– CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN –

  TWO BABIES

  Americ-Ana felt her entire body shudder. A cutting cold ran through every part of her until it gathered in the center of her head, the coldest point of all. Right after, the cold was swallowed by a wave of heat that also detonated in the same place, as if a sun were igniting inside her.

  She opened her eyes. There was only darkness, absolute silence. A few meters ahead, a small gleam appeared in the void. It grew slowly, expanding until it became a blinding luminosity, invading every corner of the dark space.

  The brightness revealed the colossal figure of a lion. From its forehead a star shone, and that star seemed to exert a magnetic force, pulling Americ-Ana’s heart toward it. The lion began to run in her direction. She thought:

  "Hello, you!"

  The creature opened its mouth. But instead of teeth and a red tongue, there was an infinity of colored points of light. Americ-Ana was swallowed, and her body slid as though falling through a tunnel.

  When she opened her eyes again, her vision, still blurred, tried to adjust to the new environment. Everything was alive, intense, saturated with color. She was on Route Axis Mundi.

  Americ-Ana pushed herself upright, still dizzy. She looked around and recoiled in astonishment: dozens of other "Americ-Anas" hurried past. Farther ahead, she made out the "Wwwyyes": some with blue hair and blue top hats, others with QR codes tattooed across their faces. And, in the distance, different "Astyams", some over two meters tall, others with their skin painted gold.

  Suddenly, she heard a voice calling:

  "Americ-Ana! Here! We’re here!"

  She recognized Astyam and Wwwyye waving. But were they hers, from her reality? Half hesitant, she moved closer.

  "Where were you?" Wwwyye asked.

  "We thought you’d stayed behind trying to find Poppandacorn when we didn’t see you," Astyam added.

  Americ-Ana let out a relieved breath. It was them. It was, in fact, the Wwwyye and the Astyam from her reality.

  "It’s better if we hurry. I don’t want to give Patron Uvo a reason to notice us," Astyam said.

  "Agreed. Patron Uvo is an executioner!" Wwwyye added.

  "I think he doesn’t like me. Actually... I don’t think so, I’m sure. If he picks on you two, it’ll be because of me. I don’t want Patron Uvo to end up harming you because of my fault," Americ-Ana said.

  "Not like that. We’re in this together. We’re from the same CELL, remember? If he messes with one of us, he messes with all of us," Wwwyye shot back.

  The three of them began walking toward the great, multicolored tree.

  "I like walking around here, watching my other versions. I’ve already found a few with green hair and green top hats, others orange, white, yellow, and even red. I thought they were all awful," Wwwyye commented, laughing.

  "If you think they’re awful, why do you like seeing those versions?" Astyam asked.

  "Because then I can be sure that, among all the possible realities of myself, my version is the most stylish," Wwwyye replied, and immediately began to strut like a runway model. Americ-Ana and Astyam burst into laughter, watching the girl pretend she was walking a catwalk.

  As they drew closer to the roots of the immense tree of colored stained glass, they went straight to the booths.

  Astyam went first. When he stepped up, he found the other Astyam already waiting for him.

  "Fac Foedus! It’s very good to see you again," said the one in the booth.

  "Fac Foedus! Likewise," Astyam replied, taking off his prescription glasses and setting them on the scale. Immediately, the side with the glasses sank heavier, and the passage was released.

  Next came Wwwyye’s turn. The version in the booth greeted her with a wide smile.

  "Fac Foedus, girl! Go on and crush all of them!"

  "Fac Foedus! You know I always win," Wwwyye replied, removing her top hat and placing it on the scale. The weight tipped at once, and the passage was released as well.

  At last, it was Americ-Ana’s turn.

  Her version in the booth was already awaiting her, the scale resting on the counter. On one side, the pan lay empty. On the other, a human heart, slick with blood, pulsed as naturally as breath.

  "Fac Foedus! I hope you’re well. What do you have for today?" the Americ-Ana in the booth asked.

  "Fac Foedus! I’m well, thank you!" the young woman replied. She stared at the empty side of the scale and spat on it.

  To her surprise, the side where the heart pulsed still weighed more. The other Americ-Ana’s expression hardened.

  "Okay. Try again. As you can see, simply spitting into the empty pan is no longer enough. You need to offer something else."

  "What do you mean? I don’t understand," Americ-Ana said, confused.

  The Americ-Ana in the booth took a deep breath before answering:

  "It’s simple. The first times you were here, your word was worth more than the weight of your heart. But something happened to you. Now, word alone isn’t enough. Think carefully and place in the empty pan whatever weighs more than your heart. Otherwise, you won’t be able to go on."

  Americ-Ana drew a long breath. She searched her memory, trying to recall everything since the last time she had been on Route Axis Mundi, standing before that same booth. She closed her eyes.

  What surfaced in her mind was always the same pain: having left Poppandacorn behind, and the certainty that soon she would have to offer a plate of food to a demon in front of the entire THE-IMPERIUM bunker.

  Suddenly, a clear image rose up: the KING MatNat sphere inherited from Helena Blavatsky. Americ-Ana brought her hand to her neck, felt the artifact’s cold surface, removed it, and placed it on the scale.

  Immediately, the pan with the KING MatNat sphere weighed more than the heart.

  The Americ-Ana in the booth smiled.

  "Excellent. Very good. You did it. You may cross now."

  Americ-Ana let out a relieved breath. She hung the sphere back at her throat like a necklace, thanked her guardian, and passed through the turnstile. On the other side, Wwwyye and Astyam were waiting for her.

  The three of them headed toward an Einstein-Rosen bus. Around them, other "Americ-Anas", "Wwwyyes", and "Astyams" moved in a hurry, climbing into and stepping out of identical vehicles, then returning into the interior of the immense tree of colored stained glass.

  Before boarding, they stopped in front of a sign that read:

  "What we leave behind and what awaits us are not as important as the crossing."

  Already inside the vehicle, Americ-Ana and Wwwyye sat side by side. Astyam settled into the same row, beside another version of himself.

  "What did you prepare to serve the demon at Solomon Coliseum?" Wwwyye asked, curious.

  "A dish my grandmother used to make when I was a child. She would prepare it on Sundays, on special days. It’s nothing refined, no master’s touch. It’s just cod with leftover bread," Americ-Ana replied.

  As she spoke, she glanced at her own reflection in the Einstein-Rosen’s mirrored glass. The QR codes tattooed on her face stared back, like a reminder. Saying out loud what she had chosen only reinforced what she already knew: she had no chance of winning a pact with a demon through taste. How could a simple plate, made of bread and fish, compete with the elaborate, ornamented delicacies the other initiates had prepared?

  "And you? What did you and Astyam cook to present to the demon?" Americ-Ana asked.

  "I made a Beef Wellington!" Wwwyye said, bright with enthusiasm. "I took a really beautiful tenderloin, brushed it with mustard, wrapped it in a little mushroom paste, then added prosciutto and rolled everything up in puff pastry."

  As she described it, she gestured with her hands like a great chef, drawing a restrained smile from Americ-Ana.

  "I made a Risotto al Tartufo. I took arborio rice, sautéed it in butter with onion, added hot stock little by little, and finished with Parmesan, more butter, and grated truffle on top," Astyam said from the other side of the aisle.

  "Wow. They sound like incredible, delicious dishes. Did you already know how to cook before coming to Equal One Zero?" Americ-Ana asked.

  "To be honest, the moment I got access to the THE-IMPERIUM bunker, I asked my parents to enroll me in a culinary school over the holidays," Astyam replied.

  "I found out I’d have to cook through my sisters. So I asked my family’s chef for a few tips," Wwwyye added.

  Astyam leaned in his seat, sending his gaze across the aisle. His expression was investigative, almost distrustful.

  "Interesting, Wwwyye. You know a lot about THE-IMPERIUM and, above all, about details almost no one notices, like the structure of the academics’ CELL in Equal One Zero. But at the same time, other things that are just as important seem to simply slip past you. What’s going on?"

  Wwwyye coughed, choking a little at the bluntness of the question.

  "Well... it’s just... it’s just... before, when I visited my sisters, I found some things boring, so I tuned out. But other things that caught my attention, I made a point of learning. It’s nothing... like... I don’t know..."

  Silence took over the rest of the ride. Each of them submerged in their own thoughts, anxious about what was waiting for them in the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker.

  Until the Einstein-Rosen slowed. A robotic voice echoed through the vehicle, announcing that their destination had been reached.

  Americ-Ana, Wwwyye, and Astyam stepped off the bus and were met by an uncommon scene.

  In front of them rose two gigantic doors, identical. Before each one, like guardians, lay two colossal babies, at least three meters tall. Both slept deeply.

  The first was so fat you could barely tell whether its eyes were open or closed, hidden beneath enormous rosy cheeks. It slept hugging an immense heart-shaped teddy bear, red and shining.

  The other baby was the opposite: thin to the point that its ribs jutted beneath taut skin. If someone focused, they could even make out its heart beating, shaking its fragile chest. This skeletal baby slept curled around a blue, star-shaped teddy bear.

  Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed around them. The sound came from every direction, yet nothing could be seen. The trio exchanged uneasy looks.

  Americ-Ana felt a sudden tug at the hem of her dress and jumped in alarm. At the same time, Astyam felt something pulling at the cuff of his trousers and startled as well.

  When they looked down, they found two small creatures. They were humanoids about half a meter tall, with arms and legs, but their bodies were shaped like bottles. Inside the transparent casing, a red liquid filled them, and on their heads sat thick corks, like stoppers.

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  They both spoke at once, in high, shrill voices:

  "Fac Foedus! We are the twin bottles!" The creatures made a ceremonial bow. "And these are the twin guardians."

  "Fac Foedus!" Astyam replied, still surprised. "Are you the same species as the Moss Human?"

  The two humanoids nodded in affirmation.

  "Fac Foedus! We want access to the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker," Wwwyye declared, stepping forward.

  The creatures exchanged quick glances, then turned back to the trio and said in unison:

  "The three of you may enter, as long as you feed the baby."

  "Fac Foedus! Feed the babies? Just that? But feed them with what, exactly?" Americ-Ana asked, wary.

  The humanoids looked at each other once more before answering:

  "Not 'the babies.' Only one of them must be fed. The baby you choose must drink the liquid we carry inside our bottle bodies. Only then will it have the strength to awaken, rise, and release the passage for the three of you. We could even do this of our own will, but our short arms can’t reach the cork fixed in our heads."

  To illustrate, they lifted their short arms toward the tops of their heads. The gesture was useless, ridiculously limited. Then they tried to help each other, tugging at the corks with clumsy effort, but without success.

  "See? It’s impossible for us to feed either baby ourselves," they concluded in chorus, their high voices echoing through the air like a lament.

  "Let me see if I understand..." Wwwyye began, her voice dragging out each syllable. "All we need to do to gain access to the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker is feed one of the giant babies with the liquid you two carry inside your bodies?"

  The two humanoids exchanged a quick look and, in unison, turned to the trio, nodding with small movements of their heads.

  "But which of the two giant babies must be fed?" Americ-Ana asked, frowning.

  For the first time, the humanoids stopped speaking in identical fashion.

  One declared, abruptly:

  "The fat baby!"

  The other, with the same conviction:

  "The thin baby!"

  They looked at each other, their expressions shutting tight, and then began to slap at one another. Transparent hands seized and tangled; sharp cries dissolved into scraping sounds.

  Astyam intervened:

  "Hey! Stop that!"

  But his command carried the weight of wind, useless. One clawed at the other’s face; the other tried to tear the cloth that covered the translucent body.

  With a harder shove, one of the humanoids fell. A crack ran across its translucent thorax like a thread of fractured glass, threatening to split open and let the red liquid pulsing inside it leak out.

  "Don’t do that! Stop, right now!" Wwwyye screamed, grabbing one of the flailing arms. The one she held kicked and writhed, trying to break free and continue the assault.

  Americ-Ana and Astyam joined in to restrain the one that had fallen, who was already trying to get up and strike back.

  "Isn’t it obvious? The thin baby should be fed. It’s skin and bone, malnourished, nearly dying. That’s the right choice." One of the humanoids bellowed as it fought to slip out of Wwwyye’s hands.

  "It isn’t obvious!" the other snapped back, just as furious. "Everyone knows that to enter any of the three THE-IMPERIUM bunkers, you have to pass a trial that isn’t always what it seems. Here, the obvious isn’t enough. You have to see beyond appearances. The fat baby should be fed." Even restrained, it bobbed its head like someone wagering against the world.

  Astyam, holding the struggling humanoid tight, spoke low but clearly:

  "I think we already know what we need to do to gain access to the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker. One of the two babies will be fed, and the entrance will be released. But if we don’t act now, these two will keep slapping each other until they destroy themselves, and the red liquid inside them will be lost."

  The silence that followed seemed to measure time.

  "I came to that same conclusion," Wwwyye said, still struggling to keep the humanoid pinned by both arms. "It’s obvious the baby to be chosen is the fat baby. He’s the right one for us to pass."

  "Yes! Yes! Yes! I am the chosen one!" The humanoid restrained by Americ-Ana and Astyam began to shout, quivering as if it had won the dispute.

  "I don’t know if I agree with that," Astyam countered, his voice steady despite the strain. "The baby that must be fed is the thin baby. He gives access to the correct door."

  "I knew it! I knew it! I won!" The humanoid held by Wwwyye exploded in celebration, shaking its body even while immobilized.

  "What do you mean? It’s so obvious," Wwwyye insisted, her eyes fixed on her companion. "I’ve been through these portals many times. This is a test, and the right baby is the fat one, because in these challenges nothing is what it seems. First impressions point to the thin baby, because it’s malnourished and rachitic. But that is precisely the trap. The true one is the fat one. These tests always hide tricks to confuse us."

  "I disagree, Wwwyye," Astyam shot back without hesitation. "Precisely because of that, we should choose the thin baby. Because the obvious is the thin one, everyone sees that. And it’s in being so obvious that the induction into error lives."

  "Guys, let’s calm down," Americ-Ana intervened, yanking hard on the arm of the humanoid still struggling against her. "Maybe we can talk to them. If we ask the right questions, maybe they’ll give us more clues."

  She grabbed the humanoid’s face and made it look at her. "What’s your name?"

  "I am RED, and the baby to be fed is the fat one. Look! He’s holding a heart-shaped teddy bear, red. He’s the right one!" the humanoid declared, its high voice echoing through the space.

  Wwwyye turned to the other. "And you, little one? What’s your name?"

  "I am BLUE, and the baby to be fed is the thin one. Look! He’s holding a star-shaped teddy bear, blue. He’s the one who must be fed to awaken and release the correct passage."

  Americ-Ana let out a frustrated sigh. "I think those questions only made everything even more confusing, actually."

  "No, no. In fact, everything is clear. Despite the names, RED and BLUE, both of them have red liquid inside. That’s part of the trick meant to mislead us," Astyam said, his voice contained, weighing each word.

  "But what happens if we choose the wrong baby, the wrong door?" Americ-Ana asked, her eyes narrowing with worry.

  "You will be sent to KING NedLud." RED and BLUE answered in unison, letting out a laugh that sounded strangely in tune and, for that very reason, even more frightening. When they became aware of each other again, they immediately resumed trying to slap one another.

  "I don’t run the risk of choosing wrong. I feed the fat baby. I’ve been through these entry tests hundreds of times, I know how they work. It’s a trick," Wwwyye declared, her tone hard as steel.

  "Precisely for that reason we should choose the thin one," Astyam retorted, firm. "At first glance the fat one seems like the obvious answer, and that’s why the trap works. There’s always one more layer here."

  "Look closely: the thin baby is holding a star-shaped teddy bear, blue. He’s the wrong one. The fat one has a heart-shaped teddy bear, red. He’s the right one," Wwwyye pointed out, trying to close her argument with logic.

  "It isn’t only what we see right now that matters," Astyam cut in, raising his voice enough to slice the air. "The test is bound to the decision. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, it matters what the baby will become after drinking what’s inside these humanoids. Both of them have red liquid inside; that is what counts. What transforms isn’t the origin, it’s what it will be after the choice."

  "I’m not going to KING NedLud." Wwwyye strained and, with a brusque motion, yanked the cork out of BLUE’s head.

  "Don’t do that, you’re making a huge mistake," Astyam reacted, pulling the cork from RED’s head while Americ-Ana held the translucent body with steady hands.

  In the turmoil, BLUE managed to slip free of Wwwyye’s grip and shot toward the thin baby. In a quick reflex, Wwwyye grabbed it by its clothes; the humanoid slammed violently against the ground. It shattered: a fissure, a dry crack, and then the red liquid spilled out, forming a trail that vanished into the floor.

  "NO! WHAT DID YOU DO?" Astyam shouted, his voice tearing through the tension. "Now we might be stuck here forever, or we’ll be sent to KING NedLud."

  "I don’t regret it." Wwwyye shrugged. "He was going to feed the wrong baby. I just stopped him."

  The echo of her words hung between them like an omen; the metallic smell of the liquid began to evaporate into the air, and the silence that followed was heavy, crowded with bad possibilities.

  Then, taking advantage of the distraction as BLUE’s red liquid disappeared into the ground, the humanoid RED slipped out of Americ-Ana and Astyam’s hands. In a swift burst, it ran toward the fat baby. Agile as an insect escaping through a crack, it climbed the immense body, reached the open mouth, and, in a desperate motion, smashed its own head against the giant’s lips. The translucent body poured the red liquid straight down the baby’s throat.

  "NO!" Astyam shouted, running to grab RED’s leg. But it was too late. The liquid had already been swallowed.

  The fat baby opened its eyes. The blue of its irises didn’t seem real, so intense it resembled a vivid painting, too unreal to exist. It yawned, stretched its arms, and rose. Then it opened its mouth and let out a deafening burp. The sound shuddered like a blast of wind, shaking the ground, swaying the walls, and making the air tremble.

  Right after, a deep, booming, terrifying voice rose from within its throat.

  "KING NedLud! KING NedLud! Baby will take you to KING NedLud!"

  The baby cackled. The laughter was deep, off-beat, like thunder.

  Americ-Ana, Wwwyye, and Astyam stepped back together, terror stamped across their faces.

  "I told you!" Astyam shouted, a mix of fury and fear. "What matters in this test is the baby’s destination, not its origin! We’re damned now because of you, Wwwyye. We’re going to be taken straight to KING NedLud!"

  "I won’t apologize for my convictions," Wwwyye shot back, her voice vibrating with anger. "If I believe something, I fight to the end. If you were so certain, you would’ve acted faster. But you chose to wait, to analyze, to philosophize. It’s easy to blame me now. You couldn’t even hold a humanoid on your own, you needed Americ-Ana."

  "Stop!" Americ-Ana shouted, tension breaking through her voice. "This isn’t the time to argue. Look, he’s opening the door!"

  The fat baby turned toward the entrance it guarded. As it pushed it open, an immense flare of flame erupted from within. Fire surged up to the ceiling like a living wave, filling the space with flames that ran like liquid made of burning.

  The baby turned back to the three of them, blue eyes sparking, its mouth warped into a grotesque smile.

  "Baby gonna get you. KING NedLud is hungry!"

  It let out another cackle, even deeper, and charged at them. The ground trembled beneath each heavy step. The trio scattered instinctively, each fleeing in a different direction. The baby, confused about whom to capture first, swung its enormous head, blue eyes snapping from side to side, ready to choose its prey.

  Astyam, as he tried to run, let his glasses fall to the ground. On reflex, he turned back to grab them, but he tripped and went down hard, face-first. Before he could push himself up, the fat baby stretched out its enormous arm and seized him by the ankle, hoisting him upside down as if he were nothing but a rag doll.

  "HELP! I DON’T WANT TO DIE! HELP ME!" Astyam screamed, his voice echoing in panic.

  "My God! No!" Americ-Ana cried, frozen by terror, her eyes locked on her friend suspended in the air.

  "Americ-Ana, the broken bottle near your feet, throw it to me!" Wwwyye shouted from the other side, her voice cutting through the chaos.

  But Americ-Ana seemed not to hear. Fear pinned her in place, her body held like stone. The fat baby swung Astyam from side to side and began to walk toward the flaming portal.

  "KING NedLud is going to eat you. KING NedLud is going to eat you." The baby’s deep voice turned into a horrid little chant, repeated with delight, each word one step closer to the fire.

  "AMERIC-ANA!!!" Wwwyye bellowed, yanking off her top hat and hurling it with force.

  The top hat cut through the air and struck Americ-Ana square in the face, splitting her lip. Blood flowed at once.

  "OW! WHAT THE HELL???" Americ-Ana cried, dragged back to reality by the pain.

  Across from her, Wwwyye was gesturing in desperation, pointing at the shards of the broken bottle by Americ-Ana’s feet. Finally understanding, Americ-Ana crouched down, grabbed a sharp piece, and threw it with all her strength.

  Wwwyye snatched the glass out of the air with deftness and, without hesitating, charged the fat baby, shouting:

  "HEY, FATSO! LEAVE MY FRIEND ALONE!"

  With a precise strike, she drove the shard of glass into the creature’s immense foot.

  The fat baby roared in pain, its body shuddering. Not understanding where the attack had come from, it released Astyam, flinging him into the wall. The impact was dull and brutal, and Astyam’s body collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

  Then the baby bent down, trying to rip the piece of glass from its foot, where hot blood was gushing out.

  When Americ-Ana saw Astyam lying there, she was seized by a brutal rage, almost animal. A wave of heat surged from her chest to her head, flooding her mind. Without thinking, she clenched her teeth, grabbed another shard of the bottle, and began to move toward the fat baby, each step loaded with fury, as if there were nothing left in the world but the need to strike.

  The fat baby stayed crouched, trying to yank the piece of glass embedded in its foot. In that instant, Americ-Ana lunged in a leap and drove, with all her strength, the shard she held straight into its eye.

  The scream that followed was deafening. The deep, monstrous voice echoed like a subterranean explosion, forcing Americ-Ana and Wwwyye to hunch and cover their ears.

  From the punctured eye, a thick blue liquid began to gush, running down the creature’s misshapen face. The fat baby staggered, lost its balance, and fell, collapsing like a wall splitting apart. It lay still, unconscious.

  Silence took over, heavy, absolute. A minute seemed to drag on like an eternity.

  When they finally managed to steady themselves, Americ-Ana and Wwwyye ran to Astyam.

  "Astyam, wake up! Are you okay? Talk to me!" Americ-Ana sobbed as she shook his body, trying to pull him out of the stupor.

  "Damn it. Damn it. Damn it. This was all my fault." Wwwyye spiraled, her hands gripping her own head, guilt eating through her words.

  The sound of footsteps cut through the moment. They turned and saw the humanoid RED emerge from the shadows. It had remained hidden since being sucked into the fat baby’s mouth, and now it walked with a limp, its high voice slicing the silence.

  "Let the boy drink from my liquid. I still have some. He’ll be fine."

  "NO! DON’T COME NEAR!" Americ-Ana shouted, fury burning in her voice. "This is your fault! You threw yourself into the fat baby’s mouth. You chose his side."

  "I know," RED replied, its shrill voice vibrating in the space. "I was programmed to induce error. But as your friend said before everything collapsed, this test is bound to the decision, to the choice, regardless of origins. I decide now... I choose to induce correctness."

  Americ-Ana hesitated, her chest heaving with rage and suspicion. Then she felt Wwwyye’s hand on her arm, a steady touch, almost a silent plea. Reluctantly, she stepped aside.

  RED bent over Astyam. With effort, it let a thin thread of the red liquid inside it trickle into the boy’s mouth.

  Astyam choked, coughed, his body seized by spasms until, at last, he opened his eyes and drew a harsh breath, spitting air as if returning from the depths.

  "But... what happened?" he asked, confused, his voice faint.

  "Don’t worry. Everything’s okay now," Americ-Ana replied, her voice thick with relief.

  Wwwyye, tears in her eyes, held out the glasses she had picked up from the ground. "I’m sorry, Astyam. I was wrong. You were right."

  The glasses gleamed in the dimness as they returned to their owner’s hands, as if they carried more weight than mere glass and frame.

  Astyam seemed to remember what had happened. He looked around, stood up, straightened his clothes, spritzed nasal spray into his nose, and asked:

  "Can we still enter the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker?"

  "Of course you can. Come with me," the humanoid RED said, gesturing toward the thin baby still resting before the door.

  The humanoid RED climbed up the thin baby’s belly, using its protruding ribs like steps, and managed to reach its mouth. It poured the rest of its red liquid into the thin baby’s mouth.

  The thin baby woke. It opened its eyes, revealing large, intense, red eyes. The thin baby yawned, stretched, stood up, and opened the door behind it.

  "Baby let you in," it said, in a deep, frightening voice.

  "Let’s go. Before something else happens," Wwwyye said, running toward the door. Americ-Ana and Astyam followed, running as well.

  They looked back and saw the thin baby and the humanoid waving their hands.

  None of the three waved back.

  The door closed. Everything went dark. Suddenly, lights flickered on, revealing an elevator.

  "Astyam, are you okay?" Americ-Ana asked.

  Astyam, however, only nodded yes, lowered his head, and turned his face away.

  Then the elevator began to move.