Heaven Gilded Zarcroft Hybrid

Twenty Five

I opened my eyes to a pitch black room, squeezed against the others. The only thing separating us was fabric hanging from the ceiling. I leaned against a wooden wall, and breathed in the aroma of dinner. Feathers tickled my neck.

"Can you move?" I elbowed Cynaline's side.

"I can't!" he shoved me. "We're in a closet or something."

I moved into a corner, and heard a click under my shoulder. Warm lights turned on. The fabric we felt were dozens black, chef uniforms with violet accents, hanging back to back from the closet door to the back wall.

I peeked through the clothes to see Jamie curled up in a corner with his bookbag, and Dorothy shivered beside him.

My head buzzed, like a rock hit me and woke me up. Why did I open my eyes? Wasn't I already awake?

"We should go home," Cynaline said, scrolling through his teleporter. "We were knocked out or something when we fell in here. That, or... the mall! What was that place? No wonder we were acting so stupid."

"What is this place?" Dorothy questioned.

I searched for a knob— at least the back of one. I saw a yellow button below the light switch, and pressed it.

The door silently slid wide open.

To a kitchen.

Steam rose from stovetops. About twenty chefs wandered around, carrying pots and pans of dinner. Automated carts strolled around with giant trays, which people loaded with food. Everything looked right out of a mansion kitchen, with sleek silver walls and black, marble tiles.

I slammed the door shut.

"We're in a closet!" I panicked. "In a kitchen! What are we supposed to do?"

"Can we teleport out?" Jamie slurred.

"The teleporters don't show a trace of this place," Cynaline groaned. "We can't just select any random coordinates or we won't know where we're going. I think."

He turned to me. "How did you know the exit was on the ceiling?"

"I didn't..." I shook my head. "I didn't know that's where the exit would be. My teleporter took me there by mistake."

"Lucky shot."

"Yeah. Hopefully we have more of those. But we have to get out of here, first."

I thought to myself, then grabbed a chef uniform from a hanger.

"I have an idea."

⚝⚝⚝

I tied my hair in a ponytail, removed my glasses, and wore the chef uniform. Cynaline tore off the name tag for me, and came up with an excuse.

I slowly opened the closet door, creeping out. With all the clacking pots and pans and hissing steam, no one turned their heads. I brushed off my clothes, and stood in front of the closet, gazing around.

A middle-aged woman passed by me, wearing the same uniform and a hair net. She followed behind an automatic cart carrying a tray of mugs.

Her eyes widened as she stopped. "Are you new?"

"Y-Yes. I'm on my way to my room."

"I haven't seen you before. Do you work part-time?"

"I do. I only got here a few days ago."

"To think I'd forget a face as dashing as yours. What's your name?"

"Thank you. I'm... Icarus Springs."