Supernatural Taxes

29) I think vitamin supplements are making a killing off of this.

The first thing that they noticed as their reather deserted bus entered Amsterdam was the whirlpool of dark clouds swirling around the rembrandt building, the dark setting was punctuated with strange purple thunder and ghostly human screams on the edge of Atla's hearing.

"That wasn't there when we left was it?" Atla confirmed with Nora, not looking away from the supernatural remodelling underway on the building. Parts of it were being stripped away by an invisible force then being replaced with castle walls, bits of wood and additional corridors, it looked like the world's biggest secret base, incredibly structurally unsound.

"No it wasn't," she agreed, "Looks like the new Writer's paid our city a visit." It was a reasonable conclusion, most major cities and countries had been hit already, New York, Washington, Berlin, London, Tokyo, Amsterdam must have been somewhere on the list, if not very high up.

Well, let's hope we're not abducted and turned into rodents before we need to write our finals" Joked Atla, listening to Thanos' commentary on the phenomenon.

They got to Nora's house without incident but Atla did feel a few glares from strangers that she was almost sure she hadn't offended yet. No one was home so they let themselves in through the back door. They dumped their camping gear and the tent, which they found blown into some nearby bushes, in the garage then entered the basement.

Atla retrieved the valuables that she stored under Nora's bed while Nora searched for more info on Amsterdam's situation. Above them she heard the front door open and close. "Looks like your mom's home."

"Mmm," Nora kept reading while tapping Twee.

Ginny started singing nursery rhymes while bustling about the kitchen. She wasn't bad, but there was a strange sound in the background... whimpering? Yep that was definitely whimpering, it was getting louder too.

—A piercing howl interrupted her, something just got a limb chopped off. Eeriest of all was Ginny's unperturbed, carefree singing. She looked to Nora, "Do you have a dog?"

"No..." The shrieks of pain continued every time a blow was struck, only more pitifully. The three of them crept up the ladder they crept up the ladder then slowly lifted the trap door. It creaked.

"Nora, is that you dear?"

"...Yeah mom, we" —she took an elbow to the side, "I just got back."

"Oh, has Atla already gone home?"

"...Yeah..."Nora narrowed her eyes at Atla who was silently apologising.

"Well could you help holding our dinner still? It's being quite uncooperative."

Atla's preservation instincts too charge, she ducked down, grabbed her stuff and slipped out the back door. Nora was saying something while pointing to her phone but Atla didn't process it. Her muscles only relaxed when she was within sight of her flat.

***

Atla got back to her flat and knocked on her neighbour, Dave's door to thank him for keeping watch and giving her updates on the situation. That's how she was sure that any dissatisfied customers were gone by now, his message was, "They've all left, they've got bigger things to worry about."

Dave opened the door with a lazy yawn but hardened slightly when he saw her, "Hi, I just wanted to thank you again for keeping me updated and stuff, I really owe you one." Atla nodded her head to him, it really was a heartfelt thanks.

Dave scratched his head uncomfortably, and said, "I heard some of what they were saying, that pot plant is magic?"

"Yes." Atla answered, not sure where this was going.