PLATO'S STEP-DAUGHTER I FLYNN CARSEN

The Cabinet Of Wonder

The Cabinet Of Wonder

"Hey, what's with the long faces?" Ezekiel asked as he rounded the corner of Flynn's curiosity cabinet, raising an ironic eyebrow at Clara and Cassandra's matching morose visages.

"They've been trying and failing to get Hot Stuff here to take his tonic," Archie explained, examining a hoof critically.

"OK, still trying to get my head around talking goat," Ezekiel said, holding his hands up. "And by the way, Eve wants us to start tracking down that hell-demon before he kills another blonde," he said to Clara and Cassandra, making their faces fall even further.

"Why doesn't Eve act as bait?" Cassandra suggested helpfully. "I mean, she's blonde - naturally blonde - and beautiful..." Her voice trailed off into the ether under the weight of Clara's withering glance.

"I didn't know Eve had a fan-club," Clara said nastily. "Did you found it?"

"You know what?" Ezekiel said suddenly, startling Clara. "This is a bitch-free zone, starting as of now." He started skipping around them, waving his arms like windmills, his face a fierce mask of concentration. "There," he announced, "all done."

"What did you just do?" Cassandra asked, confused.

"I debitched the area," Ezekiel explained.

"No, you didn't," Archie said, jerking his head at Clara. "Bunty's still here, still bitchin'."

"I think it's time we tracked down Demos," Ezekiel said hastily, edging towards the staircase.

"Not until Hot Stuff here takes that tonic," Clara declared, crossing her arms over her chest. "I risked life and limb in Reference for Magic Mike over there, so we're not moving until he takes it."

"Nothing and no-one can tame me," Jacob exclaimed, striking a macho pose, the red velvet cloth lying long lost by his feet.

"Anything you say, Stone, anything you say," Ezekiel said distractedly, eying the curiosity cabinet curiously.

"As much as I'm enjoying the view, can you please put this shirt on?" Clara pleaded, pushing the hair out of her eyes, fighting the urge to punch Jacob in the face. She and Cassandra had just spent the last half hour chasing Jacob around the upper storey, Clara clutching one of Flynn's shirts, an imposingly patterned affair of blue-birds flying against a banana yellow backdrop, Cassandra precariously carrying a golden goblet containing a concoction counteracting Circe's spell, Jacob refusing to entertain either option. Consequently, Clara was at the end of her tether, unable to take much more of Jacob's so called high-jinks.

"Jake, please just take the antidote," Cassandra begged, brandishing the goblet at him, Jacob backing away from her like a vampire being confronted by a crucifix.

"Yeah, goddamn take it, oh inferior being of below," Archie growled, advancing on Jacob.

"Goats can growl?" Cassandra squeaked.

"Now they can!" Archie exclaimed, tossing his head back.

"Oh, evolution, how I love thee," Ezekiel murmured, edging closer to the cabinet.

"Archie, use your horns, and we'll use our hands, right?" Clara hissed, creeping up behind Jacob.

"Left!" Archie parried before leaping at Jacob like a lion.

"You'll never take me alive!" Jacob shouted as Clara and Archie took him down, Cassandra bouncing agitatedly on the balls of her feet, waiting for the right moment to force-feed Jacob the tonic.

"Famous last words," Ezekiel observed, flinging open the doors to the curiosity cabinet with a flourish, ready to receive the riches within, only for a bejewelled hand to reach out and grab him by the shirt collar, dragging him inside, his heels disappearing from sight.

"Zeke!" Clara and Cassandra screamed in synchronization, Jacob completely forgotten in the fracas as they rushed towards the curiosity cabinet, only for their feet to skid to a halt as the cabinet suddenly started spinning like a dervish.

"Oh my God, it's possessed!" Cassandra cried, completely losing her head.

"More likely your Ezekiel has upset its digestion," Archie said sarcastically, circling the spinning cabinet. "Something about his shifty eyes has obviously disagreed with it."

Clara stood there, shock coursing through her veins. "Cassie, go and get Jenkins," she said quickly, forcing herself to focus. "If Flynn's been keeping cannibalistic cabinet furniture, Jenkins must be the one who cleans up its mess."

Cassandra nodded, hastily setting the goblet down on a Danish dictionary, before taking off, disappearing down the sweeping staircase at a skipping sprint, her hair streaming out behind her like a crimson banner. Clara watched her go before turning her attention back to the now still cabinet, approaching it like she would a wild animal, her heart beating like a drum in her chest. A voice in her head warned her that she was stepping out of her place, sounding suspiciously like Jenkins, but she was done with Eve queening it over her. She was done with standing in front of Judson's mirror, hoping against hope to see him again so she could ask him for his advice, so he could guide her like he had Flynn. She could do this, she would do this -

"You're seriously not considering jumping in that thing, are you?" Archie said in disbelief.

"Afraid I am, Archie," Clara said shakily, biting her lip.

Archie eyed her admiringly. "You're one brave bint, Bunty," he said as Jacob wandered over, watching the cabinet with a wary eye.

"Well, it's either that or being a snivelling wreck," Clara said, shrugging her shoulders.

"That's one scary piece of sideboard," Jacob interjected, doing a theatrical shudder.

"I know," Clara said simply, before taking a running jump, diving headfirst into its undiscovered depths.

Sooner or later it all comes around
Hopefully then I will see
After the people and places are gone
You will come back...