9 people left...

===================================================

The remaining people went to the Lobby of the Mansion, to find a Box with 7 Gems...

BALLOON (🎈): So.. This is where we put the gems, right?

KNIFE (🔪): Yup, Might as well insert the gem in.. to see what happens, or whatever.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Guys!! Why are we even doing this?! Couldn't we find another way out instead of getting us killed one by one? >:[

KNIFE (🔪): C.C, I'm sure there's an exit literally a thousand miles away from you.. So there's no way out, We have to do this, ok?

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): ... Ugh... alright.

And so, Knife inserted the 1st gem into the box.. Revealing a new door to explore, and also a new entity arrived in the mansion...

FIREY (🔥): Woah! Geez... That scared me so much, But look! A door opened!

PEANUT (🥜): Oh, fiddly sticks! I can't go on that hallway!! Looks like from a horror movie!

KNIFE (🔪): Toughen up, Peanut.. Let's just go in..

SHELLY (💙🐚): Knife, can you be nice, please? My friend just died.. and your not making things any better! :(

LEAFY (🍃): Yeah!! Just be positive all the time and let's go in to the door, I'm sure all of us are gonna survive!

KNIFE (🔪): ... Let's face it, guys... What happened to the others last time that went missing.. I think all of them went the same way as us.. All of them are getting killed one by one.. It takes a lot of sacrifice for some of us to escape, And one of them is definitely ME!! >:[ Let's go in the door already..

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Ok, ok, geez!!

And so, the 9 remaining people walked in to the new room in the mansion, which is.. The Destroyed Meeple Headquarters?

BALLOON (🎈): Ok, what is this?! WHAT MANSION IS THIS?!?!

KNIFE (🔪): Relax, Balloon. We both know what this place is.. Especially me, The stupid Meeple Headquarters.. but how did it end up here in this mansion? *he kicks a piece of rubble away* But yeah, this is a dump.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Well, I don't know about you guys, but I think it's got a real... rustic charm. You know, if you like your mansions completely ruined.

FIREY (🔥): At least I won't need to light anything on fire here. It's basically already halfway destroyed! But seriously, how did this end up here? And how do you two know about this?

BALLOON (🎈): Well, basically.. There's this evil guy named Steve Cobs that owns this Headquarters and is secretly evil, Knife saw it too!

KNIFE (🔪): Yeah... I can tell.

FIREY (🔥): Oh.

PEANUT (🥜): I d-don't like this at all! What if the place collapses? Or worse—what if there's... bugs?!

SHELLY (💙🐚): Oh, calm down, Peanut! We've been through worse. I mean, just look at this place—who knows what mysteries lie hidden in here? It's actually really unique! But... *sighs* I wish Slurpy is here right now.

LEAFY (🍃): It's definitely... interesting. But why would anyone want to destroy a headquarters like this? I bet there's a story behind all this wreckage.

GLOBE (🌍): *glancing up at the shattered windows* It's like someone didn't want anyone to come back here. Look at the glass... and the walls... everything's been torn apart. The question is, who—or what—did this?"

ROSEY (🌹): Whatever it was, I can already tell, it had no sense of beauty! The destruction here is just... tragic! I mean, who could ruin such potential for elegance?! This is bad! :[

BALLOON (🎈): Okay, fine, whatever. Can we just... not touch anything, though? Knowing my luck, I'll blow up something else by accident.

KNIFE (🔪): Oh, please. If something falls apart here, it's probably not your fault. This place is held together with, like, hopes and dreams at this point.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): And maybe a little bit of duct tape.

FIREY (🔥): Well, I say we explore. This is the most exciting thing that's happened all day! Who knows what kind of secrets we might find in this place?

KNIFE (🔪): Just to remind you, People are dying.. let's take this seriously..

LEAFY (🍃): Yeah.. But come on, everyone, let's see if there's any clues around here. This place might look destroyed, but it could hold some valuable information.

PEANUT (🥜): Or... ghosts. Or worse... giant spiders...

SHELLY (💙🐚): Oh, Peanut! No one's getting haunted or bitten. But let's be careful. Who knows what else is lurking around.

GLOBE (🌍): We'll need to stay alert. Whatever caused this damage could still be nearby.

ROSEY (🌹): And if it is, we'll face it with braveness and dignity! Let's go! :D

And with that, the group began cautiously exploring the shattered remains of the once-great Meeple Headquarters, curiosity and nerves intertwining as they ventured further into the unknown.

Deeper in the Meeple Headquarters, They found some notes of instructions of what to do next..

ROSEY (🌹): Everyone, There is a note here in the Storage Closet!

(THE SAME STORAGE WHERE MEPHONE3GS IS.. BUT MEPHONE3GS IS NOT THERE)

BALLOON (🎈): *peering over Rosey's shoulder* Let's see what it says. Hopefully, it's not just a shopping list.

KNIFE (🔪): Or a recipe for disaster. But I'm all for that.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Just read it, Rosey. We need to figure out our next steps, not speculate about food! >:[

ROSEY (🌹): Alright, here goes...

┏━━━━━━━━━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━━━━━━━━━┓
(NOTE..)

𝐓𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲, 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐩𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲:

𝟏. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐞.
𝟐. 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐬.
𝟑. 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬.

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤...

┗━━━━━━━━━━•❃°•°❀°•°❃•━━━━━━━━━━┛

FIREY (🔥): *raising an eyebrow* Missing Meeple? Crystals? Hidden chamber? This sounds like a treasure hunt... and I'm in!

PEANUT (🥜): But what if it's dangerous? I-I don't want to get lost or trapped in some creepy chamber!

SHELLY (💙🐚): Don't worry, Peanut! We're all in this together. We'll make sure to stick together and keep an eye out for each other.. Let's NOT let anyone die this time!

LEAFY (🍃): I think we should start with finding the Missing Meeple! That sounds like a good place to start! Do we have any clues on where to look?

GLOBE (🌍): If I were a missing meeple, where would I hide? Maybe there are more clues scattered around this abandoned place?

ROSEY (🌹): And if we gather the crystals along the way, Maybe were moving in the right direction and getting closer to our answer!

KNIFE (🔪): Let's just focus on finding the Missing Meeple, Rosey.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): *pointing toward a dark hallway* Well, we should probably check that way. It looks like it leads deeper into the building. Maybe that's where the Missing Meeple is hiding!

BALLOON (🎈): Or it could be where all the bad stuff is waiting for us! Are we sure we want to go down there?

FIREY (🔥): Absolutely! This is an adventure, Balloon! What's the worst that could happen? Besides, we're a great team.

PEANUT (🥜): Famous last words... I don't want to die! I'm too young of a peanut to die..

With their nerves and excitement mixed, the group decided to venture down the dark hallway, ready to uncover the secrets of the Meeple Headquarters and find the Missing Meeple, whatever it might lead them into.

As they began walking down the dark hallway, the air grew colder and the walls seemed to narrow. Every creak of the floorboards and distant sound made their nerves tense even more.

PEANUT (🥜): I swear I heard something... Did anyone else hear that?

SHELLY (💙🐚): You're just hearing things, Peanut. Stay close to us, and we'll be fine. :]

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): I swear if we get trapped down here or worse, I'm blaming all of you. >:[

KNIFE (🔪): Oh, great. The queen of positivity strikes again. Just keep moving, alright? We need to find this Meeple thing and get those crystals.

As they pressed forward, they noticed faint light flickering from a room up ahead.

BALLOON (🎈): So, uh... anyone else getting bad vibes from this?

LEAFY (🍃): Come on, Balloon! We're bound to find something good in here. Keep your chin up!

When they reached the doorway, they paused to gather their courage before stepping into the dimly lit room. Inside was an old, decrepit office space, the walls lined with cracked monitors and overturned desks. At the far end of the room, something unusual caught their attention: a large, dusty box labeled "MEGA MEEPLE STORAGE."

GLOBE (🌍): Mega Meeple Storage? Could this be a clue?

ROSEY (🌹): It has to be! Maybe the Missing Meeple is hidden in there!

FIREY (🔥): Finally! Let's open it!!

KNIFE (🔪): Hold up, Firey. Let's make sure it's not trapped or something. Remember where we are. I'll open it. If anyone's going to get caught in some death trap, it might as well be me.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Oh, what a hero. But seriously, be careful.

Knife slowly approached the box, his expression hard and serious. He bent down, hesitating for a moment, and then carefully lifted the lid.

KNIFE (🔪): Uh... I think we found something.

Inside the box, lying on a bed of old wires and discarded meeple parts, was a strange glowing figure. It looked incomplete, like a half-finished version of a meeple. Its eyes were wide open, flickering dimly.. It was MePhone6.. But is half-finished.

SHELLY (💙🐚): Is that... the Missing Meeple?

PEANUT (🥜): I don't like this. It looks... creepy.

LEAFY (🍃): Well... we found it, right? That's a good thing, isn't it?

Suddenly, the glowing figure twitched and began to move, its mechanical limbs jerking to life.

MEPHONE6 (📲): F-f-find... the c-crystals... or f-face... doom.

BALLOON (🎈): I KNEW IT WAS HAUNTED!

FIREY (🔥): What is going on?!

KNIFE (🔪): Everyone, calm down! It's just... malfunctioning or something. But it did say something about the crystals.

GLOBE (🌍): The instructions on the note said we needed to gather the Four Essential Crystals. Maybe this thing is trying to guide us.

ROSEY (🌹): If that's true, then we're on the right track! We just need to stay focused and collect the crystals. We can do this!

KNIFE (🔪): Yeah, but we'd better be fast. Something tells me we're running out of time.

With the eerie figure now watching them, the group knew they had no choice but to continue their quest to gather the crystals and uncover the secrets that lay ahead. The pressure of time, and the ever-present danger, weighed heavily on them as they left the room behind, more determined than ever to survive.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): I really hate this mansion...

As the group left the office room, Knife led the way, trying to stay focused on their goal. The weight of MePhone6's cryptic message hung over them.

FIREY (🔥): So... Four Essential Crystals? I wonder what happens if we get them all. Maybe it'll get us out of here! Or maybe... something worse.

BALLOON (🎈): I don't care what it is, I just want to get out of this creepy place.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Yeah, and this quest for crystals is just making things worse! What if— *Caramel Cube is cut off by the sound of a loud, distorted voice echoing through the halls.*

Suddenly, the hallway was filled with an unsettling, digital hum. A holographic figure flickered into view, standing right in their path. It was Steve Cobs, a figure they'd only heard about from Knife and Balloon.

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Ahhh... so you've finally come... You've done well to make it this far, but you won't get any further without my permission.

BALLOON (🎈): Oh no, oh no, it's Steve Cobs... I thought you were gone!!

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Oh, I am not gone, little Balloon... not even close to gone. I see you've met my friend, MePhone6. If you want to find the crystals, you'll need to play by my rules. And trust me, I play dirty.

KNIFE (🔪): What do you want from us, Cobs? Why are you keeping us here?

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): It's simple, really. You're in my game now. The crystals are the key to everything, and if you want to survive, you'll need to find them before time runs out.

PEANUT (🥜): T-Time running out? What does that mean?

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Oh, did I forget to mention? If you don't gather the crystals in time... let's just say, this mansion will no longer be your concern.

LEAFY (🍃): That's not fair! We didn't ask to be part of your game!

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Life isn't fair, Leafy. But isn't it more fun this way? A race against time... with your lives on the line? I'll be watching you. *He flickered and vanished, his final words hanging ominously in the air.*

ROSEY (🌹): This is horrible! We're being toyed with!

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): I knew this was a bad idea! First creepy holograms, now ticking clocks! What's next, a dragon? >:[

GLOBE (🌍): We don't have a choice. We need to move fast and find those crystals.

FIREY (🔥): Right! We can't let some glitchy hologram stop us. We've already come this far—let's find those crystals and beat this game.

KNIFE (🔪): Fine. But if we're gonna do this, we have to stay sharp. No more distractions, no more screw-ups. Let's go.

SHELLY (💙🐚): Don't worry, Peanut. We're all going to get through this together. We just need to stay focused.

PEANUT (🥜): I-I hope so... I really don't want to be turned into peanut butter...

LEAFY (🍃): We can do this, everyone! Let's stick together and find those crystals!

With renewed determination, the group pushed onward. Steve Cobs' threat loomed over them, but they knew they had no choice but to keep going. Somewhere in the mansion were the Four Essential Crystals—and finding them was their only hope of escaping Steve's twisted game.

The group left the dimly lit mansion behind and stepped into the sprawling grounds outside. The air felt different—heavier, with an eerie silence hanging in the atmosphere. The sky above was an unsettling shade of gray, as though the world itself was reacting to the sinister challenge that awaited them. They didn't know how much time they had left, but Steve Cobs' threat still lingered in their minds like a shadow.

BALLOON (🎈): I hate this. I thought being outside would be better, but it's even creepier out here.

GLOBE (🌍): We need to find the crystals quickly. If they're scattered, we'll have to cover a lot of ground.

KNIFE (🔪): We stick together. The last thing we need is someone getting picked off because they wandered off on their own. Steve Cobs isn't just going to let us grab these things without a fight.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Oh, really? I thought he was just gonna invite us to tea and let us walk out of here with them. >:[

FIREY (🔥): We can do this! I mean, how hard can it be? Find the crystals, beat Cobs' game, and we'll be heroes!

ROSEY (🌹): That's the spirit, Firey! We'll get through this... somehow.

As they moved deeper into the fog-covered forest surrounding the mansion, the temperature seemed to drop even further, and the air grew thick with tension. Every step felt like a march toward the unknown, and the eerie silence made every crack of a twig sound like a warning.

Suddenly, Globe spotted something up ahead.

GLOBE (🌍): Look! There's something glowing over there! It might be one of the crystals!

The group hurried forward, their eyes widening as they approached a large, jagged rock formation. Embedded in the center was a glowing green crystal, radiating an intense energy that pulsed through the air.

LEAFY (🍃): We found one! The first crystal!

FIREY (🔥): Let's grab it and—

Before Firey could touch the crystal, the air around them began to shimmer. Without warning, a loud, distorted laugh echoed through the forest. Steve Cobs' holographic form materialized again, his grin even wider than before.

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Ahh... you're faster than I expected. But let's see how you handle this.

He raised his hand, and in a flash, several small, pod-like holographic figures appeared around the group. They are crackling with energy, and they moved with unsettling speed.

(THIS IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE... BUT HOLOGRAPHIC)

BALLOON (🎈): H-Holographic Pod Minions?! Oh no! Oh no, no, no! We're doomed!

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Great. Just what we needed. More distractions!

KNIFE (🔪): Everyone, get ready! These things aren't gonna make this easy!

The Pod Minions charged, and the group barely had time to react. Knife slashed through one with a swift motion, but the minion dissolved and reformed almost instantly. They seemed impossible to kill.

GLOBE (🌍): *dodging a minion* They're holograms! How are we supposed to beat them?!

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): You don't. You survive. Let's see how many of you make it to the next crystal.

FIREY (🔥): *setting his fist ablaze*  We've got to find a way to stop them! Maybe the crystals have some kind of power!

SHELLY (💙🐚): Just stay together! We can't let these things separate us!

As the battle raged on, the group struggled to fight off the relentless Pod Minions. Every time they destroyed one, another seemed to take its place, flickering back into existence.

PEANUT (🥜): There's too many of them! We can't fight them all!

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Knife! What do we do?! We need a plan!

KNIFE (🔪): We grab that crystal and hope it does something to stop them! Firey, you're the fastest—get the crystal!

FIREY (🔥): On it!

Firey sprinted toward the glowing crystal, dodging between the minions with blazing speed. Just as he reached the rock, he grabbed the crystal and pulled it free. The moment he touched it, a wave of green energy exploded from the crystal, sending the Pod Minions scattering. The force of the blast knocked everyone off their feet, but when they stood up, the minions were gone.

BALLOON (🎈): W-We did it... they're gone...

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Very clever. But don't get too comfortable. This is only the beginning. You've still got three more to go.

With another distorted laugh, Steve Cobs vanished once more, leaving the group in uneasy silence.

ROSEY (🌹): That was too close... If we're gonna make it, we need to be even more careful.

GLOBE (🌍): One down... three to go.

LEAFY (🍃): We can do this! We just need to stay together and keep moving!

But even as they spoke, the unease returned. The weight of Steve Cobs' game was beginning to press down on them, and they knew the next challenge wouldn't be any easier.

The group pressed on, moving through the twisted forest, their senses on high alert. Each of them knew they were racing against time, and the fear of what might happen if they failed was enough to drive them forward.

=====================================

(A FEW HOURS LATER...)

Hours passed, and the group had managed to find two more crystals. Each time they got close, Steve Cobs would appear, sending more Pod Minions to slow them down. They fought off the holographic creatures time and time again, but it was taking a toll.

BALLOON (🎈): How many more times do we have to do this... I can't keep running...

SHELLY (💙🐚): We're almost there, Balloon. Just one more crystal after this.

KNIFE (🔪): We need to stay SHARP. Cobs is gonna pull something worse the closer we get. (JOKE COUNTER: 1)

As they reached the location of the fourth crystal—a glowing, icy blue shard embedded in the trunk of an ancient tree—Steve Cobs appeared one last time, his grin more menacing than ever.

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): Well done... but it seems one of you won't be finishing this game.

Before anyone could react, Steve Cobs raised his hand, and a massive Pod Minion materialized—a giant version of the smaller ones they'd fought before, but this one was pulsing with dangerous energy.

KNIFE (🔪): What the!!—

The Pod Minion lunged at the group, its holographic claws slashing through the air. In the chaos, Peanut, suddenly slipped on the wet ground.

PEANUT (🥜): H-Help!!

ROSEY (🌹): Peanut, hold on!!

Before anyone could get to him, the Pod Minion struck. Its claws tore through Peanut with a horrifying digital screech. In that moment, Peanut's fragile body flickered and faded, his final scream echoing through the air.

(PEANUT'S DEAD BODY LOOKS LIKE THAT..)

ROSEY (🌹): NO! PEANUT!!! ... My friend..

SHELLY (💙🐚): PEANUT!!!

BALLOON (🎈): T-This can't be happening...

STEVE COBS (🌽🌀): And so, the second player falls... How delightful. Well, you have all of the crystals, And it can't be a game.. without one of you dying.. That's how this whole game works.. Farewell.

With one last malicious grin, Steve Cobs and the giant Pod Minion vanished, leaving the group in stunned, heartbroken silence.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): He's dead... He's really gone...

ROSEY (🌹): We can't let his death be for nothing. Let's put all of the four crystals on the Hidden Chamber to grab the next gem..

KNIFE (🔪): Let's end this..

With a mixture of grief and anger fueling them, the group continued on their journey, knowing that Steve Cobs' Game is now over.. But the loss of Peanut really took a toll on everyone, especially Rosey and Shelly..

The group, hearts heavy from the loss of Peanut, returned to the mansion with the four Essential Crystals in hand. Steve Cobs was finally done with them, but they knew this wasn't the end. There were more dangers lurking in the shadows, and the haunting atmosphere of the mansion didn't let them forget that.

ROSEY (🌹): We've lost so much already... I just want this nightmare to be over.

SHELLY (💙🐚): Peanut... he didn't deserve this. None of us did.

KNIFE (🔪): We'll make sure this ends, one way or another. We still have to find five more crystals... and there are more gems to collect after that. But we have to stay focused. It's the only way we'll get out of here.

The group entered the mansion's main hall again, where the Hidden Chamber waited for them. It was the place where they needed to place the crystals. They could feel the eerie energy as they approached the pedestal that held the gem slots.

BALLOON (🎈): I just want to put these crystals in and move on. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can leave this creepy place.

FIREY (🔥): Let's hope this works...

Each of them took one of the crystals and carefully placed them into the pedestal. One by one, the crystals clicked into place, and with the final one set, a strange rumbling echoed through the room. The pedestal began to glow, and with a flash of light, the second gem materialized, hovering above them.

GLOBE (🌍): We did it! The second gem!

LEAFY (🍃): We're one step closer...

As the gem floated down, Knife reached out and carefully took it, placing it into the slot beside the first gem they had already found. A surge of energy rippled through the mansion, and for a moment, everything felt lighter, almost like a sign of progress.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): Two down... but we still need more... How many more trials are we going to face?

ROSEY (🌹): We'll keep going. For Peanut... and for Slurpy.

SHELLY (💙🐚): We have to.

Suddenly, the air around them grew colder, and the room itself seemed to shift. They could sense that something was changing. Although Steve Cobs was gone, new dangers were waiting for them. The mansion was alive with a presence of its own, and there were far more dangerous creatures than Cobs lurking in its depths.

BALLOON (🎈): I have a really bad feeling about this...

FIREY (🔥): Something tells me our next challenge isn't going to be any easier.

GLOBE (🌍): *points to a strange passageway that wasn't there before* Looks like the mansion wants us to go that way...

KNIFE (🔪): Stay SHARP, everyone. There are worse things than holograms in this place. Let's keep moving. (JOKE COUNTER: 2)

With the second gem now secured and the path ahead uncertain, the group prepared themselves for the next part of their journey. They had no idea what new horrors awaited them in the dark corners of the mansion, but they were determined to find the remaining gems and get out once and for all.

===================================================

The group cautiously entered the newly revealed passageway, their footsteps echoing ominously off the cold, stone walls. The air grew heavier with each step, and the distant sound of something... scraping filled the silence. The hallway felt like it stretched on forever, twisting and turning as the walls seemed to close in around them.

BALLOON (🎈): Why does it feel like this place is alive?

GLOBE (🌍): I don't like this... it's too quiet. Something's wrong.

Suddenly, the path opened up into a vast, shadowy chamber. Flickering lights revealed strange, crude drawings covering the walls, as if someone—or something—had been there for ages, scribbling with a chaotic hand. The air felt different here—thick with malice and a sense of impending danger.

CARAMEL CUBE (🟧): looking around uneasily What... is this place?

Just as the group began to step further into the room, a loud thud reverberated through the chamber, shaking the ground beneath their feet. A chilling, distorted voice rang out from the shadows, sending a wave of dread through everyone.

??? : Welcome... to... ɃŁꝊȻҞɎ'Ꞩ ӺɄꞤꞤɎ ĐꝊĪꞤ₲Ꞩ ĪꞤȾɆꞦꞤȺȾĪꝊꞤȺŁ!!!

ROSEY (🌹): What was that?!

(TO BE CONTINUED... ON EPISODE 4!!)

8 left...