The shadow moved below the door, growing bigger with each sound.

The footfalls stopped at the door and something enormous blocked the light from the kitchen, rendering the room almost completely dark. The strong, earthly scent of herbs overtook the blood stink of the cold storage. The receptionist bit her lips in anxiety, and she tasted the salt of her nearly freezing sweat.

The twin doors creaked, as a head squeezed in through it.

The leaf vein-like patterns on its dull green forehead made the reptile look like a Komodo dragon hybrid gone wrong. Two little horns perched on its head, two canines curved backwards and out of its mouth like sabers. It pulled the rest of its body in with the grace of a snake, and propped itself against a wall.

It lazily began to scratch its chest, either uncaring or unaware of anything going on in the storage.

So it was definitely surprised to find a lady standing with a defiant air a few feet away. Her hands were folded and with its towering height, she was roughly the size of a Barbie doll. It squinted to get a better look and flicked its black tongue with curiosity.

The receptionist was very annoyed at this development, and said,

"It's just a lizard metamorphed by the Roggenfrau plasma and Nightwalker serum mix, Sel. We ran for no reason."

The green eyes analyzing her narrowed and the reptile grunted in disapproval.

"Let's get out of here. Let the lizard have the room, we have no quarrel."

Selby nodded and got up, her hands gripping the handle of the cart, "Are you sure about this, miss?"

"Of course I'm sure!" said the receptionist, "Why, do you have other plans?"

"No, miss. It's just, I'm scared." She said, eying the reptile who was scratching its side with its hind legs like a flea infested dog. It had locked its eyes with the receptionist in an intense stare off contest.

Selby gently pushed the cart towards the exit, her feet slipping on the smooth floor.

The door was just a few steps away.

Two more pushes and they would be–

THUMP!

Selby jumped back, yelping and dragging the cart away. If she hadn't moved, she would've been reduced to a blood stain by the huge club of a tail. As she panted, the receptionist smirked,

"Ooh, trying to steal an easy meal eh? You slimy little thief! Selby, stay close to the cart."

"Miss, what are you do–"

"No worries, love." She said, flexing her arms, "I'll handle this overgrown house pest. Besides, it's been a while."

•°*°•

Firenze woke up from his second slumber of the day to the sound of explosions and crashes. He had dozed off again due to this ever haunting exhaustion of carrying another mind within you. Two minds within one body would require double the energy than normal. His loyal wristwatch ticked off fifteen minutes since his last mental meeting.

It took him a while and a lot of covering his head with his hands to understand what was going on.

There was this huge green lizard clinging onto a chain for dear life, decimating other hooks, chains and beams, trying to swat a jumping speck of black. With all the twisting, snapping at thin air, roaring in pain and trying not to slide off, it looked remarkably like its Tokyo destroying cousin in Firenze's favorite movie.

The speck was none other than the receptionist, grinning like a madwoman and armed with a kitchen cleaver. She made good progress with her powerful legs bounding up and down. It rained green blood on each jump, the blade finding its mark on the things hide with deadly precision.

Firenze stared, mouth wide open and forgetting to blink. The silver flashes and the sounds of metal tearing through whatever the skin was made of were simply awesome.

"Wow!" He remarked, sitting up.

Both the receptionist and Selby heard that.

The receptionist turned to look at mid jump, looking clearly surprised. The creature compensated, it arched its tail, loosened it on second thoughts and smashed it into the lady. She crashed into a wall, creating a crater in the concrete on impact and debris covered her as she fell down onto the floor. No muscle twitched in her body.

Selby crouched low, covering her mouth with her hand. Firenze backed down, hoping that the lizard hadn't seen him. She blinked away tears as the clutched the handle of the cart.

Food comes first, family the next.

She thought, looking on helplessly as the lizard descended on the floor with a thud. She sorely wished that the lizard had been smaller; she would've drained it dry.

The lizard sashayed towards on all fours; its black tongue tasted the air, excited for a meal. The receptionist had managed to get on the top of the debris when the thing lunged at her. Its head turned the crater into a hole, missing her clean. Selby saw her Miss whispering to her.

Run, she had said.

Unconsciously, she responded and Selby found the cart and herself hurtling across the storage and towards the open door. The cart crossed the doors and crashed into one of the kitchen tables. She stopped before the doorway, dizziness smothering her. Looking behind, she found nothing, heard nothing.

She looked up. Her pupils shrank.

The huge tail was gaining on her. It was too close, too late to run.

The last thing she thought was a simple prayer.

SHANG!

Her blouse grew wet as the sound of steel slashing through air, followed by something splattering reached her ears.

The tail throbbed on the floor. The head was still stuck in the wall.

Behind her stood the panting receptionist, dress a brilliant green and her hair shining with moisture. She walked towards the cart, checked the contents and remarked,

"We don't have much time. Let's get out."

She looked at the open door of the kitchen, smiling,

"Let's catch up with him, shall we?"

•°*°•

Firenze had fled the scene almost immediately, done seeing so much of death and being treated like cattle. He saw the golden light of the reception not far away. He ran smiling to himself, as a gentle hum inside his head confirmed the occupant's approval of his actions.

He jumped with joy as he reached the desk. Grabbing the old payphone, he swung the receiver near his ear and began to furiously dial his sister's number,

"Firenze?"

"Evie, thank goodness, I'm at Hotel Niravellin in Rasüte."

The sound of police sirens greeted his ears after an hour of wait. His smile turned into a crazy laughter of happiness. He was alone, very shabby and. . .

Bloody.

Firenze froze, the truth dawning on him.

He had killed someone.

Ash's corpse was upstairs, probably still being cooked by the electricity. Even though it wasn't him, no one would believe him. Fingerprints on the clay piece, on the corpse's neck, on the electric lamp, all of the evidences.

Shit.

The officers were out by now, flashlights illuminating the night sky. Night and day made no sense to him now, nor did he know the date.

"Firenze! If you hear me, come out! We're here, you're safe now hon."

The hand that grabbed him and the pasta smelling table cloth that covered his head had never been more welcome to him.