Welcome to the Club

"Regular?" She is so confused. So all along she wasn't even a real employee?

"Did I answer your question Ms. Caroline?"

"How?" She clutched the bottle of perfume tighter.

"How?" Hansellot stopped writing on his notes.

"How did they died? The ones I recruited?" She wanted to at least know.

"Many reasons. It will take us a whole day to discuss it. Do you want to robs us of that time Ms. Caroline?"

"But they are excellent ones..." She muttered afraid to hear his answer.

"How do you even know that?" She stiffened. His question pierced right through her ego. Of course she doesn't know. She doesn't know a thing about the company. She's been trying to find out more about the company for five years, suddenly she was being dragged down to this murder business.

She remember what her recruiter told her. "Just smell who is good and who is bad. Send away the bad ones, bring the good ones to the left door." Does that mean she is good in smelling a murderer? She didn't ask a lot of question after that day thinking she would have an opportunity to ask the next day. But her recruiter never showed and she can't even open that door.

Watching her stumbled for an answer Hansellot smiled.

Al looks at his direction.

"Tell me, Ms. Caroline, how do you screen your applicants? I'm quite curious." She became queasy all of sudden. Does she have to answer that? Her memories at the mansion squirming back to her head like a disgusting worm. Then a light lemon scent entered the room she instinctively looks at the door. Alice and Hansellot followed her gaze.

Recognizing the presence as something annoying Hansellot continues, "The higher up seems to give you quite a favor for letting you stay in The Company when you are so-"

A tall man dressed in black cocktail suit suddenly appeared before them. She was surprise how close he was to her. She then realized that Alice was holding his arm stopping him right before he put his hands on her shoulder. "I didn't know that we can also have an access to that kind of information. Now I'm curious too."

Sergione brush off Alice's hands. Took out a small spray bottle and sprays the arm that Alice touched.

Merrick started to laughed so hard that the tension in the room vanished. "I was thinking how you two are so similar then your disinfectant popped up and sprayed your damn flimsy arm!" Merrick snorted, "Say, Alice do you have some kind of disease or something, huh?" He cackled once again this time slapping the table it is almost annoying.

"Stop laughing Merrick, you're annoying the new guy." Arin was expecting an angry Alice but the guy is still fixated to Sergione who still rubbing his arms with disinfectant. She continues awkwardly, "Besides, what is so funny about it? Don't mind Merrick," Arin looks at Islet instead hoping for a response."He is just weird. But I do think that both of your hair and your habit of spraying people with disinfectant is quite amusing."

Islets eyes widened. Yes they both have red hair, she thought as she lost her self in her own mind.

Sergione gave Alice a death stare as he sits at the very front. Alice on the other hand take a sit besides Islets.

"So are we going to continue with that topic, Anz?"

"Stop calling me that if you still want to escape this room unscathed."

Ignoring his warning, he urged his recruiter. "So,are you going to continue or not?" Sergione dares him but Hansellot didn't took the bait. He look past him and towards the new recruiter and hunter.

"Do you have anymore questions Ms. Caroline? Can we proceed? Islet snapped out of her thoughts. Answers is what she wanted for the past five years. Now that she was asked she suddenly feel stuck. The words came out of her mouth before she can stop it.

"What kind of job did you give to the new hires that they even have to die?"

Hansellot pushed his glasses higher on his nose. "Didn't you hear what they were saying earlier or you just want it to come out from my own mouth?"

"You seem to hold the most of the authority in this room and just like you said earlier you are the leader of this project so I assume you can verify what I heard."

Lace who was busy reading his notes all this time finally looks at the spunky new recruit who dares to talk back to his and Sergione's recruiter.

The sweet scent of rose filled the room. Merrick who tried to resist but eventually gives up plug his earphones and put the volume to the max. Lace put his jacket to the shivering Arin and Sergione just waits for something to happen.

His scent is more intoxicating than it was before, numbing Islets mind and making her knees feel weak. "Did he not told you? Let me clear it once and for all Ms. Caroline. It was not me nor the management who let your recruits die on the job. It was you."

"What do you mean?"

"The moment a recruiter let anyone go to that door means they are subjecting them to their death." His voice is ringing on her head making it hard to focus. "You said you have been staying for the company for five years, in that room?"

"Yes." She said, trying to keep her senses up.

He chuckled. "I was wondering why you look so green." When he emphasized the word green Islets thoughts are filled with mountains, forest, grass, stop light, tea and someone else's beautiful green eyes. "Didn't even see your shadow in my glasses. You never stepped into that door until today!" He laughed menacingly.

"Stop it." Sergione muttered.

"Shut up!" Instantly Sergione felt something wrap on his mouth and body to the chair.

"You're sheltered, huh? He did that to you. He might have felt that you are not ready. But you found yourself a rabbit who can fight and you can no longer stay in that room." Islets remembered the hours she spend in the interview room talking with different applicants. Writing excellent to their papers, sending them to their deaths. Colds sweat started appearing on her forehead.

"You're ready."

"Re...ready for what?"

"To face death." Fear drenched on her skin. A burst of emotions come to her head. Tears forming on eyes as she see different kinds of way a person can die. She closes her eyes and the scent of thousand of red roses filled her nostrils. The fear, anger and sadness is unbearable.

"This is the kind of company we are Ms. Caroline. We deal with death, we deal with the people who causes death and we deal with people who receives them, that is what we are. We are not afraid of death. But are you?" He paused a thin smile spread on his lips. "I'm sorry but you can't escape. You're a regular now, Ms. Caroline. Welcome to the club!"

Bang.

The table in front of Alice and Islets splits into two.

Sergione who is now free from the trance turn his head towards the sound. Just like he expected it was the White Rabbit. His other hand holding the hand of his recruiter.

"That's not true." said Islets, her mind is as clear as the day.

Unfazed by Alice's reaction. "What is?"

"That I'm afraid now."

"Really?"

"Because I'm always afraid. But you, you fear death more that I am."