Vivienne inched her way across the narrow wooden board, arms outstretched for balance, her determination burning brighter than her common sense. Bell watched from the edge, wringing her hands as the ash continued to drift lazily through the air.
"Vivienne, please just come back! The board’s not safe!" Bell pleaded, her voice tight with panic.
Vivienne scoffed, her tone sharp with frustration. "If I die doing this, Bell, I swear I’m haunting you." She paused, teetering slightly before regaining her balance. "Besides, I’ve really had enough of this guy." She turned her head toward the stage where the Hat Man stood, still stroking Poe’s feathers.
The Hat Man’s dissonant voice cut through the tense silence, his words dripping with mockery. "Ah, the bravado of mortals. Such charming, futile little gestures. Come closer, why don’t you? I’ll make it quick."
Vivienne glared at him, then glanced down at her feet. "You know what? I’ve had enough of your creepy monologues." She lifted one foot, and with a sharp kick that turned into an elegant pirouette she launched her shoe at him.
"Take that, Mr. Void!" she shouted as the shoe sailed through the air.
The shoe arced toward the Hat Man—and to Bell’s shock, as it reached the stage, a splash of liquid erupted from it, spraying over the Hat Man and the surrounding area. The liquid sizzled where it landed, sending up wisps of steam.
The Hat Man staggered back, his distorted form rippling unnaturally. His voice faltered, sharp with confusion. "What—what is this?"
Vivienne blinked, then looked down at her remaining shoe. "Holy water," she muttered, her voice full of dawning realisation. "I forgot I had a vial stashed in there after that thing with the haunted bridal shop."
Bell’s eyes widened. "You had holy water in your shoes?"
"Don’t question my methods, Bell!" Vivienne snapped, pointing at the now-faltering Hat Man. "Focus on that!"
The Hat Man’s form flickered, pieces of his shadowy mass breaking away like smoke. Poe’s feathers fluffed, and for the first time, he let out a sharp, piercing cry that filled the air.
"Poe!" Bell shouted, her heart racing.
The cry was raw and desperate, carrying with it an unmistakable plea for help. Bell’s breath caught in her throat as the realisation hit her—Poe’s betrayal wasn’t entirely his choice.
The Hat Man hissed, his voice layered and distorted. "You meddling fools. You will regret this."
But Vivienne’s victory was short-lived. She wobbled on the board, now lopsided with only one shoe. "Uh… slight problem," she muttered, glancing down at her precarious footing. "Bell? A little help here!"
Bell groaned, already stepping onto the board. "I swear, Vivienne, if we survive this, you’re never living this down."
"That’s fair," Vivienne said, wobbling again as Bell carefully made her way toward her. "But can we save the lecture until after we’re off the plank of doom?"
Bell grabbed Vivienne’s arm just as she stumbled, steadying her. Together, they inched their way the short distance to the stage, Bell muttering under her breath the entire time.
As they crossed, the Hat Man growled low, his form regaining its solidity. "You’ve gained nothing," he hissed. "I’ll take my leave for now, but know this—you will not escape me again."
With a final, distorted ripple, he and the stage vanished, leaving only the yawning pit and the drifting ash.
Bell and Vivienne collapsed onto the edge of the stage, panting.
"One shoe," Bell muttered, glaring at Vivienne. "You nearly got us killed over one shoe."
Vivienne raised a finger, still catching her breath. "Correction. One holy water-filled shoe. And I regret nothing."
Bell rolled her eyes but couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. "You’re impossible."
Vivienne smirked, brushing ash off her jacket. "You’d miss me if I were gone."
Bell’s smile faded slightly as she looked over the empty stage. "Poe’s not gone. I know it now. He was calling for help."
Vivienne leaned back, glancing toward the dark pit. "Then I guess we’d better figure out how to pull him out of whatever mess he’s stuck in."
Bell nodded, determination replacing her exhaustion. "We will. No matter what it takes."
Vivienne raised her remaining shoe in mock salute. "To the holy shoe of justice."
Bell snorted, shaking her head. "You’re ridiculous."
"And you’re stuck with me." Vivienne grinned, standing and offering Bell a hand. "Come on. Let’s get out of this ash heap and find your bird."
Bell and Vivienne pushed aside the thick, black curtain, stepping cautiously into yet another version of the club. The air felt heavy, and an eerie silence enveloped the room, broken only by the faint sound of their boots against the floor.
The space was dimly lit by an unnatural, flickering light, casting long shadows over dozens of statues that filled the room. Bell gasped as her eyes adjusted, realizing each statue was a frozen replica of one of their animals—dozens of cats and birds, their features unnervingly lifelike.
“Great,” Vivienne muttered, folding her arms. “Now we’re in the haunted taxidermy exhibit.” She paused, her eyes narrowing. “Wait. Is that a statue of my cat?”
Bell turned, her heart sinking. Half the statues had an unmistakable likeness to Poe, perched on branches or blocks, his feathers rendered in exquisite detail. Among them stood sleek, sculpted versions of Vivienne’s cat, its body poised mid-stretch, or sitting smugly, some running wildly.
Bell took a shaky step forward. “Poe,” she whispered, reaching out to one.
A voice echoed through the room, layered and mocking.
“Ah, my dear guests. Welcome to my gallery.” The Hat Man’s tone dripped with smugness, reverberating from every corner of the room.
“Of course, you’re still here,” Vivienne said, spinning around in search of him. “What are you, the tour guide? Should we tip you on the way out?”
The Hat Man’s laugh sent a chill down Bell’s spine. “Ever the amusing one, Vivienne. But your wit won’t save you this time. You may have struck me by accident with your quirky little shoe, but intelligence? That’s something you lack entirely.”
Vivienne rolled her eyes. “Wow, I feel so insulted. This guy’s got the creative insults of a middle school bully.”
The Hat Man ignored her. “If you want your beloved pets back,” he continued, “you’ll need to prove yourself worthy. Among these statues are your Poe and your precious feline. But only one is the real thing. Choose wisely.”
Bell’s stomach twisted. “What happens if we choose wrong?” she asked, already dreading the answer.
The Hat Man chuckled darkly. “Why, they’ll remain here, of course. Frozen forever, as part of my collection. And you’ll be left with nothing but regret.”
Vivienne snorted. “Wow, real original. What’s next? We solve a riddle, or do we have to clap our hands and say we believe in fairies?”
The Hat Man’s voice grew sharper. “Mock me all you want, Vivienne, but your usual brand of recklessness won’t save you this time. This requires thought. Logic. Something you might find... challenging.”
Vivienne planted her hands on her hips. “Buddy, if I can figure out how to keep my eyeliner intact through an exorcism, I can solve your dumb statue puzzle.”
Bell, meanwhile, was staring at the statues, her heart pounding. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Poe was watching her, but the room was filled with so many lifelike birds.
“Vivienne,” Bell said, her voice quiet. “What if we get it wrong? What if I pick—”
“You’re not going to get it wrong,” Vivienne interrupted, patting her shoulder with exaggerated confidence. “We’ve got this. Probably. Maybe. Okay, no, this is kind of terrible, but hey, at least we’ll fail together!”
Bell groaned. “That’s not helping.”
“Fine,” Vivienne said, cracking her knuckles. “Let’s use our noggins. He wants us to overthink this, right? That’s how guys like this work—they set traps to confuse people. It’s gotta be simpler than it looks.”
Bell frowned, looking back at the Poe statues. “But how do we know which one is real? What if they’re all fake?”
“Not possible,” Vivienne said, pointing at the cat statues. “That smug fluffball over there? It’s totally my cat. Look at the tail curl—it’s got ‘I’m judging you’ written all over it.”
“You don’t know that,” Bell protested.
Vivienne leaned in, squinting at her statue. “Look, Bell, I know my cat. I can feel it. I mean, sure, it’s a fifty-fifty shot, but hey—life’s a gamble, right?”
Bell pinched the bridge of her nose. “Vivienne, that’s not how this works!”
The Hat Man’s laughter filled the room again. “Oh, this is delicious. By all means, continue. I do enjoy watching you flounder.”
Vivienne snapped her fingers. “Okay, how about this: You take one step toward your bird, I’ll take one step toward my cat. If one of them hisses or caws, we know it’s real. If nothing happens, we regroup and figure it out. Sound good?”
Bell hesitated, glancing at the statue he thought might be Poe’s. The bird’s red eyes seemed to gleam faintly, but she couldn’t tell if it was just a trick of the light. “I guess we don’t have a better idea...”
“Exactly,” Vivienne said, tossing her remaining shoe in the air. “Now, let’s go solve this thing before Mr. Void gets bored and decides to monologue us to death.”
The two stepped forward, the statues looming eerily in the dim light. Bell held her breath, hoping against hope that her instincts would guide her true.