Keys of Fate Part Thirteen
Keys of Fate
A Story in Serial - Part Thirteen
This is part thirteen of the serial story I’m currently writing. If you have not read the story from the beginning, you might want to go check out part one first. Click here to read it now. This is a story you get to help me write by providing your feedback in the comments or by sending me a message through my Contact page . If I like your ideas, they might just end up in the story, or I might name one of the characters after you!Part Thirteen:The Choice
Lisa sat with her hands in her lap, the engine of the rental car idling on the side of the road. Her heart was beating rapidly without explanation, and she was desperately trying to understand what had made her pull over. Ahead, the asphalt was scorched with tire marks and littered with debris. There had clearly been a wreck here and apparently recent, but she couldn’t make sense as to why that was concerning her.
It was as if a voice was telling her to end her quest then and there. Going on was a mistake. She glanced down at the GPS display on her phone. Fifteen minutes to the woman’s house. The destination marker sat on the edge of a town, but Lisa’s mind was racing too quickly to figure out the name of the town despite it being plainly displayed on the screen.
She shook her head, yelled, and then slammed the palms of her hands on the steering wheel. She was about to hit it again when a knock on the driver’s side window startled her so badly that she screamed and threw herself into the middle console. Outside the car stood a tall, bearded man with a Justin hat propped halfway up his forehead. He spoke to her through the window.
“Ma’am, are you alright?”
She tried to calm herself enough to respond, but her words still came out in a stammering quiver. “Who, who are you?”
“Sorry to scare you, ma’am. I’m Dan Thibedeau. I’m with the county. They sent me out here to clean up the debris from the wreck that happened here a few hours ago.”
Lisa sat up straighter but kept herself leaned into the console. “I have mace.”
Dan smiled and nodded. “That’s smart, and I understand if you keep this window up. Lord knows I wouldn’t want my wife talking to some stranger all the way out here.” He took a half step back and looked at his wristwatch.
“Why did you knock on my window?”
Dan shrugged. “Out here we look after folks. That’s all. Saw you on the side of the road, and looks like you were a bit troubled, if you don’t mind me saying it. Just wanted to check on you and see if you need any help.”
She took a deep breath, paused, and then pointed at the scorch marks. “How bad was it?”
Dan turned his head to survey the debris and sniffled. After a moment he looked back with a somber expression. “Pretty bad. Friend of mine was involved. His truck got tore up pretty good, but the rental car he hit was wiped clean out. Flipped and rolled from what he said.”
Lisa caught the words “rental car” and felt her heart drop. “Who else was involved?”
Dan shrugged. “D’know. Some guy from out of town, like yourself I guess.”
Lisa furrowed her brow. “How do you know I’m from out of town?”
Dan laughed and shook his head, putting his hands on his hips. “Lady, this is Little Springs. It’s so small, I went to high school with the mayor, who also happens to be my pastor.” He nodded. “You’re from out of town.”
“Fair enough.” Lisa sighed. “Did they take the man to the hospital? Was he hurt bad?”
Dan frowned. “Your guess is as good as mine, but if he was hurt bad enough, they probably took him to Odessa.” After that he paused and folded his arms. “Ma’am, can I ask what you’re doing here? Don’t nobody come to Little Springs, not even passing through.”
Lisa’s first reaction was to tell him that was none of his business, but she stopped herself. Or, maybe something else stopped her. There was that voice again. It was calm and reassuring. She suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of trust, as if the man on the other side of the window was truly there to help her. The thought was insane, but she found herself accepting it.
“Do you know a woman named Darlene Abbado?”
Dan’s expression soured and he unfolded his arms. “Pete’s widow?”
Lisa’s jaw nearly dropped. “Sergeant Peter Abaddo’s wife. Yes.”
Dan looked troubled, and tears swelled in his eyes. He took a deep breath before responding. “Ain’t heard much from her since Pete didn’t—” His words were caught in a sob that he fought back. A strange expression crossed his face, one that told Lisa they were sharing the same thought: Why are two strangers sharing this information on the side of the road?
“My husband served with Sergeant Abbado,” she said after a moment. She sighed and rolled the window down, despite her reservations.
Dan looked down and nodded. “Sorry.”
“Why?”
Dan looked up suddenly, his mouth open. “Didn’t he?” The question trailed off, and Lisa shook her head.
“No. He was the only survivor.”
Dan blinked several times. He looked back to the debris, then to Lisa. Back to the debris, back to Lisa. Understanding registered. “He was the one in the wreck.” Almost a question but definitely an exclamation.
Lisa nodded. “I think so.”
Dan wiped his eyes with his thumb and forefinger, then squeezed the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know why I’m saying this,” he said as he lowered his hand, “but you don’t need to go to Darlene’s place.”
Lisa started to reply to this, but Dan held his palm out toward her.
“Ma’am, something strange is happening here. I can’t come near to explaining it, but I think you know it too, else you wouldn’t have rolled that window down.” He nodded. “Wouldn’t have been stopped on the side of the road like this in the first place. Trust me when I tell you ain’t nothing good gonna come from you going to that house.”
Lisa opened her mouth. Closed it. She groaned. “This is crazy.”
“Mm hmm.”
“How far to Odessa?”
Dan looked up at the sun and thought, as if navigating by it. “Oh, bout an hour.”
“What if they didn’t take him there? What if he’s still close?”
Dan kept his face to the sky. “But he’s not.”
Lisa looked straight ahead and nodded. “No, he’s not.”
Arbon’s sword fell from his trembling hand, and he sunk to his knees on the hot asphalt as he watched the rental car drive away. Before him, two much larger demons lay with their chests open, neither of them moving. A third, smaller demon was down on one knee. Arbon hated the imp, Corsis, but he’d learned to respect his cunning in the last few minutes.
Though visibly weak, with his shoulder drooping, Corsis stood. “You’ve lost.”
Arbon coughed and shook his head. “No matter what you think you’ve accomplished, a great evil was thwarted this day. Your master thinks he has won, but he has simply played into the hand of the Holy One.”
Corsis raised his tiny sword with the hand that still retained strength and smiled. “Your master is in chains along with your army. You are about to fall, and you think because the woman now drives toward her husband, you’ve gained the victory?”
“You mistake whom I serve. The one you errantly call my master is but another servant, and our master will not be defeated.”
Corsis grinned. “But you will be.”
He struck, and Arbon knew no more.
To be continued…
If you enjoyed this rough draft, you might also enjoy my finished works in the Journey of Fate series. Check out the prequel short story now, for free, by signing up for the mailing list!
