“I can’t see anything”, mumbled Rosemary, stumbling around.

This was perhaps no big surprise, considering how there was a huge clinger sitting on her head, covering her eyes and slowly spreading downwards…..and soon enough, rosemary couldn’t speak anymore, and she collapsed on the floor.
Is she suffocating?

Mia was panicking. Her comrade was, quite possibly, dying right in front of her eyes. What to do!?
For now, let’s try dealing some damage! It’s still a clinger, right?

“Hit it! Hit it!” shouted Mia and smashed her stick against the dark substance covering Rosemary’s head.

Emilico soon joined in, and Lou...was hitting Rosemary’s back. That girl really had something wrong with her head….

Suddenly, another clinger emerged from beneath the painting….
...and merged with the one attached to Rosemary’s head! This is bad, seriously bad!

The black mass on the team leader’s head started growing, morphing, changing...Mia and others backed away, not sure what’s going to happen next. Just when she thought to call reinforcements, another morph appeared from behind them, and without hesitation added itself to the expanding monstrosity…

A ghost? Were they forming a ghost there? How did they know to do that, since when were clingers intelligent!?

It grew...legs...three pairs of legs on each side of its body! A pair of deformed clinger eyes appeared where the host eyes should be, and the arachnid creature stood up, Rosemary’s body hanging limply from below what now constituted the newly formed spider-like torso….

And then it charged at them. Mia dodged out of way, Emilico fell over, Lou just stood there...only to realize they were never the target- the staircase behind them was!

They chased after it and arrived on the upper floor. There was nowhere to go from there but down- at least for human-shaped beings such as living dolls.
However the clinger...ghost..monster...was, by all means, a spider...and just like arachnids when cornered, it run up the wall, towards the ceiling, dragging the lifeless body of Rosemary along!

Realizing her friend is about to get hanged, Mia jumped on a nearby chair and grabbed her legs, turning herself into living support for Rosemary.
...Only to get kicked in the head over and over again by wiggling body.

Was it controlled by the spider, or did Rosemary do it on purpose? Why did she start moving when she was limp just a moment ago!?

“I’m trying to help! Stop kicking already!” shouted Mia, but didn’t let go of her.

That’s right, Mia was a courageous living doll. She would not hesitate to jump into her friends help just like that if the situation needed it, even at her own expense.

Rosemary’s body didn’t listen to Mia’s screams, and continued hitting her in the head. Mia turned around, making sure that at the very least, the part of her head that would receive most damage is the back, and not the front.
Not the face.

Mia is a smart doll, who always made optimal decisions based on the calculated balance of losses and gains…

...Wait, really? Was Mia someone like that?

Lou run up with a spray and poured water over one of the spiderly legs. It dissolved! However, the upper legs still held firmly, and Lou couldn’t reach….

Mia felt panic rising in her chest. If she let go, Rosemary would die. But if she kept holding on like that….

“I’m bad at making decisions, which one would you save?”

Lou’s calm voice made it to…

….my head! That’s right, at this moment, I was in mortal danger!
If I keep holding on to that good for nothing pathetic excuse for a leader, I would be damaged, discarded, and Sarah-sama along with me!

Emilico run away, panicked. No one was going to help me, no reinforcements were in sight...I was on my own, and thus…

“Enough already! I’m pulling out!”

Just as I shouted that and let go of Rosemary’s legs, suddenly a large amount of water flushed over my head, drenching the spider in countless tiny droplets. Rosemary fell lifelessly on me, and my own fall was in turn cushioned by Lou and Emilico.
I could feel something crack in my arm, but it didn’t concern me. Face! My face! Sarah-sama’s face!

I frantically ran my fingers over my head, using my sense of touch to check for any bruises or wounds. Alas, it seemed everything is fine...I breathed a sigh of relief. Everything is fine…

As my heartbeat was gradually returning to normal, I overheard Lou congratulating Emilico…

“...you threw the water from the vase...I didn’t think of that. You’re amazing, Emilico!”

That’s right, you didn’t think of that you dumbass.

“You’re useless, Lou!” I interjected. Wait, is this something Mia would have said? I quickly giggled, trying to turn it into a joke.

Fortunately, no one noticed that moment of broken character, as Rosemary slowly stood up. Her movements were stiff and unnatural, and she immediately drew the attention of the junior dolls.
Especially when she walked to the nearest wall and started banging her head against it.

“Rosemary? Rosemary!” Emilico was panicking again.

“It’s the soot sickness! The medical squad is coming, just leave her be!”

Exclaimed Mia, and led Emilico in the other direction. That’s right, there is nothing they could do for her at this point. Lou, who was the calmest member of their team, quickly adjusted to the situation and picked up a broom.

“I’m going to clean the scattered soot…”

“Good thinking, Lou!” congratulated Mia, and silently motioned for Emilico to get to work as well.

For the remainder of the day Mia filled in the role of team leader. Under her command, they efficiently cooperated with the other groups, and soon the “ghost incident” was proclaimed over.