by Amy Neftzger
“Oh, you cheated,” Fate admonished. She smiled in a manner that made Karen want to get on the bus and vanish, also.
“It’s not really cheating to get a smidgeon of help,” Fortune replied.
“I told you to finish the job,” Fate said to Karen as the muscles in her neck bulged slightly.
“The job is done,” Karen insisted.
“You didn’t finish it,” Fate said loudly.
“What’s the difference?” Karen asked as she took a few steps forward. “Unless this is some sort of a test?”
“Don’t be silly,” Fate replied as she scrunched her brows together. “Honestly, I don’t know where you people come up with these ideas.”
“Then I don’t see how it matters who did the work or how it got done,” Karen said. She did her best to appear unconcerned, but her voice cracked at the end of the sentence.
“And you!” Fate shouted at Fortune.
“What have I done now?” he asked as he turned his palms upward and raised them slightly. His knowing expression made innocence appear unfashionable.
“Stop it! You know who I am! Don’t try to play with me.”
“I’m not the one playing games,” Fortune replied, his voice getting louder. “I don’t go running all over the world doing all sorts of mysterious things!” The sky began to darken as his voice grew in volume.
“Don’t you?” she snapped. “You never show up unexpectedly and suddenly change everything? The whole course of events could be planned out neatly and you go messing around with people. Good luck. Bad luck. Just a little turn of events that gives a person the idea that they don’t have to make an effort because things will turn out a certain way no matter what.” More clouds moved in, and Karen began to hear the faint sounds of thunder. The wind started to blow, but it felt like a dry storm. The sort of storm that was filled with electricity and the potential for a good fire.
“People will believe what they will. I don’t control anyone — unlike you!” Fortune pointed at Fate and then dropped his hand casually at his side.
“That’s unfair and absolutely not true!” Lightning jumped from cloud to cloud above their heads, but there was still no sign of rain. It was like electric hopscotch overhead.
“Isn’t it?” As Fortune spoke, his outfit changed from a tuxedo of satin and fine cotton to a tight black leather jumper. The new clothes grew over his old ones like a skin graft on time lapse. His cane morphed into a whip, and chains sprouted from the seams of the leather in a few places. Thunder clapped loudly, and the glare of lightning bounced off his leather outfit with each strike from above.
“You’re showing your ugly side,” Fate said with a laugh. Fortune’s eyes darkened from the familiar pale blue into a deep black that was indistinguishable from his pupils. Karen took a step backwards as soon as she saw the change taking place.
“I wouldn’t have an ugly side if it weren’t for you,” he said as he deftly put his whip into motion, making it dance with the storm. “You bring out the worst in everyone.”
“What’s going on here?” Karen shouted. Her arms began to tremble and after a few moments her legs felt unsteady. She placed her palms on her temples and pressed in slightly. How did she wind up here with these two?
“Everyone loves his good side,” Fate replied to Karen with a smirk. “People like to feel lucky or blessed, but he causes just as much trouble as the relief he provides.”
“It’s not because I want people to suffer!” he shouted as he snapped his whip against the ground. He looked like he was having a masochistic temper tantrum.
“But they do.” Fate’s voice was overly sweet as she spoke in taunting tones. The wind blew her long dress tight against her body, the outline of her firm physique neatly displayed like a satin wrapped gift.
“I only want them to want me,” Fortune said as he threw his whip aside. “The more they hurt the more they want a sudden blessing. They crave it!” Karen watched the whip slowly straighten out and turn back into a cane. “I want people to remember how good it feels to be near me.”
“You do this for your ego,” Karen said quietly as she studied Fortune. “You like the attention.”
“I told you he was fickle,” Fate announced as she stood taller. “I don’t know why you can’t listen to me.”
“I solved your problem, didn’t I?” Fortune appealed to Karen. The thunder and lightning began to dissipate, and as the sky lightened Karen saw the blue in his eyes again. “I’m not bad,” he insisted. “I’m really not.”
“Bad is a relative term,” Fate said as she straightened out her gown. Karen noticed the sapphire and diamond ring on her left hand as Fate absentmindedly twisted it around in circles.
“I’m not sure I understand,” Karen said as she watched Fortune’s suit transform back into the dapper tuxedo. “How can you change so quickly?” Within two minutes he looked dashing again, and Karen found herself attracted to him once more.
“Then you do understand.” Fate smiled with satisfaction as she spoke. “Because he’s not really changing. It’s only you who see him differently. I see what he truly is and love him anyway.”
“You still love me?” he asked quietly with a tear in one eye. He reached his hand out in Fate’s direction and smiled.
“Of course, I do, sweetheart!” she admonished with a tender expression that made her appear much younger than Karen recalled Fate ever appearing before.
He ran forward and embraced Fate, kissing her passionately. Karen felt her cheeks go red with a mixture of embarrassment and jealousy. It was like a chemical thing. Her body reacted to him and the closer he stood to her the more she wanted him. It didn’t matter who he was embracing at the moment. Karen knew that at some point the embrace would end, and Fortune would need someone to fill his arms.
For the second time in two days Fate and Fortune left together arm in arm. Karen watched them leave and then made her way back to her car. She didn’t feel like shopping now. Maybe she would go to a movie where she could be alone, escape her life, and not think for two hours. She needed a break like that. Thinking was the last thing she wanted to do at that moment.
Karen was more confused than ever. Life was complicated, and it felt even more so now that Fate and Fortune were both involved in hers. The only thing she knew for certain was that Fortune was what she wanted in life, and Fate was what she got. But she wasn’t sure if one was any better than the other.
Episode 7
Fate’s Revenge
Karen sipped the last of her morning coffee and peered through half-open eyes at the clock. She had been up most of the night trying to sort things out. Her mind had been reviewing everything she’d learned about the legend of the Ferryman and how he had carried people into the afterlife. Everything she’d learned described the basic premise of his job, but nothing told her how he had gotten there or if he’d ever escaped those duties. Nothing mentioned Fate or Fortune playing a part.
Even after losing hours of sleep to ponder the issue she didn’t know why she was so attracted to Fortune. She thought about him constantly and enjoyed the way he drifted into her musings. It had been twenty-four hours since they’d last been together. It seemed too long to her. While Karen understood that he was already married, she still hoped they could be together. It was more than hope. She was convinced that they had a special connection. He seemed to appear whenever she wished aloud for him to be with her. His presence was like an answer to prayer. Things always seemed to be right when he was near her, also. It just felt right. She was happier and the world appeared to be a better place.
Karen slammed her mug against the hard surface, misjudging the distance from her mouth to the table. She slowly raised it to examine the bottom, but found no cracks in the surface. She placed it down carefully. In her highly fatigued state she didn’t want to risk accidentally knocking the cup onto the floor, so she gently pushed it back towards the center of the table. She’d had enough broken dishes for the week already, and she ha
d chores to finish before Claude came home from school. She was so far behind on things.
Karen sniffed the moist air. She could smell the oncoming rain, and she was determined to make it to the grocery store and back home again before the deluge began. The past two days with Fate and Fortune, as well as her night of research had exhausted her. She was looking forward to some quiet time. She’d been meaning to visit the graveyard and take a long walk through the rows of tombstones. She missed the calming effect the place had on her. She also missed the scent of the earth and the way the gravestones always felt cool, regardless of the weather.
She thought about turning the car towards the cemetery, but she headed to the grocery store to do her shopping. Karen was in the canned vegetable aisle when Fate appeared strolling beside her and browsing the rows of tin cans along the aisle. In their neat lines, the cans looked like an army of soldiers ready for battle.
Fate’s entrance had been nearly silent. She had simply faded in alongside Karen so gradually that Karen didn’t immediately notice. Fate picked up a can of peas with her well-manicured hands. She studied the label in a distracted manner, her deep red nails appearing more vivid against the green backdrop of the can’s label. She exuded elegance even while grocery shopping, wearing a lightweight silk cream-colored blouse and dark brown slacks. Business casual for a woman whose business was anything but casual. Karen was already drained, but she mustered up enough energy to sigh loudly and scrunch up her face.
“You really shouldn’t eat these,” Fate announced. “The heating process ruins the flavor, and they’re so much better fresh.” She glanced over at Karen and smiled.
“What are you doing here?” Karen asked as she stopped pushing her cart. She leaned back on one heel and scowled at Fate. She had hoped for more time to research before encountering Fate again. It wasn’t fair that she showed up when Karen was completely unprepared to deal with her.
“I have a job for you, of course,” Fate replied as she placed the can of peas back on the shelf. She paused to swipe her index finger across the top surface and examine it for dirt. “I’m not sure you should be shopping here,” she added. “It isn’t sanitary.”
Karen looked at the dust and thought of the graveyard filled with dirt and musty smells. She could almost feel the clumps of damp soil in her hands. It was always damp if you dug deep enough into the earth. In this area of the country it wasn’t too dry, and most of the graves were in slightly moist soil. Water always gave the soil more substance and a stronger scent. Karen associated the smell with victory - whenever the earth became heavier she knew was getting closer to the corpse’s treasure.
“I just did a job for you yesterday,” Karen said as she shook the thoughts of the graveyard from her mind and began pushing the cart forward. Her fingers tightened around the handle. A chip in the hard plastic handle cut into her palm, but Karen ignored the discomfort.
“No, you didn’t.” Fate pinched her nose ever so slightly as she kept pace with Karen.
“Yes. The job was done.” Karen reached into her pocket and fondled the two silver coins she carried. They were a reminder that she would find a way to be free again. These weren’t the ones she had taken from the corpse the night she met Fate. Those were sold almost immediately in order to pay bills. These were the newer and less expensive coins she had recently bought in a pawn shop to place over her eyes as she lay in the park. Karen still had hopes that they would somehow provide her freedom. She felt the tension in her muscles drifting away as she turned the coins over in her pocket, enjoying the slight vibration of the two pieces scraping against one another.
“The job was done, but you didn’t do it,” Fate insisted. “You still owe me.”
Karen rolled her eyes as she placed her hands back on the shopping cart handle and continued moving forward. She was too tired to think about so much at once, so she stopped searching for the items on her shopping list. There was no point to shopping now, anyway. She was likely to be occupied all day with whatever Fate had planned for her.
“I don’t suppose I have a choice,” Karen sighed, “but —”
“There’s my girl!” Fate exclaimed with the friendliest smile Karen had ever seen on the woman’s face. “Let’s not get distracted by any handsome men now, okay? We have work to do.”
Karen opened her mouth to speak as Fate grabbed her hand, and Karen felt the abrupt sensation of floating. At first she thought she might vomit, recalling her last experience traveling like this, and then she felt the sharp pull forward in her midsection. It was like a bizarre roller coaster jerking her ahead from the center of her body. She felt her arms and legs fold behind her and her entire body compress, as if she were passing through a drinking straw. Her neck and head throbbed as if someone had pumped them full of air. It was like the most intense hangover she’d ever experienced.
“I don’t know how you made that experience worse than the last time. It was terrible …” Karen rubbed the side of her neck as her voice trailed off.
“Really, it’s a gift,” Fate replied. She nodded a few times, satisfied. Karen stopped rubbing her neck and folded her arms. She was fully clothed, but she suddenly felt as naked as she did wearing the skimpy red nightgown she’d purchased. She glanced around to get her bearings and assess her location.
They were standing inside the main courthouse lobby, just on the other side of the security station. Two guards stood in front of a monitor looking at mug shots of wanted individuals and making snide comments. Other than the guards, the place was deserted.
“Why are we here? They’re both still alive,” Karen whispered as she pointed to the guards’ backs. She could still feel the pain of the journey, and her words felt like they were hammering their way out of her head.
“Clearly,” Fate agreed stoically. She turned around and began walking down the long marble hallway. Karen followed quietly as she continued to massage her neck. She searched her purse for a few aspirin and stopped at a water fountain to swallow the pills.
She shuffled her feet quickly along the smooth flooring to catch up with Fate, and as they moved down the corridor Karen noticed that Fate had a delicate sound to her walk. It was more like soft tapping. Karen listened to her own shoes slapping against the marble floor and felt as if she were walking with two dead fish strapped to her feet. The more she listened to her own steps the more her gait became less rhythmic. She didn’t want to compare herself with Fate, but they were in love with the same man and Karen viewed Fate as competition. As much as she didn’t want to feel insecure, it was difficult when the man she was in love with was already married to someone who knew the future. So why would Fortune choose her over Fate? Karen pushed the thoughts aside in order to concentrate on the job.
“Where are we going?” Karen whispered.
“Shhh!”
Fate continued walking until they reached a door halfway down the hall. “In there.” Fate pointed. Karen squinted but couldn’t see anything through the frosted glass.
“Is it a man or a woman? What’s her name? Is anyone in there with her?”
“I think you’ve had enough help in the past few days,” Fate said flatly. She took a step away and vanished. Karen jumped when she heard the slight popping noise of Fate’s departure in the otherwise silent hallway. She glanced up and down the corridor to ensure that no one saw her, and then she opened the door a crack to peer inside.
The specter was a thin older man with white hair. He was standing next to a row of filing cabinets, sifting through the contents of one of them, and laughing quietly. It was more like giggling. He reminded Karen of a child stealing candy from the pantry while the adults were out of the room.
Karen looked over his clothing, hoping to gain some insight into his background, but the clothes didn’t tell her much. He was dressed very casually, wearing a polo shirt, cardigan, jeans, and sneakers. Karen studied his childlike demeanor as he chuckled at whatever he was reading. His eyes were bright and gave off an impression of intelligenc
e. If it weren’t for the white hair and heavily wrinkled skin Karen would have taken him for being quite young.
“Something must be very interesting,” Karen remarked out loud as she leaned halfway in the door. She tried not to wince at the sound of her own voice.
“What?” he asked. His expression changed from delight to caution. He looked up at her and studied her face. When he didn’t recognize her, he waited for her to speak again.
“Whatever you’re reading must be very entertaining,” Karen said with a smile.
“You can see me?” he asked. He had a curt tone that wasn’t impolite, but also wasn’t far from it.
“Yes,” Karen replied. “What are you reading?”
“Courtroom transcripts. People say the most extraordinary things when they’re under oath.”
“Really?” Karen was surprised anyone would find the transcripts interesting.
“Oh, yes.” He quickly shoved the papers he had been reading back into the file cabinets, and then moved to the other side of the closet. “Can you still see me?” he asked.
“Of course. You’ve only moved to the other side. The room isn’t very big.” As she spoke she could feel the pain in her head easing. The size of the hammer was definitely smaller than it had been a few minutes earlier.
“Interesting,” he said to himself as he briefly scratched the back of his neck. Karen waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t.
“Is that case of particular interest to you? Are you an attorney?” Karen asked as she stepped fully into the room and closed the door behind her. “Or do you simply enjoy legal proceedings?”
“These are old cases. I knew the parties involved, which makes the whole thing funnier to me,” he said with a slight chuckle. He looked at Karen, but when she didn’t respond he continued. “It was a divorce case and there are details here I didn’t know about until I read them just now. There’s no way this could be true, but people say all kinds of things when they’re in court.”
