After avoiding all of Daisy’s attempts to start a conversation during the ride, we finally arrive at our destination. We step out of the car, and as I turn away from watching it disappear into the tunnel I realize that I have no clue which direction the police station is. Since there aren’t any maps around, we should probably go in the same direction as usual, and hope we find it along the way. I suggest this to Daisy, and she agrees readily. Can’t go too wrong with that, right?

Wrong. Currently standing in the middle of an abandoned town square, I wonder just how we were able to get so irreversibly lost. Neither of us can remember the way back to the MAG, and we figured out long ago that following the usual path won’t help. Normally, I would suggest splitting up since the UP is extremely safe, but after encountering that guy, I really don’t think splitting up is safe.

I start heading down one path, hoping that she gets the hint without us needing to talk, but I look behind me to see her still standing there looking helpless. Groaning, I call out to her.

“Daisy.” No response. “Daisy!” Still no response. “Hey pothead, you wanna get left behind?” Finally, she turns her head towards me, and in a very sarcastic tone says, “How did you know?” She then dons her trademark smirk and heads off in another direction. I look at her, then down the path I was taking, and head off after her so I don’t die.

After about five minutes of walking we come across a police station. I don’t know how she did it, but for once I’m glad I went along with her. We stop a couple feet away from the entrance, and just as I’m about to approach the doors, Daisy speaks up.

“Wait, doesn’t it look abandoned?”

I take a closer look and see that the door is slightly ajar. Ignoring her pleas for me to keep back, I continue forward and push slightly on the door. It creaks open a little, and a rotten stench wafts out. Freezing, I take another whiff, hoping that it’s just rotten eggs or something similarly innocent. Nope. I…am not going in there. In fact, I’m not even looking in there. Nope nope nope. I’m just about to turn my back when I hear a slight clang echo from inside the building. I turn back to face the door and start backing away slowly, then when I reach Daisy I turn my back and run, not even bothering to see if she’s following me.

“Wait!” She rushes after me, and I’m suddenly reminded that she does track, and has done track ever since we were friends. I try to run faster, not even knowing where I’m going, but soon enough Daisy runs into me and pulls on my collar. I gag, then start coughing like crazy when she releases me, reassured that I’m not running away any time soon.

“What the fuck are you doing?! Are you trying to kill me by asphyxiation?” I continue hacking while she responds.

“You just ran away without any warning! It was like you’d seen a ghost, what else was I supposed to do to get you to stop? What did you see, anyways?”

“I didn’t see anything.” Still coughing. Jeez, she really tugged hard.

“Then why did you run away like that?”

I look at her for a second, look away, and mumble, “I smelled something.” I love giving the absolute minimum for answers, it drives her crazy.

“Tera, tell me what you smelled then!”

Now she’s angry. I probably shouldn’t piss off someone who’s stronger and a faster runner than me.

“Fine, fine. I smelled rotting flesh, and I’m pretty sure it was human.”

She looks at me in complete shock, then get a really confused look on her face.

“How do you know what rotting flesh smells like?”

“I don’t. I just guessed. It certainly didn’t smell fresh, that’s for sure. But it did smell kinda similar to that guy from before.”

We stand there panting for a couple minutes, Daisy fully processing what I said while I catch my breath.

“Well…that is extremely gross, but even if there isn’t anyone alive in there, they’ll probably have maps we can use to look for the lift back up.”

Leaning my head back, I take a deep breath through my nose, savoring the fresh air, then nod my head.

“Fine. Let’s go back, get a map, and get the fuck out of here because I’m creeped out to the max.”

“Ok, let’s go.” Daisy head off, and after a few more breaths of the cool, clean air, I follow suit.