The Premonition

Chapter 7-B: Ignorance Only Worsens the Problem

Andrea's curls were pushed back as if they were flowing through the wind. The only problem was that they stayed like that, with her lips parted open. Selene prayed that a fly would not drift in between those plump, purple lips. All she could really do was hope that she would unfreeze.

"But how come she is petrified and I am not?" Selene asked in no louder than a whisper. She was afraid that speaking any louder would cause her own frozen stature. Selene frantically scanned the room, assessing her surroundings for the mysterious and covert presence causing these happenings.

There was nothing, nor no one, in sight.

"So, Wicca seems like a good idea!"

Selene looked up and saw Andrea smiling brightly at her. Her skin seemed all aglow and her hair was lying as it should. She showed absolutely no signs of having been frozen, or even remembering that she had been. The manner in which she spoke was as perky and professional as ever.

"Are you okay?" Selene asked curiously.

Andrea raised an eyebrow mockingly. "Me? You're the one who looks like they just saw a ghost!"

"I'm fine, besides from a little stress," Selene said quickly.

Andrea nodded, slowly. "Well, I've never been better."

Selene chuckled softly. "Oh, great. Anyways regarding the magazine?"

"Oh, so I just wanted to say that I love the theme, and it fits rather well with the current news. You know, that poor girl in the park and all," Andrea chatted off, waving her hand this way and that.

Selene shook her head, stopping Andrea in her words. "Use her name."

"Sure, what was it?"

Selene's tone changed and she seemed a tad tenser. She had just assumed that everyone would have known by now. Was there not some mass email or something? "Oh, you don't know?"

"Know what?" Andrea asked, just a tad more impatient than usual. It was not anything too significant, but enough to show a difference.

"It was Alaine," Selene said quietly. She looked down at her pointed toed heels, allotting for the depressing tone to settle in.

Though the response was not what she was expecting. "I'm sorry, did you know her?"

Selene's heart dropped. Andrea and Alaine had never been the best of friends, but even so, she would deeply regret if Alaine died in vain. Besides that fact, Andrea and Alaine had worked in the same department together, so they most definitely had run into each other once or twice before. They had probably even bonded for a minute while waiting for their coffee to brew, if not anything else.

"Alaine. Alaine Chudzinski?" Selene asked, trying to ring some bells.

Andrea merely shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry."

"She worked here," Selene responded, a bit more impatiently.

"Oh, which department?" Andrea's ignorance began to eat away at Selene. Either she was in denial or something extremely strange was happening within the walls of New York City.

"Your department!" Selene responded, trying to keep her frantic demeanor undertone.

Andrea raised an eyebrow slowly. "I'm sorry, but there was never anyone named Alaine in my department. I should know, since I am head of it."

"You are the art department, right?" Selene asked.

Andrea's head bobbed up and down slightly, though her mind seemed confused by the motion. "Yes, since the beginning of my time here."

"And in your department is Robert Yankotz, Georgie Mckinney, Emerald Hoval, and David Jenkins, correct?" Selene knew absolutely everything about each department. If Ms. Wilcox was not here, everyone would probably think that it was Selene's magazine.

Andrea's purple lips escaped into a smile, capturing the essence of accordance. "Yes, but do not forget Emily Davis."

Selene blinked, dumbfounded by that tidbit. As far as she knew, there was only an Emily in the interior design department, and Ms. Wilcox had not hired anyone new recently, or at least to her knowledge. "Davis. Emily Davis? Is she new?"

Andrea let out a small laugh. "She has been here for the last six years, Selene. Are you losing it? Besides from, she is the one holding that department together. She e-mails you once a week with updates, progress, etc., and she brings you coffee on Thursdays!"

This was all news to Selene. "Does she?"

"You are kidding, right?" Andrea's naturally wide eyes seemed to triple in size with the sorrow in them sticking out like a sore thumb. Yet every other part of her seemed to scream of happiness.

Selene pasted a fake, syrupy sweet smile onto her face. "Of course. Thank you for stopping by, Miss Norwick."

"Thank you!" Andrea quickly exited Selene's office, just as confused as her. Once Selene was indefinitely alone, she pulled up her inbox and scanned it for any news on Alaine's death, though there was nothing. Surely Ms. Wilcox would have followed up on the murder, what with her suspicions and all, so she most definitely knew. Was it because she was fired that everyone was keeping it on the down low?

Selene rummaged through last month's glossy issue, searching for Alaine's name in it, though it was nowhere to be found. Her name was not listed in the list of workers that was found in small print on the front page. She was not listed underneath the article that Selene clearly remembered her writing and sending in. She was virtually nowhere.

She quickly searched Alaine online, but not a single thing came up. It was as if Alaine's body had not only died, but almost as if it had never been before. Selene shook her head out of confusion. The thoughts in her head began to intertwine and dance around each other like rapid fire.

Selene searched for Alaine's number in her phone, which she did after some intense searching. However, it appeared under another name. The same name that was written under Alaine's article – Emily Davis.

Infuriated, Selene tossed her phone to the floor, hearing the glass crack on top. "Scheiße!" she screamed, feeling the loss of not only her best friend, but her phone. Without a phone, productivity levels would plummet and her already non-existent social life would disappear along with all thoughts of Alaine.

Selene had no idea who this Emily was, but she sure as hell knew that she would find out, no matter what the consequences.

***************

Author's Note:

Dedicated to lostadventure for reading/voting/commenting - thanks, Hoppy!

Currently freaking out because April is coming to a close, and I still need almost 7,000 words to complete my goal for Camp NaNoWriMo!  On that note, I leave you to go speed write.

Ta-ta for now!

Hope you enjoyed reading!

Lots of love,

Ali xoxo