Clarissa is sitting on the rotten wooden chair, occasionally trembling but refraining from making any major move or standing up as she fears that it might break right underneath her bottom. She closes her eyes, takes deep breaths and slowly counts until ten.

One... two... three... She hears a violent thud, and then quick but furious steps. She shudders, believing it's because of the chilly air. Still, it's not just chill that makes her tremble. There's definitely something more behind Raeann's intentions, she knows.

Four... five... six... The steps are getting louder and closer. Clarissa is now petrified. She tries not to think of anything else while she counts; yet, the only thing that detains her from the fear of being kidnapped, or worse, even killed, is the increasing sense of coldness that's filling her bones.

Seven... eight... nine... She hears the door screech and her face turns pale, losing the little color left in a matter of seconds. Every certainty she had until now has since been shattered. Now she doesn't know what to expect anymore. Someone could either save her or kill her.

Ten... The door opens wide, revealing Raeann and two other young women: one of them has long red hair like the waitress (who has changed from her uniform into a long black dress), but is older than her, whereas the other one is of African American descent and has long, dark curls that fall roughly on her back.

The three women approach the chair where Clarissa is sitting, studying attentively her almost inexistent looks. Raeann then clears her throat, after which Clarissa stands up in such a mechanic way that she looks like a robot. Though, she's still seething inside, looking for answers, seeking certainties.

"As you noticed, Clarissa, I'm no longer alone," states Raeann in a firm tone. The other two women nod, after which Clarissa responds by nodding back and smiling half-heartedly. The older redhead, however, shakes her head, not approving of it.

"We've already talked about it, Aynslee," comments again Raeann, not wanting to scare Clarissa further. "Be nicer or else she'll run away." For the first time today, the thirty-one-year-old is perceiving a friendly attitude from somebody else, something she hasn't witnessed for a long time.

"Sorry for this inconvenience." Raeann is now smiling, much to Clarissa's growing concern. She likes being treated in a friendly way but she still fears that her interlocutor's behavior is not genuine. "Aynslee isn't very used to being nice to other people."

Aynslee groans, then she nudges the black-haired girl. She also throws a glare at Clarissa, making it clear that she doesn't like her, but the curly woman doesn't appreciate that gesture and clears her throat. "Raeann is right. Being nice is not one of your best qualities," she comments, laughing under her breath and grinning.

"Shut up!" Aynslee hisses, glaring deeply at both Clarissa and the curly girl; the former can't help jumping back out of fear. Now, she knows that the plump red-haired woman with small eyes must never be pissed off, or the consequences will be serious.

"Okay, that's enough!" Raeann snaps, after which Aynslee crosses her arms and looks down. "Stop arguing, both of you! Aynslee, follow me. We have to look for the others. Trenae, you stay with Clarissa."

As the two redheads leave the basement, making the stairs screech under their high heels every time they take a step, Clarissa is left with the curly-haired woman, whose name is Trenae. She studies attentively her looks, her posture, her facial expression, trying to catch a particular that could hint a friendly attitude.

Still, this task is made harder not only by Trenae maintaining an impassible look, which Clarissa perceives as hostile. She barely retains a smile; as she fails, she's forced to let out a sigh, inevitably catching the other woman's attention. "Sorry," she mutters, hoping that Trenae won't hear her.

"Sorry? What's the point in apologizing?" Trenae frowns, making Clarissa even more uneasy. The plump 31-year-old doesn't even know what to say to fix the current situation; between cold sweat running through her face and her veins turning purple and about to explode at any time, she's tempted to let out a scream. Still, she doesn't. This would only anger Trenae and prompt Raeann to come back with further reinforcements.

"You know why you're here, right?" Trenae asks again, much to Clarissa's confusion, who doesn't answer right away. The black woman fidgets with one of her curls, occasionally glancing sideways at her interlocutor and looking back to find out whether Raeann has just come back or not. The curvy redhead, even with her high heels, can be really subtle and make herself hard to notice.

Clarissa catches her breath and answers, "Well, Raeann found me at the coffee shop upstairs and then brought me here. She didn't tell me why-" Trenae cuts her off raising her right hand and putting a finger on her lips. "Shhh. Don't say a word. You don't want to piss anyone off here, right?" she warns. Clarissa knows that she has no other choice than taking her seriously unless she wants to end up dead.

Trenae continues, "I know why you're here, but I'm not supposed to tell you. So, don't ask and just do what we tell you to do, okay? Now, if you have any other question, please ask. I don't bite." Clarissa isn't exactly sure this statement is true; moreover, she doesn't feel like trusting a woman who has just threatened her, even though indirectly.

"I just have... one..." Clarissa stutters. "Do you know what this place is?" She explains herself better as she catches the other woman's frown of disapproval. "I mean, besides it being a basement, of course." She sighs out of relief as Trenae's frown turns into a grin.

"This is another secret I'm not supposed to reveal lightheartedly," she replies, much to Clarissa's disappointment. "I guess you'll have to find it out by yourself, unless someone else decides to spill the truth." She stops talking as she hears footsteps coming from upstairs.

Clarissa, as she recognizes them, feels her heart thudding violently in her chest; sweat is making her clothes stick to her skin and she's not sure about how much she can retain tears anymore. Raeann and her redhead colleague are back.

And they're not here to make friends.