Welcome back to Lost in Tumultuous Despair! I’m now halfway done with this chapter! Can’t you believe it? Anyway, part five will be told through Coral Oldie’s point of view, and this will be so for the rest of the story.

I hope you enjoy!

Being turned back into an adult has been something bothersome lately. Not only do people think I’m someone behind the times, but I feel extremely weary from all that activities even though I should’ve felt less lethargic. Now this road trip gone awry is aggravating my poor, weary soul even more! As if my world has been turned upside down all of a sudden!

A young blonde woman by the name of Jill Smith earlier asked me what was wrong with me. After hearing my grievances, she stepped in with a solution that might help me look better.

“Well, maybe you should try getting some lip gloss for your lips if you want to look younger than normal,” she said. “I mean, look at how dull they look! Putting on some lip gloss can make them shiny and beautiful.”

Lip gloss? Of course I need those for my lips! I should have used them before the road trip so that people around me would no longer think I’m old-fashioned and backward.

“Why, thank you!” I whispered as I hugged her. “I should get some of those if we ever get out of this place alive.”

“You’re welcome. After all, it’s a pleasure to help you out.”

After thanking Jill for her advice, I immediately entered this fancy abandoned house. I mean, who would want to abandon such a beautiful country house like this? However, the sounds inside were less than pleasant. Combined with the horrible music being played on the piano and the noisy gigantic sphere of sorts behind me, I couldn’t tell which one was less annoying. I’d come to the conclusion that the piano should be much more bearable later on, provided that anyone in here (including me) could practice playing that instrument until perfection.

My arms were feeling tired, so I had to stop covering my ears. As I let go, I noticed a man in trashy clothing shouting to the man inside the sphere. How pathetic of him.

The noise from that piano had proven to be too unbearable for me to handle, so I immediately walked towards the sofa, where Jill was sitting on. One thought of the sofa made me want to sit down because I felt extremely stiff from all that standing up.

“Jill,” I asked as I covered my right ear, “Would you mind if I sit next to you?”

“Of course,” she exclaimed. “In fact, you’re more than welcome to. After all, I need some company over here.”

As I sat down, I began conversing with Jill.

“Jill, my dear,” I said, “Would you love to explain why you went on this doomed road trip?”

“Why would you ask such a question, Coral?” shrugged Jill. “You didn’t even told me about your motives.”

“Because I just want other people to know their motives first before I show them mine. Call me demanding if you want to, but I won’t change that manner at all.”

“Well, I went to this road trip because I was overseeing the construction progress on a lab…”

Seeing the piano brought me back old memories of how Herb and I used to take turns playing our old piano. I even remembered giving my daughter Mary Sue piano lessons. But those were long ago, and our piano had been turned into dust by now due to its age.

“You know what, Jill?” I spoke up as I smiled and stared at the piano. “I would love the opportunity to play the piano once more. I hope my skills haven’t deteriorated significantly.”

“Well, everyone has to start at the bottom, you know,” she replied in an icy tone. “That includes those who haven’t played for a long time. Also, pianos can break down at any time, so we need to repair it if those things ever happen.”

Amidst all that groaning, I still could imagine myself playing the piano like it was the good old days. Never mind the awfulness of the music being played. All I ever wanted is a chance to play that instrument again.

Soon, however, I was approached by a blonde man wearing glasses. He looked like he had some problems speaking up, but who knows if he was pretending or not.

“Hi,” he said, “My name’s Buck Grunt. What’s yours?”

“My name is Coral Oldie,” I replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, I hope I could be at least respectful towards ladies like you. You see, my mom left my dad when I was young, so I was left in a house with only males, and that kind of influenced my behavior a lot.”

Sounds like he has some difficulties regarding women. “Oh, I see what you mean, especially when you seem to shake a bit when trying to speak.”

“Well, yeah. It’s nice meeting you, though.”

The conversation was nice, even though Buck was a bit awkward. Just as I saw that pathetic man coming out of the restroom, I noticed a lady in black sitting next to the piano and playing it as soon as possible. Seems like the piano is a necessary feature for entertainment in this house.

Apparently, that man resorted to booing the lady. How outrageous! Does he ever respect other people? I mean, where are his manners? I really need to talk him out of this madness.

Perhaps telling him some basic manners should help him behave himself, so here goes nothing, even though I don’t know his name in the first place. “You see, Mr. ummm…” I said in a voice as loud as possible.

“Hal Capp, ma’am,” he interjected, “What do you have to say for me, Miss ummm…”

“It’s Mrs. Coral Oldie to you. You see, if you want to get better attention from women like me, you should learn how to be courteous and nice no matter the situation. That way, people will like you even more. Got it?”

He stood still for a moment after hearing my words. Maybe he was thinking, but I might never know.

“Sure thing,” he snapped as he clapped his hands. “That sounds like something I would love to do. After all, impressing the ladies is something I like doing.”

“Very good. I guess that’s…”

Unfortunately, our conversation was cut midway by the horrible sound of the piano. Ugh, how outrageous! What irked me a lot was the way it was played. Just pure vulgarity to my ears. How was I supposed to withstand this thing?

I was suddenly pulled away from the dreadful music being played on the piano by a certain woman I didn’t recognize at all at first glance. Maybe I should thank her for grabbing my attention. That way, I won’t have to worry about that music for a while.

“Well, Hello there, miss!” I cried. “You don’t look familiar at all. Can I ask you who you are?”

“Sure,” she said. “My name’s Ivy Copur, and I was just hiking around here. Thank goodness I found this house. I mean, without it, I would feel more lost than before. So, do you live here or not?”

“Of course not!” I interjected. “We were lost in here thanks to a road trip gone wrong, and we were waiting for rescue around here. This house is just a temporary place of refuge from the elements as well as a waiting point so that the eventual rescuers can bring us out of this place.”

“Wow! That sounds extreme to me. Anyway, thanks for the conversation.”

Sadly, that conversation, like the one with Hal, was cut off by the sound of the piano. Perhaps I should really try playing the piano by myself to show that I can play beautifully, unlike that… that novice playing it.

Soon afterwards, I was approached by a man wearing a dark blue suit. “Hi, miss,” he said. “Do you happen to suspect anything peculiar about this house? This blonde lady told me that this house has some sort of problem, and I was wondering if you think the same way.”

This house has something peculiar going on in here? Nonsense! I doubt Jill would ever consider that either. “First of all,” I cried, “My name’s Mrs. Coral Oldie. Second of all, I don’t think I suspect anything weird about this house at all. That’s just part of Jill’s suspicions, and why she didn’t tell me about it, I neither know nor care. Third of all, why don’t you introduce yourself first? How rude of you!”

“Sorry, ma’am. I thought you were single because you don’t have a wedding ring on your finger. Oh, and my name’s Benedick Monty, by the way.”

Wedding ring? Oh, crap! I should have worn that with me for all this time. “Right. Well, I accidentally left my wedding ring back home, and now I don’t know when I’ll ever get it back.”

The man in the gray suit seemed fine to me from what I had observed from his actions ever since we arrived here. Perhaps he could be our leader during our “stay” in here. Now that his conversation with the other stranger (not Ivy) had ended, I should take the chance to approach him.

“I sure am impressed by your will to diffuse what could’ve degenerated into a chaotic situation,” I spoke up. “I think you should help us get out of such circumstances.”

“But what if the situation’s beyond my control, Coral?” he replied. “I’m not a superhero, you know.”

All of a sudden, I heard Hal’s voice crying out. “Chick’s got a point, buddy. I mean, you should lead us.”

Upon hearing those words, the fine man finally said something after a few seconds of silence. “Fine. But just to let you know that I can’t be in the house watching over you guys for all the time, as I have a job in order to get us out someday.”

“Awesome!” I clapped my hands. This was definitely good news. “That means you’re officially our leader, then.”

As stated by the fine man just now, it was finally lunchtime. However, by the time I entered the kitchen, there was a large empty plate on one of the counters. From what I saw from the people eating, it looked like lunch meat sandwiches, so maybe I should make them again. That way, people can have something to eat even after the first plate ran out.

After making the sandwiches, it was time for me to grab one and eat. Luckily, the seats were already empty, so time to grab one and sit down before it was too late. I was shortly followed by the blonde stranger who seemed to watched me walking my way to the dining table and took the other seat. Time for some chat, eh?

“You know,” I said after chewing my bite from the sandwich. “I don’t recall seeing you in the bus, so tell me. Who are you, where are you from, and what are you doing here?”

Unfortunately, all she did was cover her ears from the sound of the piano. She couldn’t stand it, I believe. I blamed it on whoever was playing the piano.

A bath should do me fine after lunch and that failed attempt to engage the stranger in a conversation. As I entered one of the bedrooms, I stopped and looked at the pictures and walls around the room. What kind of place is this? If there were kids living here, what kind of parents have raised them to become insolent people? My own daughter Mary-Sue was never raised like this thanks to me and Herb’s parenting style.

Now that I finished looking around that indecent room, I guess it was really time for me to take a soothing bath. That would take my mind off of that bizarre sight.

Man, that bath was refreshing, but I felt hungry afterwards. And since it was nighttime, I headed to the kitchen to see if there was any food to eat. Thank goodness there was a large bowl of mac and cheese on the counter. That should help me satiate my hunger for a little longer. Also, the crowd in here should help me overcome my anxieties over the lack of seating around here.

I thought I caught a glimpse of someone taking large stacks of bowls as I ate my dinner. Well, whoever that was didn’t bother to take mine as well when I was done. Oh, well. At least I could wash the bowl myself.

Finally, with that bowl washed clean, it was time for me to play the piano to help me remember the days long gone. Everyone in here better enjoy the music.

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It was already past midnight when I finally finished playing the piano. I have to say that it was a fulfilling moment in this house. Not only did it helped me remember my days of youth, but it also helped me find something meaningful to do. I certainly missed my old piano.

I also felt hungry and sleepy afterwards, so a trip to the kitchen would help. Luckily, the coffee machine was stocked with coffee already, and the bowl of mac and cheese was still there. A cup and a meal should do in the short run.

Unfortunately, I still felt very sleepy. Perhaps I should find a nice, empty bed to sleep on.

I should’ve known about this bedroom in the first place. I loved the wall decorations in here, and the vibe was quite charming as well. However, there was something wrong with the bed.

Hal was sleeping on it.

Well, I knew he just woke up, but seeing him wearing nothing but his boxers grossed me out. Also, I wouldn’t want to sleep next to some cad like him. Time to find another bed, then.

Heh, that bedroom happened to be connected to the bathroom! How convenient! I guess it’s a good thing that both bedrooms are connected to the bathroom. That way, whenever someone wants a quick bath, they could just go straight here. Very nice.

Well, back to this absurd-looking fiery room. At least one of the beds was empty, so sleeping here should be no problem to me. Well, I really should get some sleep. It was already past midnight, and I never got to sleep last night.

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I was awakened by a horrible smell permeating around this room. Good grief! Where did it come from in the first place? Was it because someone in here stank like a skunk? This place totally reeked! I must go to another room if I want to avoid this odor of doom.

Maybe the restroom was a logical choice during the moment. After all, I needed to use it at once. I felt like I should’ve used it before going to bed.

As I walked towards the restroom, I saw the dark-skinned lady making her bed. How nice of her to do that. Many of us here (me included), seemed too lazy or sloppy to do it on their own.

Back to this putrid gaudy room. As much as I hated it for its décor, I felt I had no choice whenever I had to go to the bathroom. Apart from this room, the other bedroom was also connected to the bathroom. Man, that room looked nicer, but the bed had been slept on by a man. Gross!

Time to wash off the grime and stink off my body. Sadly, I felt really glum, considering the fact that I didn’t sleep at all yesterday, and I started sleeping past midnight. Perhaps playing with someone would cheer me up. After all, I’m more than just a moody old woman. I definitely have a sense of humor that has been unused ever since I came into this hovel.

After that refreshing and thoughtful bath, I ate a nice lunch meat sandwich. After washing the dish, I looked around the living, but I couldn’t find anyone in particular to show my sense of humor to except Benedick. After all, he just finished his conversation with Jill, who had been covering her ears from the music. Well, here goes nothing!

That tickle sure was fun, but the reaction I got from Benedick wasn’t. He was completely livid from what I did to him even if I meant no harm to him at all.

“Geez, Coral!” He snarled. “Can’t you see that I just got done talking to Jill? Can you at least be a bit more patient?”

Upon seeing his reaction, I had to think quickly to keep myself from getting into even more trouble.

“You know,” I smiled in an apparently vain attempt to cheer him up, “I want to prove that a normally serious old woman like me can have a sense of humor. I thought it would be nice to cheer you up with my own brand of humor, but I guess I’m wrong at this time around. Sorry to bother you.”

“Well, you better pay attention to what others were doing when considering doing something to them. Interrupting them like that is rude.”

After that rather tense conversation with Benedick, I was almost immediately approached by Buck.

“Hey,” he said, “Why did you tickled Benedick in the first place? Don’t worry about me. I just want your opinion about it.”

“I think it was just me trying to show my sense of humor, which I hadn’t showed to anyone else in this house,” I waved my arms to explain what I meant despite its seeming futility. “I guess it wasn’t as successful as I thought it were. Oh, well. I should really pay attention to other people next time.”

Well, that conversation with Buck went much better than Benedick’s conversation. I guess I learned my lesson in regards to showing my sense of humor to them. At least playing the piano stopped me from ever worrying about that fiasco. This should be fun.

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Honestly, I didn’t play very long this time. In fact, my stomach was grumbling so madly that I finally concluded that I was, in fact, hungry. Perhaps a nice quick meal should do, but what kind of meal would that be? I shall have to go to the kitchen to find out, then.

Thank goodness the fridge had some fresh cans if Milkis. Man, these milk-flavored soda drinks can satisfy people’s appetites in a soothing way. Grabbed some, put them on a counter, and drank a can to indulge myself in such a nice drink.

There was no trash can inside the house, but luckily there’s one right outside. Guess I had to throw away the can to the one outside, then. Seriously, what kind of house doesn’t have a trash can or compactor inside the house? Was it because of the original inhabitants’ fault that they didn’t even think of buying one? I may never know the exact answers.

That soda drink was nice and tasty, but I really needed to use the restroom right after I threw away the can into the trash can. At least the toilet was clean rather than filthy. Who in their right mind would want to use a filthy toilet, anyway?

I kind of felt dirty as a result of throwing trash and using the restroom, so I figured that taking a bath afterwards would make me clean again. Here’s hoping there was nobody using the bathtub.

Sadly, my assumptions were wrong. It seemed that Hal was using the bathtub, but instead of taking a bath, he was playing on it. What a silly young man. He better get out of that tub and make way for me.

But before I could walk towards him and tell him to stop doing such a thing, I heard footsteps growing louder at every passing second.

I quickly turned around to see who that was. I thought it was some stranger from outside, but luckily it was just Buck. I wonder what did he wanted from me.

However, I was met with an awkward moment of silence, partly because I didn’t know what to say to him. Staring at each other without saying a word was way too creepy for me to stand. But all of a sudden, he cleared his throat to say something.

“Have you tried the giant sphere in the living room?” he asked after clearing his throat. “It’s fun to ride in it, but you better be careful because that thing can shake violently and throw you out of the sphere.”

“That giant sphere in the living room? Certainly not. It looks too dangerous for me to ride, given my age.”

“You don’t look that old to me,” exclaimed Buck. “You still have the vigor, I think. Try it sometime and tell me about it.”

Vigor? Well, I might not have a lot, but I’ll just say that I still have some. “I may have some vigor, but you don’t know that I’m actually an old lady who had become young again. Whatever happened to me that caused me to become young again, it should probably stay a secret.”

After I finished talking to Buck, Hal then approached me and asked, “Were you mad at me for tub pirating just now?”

That activity Hal just did was called tub pirating? Wow! I never knew that. “So what you did was called tub pirating?” my voice was rather enthusiastic when I said those words. “An old lady like me should learn more from younger people like you. Oh, and regarding the tub, I wasn’t actually mad; just impatient, that’s all.”

Shortly afterwards, I heard Buck shooing us out of the bathroom. I guess he wanted to take a bath, then. Oh, well, but I think he should just tell us politely instead.

I waited outside the bathroom until I could hear him turning the tap off. Then I entered the bathroom and saw Buck looking all fresh from the bath.

After Buck walked to the bedroom in front of the bathtub, I immediately turned on the tap and started to take my long-awaited bath. This better be good for my hygiene.

That bath sure was satisfying, but what should be more satisfying was a good night’s sleep. Granted, it was already past midnight when I went to bed. Gosh! I really needed to go to bed earlier these days. If only I had the luck, of course.

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That sleep was quite a nice one, but I heard my stomach grumbling softly afterwards. I was lucky that there were toaster pastries in the kitchen, so I grabbed one, walked towards the dining table, and sat in front of Benedick. My, what a weird moment. I should break the ice and talk to him while not telling my secret.

“How’s your day been going so far?” I asked. Maybe this will engage him into a conversation with me.

“To be honest, today’s just like any other day in the house, other than the fact that I’m currently investigating around here. In fact, I might believe that there’s something wrong with this house.”

Investigation? I got excited over hearing that word. “Well, why would you think of that?”

“You know Mr. Simself, right? He told me that we should investigate around this house because there might be something peculiar about it. Maybe you should help us.”

“Sounds like something exciting to do for me,” Was he talking about the guy in grey? Maybe so. However, I was instantly confused on where to start this investigation as my stomach grumbled again. Maybe I should get another pastry to eat. “But where do I start?”

“It doesn’t really matter. Just look around the house for anything you might find interesting and tell it to anyone on the house.”

“Okay, then. I think I’ll get more to eat.”

“Suit yourself. I better get going.”

That turned out to be quite a conversation, but at least I should probably investigate this house further after eating the second pastry. I may be an old woman in technical terms, but at least I’m now young in general, so I might help Benedick and that guy he talked about to find whatever interesting inside this house.

Not long, however, I immediately heard the sound of a plate being placed on the table.

It was Buck, who just came to eat lunch with me. I guess having company shouldn’t be a bad thing even if eating all by yourself is something you’re used to. At least things should be calm for the most time. This time, however, was way too unexpected for me to handle.

“Can you please tell me my you wouldn’t want to tell me how and why you’ve gone young?” he asked. “I promise I wouldn’t laugh at it.”

Upon hearing those words, my mind began tingling. How in the world could he have the audacity to find out about my origins? I must cover this up real quick before anyone finds out about it.

“If I were you, I would keep my mouth shut rather than ask me about it,” I quickly warned him. “A secret is a secret. Period.”

Buck finally left, but as soon as he left, I succumbed to the dreadful piano music. Who on earth was playing the piano? I wanted to know and see it myself.

As I walked towards the piano to try getting a closer look, I was literally shocked and flabbergasted at what I saw after opening my eyes. In response, I closed my eyes and flinched.

It was Benedick Monty who was playing the piano. What kind of a moron is he anyway? How could a novice like him dare attempt to play the piano. Did he really had second thoughts before playing it? What a horrible player!

Benedick finally stopped playing the piano, so I quickly walked toward him with a smile and tried to think of a way to not hurt his feelings. I think I knew what to talk to him.

“So,” I said, “It’s about time you played the piano, huh? How was it?”

“Yup,” he replied. “I would say it was quite fun playing it. You know, what with listening to the melodic tunes while I played. I may not be an experienced player, but I certainly would love to try.”

“That’s great. Just keep practicing, and you’ll do fine.”

“Gee, thanks.”

It was nice encouraging him to improve rather than berating him for his piano skills, no matter how horrible they were. At the moment, I needed to take a refreshing bath real soon. Let’s hope it would be as pleasant as my conversation with Benedick.

Unfortunately, the opposite happened to me. Once I stepped into the bathroom, I was immediately punched in my right arm without any warning given whatsoever. That really hurt!

Once I opened my eyes, I angrily shouted, “Watch it!” That felt so sudden that I didn’t have any chance to guard myself.

The person who punched me just now happened to be Buck, who just finished talking his bath, yet had to go paranoid and punch me in the arm. He better apologize to me or else!

Since he won’t apologize to me, I shall have to chase him off the bathroom. After all, I needed to take a bath, and I certainly didn’t want to be disturbed by any unwanted stalkers.

Man, that bath was nice, but a can of Milkis was even nicer. I was really glad that I could get rid of all that stuff just now by drinking such nice soda water. Definitely worth the try, so to speak.

Maybe I should try riding the giant sphere in the living room. After all, I just wanted to see how it works like, and what Buck told me about it was convincing enough for me to try it out, so I shall try. It seemed that this contraption makes a person spin inside it for a long period amount of time until it starts to shake violently, which can throw a person out of the sphere.

I have to say that getting thrown out of the sphere was a very painful experience. In fact, I felt dizzy shortly after regaining my consciousness. That had to be something, though.

Thank goodness eating a bowl of mac and cheese helped me cope with my temporary dizziness. It was really nice and relaxing to eat something delicious like this.

As I was eating, I heard someone calling me. In response, I stopped eating for a while to listen to whoever was calling me just now.

It was the dark-skinned lady I had seen before. What did she want from me?

“You know, we haven’t properly introduced each other yet, so how about we do it now?” she cried. “Hi, my name’s Darleen Matlapin and I’m from Pleasantview.”

Heh, another person from Pleasantview other than me. How nice. “My name’s Coral Oldie and I’m also from Pleasantview. Say, how come I haven’t seen you before?”

“Well,” she paused for a moment, “I was actually… ummm… Let’s just say that I was out of town when you were around.”

“Ooooo…” This sounded like a mystery to me. “What had you been up to?”

“I would say that I’m out somewhere that didn’t matter much to me. I guess I better use the restroom.”

“Okay. Suits me just fine.”

Right after Darleen left, I was quickly overwhelmed by the sound of the piano. It seemed that someone was playing it horribly that I couldn’t stand to hear it any longer. Maybe I should take a closer look to see who was playing the piano.

As I approached the piano, I was deeply appalled at what I saw. This was just beyond my wildest imaginations.

I mean, Buck Grunt playing the piano? What a bizarre thing to see! I couldn’t believe my eyes at what I saw. I know I didn’t expect him to play well, but looking at him play was just something way beyond my wildest imaginations.

To make things worse, there was a stink permeating around the room. I held my nose in order to prevent myself from smelling it even more. However, it was really hard to do because I ended up running out of air that I had to let go.

While I was letting go of my nose, I heard someone laughing like a madman. Now who could that be?

As I opened my eyes, I was extremely outraged at what I saw. Some stranger in a hoodie was laughing while pointing at me. Worse, he was smelling like some pile of trash. This man is a nuisance!

“Oh, you really looked silly as you held your breath and nearly suffocated!” he hollered with a mocking expression. “That was really entertaining to see!”

“Why, you insolent imbecile!” I clenched my fists in an attempt to punch him but held back. I didn’t want to turn this into a brutal brawl, after all.

Maybe I should just stop getting frustrated and go to the restroom. Unfortunately, there was a huge puddle of water on the floor. Must be the toilet having issues. Time to clean up, I guess.

On another note, I looked around the fiery room for an available bed to sleep on, but all of them were occupied. Oh, the humanity! If only there was another bed, I would be satisfied.

Well, I guess taking a bath would get rid of my worries for a while. Not that it was urgent or anything, but I felt rather tired and sleepy that it would be nice to find a spare bed to sleep on.

I think eating a nice bowl of cereal would be something nice to do when I was feeling just a bit sleepy. I also wouldn’t want to wake up in the middle of my sleep due to hunger.

As I was eating, I heard the unpleasant sound of someone munching their meal improperly and loudly. I closed my eyes as I lifted up my head so that I wouldn’t get any nasty food on me. Who on earth could that be?

As I opened my eyes, I realized that it was the lady in the black dress. I haven’t met her yet, but I sure don’t think this is a good way to meet someone else. There must be a way to stop her from eating messily and talk to me in earnest.

Fortunately, I had an idea. “Ahem!” I cleared my throat. This better work.

She immediately stopped eating, put her bowl on the table, and stared at me. It worked! Now all I had to do is to talk to her.

“What is the matter?” she asked. I better reply this instance, but what should I say? I should think quickly and do my best. Fortunately, I had an idea on what to say to her.

“We haven’t known each other properly, so maybe this is the time to do it, don’t you think?”

“Indubitably. I am Gvaudoin Tricou and I hail from SimCity. However, you shall call me Miss Tricou. What say you?”

It seems like this talk was making me even more sleepier than normal, but I should just talk to her. “My name’s…Coral Oldie,” I said slowly as I struggled to stay awake, “And I…come from…Pleasantview,… where I…live with…my husband.”

“Ah, I see. From what I have observed from your speech pattern, it appears that you actually yearn to retire to bed. Am I not correct?”

So she knew from my speech pattern that I was feeling sleepy? I’ll take it as a yes, then. “Of course. If you don’t mind, I should head to bed right now.”

“I shall not prevent you from retiring.”

I was really glad that the woman just now didn’t mind the fact that I had to go to bed. She was definitely right about my speech indicating my sleepiness. Best sleep well until I wake up.

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That was a nice sleep I got, but a nice meal should do as well. In fact, how about some lunch meat sandwiches for the day? These things may be simple, but they are nonetheless effective in relieving my hunger.

I managed to find some company as I ate as well. Perhaps this could be a good time to get to know each other.

“Hello again,” I exclaimed. “How are you doing today? Sorry that my enthusiasm is rather high right now, but I happen to express that sometimes.”

“Well,” she muttered, “First of all, I’m alright. No need to be overly enthusiastic. Second of all, do you have anything exciting to say? Judging by the enthusiasm you just expressed, I’m assuming you do.”

Wow! Darleen’s a highly observant young woman! I have to say that I was impressed by that. But at this point, it was a bit scary as well. And I honestly don’t know exactly what I should be saying next, but here’s hoping this would do. “I… just felt a tad bit too upbeat at the moment. Must be because I woke up not long ago.”

“Ah, I see. Well, I think I better go now. Not only has my dish gone smelly, but I also needed a bath. See you later.”

The ending of the conversation was a huge sigh of relief for me despite my upbeat behavior. I would love to take a look outside the house and to get some fresh air, but I wasn’t wearing any proper clothing. Maybe I should just take a peek instead to see the outside would.

Before I reached the door, I heard some footsteps behind me. Who would that be?

As I turned around, I saw that lady in black again. Her name was rather hard to pronounce, but I should just call her Miss Tricou. What did she wanted from me this time?

“Mrs. Oldie,” she said, “May I ask more of you? We had been in this hovel for a significant amount of time, so we should be more aware of its surroundings, do we not?”

More about this house, eh? Well, that sounds like a nice topic to hear. “I’m definitely ready to talk with you. So, what’s up?”

“Have you encountered any peculiarities in this hovel?” her voice sounded quite excited. “I saw many of these people behaving rather oddly these days. What say you?”

Before she finished the sentence, I found myself startled upon hearing what she said. The thought of something wrong about this house really made me shudder.

To fight off that anxiety from within, I tried to act as calm as possible in the face of such a situation by crossing my arms and putting the sternest expression I could possibly make. I should also reply to Miss Tricou as soon as possible, but I needed to think quickly before she got impatient.

After a half second of thinking, I finally had an idea on what to say. This better work. “I would say some of us do act peculiar. Just look at Ji-I mean, Miss Smith, the blonde lady in blue. She first said she was worried about the piano, but she ended up playing it like crazy. By the way, why are you asking me this?”

“Yes, I noticed that as well. I was really curious on whether other people around here are keenly aware of their surroundings. It would be a grave shame if one takes no notice of the events around them. However, I had to go the lavatory this instance, if you do not mind.”

“Suit yourself, then.”

Maybe I should jot down my observations of this house on an empty notebook from the shelf. I should also include what I’d heard from others as well. I hope this shouldn’t hurt much at all.

However, there were so many people gathering around that it made me feel extremely uncomfortable. These stuff may seem helpful regarding this house, but it covers some parts I consider too private to show to others. I must wait for the right time to start writing on this again.

Maybe I should just spend my time here spinning in this sphere. I know it has a tendency to shake violently, but I just couldn’t resist trying this again. It was just too fun for me. In fact, I sometimes could imagine myself spending my entire time in this house spinning around here.

In the end, however, I was eventually tossed away from the sphere that I ended up throwing up. Oh, the humiliation! I should've just stopped when it started shaking violently. But how is the question because I had no idea how to do it.

After my little ride at the sphere, Buck quickly approached me as if he had something to say.

“Hello again,” he said. “I didn’t expect you to use the sphere after what you said about being old.”

Well, that wasn’t quite expected. Maybe he was trying to find out more on how I became young. I must warn him to stop this. “I started using it yesterday, and I just couldn’t stop. In fact, I think you’re trying to find out more about how I became young again, and I want to repeat this again: don’t. You really should just stop finding it out.”

“What makes you think that way, huh?”

So he still showed defiance towards me, eh? But I won’t resort to violence no matter the case. “Look, I know you’ve been curious about me ever since that conversation yesterday, and I was careless about it. But I want to say it loud and clear that it is none of your business.”

“Who says it doesn’t have to be your own business?” he shouted at the top of his lungs. My, what a temper. “We’re all trapped in here and stuck for who knows how long, and you still bother with secrets?”

“What do you mean I still bother with secrets? Everyone has their own secrets, and I’m not the only one. Maybe you have your own secrets.”

“You know what, you’re wrong because I never act like I’m keeping secrets like you are.”

Oh, so he thought he never kept any secrets for himself, eh? I flinched for a moment to relax a bit even if he might think I felt hurt by his words. To be honest, this conversation had turned into a tirade already. Perhaps I should stop. “You know what? I’m done with this tirade. I need to eat real quick, if you don’t mind.”

“Well, suit yourself, then.”

I walked into the kitchen to find a big bowl of mac and cheese with only a few of it remaining. Better not waste it this time. Good thing it tasted delicious and satisfying. Afterwards, I must take a refreshing bath.

That bath was quite nice, but it appeared that there was a puddle in front of the bathtub. Better mop it clean before anyone else slips on it.

Mopping the floor was really hard work, but at least there’s the piano, which I can play. I honestly couldn’t resist playing it ever since I laid my eyes on it.

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After I finished playing the piano due to my fingers getting sore, I turned around and saw Darleen standing next to me. What did she want from me anyway?

“Coral,” she finally said, “We need to talk right now.”

“Sure,” I said. “Go ahead.”

“Coral,” her tone grew stern, “I appreciate the melodic music you’ve played in here, but you should know that other people in here need a good night’s sleep. With all that noise you’ve been generating through the piano, it’s virtually impossible for us to even sleep on the sofa when all the beds are taken. I mean, look at poor Miss Tricou over there! She’s been crying just now because she has no place to sleep. And it’s all because of you playing the piano, which prevents any of us from sleeping. So stop playing the piano all night so that people here can actually sleep, got it?”

Upon hearing those harsh words, I bowed my head in shame. Perhaps my enthusiasm had gotten too much. Maybe it was time for me to play less and be mindful of the time as well.

“I’m sorry for the disturbance I’ve cause for the night,” I replied as softly as possible. “It’s just that I absolutely love playing the piano that I even can’t focus on what’s going on around be as I play.”

“Well,” she raised both hands up as if to make a point, “You should play the piano only at daytime, when people are awake. That’s when you can play. Got it?”

“Yes, I do.” “Good. Next time, don’t do this again.”

What kind of person was I just now? I unwittingly deprived someone from her opportunity of sleep just by continuously playing the piano. I wished I could’ve paid more attention to my surroundings. Anyway, perhaps a tasty meal of toaster pastries may help me get my thoughts out of that awkwardness.

Boy, all those thoughts of other people wanting to know about my rather weird transformation from elder to adult had taken a toll on my energy to the point that I was in desperate need of sleep. That incident with the piano happened to aggravate my situation with more stress. This sleep better be for the best.

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For some reason, I felt myself waking up all of a sudden. Must be something weird going on. As I turned around, I spotted Darleen sleeping right next to me. What on earth was this madness? First, she told me to stop playing the piano during the day, and then she proceeded to sleep right next to me? How hypocritical of her! I must find another place to sleep, then.

Fortunately, I found this lovely bed to sleep on. It felt so comfortable after all those hours of struggling to stay awake until there was an available bed to sleep on. In fact, I could just sleep through the day even if the sun was shining brightly. I just couldn’t resist being on this bed.

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Perhaps the best thing to do once I wake up is taking a nice, warm bath. Oh, how young and rejuvenated I must have felt as I soaked into these waters. And did I said young just now? I’m sorry, but I couldn’t resist feeling younger even when I looked younger. That must be my mentality of being an old lady turned young again. Anyway, I loved staying calm as I bathed because that way, I could feel the waters cleansing my body from dirt and grime.

Lunch time was a rather awkward time for me, primarily since Darleen and I each grabbed sandwiches together at the same time. We didn’t say a single word at all, primarily as a result of that little incident during nighttime. Best not mention it to her, though.

As I sat down on one of the dining chairs, I saw Darleen sitting right in front of me. I thought for a while and concluded that I should try reconcile with her, but as soon as I sat down to eat lunch with her, she immediately left in a hurry. I guess reconciliation would take a long time to achieve.

But first, I needed to take a very deep breath of fresh air. As I was doing that, I saw both Buck and Benedick conversing together. I didn’t pay full attention to what they were saying, and nor did I care. After all, it was their own business, and I certainly had other things in mind.

To be honest, spinning around the dance sphere had proven to be way more fulfilling than listening to some idle chatter. Man, I should tell Herb to buy one of these someday if I ever get out of this place alive.

After that fun ride on the sphere, I heard my stomach grumbling softly. Maybe eating another sandwich would help me at the moment. It turned out that Jill was eating with me as well, but for some reason, there was a feeling of unease and awkwardness in the kitchen as we ate.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked, breaking the silence in the process.

Oh, great. Did she found out about my origins? If so, I better not answer her question in case I got paranoid. “Not now. Can’t you see that I’m eating? We’ll talk later, okay?”

What was that question Jill tried to ask me? I must talk to her about it. It better not be about that how I became young in the first place. After a minute of searching around the house, I finally found Jill in the fiery room talking to Hal. I should just grab her attention even if it meant interrupting her conversation.

Once I cleared my throat, Jill turned around. “What is it now?” she asked.

“Remember that evening meal we had?” I replied. She better not be talking about how I became young in the first place. “Well, here I am. What do you want?”

“I want to play some games with you. I hope you don’t mind that. Besides, that would help us know each other better.”

“Sure thing. Let’s play red hands and punch you-punch me.” Afterwards, we played those two games like there seemed to be no end to that. After all, those games are super fun. That made me miss home even more.

Well, those games were fun to play, and I was very fortunate that she wasn’t after how I became young in the first place. But afterwards, I felt a bit hungry. Thank goodness there was a bowl of mac and cheese in the kitchen. Eating a bowl to my heart’s content did sate my appetite for the time being.

If I could just close my eyes while riding this giant sphere, would it be worth my time? I sure hope it would, so I might as well try as I imagined myself pretending that the noise from the sphere didn’t exist. Here goes nothing!

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