Beyond Evolution

It always seemed to be late when she finished up in the studio these days. Luce supposed she was just falling into bad habits, not that they were really so terrible, since she had decided to postpone enrolling in university until after the New Year and didn't have too busy a schedule to keep to. Everyone else had left and before she knew it she was yawning and working the knuckle of one of her hands against her eye, swinging her visor off and dropping it to the work surface. Most definitely time to hit the hay. It took her a few minutes to clean up, wiping down the area she'd been using, washing her hands and putting everything back in its place before she was ready to go. At the door she paused, pulling the keys from her belt to lock up and reaching out to flick the lights off. They sputtered out overhead and she passed through the door, turning to slide the key into the lock. Through the glass she saw someone sitting on the far side of the room, their back to her and stopped what she was doing to watch them. Weird, she hadn't seen anyone in there besides her. Though maybe they'd been in the supply room or something.

Frowning lightly, she pushed the door open again and leant her head inside. "I'm closing up now," she called to the figure across the room, shrouded in darkness. Maybe it was a student who had fallen asleep, Luce had done that plenty of times. They didn't respond to her. Sighing, she started towards them, jangling her set of keys as the door swung shut behind her. "Sorry, but I need to lock up behind me. Last time I forgot Kevin roasted me." A light smile of camaraderie in the face of a terrifying teacher gained no response and it was as if a switch was flicked by the silence; Luce felt her senses prickle. ( Something was off here. )

[ NARRATIVE ]