'Peggy Squires. Give me strength.'

Zach turned to Lana, his face a question mark. 'You know her?'

'Know her?! That woman is a plague. She's like the inside of a rotten apple, and Clifford is its festering skin. I'm telling you, when she opens her mouth, children cry.'

Zach couldn't quite stifle a laugh. 'Do we let them sit?'

Lana slammed her fist against the countertop. 'They're still customers, but SHE CAN PUT THAT POO BAG IN THE BIN like a normal person.'

Peggy had only just sat, but at hearing the shouted request, she slowly slid her chair back. The oak wood legs grated so hard against the laminate flooring that the sound made everyone cringe.

Zach rubbed his ears. 'Was that necessary?'

Lana's gaze didn't leave the volunteers as she moved from behind the counter with a pedal bin in hand. 'Nothing these two do is necessary.'

Peggy's pencil-thin eyebrows rose. 'How dare you talk to me like that.'

Lana made an obnoxious gargling sound and repeated it every time Peggy attempted to speak. And each time it happened, the volunteer's lips would curl more, and her nostrils would flare.

'Childish.' Clifford spat, not looking up from his note-scribbled newspaper.

Lana ignored him and shook the bin so close to Peggy's face that the lady almost vomited. 'Just drop it in already!'

Zach leaned forward, clinging to his countertop perch to watch the drama unfold.

Peggy nodded and stretched her arm back as she prepared to hurl the bag, only the cheap polythene split and three steaming brown logs of poo rolled under the table next to them.

Clifford paused in shock before finally bolting for the exit. However, he'd not realised that he'd left his walking stick behind.

Meanwhile, Peggy seemed to deflate as she watched her accomplice abandon her. 'I-'

'Get out!'

The volunteer's face soured. Lana knew she wanted to argue back, but she didn't have a leg to stand on after what she'd just done.

'Enjoy that?' Lana asked Zach a second later.

He'd messed up, and he knew it, so he began checking over sandwich filling supplies and napkins while keeping one eye on the clock.

Ten minutes later, Zach looked up to see Connor waving goodbye.

Lana smiled and waved back. 'See you next time.'

Zach felt it was safe to talk again, so he pointed at the door. 'Aren't we expecting a rush? It's so quiet.'

'Are you kidding me?! Your first day on the job, and you curse us.'

'What did I say?'

Zach's question remained unanswered until the clock chimed noon, and the doors shot open.

At first, there were five people, then ten, twenty, then the numbers rocketed to twenty-eight customers, all charging in search of food and free tables. Fortunately, only half of them formed a queue.

Zach looked at a smug Lana as she silently worded, 'I told you so' and began taking orders.

Zach would have forgotten everything if not for notepads and a vast selection of pens. And after a while, he even stopped checking the time.

It was chaos. The queue was out the door, and the pair hadn't had time to clear the tables. They'd not even had lunch, so every customer greeting was accompanied by their empty, growling stomachs. The pain was real.

Suddenly, the cafe doors swung open again. 'Zach, we've had an accident in the play park, and I need your help.'

'Are you cracked?' Yelled Lana. 'We're at the busiest point of the day.'

Amy scowled. 'Last I checked, you're not First Aid trained.'

'I'm not either.'

'Zach, just put the tongs down. Lose the apron and gloves, and meet me outside.'

'You do this every time, Amy! And you wonder why our staff burn out and leave. Stupid bitch.'

'What was that?'

'Nothing.'

Zach smiled. 'You two are so alike.'

Lana laughed. 'My sister and I are nothing alike.'

'Never saw that one coming.'

'No one ever does.'

Zach fumbled with his apron, and after peeling off his sticky gloves, he stumbled to the cafe door. 'I'll be back soon.'

'Lesson number one, newbie. Don't make promises you can't keep, especially in this place.'

Amy clapped her hands at the sight of Zach. 'About time.'

'What's happened? And why bother looking for me? I told you, I'm not trained.'

'You'll see when we get there.'

Zach was surprised when they didn't head back to the museum entrance. Instead, they entered the door opposite that was marked Flurbury Jungle with fading letters and followed a winding staircase down one floor.

The air grew colder and damper with every step, no doubt a result of the surrounding stone. And if it weren't for the emergency lighting, the place would have been a death trap.

'Strange place for a play park.'

Amy smiled as she shoved down on the bar of a fire escape door. 'More like the safest place.'

Zach had to squint to see beyond the blazing sunlight, but as he moved into the shadow of the park's giant tree, he could finally see Flurbury Jungle for what it was.

The tree's roots appeared to spread throughout the park, just as its canopy provided much-needed protection from the hanging sun.

There was a spider web of intersecting pebble paths, with well-placed wooden benches and bins positioned every twenty feet.

Then set upon well-maintained greens were swings, tunnels, slides and sprawling climbing frames, but there weren't any visitors that Zach could see.

It was so strange; while the park felt open to the elements, it was enclosed by three surrounding structures. Two were almost twice as high, while the other appeared to be a greenhouse and was no taller than a bungalow.

Amy slapped Zach on the head. 'Quit sightseeing!'

'Sorry. Where are we going?'

'Over here.' Amy replied, jogging across a patch of grass before masterfully crawling through a child-sized tunnel.

Instead of following, Zach walked around the low-lying black tube only to find Gregor Bulchville hanging out the other end. The lad was stuck, and Zach was bursting with questions.