Unexpected Darkness

Peeling Back the Layers

~~~

I went to Terpsichore Dance immediately not knowing where else to look. I didn't have Atticus' number, and Diane certainly wasn't picking up.

It was a really swanky but small dance studio. I felt very out of place with the girls in various outfits for various types of dancing.

"Can I help you?" Came the voice of a really chipper girl.

She had to be no older than me, but something told me she was younger.  Her hair was in one of those perfect dancer's buns I'd seen Diane in so many times. She was wearing tights and a leotard and ready to practice or whatever she was doing in ballet.

"Um, have you heard of anything from Diane Hutchison?" I asked hopefully.

"No, I haven't, but last I heard Diane was on vacation with Atticus, now if you're not a member of a Terpsichore I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Her smile never wavered, she looked like a manufactured Barbie.

"What?"

"You heard me," she gestured to the door and I frowned, but left either way.

"How rude!" Altair said as we paced up and down the street outside of Terpsichore when suddenly the doors opened up and a pair of big guys were strong arming a woman out.

"You can't keep me from asking questions! The world has a right to know! What is Terpsichore hiding?" She was fighting back and struggling, but she was small and so the guys easily picked her up and tossed her out of the way onto the sidewalk. As they started going back inside she got up and looked at them furiously.

"You guys are all paying for Gemma Goldwyn's death!" She shouted. "Everyone involved!"

They stopped and looked at the woman before looking at each other and going inside. Whoever Gemma was, it had struck a nerve.

She grumbled and pulled her hair into a ponytail with a Pikachu hair tie and started muttering.

"I know I know that didn't go as planned... I don't know what else to do!" She sighed, "I'm not giving up Gemma, I'm just... You're right, you're right we'll rethink."

I squinted at this lady unsure whether she was New York crazy, or legitimately crazy.

"Um, miss—"

"I'm fine!" She barked sharply and I had the feeling she thought I was judging her.

"No, I just, did you lose someone to Terpsichore too? Because I lost my best friend!"

She looked at me with sad pitying eyes and clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't say that like she's dead and gone!" I said pushing her hand off me. "Diane's just missing."

"I'm sorry, you're right. That was insensitive of me." She stuck her hand out to me, "I'm Cassandra—Cassandra Day."

"Cynthia—Cynthia Dahl," I accepted her handshake.

"Same initials, I like it," She smiled. "So you say your friend was taken by Terpsichore?" She seemed to pull a notepad out of nowhere and started scribbling notes down.

"Well, kind of, but not really. My friend, Diane, was dating someone in Terpsichore names Atticus—"

"Is this Atticus Arnold?" She asked suddenly.

"Yeah... how'd you know?"

Cassandra glanced at the empty space immediately next to her and stared at it blankly a few seconds before looking back at me.