action surprised Barrow, whose finger was ever so close to pulling the trigger. A shot rang off, Barrow dropped the gun in response. He also dropped the flashlight so that it faced outside, providing little to no light on the rest of the shop. A terrible squeal, followed by an ear-piercing scream, had me backed into a corner with my hands over my ears. I couldn't see anything!

I grabbed the flashlight while Barrow fumbled in the dark for the gun. As it turned out, having little to no emotion did not stop one from being startled. Finally we had the room lit again. Maggie and Bilgoth were gone, a long trail of blood led towards a wall and up towards the ceiling tiles. The goblin got her, it would seem. So much for not murdering people. That meant the only people left were Selene, Em, Barrow, and myself.

That wasn't right. Jack and Rick were nowhere to be seen. Before I had gone to bed, they were there with us. I didn't see any blood to suggest they were killed. Every other incident had a red trail to follow. Had they walked out the front door, just as Em was about to do? Had we not been there to save them?

Noting the blood trail, Barrow sighed. "Did I shoot one of them?"

"Somebody made sure it was too dark to tell!" Selene snapped when the silence was broken. "Christ's sake, Hook! Get a grip!"

"Yeah." He held out the gun. "Maybe it is best for someone else to have this?"

Em, having shaken off whatever influence was upon her thanks to Selene, reached out.

"Absolutely not." Selene stopped her. "Seeing as I know this place best, I'll take it."

But she didn't need a gun. "Don't you have magic you could use or something?"

"You saw what happened last time I tried that. No, I think a gun would work best." She lifted a hand. "And no, I am not playing twenty questions to explain why that happens. Maybe if we get out of this, but not now."

Well that meant that I wasn't going to be able to distract myself as easily. I mean, we weren't going to go hunting down Bilgoth or anything. At least, that is what I thought. I was wrong.

"We should go find the goblin." Selene proposed.

Barrow shook his head. "That sounds like a bad idea."

"Walking away from this spot seems to get people killed. Jack and Rick are gone too. The only people that are alive are the ones that stayed put." That was how I viewed it, at least.

That was when Selene finally noticed their absence. "Where are those two?"

I noticed Em was looking out the window again. "Hey, don't."

It seemed a great effort to pull herself from it. "Sorry. There is something out there."

"It isn't your father."

"Yeah... yeah, I know. But something is calling me. Us."

"We don't need to listen. We don't need to answer."

"Seriously, where did those two guys go?" Selene asked again, prompting me to sweep the store with the powerful flashlight. "Did the goblin pick them off?"

I spotted a bit of light coming from near Selene's office. It would help if I explained the layout a bit better to you all; in the second room of the Drowsy Spectre, at the back end, is a little hallway with a bathroom. To the left is a little break room with boxes for us to put our stuff. To the right is Selene's office, which is rather sizable. I guess it wasn't designed super well because the walls don't reach the ceiling fully, as if the office was an afterthought and whoever made it didn't feel like tearing into the ceiling. I could see what looked like a weak flashlight peaking over the top of the office; there was someone inside.

"Is someone in your office?" I asked before I recalled one of the shop's rules. "And aren't the lights out?"

"Shit." Selene muttered, glancing nervously at Barrow. "We can't turn the light back on."

"They have a flashlight. It might be enough."

"If it turns off their phones, they won't be able to get them back on fast enough. They can't be in there!" Gun in hand, she moved towards her office.

We turned the lights on just fine before just fine. "Can't we just put the flashlight in there, then we can turn it on if it turns off?" It should have the same effect as the light.

"The light is protected from electrical surges." Barrow answered as we followed Selene. "It survives the surge. Any other electronics won't, Selene was able to protect the light because the switch is outside."

Selene held up her gun as we entered the short hallway. "You hear that? If that light goes out, and it will, then you'll die! Get out of there!" No answer, but it was clear Selene didn't want to go inside. "Get out!"

"Not a chance." Rick answered. "This is the safest place in the building and if you try something stupid I'll make this guy hurt!"

There was a thump. "Don't come in! He has a gun!"

A gun?! Where did he find a gun?! "Jack?"

"We're all going to stay quiet now." Rick demanded. "Heard that gunshot, all the screaming too. I don't trust anyone. We wait for the sun to come back and we all pretend this didn't happen or someone is going to die."

"Yes, it is you! That room is cursed, you cannot be in there!" She tried. "If that-"

"What do you think I am? A child?! Get away from the door and find a corner you like. I'll not hurt anyone if we all mind our own business."

We needed to know how much time they had. "How often do the lights go out?"

"It isn't set like that. There is no way to tell. They could have seconds."

"We have all the time we need!" Rick shouted back. "Get away from the fucking door or I'll start shooting!"

We didn't have a choice but to oblige. I was more concerned about Jack than the armed maniac, if it were just the latter then I'd let the lights go out without concern. As we returned to the lobby, I could see the gears in Selene's head turning. She was fighting for a solution but it was clear that nothing was coming to her.

She put her hands on the front counter. "We have to figure out something!"

"Maybe we can trade Jack? There has to be something Rick will give him up for."

"No!" She snapped. "That isn't it! If that light goes out and they are in there too long, they are screwed, but it isn't just them. It is my curse and it will come for me too!"

Curse? "What aren't you telling me?"

"Need to know." Selene sighed. "You know, it would only make everything worse. Just focus on not getting yourself killed, little bird."

What? "Little bird?"

Selene turned red. "Yeah, I can't use your name."

Why was she so red? "Oh. I like it."

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Hours went by I think. It is really hard to tell with the complete lack of a sky, or any light. I started to get a headache around then, whether from the intense darkness or the constant white light from Barrow's flashlight, I do not know. We were sitting in the same spot we had before, wanting to keep away from the old man's corpse but also have sightlines on Selene's office. We checked on them once, but Rick made it clear any more disturbances would result in Jack's harm as he struck him with enough force to cause a yelp.

Obviously I wasn't going to try sleeping again. That was a mistake and I wasn't really tired. Exhausted? Sure, but there is a certain kind of exhaustion that refuses sleep. Terror helped with that too. No, I wouldn't be sleeping for a while even if it were safe to do so. So I watched the office, the ceiling tiles, and despite knowing it was a bad idea, I looked into the darkness outside the windows. There was no monster made of teeth, no voice that called out, nothing but an infinite abyss deep in which I knew something was staring back. Something familiar, but there was no way of knowing what. I would have to go out there, into the darkness, and swim in a void to find out. It was tempting me to do that, but it was far from worth trying.

I was starting to feel a bit warm. The doll must have solved my wish and it was looking for another one. Typically it could come to me by some secret power, finding itself in my coat or among my things of its own accord. It couldn't come to the void and the fiery curse that ensured I kept on wishing seemed much slower to affect me.

There was no telling how long we would be there, however, so I scooted close to Barrow. "Hey, can I ask a question?"

He had chosen to sit alone, having no responsibilities since Selene took his gun. "What is it?" Barrow didn't know that I still had the doll, as far as I am aware, so I had to be careful.

"What wish did you make that stopped the doll?"

"I'd rather not say."

And that was that, but I was nosey enough to press him. "Is that why you can't feel anything anymore?"

He looked at me for a moment. "Not entirely."

"Do you miss it? The doll?"

Barrow stared off into the abyss, but didn't have an answer to that question. "Do you see anything out there, like Em does?"

I didn't think sharing my experience with the tooth monster was wise. "Do you?"

"She has trauma with her father. He haunts her heart because she is a good person and he has forced her to do horrible things. That is why she sees him. I... I see something out there too. I think any of us with a past that weighs on our hearts do." Barrow continued to stare. "I guess you are a better person than us."

"Or I haven't had the opportunity to be good. You can't really be traumatized by your decisions unless you have the desire to do something better."

Barrow nodded. "A small comfort."

"Was the old guy always like that?" Em asked, having snuck off with Barrow's phone to use the bathroom.

We stood, Barrow, Selene, and I, to see that the elderly victim was a husk. I hadn't observed him very much at all since he had been killed, but I did know that bodies weren't supposed to go bad that quickly. He looked like a mummy, drained of all fluid. Now I am certain Jo wasn't here, the spider lady wasn't causing any of this. What else would suck out blood? I don't think goblins drink it.

"Is that just a side effect of the void?"

"No, something slurped him up." Selene answered, then worried she'd offended the dead. "Sorry, not slurped. Someone sucked out his blood."

He wasn't in the same place either. "Did he... move?" I asked.

"He's closer to the kitchen." Barrow confirmed my suspicion. "We need more light over here."

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More time. Who knows how long. It may have been days, though it also could have been only thirty minutes. I stared at nothing for so long I thought I would go blind as static ate every corner of my vision. I grew so bored that I wished something would happen, but the doll had no influence here. Even the slight burning was not enough, I wanted a bit more of it. I was hungry, my throat was getting dry, and did I mention I was bored?

That boredom vanished when the crack of light from the top of Selene's office flickered.

"Selene!" I pointed towards the office. "Look!"

She drew a deep breath and stood, and we followed suit. The gun was still in her hand, loaded and ready to use. I'd never seen her shoot before, then again I never saw Barrow do so either until that day. She slammed her fist on the office door.

"TIme to get out! I saw that light flicker!"

It took Rick a moment to answer. "I told you that if you came back I'd-"

"Shoot all you want once you are out of there, but for your own sake come out of my office! You will DIE when that light goes out!"

He hesitated. "I have another light. Once mine goes out, I'll just turn on this other phone."

"It'll kill that one too. You'll need something new, from outside the office."

"Then give me your light."

"You know we need light too." Barrow answered. "Stop being an ass and come out."

The light flickered more from underneath the door. "Get out!" I shouted, having nothing more to offer. A squeak drew our attention down the little hall where the flashlight hadn't been shining. There, in the second lobby, was Maggie.

She had cuts on her arms and torn clothes. Her face was covered in blood. "I hurt him." She finally spoke. "The monster, that is. I hurt him badly." There was a pocket knife in her hand, bloodied and open.

"You're alive?!" Em explained. "We thought you'd died. Ma'am you are crazy and I like it."

Had Maggie... gained weight? She just seemed a bit wider than before. I know, that is rude to think, but it was a bit off. My memory isn't the best when it comes to appearances, though, so maybe not? I hadn't known her that long.

"What...?" A mutter from the office, Rick was confused. There was more light from the office, but the flicker remained. "You broke your phone, didn't you?!" He shouted, hitting Jack. "Wake up! FIX IT!"

"I-I can't!" Jack begged. "I didn't break it!"

"FIX IT!"

Selene grabbed the door handle and opened, but Rick had his gun ready fast. "Don't you DARE!"

She didn't, but her gun was trained on him. "Just come out. The thing killing everyone is hurt, we are safe. We just can't be in there! Not without light!"

"Then toss me that one!" Rick challenged. "I don't believe you!"

"We aren't risking our only light!"

I had my phone, was that enough? "What about-"

The room shook. Well, not just the room, but the entire building. Something was happening. The floor creaked as the entire cafe trembled, threatening to fall apart. We kept our balance, though. We kept the flashlight. Rick, however, dropped both phones while catching himself on the office desk. It didn't really matter if he was holding the phones or not, the light would have gone out regardless.

Flicker

Flicker

And it was gone. Both phones died at the same time, drowning them in darkness. I shined the flashlight into the office and they were still there. "Should we give them one of our phones?"

Again, the ground shook. "We are going home." Selene swallowed. "Give me the flashlight, we-"

The sound of rapid footsteps turned me back towards the hall where I saw Barrow thrown into the second lobby. Maggie was on top of him, but she wasn't Maggie. The moment the flashlight touched her, she turned back, but I saw what she was before that. She was... meat. Just meat, a pile of sharpened bone and beef that was shaped like something living.

With her human mouth, she bit down on Barrow's arm and slurped what was offered.

Barrow was able to shove her off in such a small form. She growled and rolled away, grabbing her pocket knife. It was more of a fair fight when she was trapped as a human, even more so when Selene raised the gun and fired a shot.

The ground shook again and Selene missed. I fell and the flashlight left Barrow, giving the monster the freedom to turn back into something hideous. Barrow didn't cry out, but I heard a crash and Barrow gasped for air.

"Light!" He demanded. "I need light!"

I gave it to him, but there was commotion from the office. "Give us the damn flashlight!" Rick shouted. "It is in here with us! HELP!"

"Please, please! Help us!" Jack begged in tears. "I didn't do anything!"

Flesh tore; Barrow needed the light more than me. He was cut up really badly, but he wasn't down. With the light on the meaty beast, Selene could aim to take a shot. "Keep the flashlight on her!" She demanded, waiting to take a shot so she didn't put Barrow down.

He grabbed her knife and drove it into her head. She cried out in pain but continued her assault without hesitation. Punches, bites, kicks; how such a normal body could put up such a fierce fight I do not know.

Selene finally took a shot. Right through the chest, nothing.

"Turn off the flashlight when I say."

What?! "Are you insane?!"

"Keep the light on!" Em didn't like that plan. "Don't turn it off!"

"GIVE US THE LIGHT, PLEASE!"

"PLEASE!" Jack screamed. Such a terrible sound that will never leave my ears. I remembered Keith.

"Turn it off when I say!" She demanded, and I would obey. There was nothing else to do. I was completely useless.

Barrow fell to the ground, she began charging at him, and Selene lined up the shot. "NOW!"

The moment the flashlight was off, Selene shot. There was only heavy breathing, then a scream from the office. I turned back on the flashlight to see a pile of assorted meat sitting next to a torn up Barrow. When I turned the light on the office, however, I was reminded that none of us were safe. The endless darkness had replaced the ceiling, but it was not empty. A great eye watched from the depths, so far away that my mind could not comprehend the distance. It was the Eye of Gold, but corrupted by so much crimson that I thought it must be bleeding. Tendrils of and black floated from the eye towards the room, traveling so quickly and traversing so far that I wanted to throw up. Vomit, instead of trying to understand what I was seeing.

I moved to give them the light, but Selene held up a hand. "It is too late."

"Sweet, sweet meat." A gentle voice from the cosmos. "Like dough in my hands."

Jack started crying again, Rick got up to run out of the room, but Selene was right.

Em ran towards the door. "Help them!"

It was too late.

Like a viper, a tendril struck out towards Rick and snatched him. It caught his wrist, which instantly began shedding its skin. He screamed such a horrible sound as he was skinned alive, dragged into the endless darkness. Jack knew his fate was the same, but he tried running too.

I... I don't want to talk about him. Neither of them deserve that, no one does, but Rick had trapped Jack. He really didn't deserve such a fate. Rick was a pile of screaming meat when we lost sight of him and I am horrified to say that Jack wasn't much different. That was the Eye of Crimson and Gold, the great god I had made a deal with. I was tied to that thing somehow, and I again found myself overcome with unbearable nausea.

So I threw up.

It turns out it knew Selene too. "Oh Guisipa." It whispered. "Is that you I see?"

She went rigid and the ground shook again. "T-turn on t-the light!" Her mouth was stuck, the words barely got out. I could see trees outside, but they were distant and faint. We were nearly home!

"Oh... oh Guisipa." It cooed from infinity. "Come back to me, my dear daughter."

She began sliding towards the door, her feet locked in place. "T-the light! P-please!" Selene was crying.

I grabbed on to her. Em got a hold, even Barrow, with all his wounds, came to buy us time. The god above was stronger than us, we could only buy seconds. The trees got closer, I heard wind and a storm. It was raining back home. The eye was beyond strong, we were nothing and could not halt its will. The trees were so close! I could see our cars, the parking lot! Tendril was at the doorway, waiting to welcome Selene back to some ancient family. Was this what she was? She could not go back!

The ground shook so hard that I thought the walls would fall down on us. Glasses from the espresso machine fell and shattered, lamps crashed to the ground, and we lost our grip on our manager. She flung towards the doorway, struck her head on the frame, and the office light came back on.

Barrow had his finger on the switch, having been faster than any of us could be. He alone saved Selene. She was on the office floor unmoving, the light giving us a clear view of the blood that was pooling near her head. Her hitting the doorframe may have saved her from the ancient eye god, but it may have killed her too.

"She isn't human." Em hurried towards her, hesitating for only a moment at the doorway. "I can help her if she isn't human! Maybe!"

With help from Barrow, they flipped Selene over. I was useless, still shining the flashlight as if it would do some good. There was an emptiness, a terrible sense of dread that told me Selene would die. What sort of horrible thing is that, when you realize just how important someone is to you only when they are gone? There was too much blood. She was probably already dead. I wanted to just lay down and cease to be. There was no reason to do anything anymore.

Her forehead was cracked, her eye socket split as well. I felt so light, so empty. But Em placed her hand on her head. "di'Guisipa is'grenti." She muttered. I remember it clearly, it made my ears tickle. "Please be her name! diGuisipa is'grenti!"

And Selene opened her good eye.

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We all made it out alive. Selene has an eyepatch now and a few stitches that Em helped put in (she isn't human so she can't exactly see a doctor). Of course, I haven't forgotten the customers that we lost. Bilgoth too, because I am assuming he is dead. Sure, he did wear our friends, but I don't think he hurt anyone.

I got sick immediately after. It was a lot like the flu, but my mouth hurt a lot. I think I have a cavity too. Em got sick as well, but Barrow was fine. Selene has been resting as much as possible.

Oh, and Richard hired a new person. Penny. You'll meet her soon. I’ll be training her, apparently, as per Richard I am ‘no longer a new guy.’ Not sure what to think about that. Barrow is nearly in pieces, but he is healing faster than Selene. Any other person would have been dead multiple times over but he was fine. He acted as if nothing had happened. I guess perhaps his abilities go beyond simply not feeling?

Sorry this update took so long to get out. It is hard writing about people that died, even if it wasn't due to anything that was your fault. Rick, Jack, and that old guy; we remember you. I can't really give your family closure, I don't even know who any of you really were, but you deserved better. Well, maybe not Rick, but still.

And now I know Selene's name. That isn't good, for reasons all of you know. I'd ask you not to mention why in the comments, since Selene seems to be following this story now. Please, let me make a plan. Do this for me.

That is all I ask.