R e t r o s p e c t • PSYPHY

Chapter 8: P e r p e t u a

"Ah, that's better." Betty says.

"It amazes me, you're so much better this way." Syeef mentions, motioning to the kitchen. 

"You couldn't turn a trade with that silver tongue." Betty laughs. 

They peer down at Nicole, blood filing the floorboards. 

"So, what's the plan? Julbe wouldn't tell me."

"As he shouldn't. I don't intend to either, you know we can't know too much." she replies. 

"Are we both supposed to wait here?"

"Well, yes. Actually, no. Only I have more to do. But this part doesn't involve us."

"And by us who exactly do you mean?" Syeef asks. 

Betty giggles, the snarky kind where she's enjoying being in on the joke. 

"Not This you. Or I for that matter. The soul has to be informed. But since Isaac is busy tending to Julbe, you have me. The Smiths and their various factions are working in their own way. I'm merely here to judge on if this is the right method for their madness."

Syeef laughs, "Sink or swim huh? That sucks."

Betty walks to the dining room table. "We'd rather fly by doubt." She pulls a chair, "Than act on a whim." She takes a seat. 

> Jared & Kelly's House

Titilayo sits down, sips her drink, and taps away at her phone. 

"Huh, that's odd." 

"What is?" Kelly walks in with a plate of food. 

"Caasi hasn't texted me. He usually catches up with me around now - since it's about the time he gets therapy. But it's been over a month, and I was sure he would by this point." Titi explains. 

"Yeah, that's weird. We haven't seen or heard from him in a while either." She puts the food on the table. "I thought I'd ask Jared about it, but he's become a little..." She grabs her drink. "Distant."

"Oh don't worry, I've come to know when somethings wrong with one - it's a pair. We just need to do some investigating." Titi says. 

Kelly gets a small spoon, and places it next to the plate of food. "You're right. See how long it's been since a post."

They take a moment while Titilayo does some scrolling. She effectively stalks both their social media, and this takes longer than anyone anticipates. After a bit, a baby starts crying. 

"Oh, one's up." Kelly rushes to the back room. 

A second kid wakes up, and starts calling out for his mom. Titilayo looks up and laughs. Motherhood must be so rewarding. She continues on her phone, until she gets a notification. 

"Whoa, actually there's something weird here."

Kelly comes out from the back room, holding one infant and the hand of her toddler. "Weird how?"

"Okay you remember that one girl, Arianna?"

Kelly places her baby in his high chair. "Yeah,"

"Okay, don't panic but, she's missing."

"Oh my god, what?" 

"Yeah, I'm just finding this out too."

"So, what happened?"

Titilayo scrolls for a bit more, then adjusts her glasses. "There's not much on the news, but here's the weird part. Arianna was reportedly last seen in a Starbucks in Baltimore."