The tallest building
Lara reached the tallest building in Norwich.
It was so big that she could see it from the window of her kitchen. She felt thrilled about getting in there, even if just for a short interview.
Her heart beat faster while she crossed the automatic doors. She could feel the excitement of a new adventure. Even if her brain knew she wouldn't get that job so easily, her heart still decided to believe.
Lara walked to the front desk, and she smiled at the receptionist. She was perfectly in time.
The receptionist was a girl around her age, impeccable in her blue uniform and flawless makeup.
«Hello,» Lara said. «I'm here for a job interview.»
«Do you have an appointment, miss?» the girl replied, analysing her.
She focused a little too long on the shabby clothes before returning to look Lara in the eye and smirk. Yet, that smile didn't reach her eyes anymore.
«I do,» Lara replies. «I have an appointment at three o'clock with the HR manager.»
«Our manager is a busy person, miss,» the girl sighed while checking the schedule in front of her. «Indeed... I see no appointment for three o'clock here.»
«There must be a mistake. I was told to come here at this hour. Can you check again? Maybe refresh the page or something...»
«There isn't such a thing, miss. If the appointment isn't here, it won't appear by just refreshing the page.»
«What does it cost you to try?» Lara mumbled, glaring at the receptionist. «It's just a second.»
«Will you leave and stop making a scene if I refresh? No, you won't. That's how girls like you do. They love to attract attention like this, but the manager doesn't have time for everyone.»
«What?» Lara rebuked. «What scene am I causing?»
She snorted, realising she was powerless against that stubborn doll. She stepped back and thought about her options. She couldn't leave. First of all, because it was the first time she had the opportunity to get a job with human working hours.
And, second, because she had an appointment. She had the right to be there.
The other receptionist reached the first, asking her about what was the matter. The two talked for a while under Lara's uncertain gaze.
She stood there and waited for one of the two to come and throw her out.
At the same time, the two cubs reached the agency where Lara was an hour before.
«Mommy was here,» Scarlet commented, stopping in front of the window with the announcements. «She stood in this spot for a while before proceeding.»
She rubbed her nose, annoyed by the smog of the city. Her sensitive smell couldn't withstand so many people and cars all in the same area. She hated tracking her mommy in crowded places the most. Norwich was among the largest cities in that region, and Scarlet was already looking forward to moving to a smaller and cosier one.
«Shall we ask the lady working here if she saw our mommy? We can't follow her to the centre. It's too stinky there,» Jaden said.
The siblings were holding hands while pondering about the next move.
«It hasn't been long before mommy arrived. Maybe we're in time to catch her on the road?» Scarlet tried. She didn't like interacting with people outside her family. Mostly because they were annoying.
«I will ask the lady. I'm sure she'll tell us where mommy went,» Jaden replied. He pushed the door and walked in, dragging his sister along.
«What are you doing here alone?» the lady inquired, seeing two small children wandering the streets. «Are you lost?»
«We are not lost,» Scarlet rebuked with a frown.
«Hello, pretty lady,» Jaden said, trying to attract the attention away from his grumpy sister. «Have you seen our mommy, perhaps?»
«Oh, your mum?»
The lady observed the two, realising they did look familiar. Their faces were not too similar to the woman who passed there an hour before. Yet, they had something in common with her. The woman couldn't pinpoint what it was. Maybe, something about their actions or expression?
«Is your mother a young woman with brown hair and black eyes?» she asked. «Did she leave you alone somewhere nearby?»
«Oh, no, we're not alone, pretty lady,» Jaden replied. «Our daddy is out here. We'll go tell him where mommy went so we can reach her.»
«Your daddy left you to walk alone? Is he this irresponsible?»
«Yes,» Scarlet nodded. «Our mommy is the best. A dad isn't very useful.»
Useful? The woman hid a grin and explained to the two children where their mother had gone. She got up to talk with the father of the two, to tell him it's dangerous to let children alone, but the two ran out and disappeared before she could do anything at all.
«Oh, children these days are so smart that it's frightening,» she said while returning inside.
She didn't know the two were already back at following their mother's scent, faint and tricky to distinguish. But, they could rely on the information they had just collected when in doubt.
«Do you think the LY Corp is famous?» Jaden wondered while looking left and right before crossing the road.
«It has Corp in the name. It must be famous,» Scarlet replied with a shrug. «I hope mommy doesn't like that name. She hates famous places, right?»
«Right...»
They walked in the city, sometimes catching a breath of their mother's scent. They knew they were on the right way, and they reached the centre in about an hour. They knew their mother wasn't much far from them, or they wouldn't have been able to follow her steps that easily.
«Which building?» Scarlet mumbled.
«The biggest,» Jaden decided. He stepped towards the door, but then he remembered they weren't supposed to infiltrate places.
He didn't want to make their mommy angry. But he couldn't leave her alone: that place was weird.
No matter how long he looked, he could see the dark aura of a huge threat in front of them. One more reason to walk inside.