Nick veered into the parking lot of Judy's apartment and quickly scanned the parking lot. He gave an audible sigh when Judy's car sat in the parking lot two spots away from the entrance, the place she always parked. He parked a few spots away and threw the car into park, then jumped out without locking his car and approached Judy's car. He stood in silence, listening for a click. If the car had been used recently, it would be clicking, indicating Judy had been somewhere. It didn't click.
The fox then turned from the car and walked into the lobby, walking a little faster than usual. An elderly pangolin manning the counter looked at up. "Hello, son. May I help you?"
"Yeah. Yeah. I need to be buzzed up to floor three."
"And who are you visiting today?"
"Judy Hopps?"
The pangolin nodded and typed something into the computer in front of him. "Wonderful. Did she provide you with a key?"
He held up his keys. "I'm her boyfriend. She did."
The pangolin rolled his lips, squinting at the fox. "Boyfriend, huh?"
"Yep. Just ask her yourself."
"And your name?"
"Nick Wilde."
"Hmm." He tapped the table. "Can I see some ID?"
"Yes." He pawed for his wallet, then pulled his ID card out and set it down. The pangolin took one glance. "Oh, that makes a lot more sense. If I seemed rude, sir, please, I apologize." He reached under the desk and there was a buzz by the elevator. "I'd assume you know where her room is."
"Yes, sir. It's on the key."
He nodded. "Glad you figured that out. The elevator will be open until you press a key, just don't wait around too long."
"I won't, sir. Thank you." He walked away from the counter.
"Your ID, sir."
"Oh, thanks." Nick spun around and took it from the counter, then walked over to the elevator and quickly stepped in, then pressed the number three. The doors slid closed, followed by a ding.
The pangolin looked away from the door and glanced at the computer screen. "That's two visitors today. Huh." He shrugged. "Must be popular."
As soon as the door opened to Judy's floor, Nick pushed his way through, squeezing past a group of jaguars. "Sorry," he said quickly, ignoring their stares as they got off the elevator. Nick didn't really care—he never really did, anyway. He instinctively made his way to Judy's door without looking at the numbers. He just knew where it was based on how the hallway looked when he got up to the door.
He knocked, pressing his head up against the wooden door. "Fluff, you alright?" He went quiet, but nothing answered him. After a second, he knocked again. "Judy. Are you there?" More silence. He took a different stance at the door and pounded the bottom of the door with his fist. "Judy. I'm worried. Are you good?"
Nothing.
"Crap," he muttered, sighing, digging through his pockets and pulling out his keyring. "I'm coming in. Stop me if you don't want me to." He stuck the key in the lock and turned it, but the door wouldn't budge. Nick pulled the key out and stuck it in the deadbolt lock, then turned that and pushed the door open—to a dark and empty room.
The curtains were still closed and the room dreary. It was dark, though, and Nick fumbled around to find a light switch. Finally, Nick found a light switch and the lights came on. He immediately scanned the room, and he stopped at a pile of clothes on the floor. A blue pair of pants, a navy-blue top. A bullet guard. He went over to pick up one of the clothes and immediately pulled his foot back, yelping. He swore under his breath and reached to the floor for what had stabbed him in the foot.
Judy's badge.
"Oh, no. No, no, no." He shook his head. "That's…" He cleared his throat. Then he dropped the badge. Even when the badge bounced off his foot and clattered the floor, he didn't move. Even when a neighbor came by the front door and asked what all the ruckus was about, he didn't move. And even when his phone buzzed in his pocket, he didn't move.
Nick stumbled backward and closed his eyes. His eyes wouldn't focus on anything. He opened them again. His heart was racing, and he could feel the pads on his paws and feet dripping with sweat. His stomach churned, sending a wave of horrible nausea through his body. He held his mouth closed and clamped his eyes shut, trying to depress the feeling. But it rumbled like an earthquake and before he knew it, the feeling returned, its strength twofold.
His eyes shot open. Nick bent forward and vomited, gasping.
And with a debilitating wave of vertigo, he lost his footing, and everything went black.