Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Destiny is often a self-fulfilling prophecy, one will often fall prey to their fate on the very path they took to avoid it.
~Unknown~
Downtown Kripke's Hollow, USA
The sun blazed in the sky, bearing down on the city streets, the asphalt close to melting. People walked briskly to get out of the heat, using anything they could to fan themselves. Chairs sat empty in front of shops and eateries as the owners baked in the humid air.
Irritated voices and sounds of horns reverberated around the buildings as a small black Nissan drove down the busy street. Pulling into a parking spot by a meter on the corner of the most popular intersection of Kripke's Hollow, the car pulled to a stop.
Inside, two women sat; Hailey Bay and Cecil Shurley, studying a hand-drawn picture of the intersection. Extraordinary in its detail, the scene before them nearly was identical, stroke for stroke.
Both women held their breath as they saw, a newsstand selling papers, that matched the exact date on the drawing they held.
"It happens today." Hailey Bay stated nervously, sweat glistening along her forehead.
"Are we sure? This is crazy. My son is a normal boy. This can't be real." Cecil argued. She was twirling her black hair nervously between her fingers. Her curls rose and fell with her quickened breaths.
She was moments from succumbing to panic. What if it was real? What if they weren't fast enough? Would someone die today? Would she know them? Does she care?
These thoughts raged within her conscience against the motherly instinct to hide her child away and just ignore it, hoping that it all goes away. If it's real….this is crazy it can't be….but if it is?...what will that mean for my baby?
"You've seen the evidence, Mrs. Shurley! You can't back out now. Your son has a gift. He saved me, are you willing to ignore this? If it's true, someone is going to die today if we don't stop it." Whispered Hailey heatedly. Cecil Shurley sighed in defeat. Rubbing a hand down her face, she shook her head.
"No, I am not willing to let this go until I know for sure. At least not yet. It is just so unbelievable. For Chuck." Mrs. Shurley explained. A mother with a stroller and newborn jogged past heading to the crosswalk of the intersection.
Both women froze when they spotted her. Knuckles turned white as Cecil gripped the picture. Glancing down comparing the woman to the drawing in their hands. Both saw the same, the same city streets.
The same newsstand, the same woman and her child. Both were dead in the middle of the intersection with harsh strokes of red painting the streets. Both knew it for what it was. Blood.
This woman would die that day if nothing was done. No. It's not real! This can't be happening.
"It's her! Quickly we don't have much time!" Hailey said frantically. Sweat chilled their backs as cold fear swept through them. What if they don't make it? Rushing both women jumped from the car as the young mother started to jog the crosswalk.
"Look out!" Cecil screamed as a truck lost control and spun towards her. Running fast Hailey and Cecil grabbed the woman and babe and pulled them out of harm's way across the street. The truck managed to pull to a stop just in time. The screech of brakes filled the air.
All three women sighed in relief. The young mother grabbed her baby and had her face buried in his shoulder thanking both women over and over again. Hailey and Cecil glanced at each other and laughed where they stood. Disbelief warred with a euphoric triumph of proof that they could change fate.
"We did it!" Cecil exclaimed. A smile stretched wide upon her face. Eyes alight in wonder. The young mother strained a smile in her direction and walked out from the middle of the road.
The driver of the truck approached the young woman with an apology on his lips that died in his throat. His face went white as he looked toward the young mother's would-be rescuers.
"We got here in time! It can be done!" Both women celebrated their success in stopping a vision. A screech of tires rents the air, the sound of metal grating asphalt. Blood splashed on the pavement, gore painted the streets, the stench of death baking in the summer heat, and two bodies rolled to a stop in a crumpled heap at the foot of the young mother.
Glassy eyes staring, lifeless. A bus lay on its side, metal parts blown outward where it lost control and slammed into the truck. Thick red ooze coated its broken windshield. The door kicked open.
A shaken man pulled himself desperately out, losing bile upon the blood-soaked streets. "I looked down for only a second….only a second…"
A young woman dressed in a business shirt and skirt stood across the street with her dirty blonde hair in a bun.
Pushing up her glasses, she opened her notebook in her hand; to a list and crossed off two names.
Glancing up to take in the scene, she smirked; there was a sound of fluttering wings, then she was gone, leaving only a blood-soaked drawing in her wake.