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Dan was running. Not to work. Not for her life. She rushed towards the Academy, where the family waited for her.
Since the day began, the phone would not stop ringing. She had tried to make time to answer, but every time she had gotten closer to the device, a more important matter presented itself. And when she finally responded to her anxious friend, her doorbell had rung, proclaiming the arrival of her interviewer. She was forced to put the phone down and allow the man inside.
For the next hour or so, she was disconnected from whatever had been happening at the Academy. She only wished it was not a life-or-death circumstance, as Diego made it sound. Though, she also wished it was because her rush to end the interview would have been for nothing. And if that was the case, he would pay for it.
She had accompanied the interviewer to her door, wishing him a great day and hoping to see him again. The door closed behind him and she had run toward the window, waiting for the car to leave before dashing the other way.
The route was familiar by now. It was surprising to think, then, how she had never seen the Academy face to face. The City was not so big. The door waited for her unlocked, Dan only had to twist the handle and step inside. The house was eerily tranquil, meaning that either Luther or Diego was not home.
Letting out a silent breath ( afraid of shattering the stillness ), Dan removed a leather jacket from her bag, smoothing out any creases left. She found a hanger not far from the door and left it there, taking another opportunity to fix its presentation.
She took a step back and stole a glance at the living room area. There was not a single soul around. The sudden darkness of the Academy poured down on her. Had the lights always been this faint?
A sudden voice disturbed her, hand resting atop her heart. She swiveled over, eyes darting down to face the chimpanzee. He offered her a smile. "Miss Danielle. I was just waiting for you. Follow me, please."
The intelligent primate began climbing the stairs. Dan looked at him for an instant, deciding whether she should dismiss his offer and locate Diego. She stole another glance around. Nothing. Uneasy, she went behind the animal, gaze darting all over the rooms, hoping that one of them would reveal their faces.
Pogo must've noticed her concern. He stopped in his tracks before a door, but instead of walking inside, he just stood there. "You must be wondering where is the rest of the Academy. From what I know, some of them left already. Your friend, Diego, is still around somewhere. You can look for him soon. First. . ."
Now, he moved into the office. He opened a drawer at his height and returned before her with a blue folder. Dan carefully took it from him but did not open it. Something told her she shouldn't. Fear? Intuition?
