Nemesis turned to the rest of you. With no other events to distract you, it was much clearer now that the exit door was visible again along all with the gridlines. She didn’t move to block your path this time.
“CONSUMMATUM EST,” she said, sweeping an arm out towards the door. “THE JUDGMENT HAS FINISHED. ONTO THE NEXT CAR WITH THE REST OF YOU.”
“I’M SURE WE’LL ALL MEET AGAIN. UNLESS YOU CAN STAY OUT OF TROUBLE…” She clearly didn’t think you capable of that.
Neko-Neko, leading the way, waved cutely at her.
“Until next time!”
“We’re sure it’ll be just as much fun, nyaha!”
Nemesis half-waved back before moving toward the other wooden door. But she was still watching. You had a feeling hanging around much longer wouldn’t bode well.
The exit door opened without struggle, onto the same wasteland as always. The bridge to the next car stretched out ahead, as always. And, as always, you moved along and through the next door.
Funny how anything stayed the same when your party had been changed so irreparably.
Within the new car, the candy-powder scent of cleansers mixed with faint exhaust hit you first, and you had little time to process the cars lined up before getting shooed into one yourself alongside a few others. As you debated whether you ought to be buckling up or hopping right back out, you pieced together more of the scene. A hearse in front, and a handful of cars besides your own with their hazard lights flashing. A parallel set of conveyor belts matching up with the tires. Archways of nozzles and an array of brightly colored soft things gallivanting about the well-lit tunnel. None of it seemed threatening, at least.
Or perhaps you were just too exhausted to care, as your ride shifted into neutral on its own and began gently lurching along the car wash track. Not much for you to do now but sit and wait—or talk, if you were still on speaking terms with your co-riders.
—
[Car Reference Post]
