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'Loom'-ing over me- Chapter 11

A day after getting home from their stay at The Hospital Inn, Lumina walked about the house as quietly as possible.

"Damn Eve, and her big ears. I just want some breakfast."

Lumina, of course, understood Eve's need to sleep, she was only four days post-op. That didn't make it any less annoying.

She'd managed to make it to the fridge before a loud knock came from the door, destroying all the hard work she had accomplished. Lumina let out a loud sigh, and Eve stirred in her spot on the couch. The ear movements gave away that Eve, indeed, had woken up.

"Who the hell is here this early in the morning?"

Lumina didn't respond, wondering the same thing herself, and made her way to the door. It creaked open to reveal two familiar, yet unwelcome faces.

"Detectives... are you aware that it's 6 o'clock in the morning?" Lumina snapped towards the looming figures in her doorway.

"Sorry for the early stop-by, but we understand that you work rather early, and we wanted to ensure we were able to speak with you." Clyde motioned towards the door, "May we come in?"

"You know? I'd really rather you didn't. Is there something I can help you with? I'm certain this isn't a social visit, and I really should be getting ready for work. As you mentioned, I have to get there early."

Clyde nodded, quickly getting to the point, "We're following up from our conversation at the hospital, and would really like to re-hash what happened after..." He looked down to his notes, "Evelynn was stabbed."

Lumina scoffed, rolling her eyes as the cop struggled, "You want to point fingers at us, and you can't even pay us the courtesy of knowing our names? How quaint. Either way, I believe we've already told you what happened."

Wilson snarled, his self-restraint wearing thin with Lumina's snarky attitude, "We'd really like to hear it again, miss."

Lumina tilted her head to the side, giving a very clear 'whatever' with her posture, "Eric came knocking on my door after Eve got here to get away from him. He barged in, stabbed Eve, ran off, I called 9-1-1, waited with Kris for the ambulance, and we both parted ways once it came. I went to the hospital, Kris went home to her dorm."

"Would you mind telling us how much time elapsed between your call to emergency services and their arrival?" Clyde spoke, clearly calmer than his partner.

Lumina shrugged, "It felt like a lifetime." Her face glazed over as she thought back to that night, "I had grabbed a towel for the blood and was trying to apply pressure around the knife as best I could. I didn't exactly look at the time." She was nicer as she spoke this time around, maybe because she realized her poor attitude, or maybe because she was too busy trying not to cry.

"Okay, ma'am we'd really like to get a look around the apartment to verify some details if that's alright with you."

"I think you're going to need to get a warrant for that. Now, I'd really like you to leave." Her attitude came back with ease, and she moved to shut the door.

"Oh, we'll do just that." Wilson's words came out quick and aggressive, not a single moment of hesitation.

The door shut with a 'click' and, Lumina quickly retreated to the kitchen. "Damn cops."

Eve would have liked to say that she found the comment funny, but she found herself more frustrated than anything, "Why are you giving them such a hard time?"

"Because I like to make my life difficult." Her sarcasm rolled off easily.

Eve shook her head and attempted to sit up, her stomach twinging with each inch, "We both know that your life is plenty difficult as it is."

"Well. I dunno, maybe I just don't feel like talking about all this. I'd really appreciate some quiet."

The Raccoon continued to get her breakfast together, taking a glance at the clock every so often. "Are you going to be okay here alone? I can try to get out of work early if you need."

"I think I'll be alright." Eve sighed, wanting to get more out of her best friend, but unsure how. She took a deep breath, waiting for the words to come, but they never did, and she let out her breath in a heavy huff.

"What?" Lumina turned, looking at her friend with a face full of concern. She glanced up and down, "Are you in pain?" Her gaze continued up and down Eve's body, trying to locate something wrong.

"Loomy, no I'm fine physically." Eve looked down, running her hands across her healing wound, "As well as I can be, at least, but I don't like where we are...I hate that I said what I said to you."

Lumina took a deep breath, wanting to let all of her thoughts out at once, but all she could manage was, "Eve." Her heart gave a sudden twinge of guilt as she thought about how selfish it would be to make this whole ordeal about herself. She shook her thoughts away, and instead of saying what was on her mind, "I really have to get ready for work. Order food if you get hungry, you shouldn't be on your feet for too long."

Lumina sped out of the room, knowing all too well that any longer and she would cave and tell Eve everything.

***

It wasn't long before Lumina was at work, her long brown hair was pulled up into a tight bun, and for someone who was a mess on the inside, she sure had it together on the outside.

Her claws clicked against the hard floor, echoing down the hallway as she made her way to her desk. Just as she was about to sit down and start the intern grind, a very stern looking wolf had made his way out to linger.

Luther walked past each cubicle eyeing his 'minions' hard at work. Lumina's spot was towards the front, so she noticed him pretty quickly. She found herself holding her breath as he made his way past her. Just as Lumina thought she was in the clear, she heard Luther making his way back around. Clearly he hadn't found what he was looking for yet.

"Lumina." He muttered, "I'd like to see you in my office please." He was trying to sound assertive and 'boss-like' but really he just came off as creepy and weird. Nevertheless, Lumina stood from her spot, having barely clocked in, and followed him back down that dark hallway.

They entered the small room, and yet again Lumina was met with a menacing 'click' as the door shut behind her, isolating herself away from any source of back up.

Luther sat down, placing his clasped hands on the desk in front of him. His gaze drifted, originally landing on Lumina's face, but quickly travelled downward, "So. I've been made aware about some changes that are going to happen around here." He cleared his throat, "And from what I remember, you're looking to move up among the ranks."

Lumina was struck with shock, and felt her body perk up, "Y-yes sir! I would."

With a chuckle, Luther continued, "Happy to see you so eager. Now, I'm going to put in a good word, but I need you to know that I'll be watching you closely, and I expect your performance to be exemplary from here on out. Do we understand one another?"

Lumina's eyes went wide as her head spun with the possibility of getting out of data entry so soon, and her heart pounded in her ears. In fact, it pounded so loud, that she almost missed the very meaning of Luther's words. He watched her very closely, making it more and more obvious as to what he wanted, and his smirk almost grew as he watched the light fade from her eyes.

She swallowed hard, unable to avert her gaze, "I will do whatever it takes." She muttered, hoping that whatever was coming her way, came fast.

"Well I'm glad to hear that. Based on your previous work, I'm certain that you will be the right fit."

Lumina wasn't sure if she believed her eyes, but she thought she saw a small wink as he muttered 'fit.' She had to fight off her own gag. "I'm sure you'll be very happy."

He cleared his throat once more, this time with the implication of wanting to hear more.

"You'll be very happy, Sir Luther."

Lumina may not have trusted her eyes, but she sure as hell trusted her ears as she heard a light moan grow from Luther's throat, "Wonderful." He quickly motioned her away, "I am eager to work with you more closely, now let me get back to work." His words implied actually working, but his gaze suggested something else.

The, now sweating, Raccoon stood from her chair, adjusting her pinstripe pants around her waist, "Thank you." She said with a final glance, noticing a frown grow on Luther's face.

Before she had managed to make it to the door, he spoke once again, "And Lumina?"

"Yes, sir?" she turned her gaze back towards him, a hand on the door as she waited.

"I expect you to... improve... your wardrobe as well."

She fought off a sigh of disgust, and managed a soft, "Yes, of course, Sir Luther." Her walk back down the hallway was strange. She couldn't quite place what she was feeling...excitement for the new job? Fear for the 'work' she was going to be doing? Embarrassment? She didn't know, but she knew that she had opened a door that she wasn't sure how to close.

Work seemed to go by pretty normally after that, and Lumina actually felt like she was beginning to understand what her job really was. Too bad it didn't matter. Eventually, she shut her computer down, and made her way back out into the world. She shook off the shiver that lingered on her spine and gave herself a mental pep talk; "You've got this. You need to be there for Eve. She doesn't need this on her plate, she needs to worry about recovering. The doctors said that it could take 10 days before the wound was healed. You can keep it together until then."

The drive home seemed to blip by, whether it was because Lumina was too caught up in her own thoughts, or because she sped the whole way, she wasn't sure. She found herself growing more and more anxious as she walked up the stairs, her mind wandering through worst case scenarios. Eve ripped out her stitches and bled out. Eric isn't dead and came back to finish the job. The cops came and are waiting to arrest me.

By the time she made it up through the elevator, her heart was pounding. Her keys jingled as she struggled to get them in the lock, but finally she got her door to open.

Lumina was greeted once again with the bright red colors of her friend's blood spilled over her floor. The room was grey and bland, as if all of the light had faded from inside. The only color was the blood. A knife clattered to the floor, seemingly from thin air. Lumina tried to move, wanting to assist her friend, but was frozen in place. All she could do was scream.