"Oh." Lana thinks to herself for a moment, in shock from the situation that unfolded in front of her.
Suddenly, she tunes back into the conversation when Agnes sends a wink over Lana's way. Unable to process what even happened before, she's now watching what Agnes is up to.
Just then she hears her other coworker pipe up, "Oh and you sure act like it." Agnes dramatically acted out shock to this, reeling back and jovially retorting, "Oh you don't believe me?!" Her coworker gets ever more frustrated, what hadn't helped was Lana couldn't help but to giggle.
With the attempt greatly failed they stomp off, and Agnes turns her gaze to Lana. The moment their eyes met Lana knew, it was if Agnes' eyes where saying, in a simple voice.
Something about Agnes' presence too, was different. Usually light and airy, her strawberry blonde hair and green eyes giving her an appearance like that of a fox. Sly and graceful, her tall figure moving about with uncanny agility...
No, now she felt heavy in a way.
The way she simply glided over to Lana only adding to her presence.
It was then Lana noticed, her feet barely seemed to touch the ground even... As if her inner self and outer selves where in utter conflict.
The cherry on the cake, You could call it. Was when upon reaching Lana's desk Agnes set her right arm down; Agnes then leant over her, gazing down at Lana with her piercing green eyes.
This was something... unprecedented. Lana didn't know how to react, Agnes had never done this before. Typically, she'd even lean down to talk to Lana. Lana had never noticed just how big Agnes was... or was it that she was just feeling smaller? Smaller than usual... that is. Just then, as Lana struggled to try and get a word out instead of just doe-eye her friend Agnes spoke up.
"So... anything to say?" Agnes' voice too was different. Her usual jesting tone replaced by a commanding rapport. As if it wasn't even a question.
Lana snapped out of her confusion, purposefully not answering, "You sure you should be acting this way? I am your senior you know." As she turned to get some work actually done.
Agnes took her by the chin and gently turned Lana's face to match hers, saying with a sly grin, "So you're choosing not to answer me now?" Before a response could even be made, away she went, waving herself off.
Lana was more shocked watching her leave, finally noticing the way Agnes moved. Her steps glided across the ground.
In fact, her entire body seemed...
Hours had passed now, Lana sat at home thinking about what she just saw, and trying to deny every bit of it; But, ultimately being unable to... How could she really?
Just then she decides to turn on the t.v. to get her mind off of the whole mess, maybe watching the news would help. She enjoyed keeping up with the times.
The screen flashes on to reveal the anchorman, Ryan Friedman reporting yet another sketchy business mogul disappearing.
They were among the several caught in pictures investigators took during cases related to abductors, both of child and not.
One Lana hoped would get caught was apparently on vacation however.
Currently the other four have gone and run away. They were all business partners, originally thought of as humanitarians until now of course.
The Anchorman continues on, and Lana tunes out as she feels her phone vibrate. Taking out out of her pocket and checking it to reveal a message from Agnes.
They texted each other rather normally, what wasn't normal was Agnes wanted Lana to come visit.
Lana was elated, this was the first time Agnes had invited her over... but she remembered her earlier realization and a slight nervousness spread through her body, an unpleasant feeling pervading her otherwise giddy glee.
Lana thought this absolutely ridiculous, and texted back, "Sure, when do you want me to show?"
It was a moment before Agnes answered, "Now good?" Lana glanced to the clock on her phone, sure it was late; But, this was the first time she'd be going over there.
A moment later she answers, getting the address from Agnes and hurriedly getting ready. Not but just few moments later she gets out the door and down her apartment complex.
The night air was crisp, winter's cold approaching quickly. Lana was already quite used to the chill, yet still wearing cute jeans and a Halloween-themed sweater for the season.
She headed to her car, unlocking and swiftly seating herself while starting it. Pulling out of the driveway and heading down the road, she begins finding her way to Agnes' place.
The drive was uneventful and rather short, half an hour with the radio softly playing music while the lights shine upon the city at night. Only occasionally to be broken by another car or person out doing who knows what.
She came upon Agnes's apartment building with ease, but felt quite opposite upon arriving. She kept on thinking about that stride... And how Agnes had acted.
Yet, when her thoughts came to Agnes's actions they weren't positively negative, it was just a new side of her friend.
She waved the thighs off and proceeded to enter the building, finding the elevator and awaiting a few other's floors first before making her way to Agnes's room.
Lana hadn't expected Agnes to live in this side of town, where all the wealthy gather. Must have some other source of money because Lana definitely doesn't live like this herself. "A second job maybe? No, she's too lazy for that." Lana thought to herself a moment while she walked.
Lana approached the door and knocked, met with Agnes's melodic voice calling out, "I'll be there in a second Beet." That was her nickname for Lana, stuck ever since in the middle of introducing herself Lana managed to burp. The embarrassment after turned her red, leading to the everlasting nickname.
Agnes opened the door, coupled with her giving Lana a large bear hug. Normally she'd never let anyone do this but Agnes was different.
Upon being let in, Agnes stretched her arms wide and bowed, proclaiming with a flourish of her hands, "Welcome, to my abode."
Lana looked around, surveying the nick-nacks kept on the shelves. Strange, no family pictures. Old urns, and other oddities sprinkled about but still no pictures.
She had paintings, plenty of them actually. Just the living room of her apartment was huge, and on the walls were scenes of nature with nymphs frolicking about. In fact, all of them looked like they could be of the same place. All commissioned to look eerily similar.
Lana opens her mouth in awe before uttering, "Hoooly cow." She couldn't get the, "Doe in headlights" look off of her face and Agnes definitely seemed to notice.
"Yeah, it's a bit much I know. But, I'm sentimental." Agnes stood upright, turning to head towards the kitchen. "I made snacks, sit over there by the t.v." She continued, shooting finger guns off too the couch. Soon disappearing into the other room.
She was hiding something, or was she just nervous? She seemed more stiff than usual. "Oh well." Agnes thought, making her way to the self the television sat on and selecting a movie from the rack underneath.
This time of year Agnes loved new and old horror movies, ranging from released months ago to classics. Even Indie films Lana had never heard of, stacked neatly in a revolving shelf; Which, is exactly what kind off film she chose. Some child-napper movie, with a family desperately trying to find their children.
Lana loved films like these, made her feel warm inside despite the grotesqueness. Agnes usually brings these over to Lana's place, and now Lana contemplated which of the two couches to sit on.
Then out of the corner of the room Agnes calls out in a sing-song tone, "I'm coming~!" just in time for the movie to begin showing the trailers before the menu screen. Lana turned to see her carrying what looked like a tray of pigs in a blanket. Kinda made Lana feel bad for the Nachos and potato chips.
Agnes swiftly waltzes over, putting down the tray and sitting herself down with a spin. Once she hit the couch it was if she suddenly had weight again, slouching her body into the soft cushions.
"You really like these kinds of movies a lot right?" Agnes asked, taking one of the snacks and hitting play on the remote.
Lana paused for a moment, stopped by an old memory. Agnes must've caught onto this, waving her hand at Lana and giving a, "Umm hello space cadet Beet?" She looked closer, and almost worried..?
"What kind of face could I have been making?" Lana thinks to herself before answering, shaking her head and grabbing a piggie for herself. "Sorry, old memory."
Before she could continue, Agnes interjected, "Oooh flashback! Dark, brooding backstory time?" Lana laughed at this, hiding her hand behind her mouth and slightly curling into a ball.
"No no, nothing that serious. But yes, I do like these types of movies, thee families trying to get back their children, that kind of stuff." She finally answered, hoping to change the path of the conversation before it could get too dangerous.
For a while they simply continued watching the movie, Agnes acting out exaggerated horror and Lana splitting he attention been the movie and her friend's antics. Before long however, they're nearing the end of the movie.
The child the family was searching for was revealed to be long dead, and their hopes in vain. And this makes Lana been to think deeply, getting lost again in thought.
"Looking at the direction the movie was going this is obvious, but why show their struggles for nothing. I hope they at least get revenge on who did it." With that thought she smiles, a small, sad smile. Before long however, Agnes has taken notice of her friend again and begin inching her face closer and closer to Lana's.
"Lana! Lana!" Agnes chimes over and over, until it's obvious she caught Lana's attention. With this she bursts out in a fit of giggles, "What? What?" She being, pushing Agnes away slightly before continuing. "For someone who claims to be so old you sure act like a child."
"Buut what are you doing? We're watching a movie." Lana continued as she jostled Agnes with her shoulder. Agnes ever quick with her wit stopped Lana, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking Lana dead in the eye before stating, "If you don't stop that I'm gonna to have to kiss you."
Lana froze a moment, before hiding her face within her sweater. "It's not fair to say things like that."
Before Lana could even glance at Agnes to see her reaction she had already leaned in closer, and taking Lana's head out of her sweater she retorts, "I wasn't kidding."
Lana stifled a squeak and sped off the couch via crawling backwards. She then quickly turned to Agnes, still red as a tomato.
After several failed attempts she finally blurted out, "W-where's the bathroom?"
Agnes stiffens a moment, and points back to a hallway. "First door on your right, watch the shower area, 'cuz I'm having some work done." Lana blitzes off, only noticing how nervous Agnes looked after she began walking away.
She got to the restroom and opened the door, an almost hilariously overwhelming odor of bleach overtaking her nose. It would be remiss to leave her eyes alone too, so it didn't. Lana stumbled in, and not actually having to use it just waited a moment, flushed it and turned to run the water and rinse her face.
Just then, another stench got caught by her little nostrils. The faint stench of rot. Of human rot to be precise, coming from nowhere else but the shower area.
Almost its own bathroom even, the large sliding-glass door shower seemed in perfect condition. Save the fact that it was nearly fully covered and seemed to have some sort of bag within.
In fact, what was in the bag was spilling over outside, peeping out of the cracked door.
Well not what, really who, a part of who. Lana creeped over and hesitated a moment. "Could it be an elaborate prank?" She thought to herself, knowing the hopeless answer.
However, upon taking a peek inside Lana is met with a familiar face. The mogul who was on "vacation", this gives her a dark hope, and a grim satisfaction.
She felt her face tighten into a grin, was age actually happy? Or was she just so nervous she was smiling?
Lana set everything back the way it was and took a step out, clearing her mind of it and heading to sit down next to her friend.
Agnes was definitely trying to hide something, and it wasn't like Lana didn't know. But Lana couldn't feel any ill intent. This just reinforced that like spark of dark hope. "I think you permanently damaged my nose." Lana states as she sits down. Agnes now curiously taking up half the entire couch.
"It was that bad?" Agnes asked, giving a "my bad" gesture with her hands and shoulders in response to Lana's glare.
However, suddenly Agnes's own glare sharpens and she stares down Lana a moment.
This startled her a bit, and Lana made the mistake of cracking an odd grin... An old bad habit.
Agnes noticeably caught this, her gaze intensifying. "What did you see in there?"
Something told Lana this wasn't a question she couldn't answer... Or rather, Lana knew Agnes would be able to tell if she lied.
So Lana decided to test Agnes. Lana acted confused, hoping that since this was the first time Agnes saw her nervous smile that she'd forget about Lana's little mistake.
"Well while I was walking out the shower door was open..." Lana purposefully extends her sentence to see Agnes's reaction only to see something she didn't expect, almost, panic? She decided not to delay any further, scratching her head and continuing. "Buut it just looked like a big black baggie was in there. Is it really that bad?"
Agnes looked both relieved and suspicious, but also as if a giant weight was lifted off her shoulders. But just then the stress came back, "You're trying to test me?" The statement came as abruptly as a downtown mugging.
"Wh-" Lana tried to begin, but Agnes had now straightened up, and was looking down at her with sharp eyes. However, Lana couldn't feel threatened. It was like she was being commanded and scolded all at once, but she couldn't help feeling flustered by it.
Lana stopped trying to beat around the bush and simply stated, "So you know me testing you means... I trust you?" Agnes didn't seem very pleased with that answer, but she didn't get angry or violent.
It was heartbreaking really, she got desperate. "Beet, beet what did you see?" The charisma she had faded, and she broke into Lana... She.... hasn't done this before.
Lana quickly Lett her slump into her, doing her best to hold Agnes up before she answered, "Something you don't have to worry about."
With that one sentence Agnes stopped, her hysteria from before vanished. She straightened herself up somewhat and faced Lana. "What are you saying?" Agnes nearly froze when she looked at Lana's expression. That was a new one.
What kind of face could she be making? Oh, what does it matter.
Lana answers Agnes, flatly stating, "I trust it's only people like him you go after, and I'm fine with that." This was all very surprising, Lana has gotten to see new sides of Agnes. She didn't know how to feel about what Lana had said, this was obvious.
She was worried then panicking then startled and finally she asked, "How did you-" Really it should be said Agnes tried asking, for today the one who used to be never without a word was stunned to silence.
For just then, Lana's face had absolutely no emotion on it. It was like looking at a corpse that was thinking. Lana then slowly began talking, "Don't... Worry about that...." With the life seemingly suddenly dried out of her she stood up and turned to go.
Agnes got up to follow her, but she was quick to the entryway. She was able to stop Lana just before she exited. Agnes caught her by the wrist, but almost let go when Lana turned around.
The life was clearly back in her eyes, she looked like a doll ready to weep at any moment. "Beet..." She began, being cut off by Lana.
"I'm sorry I'm not doing so good." Lana wiped her eyes and breathed out a long sigh, apparently deciding something. "This is what I think about you." Agnes braces, not sure what she's about to hear.
That is, before being shocked by Lana giving her a quick peck on the cheek before leaving Agnes just standing there.
