Clover, the new postal worker, had woken up that morning without an ounce of foreboding. That was a major mistake on her part. It was her first curve on her new route, freshly handed to her from yet another of her deeply shaken coworkers, but Clover had no reservations about it. She simply went down the roads, through the deep, dark, winding paths of the woods, her little hat in place. The air was thick and heavy with fog and she could just barely catch a glimpse of the little white eyes in the corner of her vision.

Flicking her tongue out into the air, Clover noticed nothing out of the ordinary. It was actually quite nice out... Sometimes it felt like she was the only one who really appreciated the little things, like the deep grey of the sky, the darkness of the distance, how pleasant the eyes were when the weather was mild... Hollowford was just a lovely little village, Clover thought, the people were kinder and more cordial than anything she’d ever seen in any other stretch of the woods. It was here where she didn’t mind a little chit chat, and had no problems walking along and making conversation while carrying packages to doorways. The hospitality charmed her.

Well... Maybe the “NO TRESPASSING” signs a little further into the woods weren’t as welcoming as that Watchmen fellow offering her a whole tin of homemade cookies. Perhaps the way they hung crooked, hastily nailed up to the trees, was a little off-putting... or it could’ve been the sheer number that made it so alarming, but Clover had a job to do... And everyone else was friendly.

Daisy, who was no one special, had woken up that morning with quite a strong feeling of dread and foreboding. So strong that they wanted to stay in bed, or actually, go to bed. At the moment they were curled up on the couch, recovering from an accidental curve long power nap. The overwhelming dread was not an unusual feeling for them, it was almost every curve that something horrible happened to Daisy. Maybe it was because most of those terrible things were their own fault, but horrible things are still horrible things, regardless of their actual cause.

Reluctantly, Daisy had decided it was time to get up and start the curve. They sat up, stretched a bit, and promptly began to climb out the window, tumbling into the hedges. The window was directly above the couch while the front door was across the room, it was simply a matter of convenience. Sometimes convenience meant falling into a bush.

This curve was going to be awful, Daisy just knew it.

They made their way out of the hedges, absently picking sticks from their shirt as they headed towards the mailbox. The lawn was still wet from dew and the air was not yet unpleasantly warm. Taking in the morning, Daisy was glad for the safety and privacy their absurdly high fences offered. As they approached the front gate, Daisy began to stall. Oh how they dreaded this part of the curve... To leave the comfort of their home? For the sake of mail? Pathetic. Unthinkable.

Maybe they could just quit checking the mail, Daisy thought, but... No, no, they ordered things too often for that to be manageable. They paced in thought, anxiously hovering near the front gate. Were they expecting any packages this curve? They ordered some sort of... thing, they forgot what it was exactly, recently... Hadn’t they? Maybe they were up too early for anything to be delivered, maybe it would come the next curve. It probably wasn’t that big of a deal. Probably.

Convincing themself to go back inside, Daisy turned around, and then, froze completely. There was a faint and distant sound... A sound that was not that of croaking bird song, not howling wind, not the creaking of the trees or the whispers too quiet to comprehend, but a sound that made Daisy seethe with hatred.

The sound of approaching footsteps.

As the sound grew louder, closer, Daisy tensed up and held their ears up high. They quieted their own footsteps, crouching low to the ground and slowly creeping closer to the fence. As the sound suddenly stopped, Daisy sprung up and catapulted themself over the fence.

“WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME!?”

The potential trespasser, hand once reaching towards the mailbox, had toppled over and fell backwards onto the ground. A horrid little snake approaching their sanctuary! Daisy had also realized that this was the mail carrier, but they had decided it was far too late to back down now. They had leapt onto the mailbox and pointed one clawed finger towards that fiend, that, well. It was just a mail carrier, really.

The snake looked startled, but took a moment to pick herself up off the ground, and held out a stack of envelopes. Daisy snatched it out of her hand with no hesitation, stepping backwards and balancing on the fence. They stared at each other for just a moment, the snake with a look of mild confusion and Daisy with a look of intense annoyance. Having decided that enough was enough and the moment was over, Daisy hissed loudly.

Standing atop the fence and looking more smug than they had any right to be, Daisy watched the snake run back down towards the village. Victory felt great. With that out of the way, they inspected their stack of envelopes. Honestly, it was a lot more mail than Daisy had been expecting. They didn’t know who’d even send all that-

“Good morning, Daisy!” said Goodbye.

Daisy jumped up and screamed, ending up on the ground with their rightfully earned mail scattered across the front lawn.

“It’s so nice to see you up so early in the morning,” Goodbye leaned on the fence and watched as Daisy struggled to collect their mail, “usually you’re still asleep now, aren't you?”

Daisy’s face scrunched up. It was unfortunate that Daisy had even a single neighbor, and it was even more unfortunate that it was Goodbye. The fact that he lived just one slightly long walk away aggravated Daisy to no end.

“I... fell asleep earlier.”

“Ooh! At a reasonable time early, or, early-afternoon early?”

Daisy barely looked up at him, shuffling letters in their hands “... Do you actually WANT something?”

“I wanted to say hi,” said Goodbye.

“Well, you did! Congratulations! Anything else?”

“...and I wanted to bring up, uh—” he tilted his head back a bit, taking his eyes off Daisy, “—my fence. That you broke.”

Daisy had already gone inside and locked the door.

Daisy slumped against the closed door. This was much better. Despite the fact they had been outside for only a moment, it was always a relief to come back in. It was much more... sticky and wet out there. They went over to their ratty old sofa and began to flip through the mail. With a perfume sample here and a magazine there, Daisy wasn’t expecting much. Most of it was tossed to the side, a few letters from the Village Council hitting the floor when Daisy had missed the trash can. They flipped through the next few letters and paused.

A bright red envelope. Factory red.

...So, they weren’t done with all that Factory business. They tossed a large envelope of soap samples onto the coffee table and threw everything else away. Daisy had really wanted to be done with Factory and they really thought they were... That there wasn’t going to be another letter, another unopened gift, another unread email, another unanswered call.

But, really, what was one more letter in the pile?

They flipped the envelope in their hand a few times before getting up and heading towards the study. It was like anything else that Sullivan had ever sent, brightly colored, covered in little rainbow stickers, Daisy’s address penned in intricate cursive, all the i’s dotted with hearts. The letter itself would be disgustingly heartfelt, or there’d be a slightly nauseating card filled with scrip and loose change. Daisy almost laughed. There didn’t seem to be a return address on this one.

Entering their study, they kicked a few pillows on the floor back into the corner and swiftly turned to their desk. The letter, still unopened, was quickly shoved in the bottom drawer where all the things Daisy didn’t like to think about got to live.

They turned on their computer, leaned back in their office chair, and didn’t think about a thing.

...Of course Daisy did have a few things to think about as their computer hummed to life. First things first, they checked their email inbox. It was much less stressful than the actual mail. They got to ignore things from the comfort of their own home. Daisy couldn’t ignore everything though, email was how they found jobs, and jobs were what found money, which in turn found food and such, which was then used for being not dead.

It was all the usual, information for the next town meeting they’ll never attend, another bounty request they’d ignore... and something with the subject listed as URGENT!

Doubtful, they opened it.

Daisy slouched, maybe it was a trick. It wasn’t from Sullivan’s usual address after all. It did sound like him, though, if a little frustrated... and the letter that came in that morning. Wouldn’t his usual address be his work email anyway? This wasn’t exactly work related. Sinking a little further in their seat, irritation flickered. It probably wasn’t a trick, which meant that it was Sullivan attempting to do something helpful for them, and that meant that Daisy would actually have to go get their stuff.

It was their stuff in their old apartment, and wouldn’t be theirs anymore if Daisy kept on dangling from their chair.

Briefly, Daisy wondered why they hadn’t gotten this information from the landlord himself. They then remembered who their landlord was, and that they’d given Sullivan the spare key. Grimacing, Daisy pushed off their desk, slowly spinning in their chair.

There was a gate just outside of Hollowford, one that’d bring Daisy pretty close to the apartment... It’d just be a short walk. It’s not like they had much stuff, so Daisy would only have to bring a few boxes. And walk. Outside. To Factory.

Maybe they’d need help carrying everything.

They turned themself right side up again and looked over their computer screen again. Their cursor hovered over the reply option, Sullivan would be... enthusiastic about being asked to help. He might even perceive it as some sort of... reconciliation, which was the last thing Daisy wanted.

They cleared their inbox and stood from their chair. This was a problem to be solved, with another problem!

Neighbors.

Daisy began to dig through the closet for everything they might need. New clothes, a bag, and most importantly... an umbrella. Their umbrella. As red as it was, it was the one piece of Factory that Daisy could never throw away. It’s been with them far too long for that.

Once dressed, Daisy pulled their wallet from the bag and looked through it. Crap. It was empty.

They turned back to the drawer of things Daisy didn’t like to think about. At least they had an idea of how to get some money.

Cards and envelopes, left unopened for however long, had their contents unceremoniously dumped out on the floor. One by one, Daisy tore them open, sorting everything into one of two piles. One pile for vouchers, tickets, tokens, or anything of value... Another for anything stupid, sweet and sentimental. The letters themselves were stacked and to be placed back in the drawer once valuables were extracted.

It was quite the haul. Daisy had a hefty stack of food vouchers across several companies and had enough bus tokens to get anywhere they wanted in Factory. Some part of them felt disappointed.

Well, that didn’t really matter. They filled their wallet to the brim and tossed everything else back in the drawer. Once they dropped their wallet back into their bag, they scampered into the living room, umbrella in hand. What else would they need? Keys, snacks, reading glasses, water bottles... Oh maybe a knife! Wipes and paper towels were simply a must. Could they fit an extra change of clothes in there?

...No, no, Daisy had to be quick! If they stalled too long, they’d never get anything done. Can’t be pacing around the house and filling their bag with junk. Regardless, they still managed to pack half the kitchen... Now, it was on to the hard part.

The front door.

They gave their bag one last look over, and dropped a bottle of soap into it. Better to have something and not need it than to be in a situation where you really need soap and have none in sight.

Alright. They were still stalling. All they had to do was walk out the door. Their bag was fine, their house was fine. All they had to do was—

Daisy held their umbrella tight, and stepped out the door.

The walk to Goodbye’s home was only slightly long, and happened to be quite scenic. As hypnotic as the leaves in the wind were, and how peacefully the sun glittered through gaps in the trees, Daisy felt nothing but dread. Goodbye might turn down whatever desperate pleas Daisy could think up... They didn’t want to resort to threats and extortion quite yet, either. This was Grey, there was no telling how he’d react to that... Maybe bribes and extra desperate pleas?

Before Daisy knew it, they were already at Goodbye’s front gate. It was far from the first time that they wished that the walk was a little longer.

...It was a nice little house. It was hidden away in the trees, nicely shaded, potted plants scattered about. Daisy briefly entertained the thought of stealing something and running back home. Instead, they stepped over the broken down fence and into the yard.

Daisy knocked at the door.

The door actually opening caught Daisy a bit off guard, but it only took a moment to pretend that they weren’t at all nervous.

“Daisy! What... brings you to my home? Where I live?”

They pushed past Goodbye, making their way into the house. Daisy only turned around once the door clicked shut

“...Well are you—”

“Goodbye,” said Daisy, putting on a wide smile, “you’d do anything for a friend, right?”

“...You have explicitly told me that we are not friends.”

Daisy gasped, feigning shock, “When would I have ever said such a hurtful thing, my good friend, Goodbye?”

“Last coil. When you broke down my fence.”

They laughed and laughed, before swiping a vase off the nearby table, “Shut up, we’re friends right now.”

“Daisy—”

“What’s one vase between pals? The past is in the past, my dear friend, we need to keep up with the now!”

“My fence—”

“FENCES CAN BE MENDED LATER. Right now, I, er... Well, I may possibly need your assistance...?”

Goodbye had an unreadable expression. That was a given, as he had no face. Daisy simply stood straight, maintaining eye contact and a smile... They really needed to sell this, just this once.

It felt like an eternity but Goodbye seemed to have given in. He sighed and slouched against the wall, “What exactly do you need help with?”

“I just... need to pick up a few things from my old apartment, it should be a quick trip to Factory, but an extra set of hands wouldn’t hurt.”

He went around Daisy, further into the house. They slowly trailed behind him, taking the chance to look around. Daisy had been here once before, some sort of Welcome to the Neighborhood thing, and it didn’t seem much different. A little less tidy than before, maybe? Goodbye had went off to another room somewhere, so Daisy dug about in the living room. Tartan couch, boring throw pillows, big bookshelves, little end tables...

Huh, there were... a lot of books, actually. Textbooks mostly—

Goodbye returned with a messenger bag over his shoulder. This was going much quicker than expected. Perhaps this curve wasn’t going to be utterly horrible after all.

Never mind, Daisy was right the first time. The curve was turning out to be just awful.

Upon arriving to the gate with Goodbye, they were accosted by some gaudy, disaffected teen. Apparently, the gate had been closed down, meaning that Daisy couldn’t go through, meaning they couldn’t get to Factory, meaning they couldn’t just get their stuff and go right back home. Daisy kicked at the gate, which was all wrapped up in barricade tape. It didn’t budge.

The teenager sighed, “Once again, all gates to and from Factory are closed down until further notice.”

“Why? For what purpose? Who could this POSSIBLY benefit?”

“It’s just, well, it’s Ventas—”

Daisy almost screamed, “It’s CAVERN, Ventas doesn’t—” they waved their hands around aimlessly “—CAN’T own any part Cavern!”

“Ventas owns the gates, though.”

They wanted to cry, Ventas Corporation just had that effect on people. Of course Ventas would own the actual gates! It had near complete control over what went in and out of Factory... It’d also explain why the barricade tape was pink and green.

“—by Their Majesty’s Royal Decree” it was stupid. This was stupid. Ventas being buddy-buddy with the Kingdom of Arizona was stupid. Daisy turned to face Goodbye, who had been standing awkwardly behind them while waiting for Daisy to finish their completely civil discussion.

“So,” said Daisy, “we’re taking the long way.”

“We really can’t go through here?”

“No, Goodbye, we cannot.”

This trip was really going to be the death of them.

It wasn’t like it was hard to get to Factory, getting from one zone to it’s neighbor was simple. It’s just that Grey and Factory were not neighbors and were in fact on opposite sides of DREAMLAND. The neighboring zone was Indigo. All Daisy had to do was follow the river. Which would be fine! It would be perfectly fine if Daisy hadn’t neglected one important fact:

Goodbye loved to talk.

If it was anything else, Daisy would be fine. Just walking beside someone on a trip through three whole zones wouldn’t be that bad! Except Goodbye just wanted to talk.

“—but it’s more scenic this way, isn’t it?”

Daisy nodded along, not looking up from the river. The dark water rushed by.

Since the two of them had started walking, Goodbye had been trying to strike up some conversation, to which Daisy would shut down with some dead-end reply. By now most people would have gotten the hint and accepted the silence.

Goodbye tried again, “Have you ever been to Indigo?”

“Eh, no, I haven’t.”

“Oh,” he clasped his hands together, “It’s such a lovely zone, I hear it’s particularly beautiful this time of cone!”

Daisy still hadn’t looked up, “Really.”

“Well, I’ve only been during the serotinal conic. The weather is quite nice then, the sunshuts are particularly stunning.”

“Mhm.”

“I go every cone to visit family! I’d actually go a lot more often if it weren’t for all the—” Goodbye gestured vaguely “—incorporation.”

“You... have a problem with that?”

“It’s weird!”

“It’s—” Daisy actually started to laugh, “—it’s not!”

With all the cackling at Goodbye’s expense, they hadn’t noticed the river growing wider until Daisy almost tripped into it. Goodbye had caught them before they fell. They still smacked at his hands... but it was only then that Daisy had noticed how radically their surroundings had shifted. The dense trees had become lighter and more spread out, the bird song and unintelligible whispers were replaced with a low electrical hum, and the sky itself had faded from a deep grey to dull purple.

The mountain streams fed into something much larger. Daisy walked around to the other side of Goodbye and away from the water.

“...So, you said you had family here?”

“I do,” Goodbye gave Daisy a look that they couldn’t really parse, “but they live in Norlatch, we’re heading towards Andorgate.”

Daisy hummed, “What’s it like?”

They arrived home in almost no time at all.

All at once, relief washed over them. They took the box from the car and brought it inside, locking the gate and door behind them. As terrible and embarrassing as the curve’s events were, none of that mattered now, they were home! It was a space that was entirely Daisy’s own. All theirs and only theirs.

They glanced at the pile of gift boxes in the corner and quickly looked back to the box in their arms.

... Well, after going through all that trouble to get it, Daisy might as well set up the TV.