You Can't Spell Funnel Without Fun

Chapter 16: Choose Your Path

Packing up was so easy since we could loot everything. Geraldine, it turned out, even had a portable washer that when you put clothes in it then closed the lid, just automatically cleaned them. I mean, they were sopping wet, but after a bit of time wringing out the water and carefully holding them in front of the open over door, we had warm and dry clothes. We were going to be so spoiled having clean clothes and cold orange juice. 

The downside to having all these awesome appliances was that Geraldine was stuck in here with us. That made me think about the rest of our apartment building. I wondered if the apartment below us had someone stuck in it and I mentioned it. 

Geraldine patted me gently and said, "Oh, dear. They moved out last month. That apartment's still empty for renovictions. If that slumlord was staying the night in the place, then he deserved to be spider soufflé. Serves him right for kicking out a young couple with a brand new baby."

I felt so relieved, but then conflicted for a moment because I didn't want anyone to die. Even if he was our scum sucking landlord.

Suze looted everything for us until the entire apartment was bare. I explained to Geraldine how to give Suze and me access to her inventory to make it easier to pass things back and forth. I gave both of them unlimited access to mine.

It felt good to be back in my own jeans and hoodie. I could have used some running shoes instead of bunny slippers, but Geraldine had the world's tiniest feet. So, no go there.

To help with moving the cats, I wore the coolest backpack I had ever seen. It was like a cat backpack condo. Each cat had their own individual little bag including shoulder straps that zipped together. All three made it rather tall, but Suze said she'd carry two of them once we dealt with The Hangman. The cats could look out mesh sides and those could be closed in case of rain or snow. 

We had no idea what the weather would be like outside since the abyss had just been dark and stoney. We had to be ready for anything.

When Suze returned with the Hangman, I was happy to see that he just sat in the middle of the cage, focusing on not sliding about and hitting the edges. He wasn't overtly trying anything.

We all moved to the entrance to the apartment. I stood in front of the other two. 

I reached out my left hand back to grab Suze's. She gripped mine in comfort. I reached the other hand beside me to Geraldine. She squeezed with her papery thin skin dry against mine.

"Are you ready?"

They both answered, "Yes/Claro."

I let go of their hands and reached out to the door. "Okay, here we go." I took a deep breath, then I turned the handle, and opened the door.

I fully expected an attack in my face, but instead we were standing on what looked to be the landing in front of Geraldine's apartment. The industrial grey carpet went out in front of us and where the apartment door on the other side of the hallway would be, instead was a great vista of a miraculous world.

We stood at the edge of a steep cliff. It cut through the carpet in jagged edges as though someone had just sliced half the building to form rock crags. I stepped out a few steps, testing the solidness of the ground beneath me and it seemed safe so I shuffled out further.

Beneath me was the carpet, but I could feel the solidness of earth underfoot instead of the bizarrely spongy landing floor. What we looked out upon was breathtaking. 

It seemed to be early morning. At least looking straight ahead it gave the appearance of a morning sky. Birds flew up in the ether chirping and riding along the wind currents. There was wind. It gusted and I could feel it on my face and smell that clean crisp scent of wilderness, not the wet city cementness I was used to.