There Be Treasure Await'n

She's Got a Secret Garden

By the time that night's performance was over, most of the patrons cleared out, the few remaining choosing to drink and play cards the rest of the night. Taking a glance around the room, Jim slipped through the stage entry door. He cautiously walked down the dark hallway, moving to stand outside the Lounge room. He knocked.

With a creak, Mae opened the door, immediately letting Jim in as the other girls turned to look at their guest. Jim glanced around. "Is Anna here?"

Victoria shook her head. "She and Andrew left to head to town not ten minutes ago, but they'll be back soon. Did you need something?"

Jim put his hands in his pockets, eyebrows furrowing. "Well...I was going to ask her about something. Maybe you guys can help me though?" The girls nodded.

"So, uh...today I ran into your manager-at least, that's who I think he is. He yelled at Anna for being late and was going to...hit her. He said she wasn't telling me about something? Do you know what's going on?" He said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

The girls just stared for a moment, and Jim began to wonder if he said something wrong when Cecile, with her arms crossed, spoke. "You ran into Victor?"

"Is that his name? He was tall, kinda bigger. Human," said Jim. 

Cecile looked worriedly at her friends. "Yes, that's him. Jim...have you ever been to Calypso before? To Truro?"

The boy slowly shook his head. The feline sighed. "Then you really must not know what's going on here." Jim stepped forward. "Well, that's what I'm trying to figure out," he said. 

Isidora crossed her legs at the stool she was sitting at, tapping one of the nearby lamps with a clawed finger. "Look, this is probably something Anna should talk to you about. All I'll tell you now is that we've been...improperly employed. She'll be back soon. There's a balcony upstairs at the end of the hall that's pretty private. Wait there for her. We'll send her your way when she arrives. Okay?" 

Looking at the other girls as if waiting for their approval, Jim paused before nodding, turning to leave. "Alright. Thanks," he said, opening the door. Isidora nodded. "Good luck," she said as Jim pulled the door shut. 

The boy walked through the dining room and up the stairs, making his way down the creaking hallway to the last door in it. There was no label. Cautiously, he opened the door, revealing a small balcony two stories from the road. He walked to the railing, hoisting himself onto it. For what seemed like a while, he fingered at a loose string on his jacket sleeve, heart beating anxiously for what awaited him...the unknown.

Dark clouds rumbled overhead, casting shadows over the city. Musty street-lamps came on below, casting next to no light around them. Few walked on the roads, leaving the balcony quiet except for the sound of distant thunder and light rain. Jim sighed.

Suddenly, the creak of wood shook him from his reverie, causing his heart to jump in shock as he turned to see the door behind him closing, Anna at its side. She looked almost forlorn, hair falling from the uneven bun she tied it in. She pulled her sweater more tightly around her as she walked closer. Swinging her legs over the rail, she took a seat next to the boy. 

"Hey," Jim said quietly, looking at the girl. 

"Hi," she said even quieter.

"So...did they tell you why I wanted to talk?" He asked.

"Yeah." She replied.

For a moment, they sat in silence, looking out over the black rooftops and chimneys with billowing smoke floating into the air. It was oddly serene.