"You... " I hiccuped, "you don like cats?" I took another sip, my lips barely feeling the glass. "NO!" she said, surprising us both at how loud she spoke. She leaned forward, catching my arm for support. My eyes widened as I tried to keep balance. "But... that's crazy!" I exclaimed, "cats are so cute!" She giggled. "Noo they're not! They're mean!" I shuffled over to the furry orange cat curled nearby in one of the beach chairs, napping in the last rays of the sun that filtered through the trees. It looked up as I approached and jumped away before I could scoop it up. "See!" she laughed, her eyes bright with heady conviction, "cats won't even let you touch them! That's so mean!" I took her by the arm, her skin soft and warm, and pulled her with me in the direction of the cat, where I last saw it. "C'mon", I demanded, "we have to find where it went!" We lurched forward, trying to both keep upright and move at the same time, a challenging task. I managed to step down from the tiles onto the grass, but when she did, she fell, holding my torso and pulling me down with her. "Oof!" I exhaled from the impact. "Oh no!" she breathed out, "I'm so sorry!", and started laughing. When I didn't reply, she turned her head to look at me, her eyes wide with worry. "You're good." I shook my head, "Don worry. I'm good." as I patted her on her hair, enjoying the view of the sunset sky. She nodded exaggeratedly as if I had just confirmed the truth. "So", I said, "what was your name?" She continued to nod, not realizing it was a question. And then replied "[[Website/Limerence/Teri]]!" after a pause. "So [[Website/Limerence/Teri]]... like the dog?" She thought for a moment. "You mean terrier?" "Yeah terrier! Oh sorry, that's probably not nice." "It's okay," she rubbed my shoulder reassuringly. "Don't worry." "So [[Website/Limerence/Teri]], not like the dog, and [[Website/Limerence/Teri]] who doesn't like cats," I said, "what is it you do again?" She started to tell me about working in the gardens as an arborist, when a shadow blocked out the sun. It was [[Website/Limerence/Charlotte]]. She looked down at me, her eyebrows raised. "Enjoying ourselves?" I nodded upwards, the back of my head hitting the ground on the way down and I winced. "Yes" I said, at the same time as [[Website/Limerence/Teri]]. "[[Website/Limerence/Teri]], dear, do you mind getting off of the king for a moment, so I can talk with him?" She formed her words carefully. [[Website/Limerence/Teri]] didn't respond, but rolled onto her side, and pushed herself up, wobbly, assisted by [[Website/Limerence/Charlotte]]. [[Website/Limerence/Teri]] had grass stains on her white dress, and her hair was a nest. "[[Website/Limerence/Teri]], why don't you go find [[Website/Limerence/Briana]] and get cleaned up? I'll take it from here." The girl nodded and stumbled away. [[Website/Limerence/Charlotte]] bent over, reaching out an arm. Her silver necklace dangled out of her shirt and caught my gaze as she pulled me up. "I didn't realize you have a dolphin necklace." I said, brushing myself off. "There's a lot about me you don't realize" she replied. "Why a dolphin?" I asked. "We're not here to talk about my necklace" she said, and tucked it back behind her blouse. [[Warden]] told me what happened earlier with the dogs. It seems like there's been a lot you haven't told me." She eyed me up and down. "And fooling around with guests, [[Website/Limerence/Teri]] especially, is not a good look on you." I realized my breath must've been bad and ran my tongue over my teeth to check for stray bits of food. "We need to clean up whatever... this is..." she waved her hand at me, "because both Warden is asking where you are and *also*..." she paused for effect, "the [[Website/Limerence/Gatekeeper]]." "The [[Website/Limerence/Gatekeeper]]?" I asked, not expecting this, "What does it want this time? Did it send a message?" "It didn't send a message. It's here. To schedule a descent." "Descent?" The word was a complete antidote to my intoxication. I straightened immediately. "Wait, when, today?" She nodded, her eyes telling me to catch up. I was not ready for this, not to welcome a visitor from beyond the veil. "Why are we doing this now? Can't we reschedule?" I asked. "No." She said flatly. "The [[Website/Limerence/Gatekeeper]] is already in reception." I was in a haze as [[Website/Limerence/Charlotte]] ushered me to one of the bathrooms nearby and helped me clean up. Two servants came over with a change of clothes, fresh mints, and cucumber water. Helping me undress, they walked me to the shower, and within several minutes I was clean and dry and wearing my royal courtly robes. I exited the bathroom, and walked the path towards reception, my pace quickened by a gnawing sensation in my stomach. Reception, with its long purple runner and lain palm fronds, was already filled with a group of beings, all wearing white, the one in front with an tall lace collar that stood stiffly up behind its head, hair done in neat rows, hands behind its back. I walked over, each step deliberate, my robes flicked and whipped in the air behind me, and I clasped its shoulder and gently placed my forehead on its in greeting, before stepping back. I inhaled. "It's a pleasure." I said. It was a lie. It nodded silently. I continued, trying to mask the annoyance in my voice, "Maybe next time if you call ahead we can properly welcome you? Let us find a seat and we can get you refreshments." It shook its head no, and tapped two fingers on its wrist. A watch. Time. It wouldn't be here long. "Well, what can we do for you?" It looked at me, mouth slightly open as if about to speak, leading a question with its hand. "Right." I said, "We have to guess." I hated this part. I knew it was there to make an exchange. I just didn't know why, or for what. It nodded then made a gesture with its hands, palm outstretched, the other fingers tapped on it, and then lifted upwards. "You're sending something from up top?" I asked, and it lifted its head, as if pointing me in the right direction, but leaving the statement open, waiting for me to continue. "All the way up top?" Then it brought its head back down, a more deliberate nod, final. The very top. This had never happened before. It was going to send a higher thought down to my realm. It continued to gesture and I pieced together the second part of the message. They wanted me to trade for a dark thought. I should've seen this coming - the dogs, the birds, the intrusive thoughts. The signs were there. I wanted to ask it why, but communication with them was like speaking to a tree. It would probably take a lifetime before I was fluent, despite the simple phrases I knew. I felt like a dog, knowing that the words for "food" and "walk" were somehow different from the rest. And I knew that I would have to dig to find the darkest part of myself and bring it to light. And if I didn't? I thought of last time, when I ignored them, and the intrusive thoughts grew and grew, driving a wedge between me and [[Website/Limerence/Beatrice]]. I knew how that ended. I didn't want the same to happen with [[Website/Limerence/Charlotte]]. The Gatekeeper signaled its departure, and along with its entourage, walked back down the palm frond carpet, their white billowy robes flowing in the air. [[Website/Limerence/The Drive]]