Around the end of the day, everyone finally stopped being scaredy-cats and relaxed a bit. They continued their chatty mood from yesterday, though they didn’t talk as much. Soon, we reached the White Sand Street Asylum, where we decided to rest for the night. Since this place actually had beds, everyone was excited to be able to use a real bed instead of the floor like planned. Eventually, everyone fell asleep; well, everyone except for me and Aesop. I decided to have a little chat with him, but he wasn’t very social.

“Soo… uh… hi.” “Hi.” “...” “...” “Why don't you frikin speak?!” “‘Cause everyone is sleeping.” “Oh. Right.” “...” “...” Eventually he fell asleep, so it was just me. Soon my eyelids grew heavy, and I felt my eyes close, my last thought being I’m hungry.

The next morning, I woke up, rubbing my eyes. I looked around and noticed everyone was gone. They must be awake already, I thought, jumping out of bed. “Eli?” I called, walking down the quiet hallway. I turned into a room that smelled delicious, finding everyone laughing and talking. “Oh, hey everyone! I was wondering where you all went,” I said, sitting down next to Eli. “Michiko! Good morning!” Aesop said, strangely cheerful.

“...ko!” I heard someone say, barely a whisper. I turned around, but nobody was there. “What are you looking at?” Emily asked, sharing a plate of cookies with Helena. “Oh, nothing. I just thought I heard something,” I answered, now noticing multiple things wrong. “...Where did you get those cookies?” I asked her. “I made them. How else?” she replied, tilting her head slightly. I stood up, uneasy. “I-I need to go to the restroom,” I said, making a beeline for the door. I flinched when I felt someone grab my wrist. I turned around slowly, Emily holding my arm, smiling. “You’re a smart one, aren’t you?” she said, her eyes glowing red. “But I’m afraid I can’t let you leave.”

***

I slapped her hand off me, running out of the room, into the hallways. I noticed the walls being slanted at unnatural angles, darkness covering the ceiling. My vision went blurry, navigating with my other senses. “...chiko!” I heard someone shout. I whipped my head around. “Murro?!” I shouted back, trying to run in his direction. But no matter where I went, it seemed this maze of illusions would keep me away from finding who or what I wanted. I turned around a sharp corner, narrowly missing hitting the wall. Suddenly, I bumped into someone. “Oof!” they exclaimed, hitting the floor with a thud. “Helena?! Oh thank goodness I found someone!” I cried, hugging her tightly. I pushed her back. “You’re not an illusion, are you?” I asked skeptically. “Of course not! You can touch me can’t you?” she said. “But I could touch the other illusions too,” I said. “Really?” she asked, then quickly said, “Okay then, um, proof I’m not an illusion, uhh… oh! Sometimes I would accidentally take Wu Chang’s umbrella and use it in a match!” “Yes!” I said, hugging her while laughing at the memory of Wujiu crashing a match and snatching his umbrella back angrily.

“We don't have any time to waste! We need to find the others before the illusions lead them away!” I said, carrying Helena and running with her. “Wait! Stop!” she exclaimed, gesturing for me to put her down. “I have an idea!” she said, smacking the end of her cane against the ground. I caught on quickly, saying, “Ohhh, great idea! Why didn’t I think of that?” Helena looked around, focusing. “There!” she said, pointing at a wall. “Murro is in that direction!” I picked her up, running through the halls and leaving red butterflies behind as a mark. I turned a corner, stopping abruptly at a wall. “Run into it!” Helena said. “What?!” I shouted. “It’s an illusion! Go through it! Before Murro is gone!” I wasted no time; I held my breath, then ran through the wall.

“What the- Michiko?!” Murro exclaimed, turning around. He seemed to be sitting with everyone else on the floor, playing a game. “That’s not us! Those are illusions!” Helena explained for me. I shadow dashed over, hitting them with my fan. Almost immediately after going clean through them, the illusions dissolved into thin air. “Huh. No wonder Eli seemed a bit off,” Murro said, scratching his head. Helena hit her cane once again. “Murro, go rescue Emily. She’s in a room near a toolbox and cipher machine. The door should be blocked with a pallet,” Helena described quickly, giving him a gentle push in the right direction. She nodded towards me, running in the direction of Aesop.

Soon, we reached a seemingly bolted door. I kicked the illusion down, revealing a dusty room with nobody in it. “Huh. That’s strange, Aesop should be in-” Helena said, being interrupted by Aesop shouting, “AAAAAAAH!!” running towards us with a stick in hand, swinging it in front of him blindly. “Whoa!” I ducked, feeling the whoosh of air above my head. “Aesop, wait! We’re not illusions!” I yelled, proceeding to hold him in place until he realized it. “You aren’t?” he asked, then said, “If you aren’t, then tell me something only you know.” “Easy. You have a crush on E- mmphgblmdp,” I answered, Aesop slapping his gloved hand on my mouth. His face was completely red. Or, at least the part of his face I could see. “OK THAT’S ENOUGH I BELIEVE YOU NOW,” he shouted, slowly removing his hand. “Sooo, how did you defeat the illusions?” Helena asked. “Oh, I knew they weren’t illusions right away and judo flipped then,” he shrugged, like it was nothing. “DUDE, WHAT IF WE WERE REAL?!” I yelled, shuddering at the thought of being beaten up by Aesop. “But they weren’t real, were they?” Aesop said, walking out of the room. “Wow. Aesop is way different when he isn’t quiet,” Helena commented.

Soon we were running down the halls, following Helena’s command. Eventually we stopped in front of a stained white wall. “He’s on the other side of this,” she said, pointing. I walked forward, but paused and turned around when I felt someone tug my sleeve. “Be careful,” Helena said. “He’s not alone.”