Shelly looked up from the blade she was inspecting.
"Right" She said "I think this person-"
"UP. Unknown person" Zo said as she put down a broken hour glass.
"I think this UP likes knife. Sharp ones" Shelly said as she examined the tip of the blade.
"The cobwebs shows that no one has been here for a while" Fina said
"This is the place they use for experiments. Whatever experiments that might be. Probably bad ones. Harmful ones" Zo said
"Except for the vial and that there was a fight here, we've got nothing else. Nothing about the ghost" Fina said
"And the fact that there's no way out. Don't forget that" Shelly said
Fina observed the room again. Not wanting to miss a thing.
She moved to the dark walls and had the urge to write something on the wall. Then, she began to write on it with her emergency pen.
"What are you doing?" Shelly asked
"Don't you think it's weird? The walls doesn't reveal any writings. Like not even a sign? It's blank. Like an invisible ink" Fina said
Shelly and Zo was standing beside her now.
Zo brought out different colours of pen from her pocket.
"I'm not even going to ask" Shelly said with a cocked eyebrow.
Zo scribbled something on the dark wall.
"Wow. Like its invisible." She said
Fina wrote Invisibility on the wall and the wall shifted.
The girls entered another place without a single thought.
The walls suddenly shut behind them.
"I do wonder how we are going to get back again. Does this look like we are still in Elfina to you?" Shelly asked
They were outside and it was still late. The night looked young with the big bright moon illuminating everywhere.
A fog suddenly descended upon them.
Hawks could be heard everywhere and the place was so silent they could hear their own breathing.
"Remember the simile. As silent as a graveyard" Shelly said to creep out Zora.
"Shelly. You are warned" Zo tried to appear stern but her voice wavered.
Tall trees could be seen around them.
"I feel like we are in the forest. The one with fogs and talking trees" Fina said with a frown. "We are still in Elfina"
"Of course you are in Elfina"
"I definitely hope that's not a tree" Shelly said
"Pftt. Idiots"
They moved closer to see the tree talking to them. It was amongst the tall trees. It had a carved eyes, nose and mouth with a wooden tongue.
All of them. And they are all staring at them with wide eyes.
"This is creepy" Zo said shakily.
"Explain creepy'' Shelly said
"We are close to the Cafeteria, aren't we?" Fina asked.
"That means we are out of the castle" Zo said
"Of course not. So, what are you little midgets doing out this late at night?" Another ugly tree asked
"Midgets?" They all asked with raised voices.
The trees burst out into laughter.
"Well, aren't you? Straining your necks to look up and all? You looked so tiny I can barely see your feets"
"Do trees die?" Shelly asked Fina sharply.
Fina mouth curved in a sad smile.
"Apparently they do. With fire and a treedozer" She replied.
"It's really fascinating. Trees talking. Talking trees" Zo said, not scared anymore.
The fogs passed and came, repeating a weird cycle.
"Can you help us? We are looking for something" Fina asked
"If you want answers, ask him. Maybe he will shut up for once and stop crying. Liked one of the students. Have you ever seen a tree fell in love with a human? He hasn't fall out of love for the past three months. Humans. Disgusting"
"He cries a lot so we called him the tree of tears. Silent to humans in the day, weepy at night." Another tree said
"Follow the cries"
They suddenly heard a faint cry.
"You said three months. Who is its lover?" Fina asked
"A student from Elfina. Loved her very much. Gave her roses secretly whenever she passed. Magical roses. Then, she stopped coming suddenly. He was devastated. Every time he becomes sad, it became foggy. Never forgot her"
"She was pretty. If I was a woman, I'd definitely asked her out"
"Glad you are not a human then. You are damn too ugly it's not fair to look at you"
"Said the one with the smelly flowers. You need a bath you know?"
Fina shook her head in disbelief at the trees.
"We all are smelly. Pooping with no water to flush"
"I think they are talking about rain" Shelly whispered
"If it becomes foggy because he's sad, then, there's not a single time he's happy?" Fina asked
"Yes. Five seconds. A damn record. Then, he turned weepy again. Ask him if he'll talk to ya"
"Oh. Remember the time when she kissed someone in front of us? He shed lots of roses. Called it depression. Shedding your happy and lovely parts. Not wanting to talk to a soul."
"Yes. She had a boyfriend. Never remember his face though. The ugly ones faces are always easy to forgat"
"Like your face?"
"Shut up, chop stick. Care to put some weight in ya?. No muscles. Too thin"
Zo chuckled.
"Did you hear anything about her death?" Fina asked
"Yes. Said she fought invisible demons twice."
"Invisible demons" Fina said
"Yes. Her body in blood. Twice. In blood. Heard it. She was mad. Shame. She was really pretty"
"Couldn't talk for a while. Mentality failed. A broken princess. Then, she died. Did a spell on herself. Died"
"Lies! Half lies!"
"So, he finally decided to talk"
"You all half liars. I can hear ya. Spilling half lies about my princess"
"I swear this is weird. Weirder than Miss Zedler's cat" Zo said softly.
Fina walked to the tree of tears who has resumed his crying again.
"Which part is a lie?" She asked
"Her death. She looked so sad when she said she doesn't want to do it anymore. She never got out of it. You go to hell with the devil once you started to play with him. She told me she worked with evils. She wanted out. They never let her got out". "Who?" Zo asked
"We are trees. We do not move. She became a wandering ghost stuck in that castle. I never got to see her again. A student died two years ago at the same day."
Fina and Shelly glanced at each other.
"Do you know her?" Fina asked
"Pftt. Of course" One of the short trees said.
"Mélanie Crest. Pretty. Died when she was a senior. Purple hair with purple eyes. Had a bracelet she always wear. I think it's magic related. I wouldn't be surprised if she got her beauty with it. She was so pretty"
Fina eyes widened.
"Bracelet?"
"Yes. I swear on my mama-
"You don't have a mama."
"I'm a grandma. I have kids that fetilize"
"I swear on my grandkids that I saw her in that girl with fish eyes. Eh…"
"Serene Berry?"Shelly filled in.
"Aha! That one. Bracelet and all. Still ugly though. You three are pretty though. Ya single?"
"She's the same. I can sense it. She knew we knew. Her eyes looked down every time she passed"
Fina touched her forehead. Zo swayed and Shelly burst out laughing.
"Talon Smith is dating a ghost" She said "Talon Smith is dating a ghost?" She asked, extremely terrified.
"Her grave is buried somewhere here. Follow the hawk sounds. Those animals looked like that ugly teacher. Sparkler… eh…
"Zedler" Shelly said again
"Yes. Same face and all "Same nose. So ugly. Never smile. Always constipated"
The girls smiled.
"If Mélanie Crest is dead, who is Serene Berry?" Fina asked