Chapter 80

"Ow, ow, ow." Masafumi winced, clutching his arm as he and Owen made their way through the amusement park's parking lot.

"I would tell you to shut up, but that's a second-degree burn," Owen said, glancing at the angry red burns on Masafumi's forearm. There were claw marks on his own arms but they didn't seem serious. "Breathing out blue fire, just what the hell was that thing?"

"Don't know, don't care. Next time, you're going to tank the fire breathing monster."

"Are we taking turns or something?"

"At this point, yes!"

Near Masafumi's motorcycle, they spotted a familiar figure leaning against a sleek black car. Dr. Belle stood there, one arm crossed with the other taking a puff of an e-cigarette. Owen couldn't tell if she had been waiting for them or if it was just a coincidence that she was there.

"Dr. Belle?" Owen called out, surprised.

The moody lady looked up and waved them over with her vape pen. "I thought that was you two. Looks like you've had quite the night."

Owen ended up chuckling. "You have no idea."

Dr. Belle noticed the burn mark on Masafumi. Wordlessly, she tucked her vape pen away, opened the trunk of her car, and got out a first-aid kit.

She returned and beckoned Masafumi over. "You can lean," she said. "This is my cheap car."

'That's the newest Bentley, how is that cheap?' 

Masafumi did as he was told. Standing beside Masafumi, she carefully began treating the burn.

"Ow, ow, ow," Masafumi hissed through clenched teeth.

"Hold still, this will help with the pain," Dr. Belle said, applying a cooling gel to the burns on his left and right arms. The front took the brunt of damage. "Can I ask what happened?"

"You wouldn't believe us even if we told you," Masafumi muttered. 

"The burn marks here are blue and yet your burns are mild at best. Definitely dangerous but not first degree. There's a contradiction there. Blue flames are amongst the hottest in the spectrum, double that of normal flames." Dr. Belle wrapped white bandages on his arms.

"We fought a human monster that breathes fire and wears a top-hat."

"...huh?"

"There was a demon monster in the shape of a human that was jumping around. That was why we needed your pass to get onto the Ferris wheel. It was...well, we didn't know what it was doing up there but something dangerous for sure. We fought, I got hurt..." Owen showed her the claw marks on his arms. "...Masafumi blocked a fire breathing attack, and then I finished it off.

"..."

"See? Told ya. You wouldn't believe us even if we told you," Masafumi said. 

Dr. Belle didn't ask another question and simply eyed them as if they were crazy.

***

Owen returned home, still feeling the lingering adrenaline from the night's events. The house was quiet, and he noticed that Mary, Isabella, and Ophelia were still not back. He took the opportunity to clean up.

"Killed a fire-breathing ghost monster and I go back home to mop the floor." 

What a weird life he lived.

An hour later, the front door opened, and the familiar sounds of his girlfriends filled the house. Mary, Isabella, and Ophelia walked in. Their outfits were the first change he noticed in them.

"Owen, we're back!" Mary called out.

Looking up, he smiled and said, "Careful, just mopped." Turning his back to them, he continued to mop.

Mary didn't seem to care for the wet floor. She skipped over and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him from behind. "How was your day?"

"Mine was…interesting."

Mary laughed in his ear. "Funny, mine too."

"Err, can we walk?" Ophelia asked. She was holding a briefcase with her right hand and gesturing with her left.

"Just give it a couple minute." He flashed the girls at the entrance a smile. "Did you have fun?"

"Lots of fun," Mary answered for them.

"Fun is subjective," said Isabella.

"Very subjective," Ophelia added.

"Not fair, Ophelia," said Mary, "when you say something, then Owen is gonna believe it."

"Not my fault you and Isabella once lied about breaking both my controllers," Owen said. Mary pouted and groaned.

"You can't still be mad about that."

"You two gaslighted me into thinking I lost them."

"In my defence, you were easy to gaslight back then," Mary said.

"It was a betrayal."

"Was it?" Isabella asked.

"Trust is earned, respect is given, and loyalty is demonstrated. Betrayal of any one of those is to lose all three."

Mary scoffed. "Where did you hear that from? A movie?'

"A get-help book I read a long time ago. Want to borrow it?"

"I will pretend you didn't say that."

"No, no, I agree," Isabella cut in. "Although in your case, you might need several."

"Shut the fuck up before I give you a wedgie, loser."

"I've always wanted to give a wedgie!" Ophelia exclaimed. "It looks fun."

"That makes two of us. We can do it right now—"

Mary's hand was still laced around him. Chuckling, he squeezed her hand and got her to stop glaring at Mary. "Alright, people, let's take a deep breath and compose ourselves."

"I am as calm as the ocean," Mary said.

"So not calm at all," Isabella retorted.

"The floor is fine to walk through," Owen said. "So please keep the wrestling civil. No hiding behind me and no killing."

"Wrestling? Do I look unsophisticated?" Mary bounced off and took a seat on the couch. 

Isabella stretched her arms in a cross. "Pussy."

Mary crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I made that taunt, you can't use it on me. Haven't you ever played Pokémon?"

"I….you've never played Pokémon in your life."

"I've played nuzflops or whatever."

"It's nuz-locks! And I'm the one who did them!"

The back and forth kept going. Ophelia walked over and placed the suitcase on the table. 

"What's this for?"

Owen's question ceased the arguing and brought upon smiles on their faces. "Open it up," Isabella said.

"There's a lock."

"Oh shit, right. Ophelia, get the keys."

"Didn't you have the keys?" 

"I do, I was just testing you. Excellent work."

Mary tossed the key over to Owen. He caught the small key and used it to open the briefcase. His eyes widened.

It wasn't like this was Owen's first time seeing a briefcase full of money. However, it was the first that really affected him because he knew it was his. More specifically, Mary's.

"H-how much…?"

"Fifty-thousand."

"So…we're rich? Just like that?"

"Technically, I'm rich but sure, we can go with we." Mary smiled. "Relieved yet?"

Owen's knees buckled and he fell down to the floor. Ophelia cried his name but he raised a hand, smiling as he lay flat on the floor. Spreading his arms wide, he laughed.

There was relief and then there was losing a burden.