Nature's Destiny

by Winter, Justine

  It was time to face the wrath of the literary beast.

  Chapter Two

  The cool evening air cleared away the last of my headache as I walked towards The Hybrid. I’d parked the car on the street as usual and soaked up the last of the sun.

  I sighed, relieved that I could finally think straight. So far, it had been a crappy day, and I was more than willing to forget it. I’d been shouted at by Professor ‘stuffy’ Stuart at the end of the lesson earlier, and my newfound temper almost got the better of me. I didn’t appreciate his snide, sarcastic comments about me ‘damaging my degree’, but I hadn’t lasted as long as I had with his vileness just to punch him in the face the day before my exam. He made my skin crawl and my blood boil.

  The Hybrid’s car park was full as usual. Lee wouldn’t reserve spaces for staff which I always found irritating, but I couldn’t argue with the boss. I stood outside the door, took a deep breath, and walked in.

  The Hybrid buzzed with energy, and it looked as if it was fixing to be a busy night. Lee sat in the little room behind the bar ploughing through paperwork. He spent a lot of his time in there with the same concerned face he wore now.

  I hung my coat up on the rack, and locked my car keys in the safe out of the way. I tied my little apron around my waist which completed my uniform. It was pretty standard; black trousers, black top, black shoes.

  I headed out to check on the customers, and the smell of hot, delicious food wafted around the room as plates of burgers settled on tables. Lee, the owner, had devised the perfect family menu, and I loved everything that came out of the kitchen.

  I was busy clearing up my table when the door opened. The air crept in and the most delightful scent cradled my senses as a mixture of aftershave and the woods enveloped me. I looked up to see who it was and froze.

  It was him.

  My breath caught in my lungs as I realised the man that I’d been dreaming about stood across from me. He turned and looked directly at me, and the same emerald eyes that I’d memorised shone with intensity.

  My heart raced as I watched him walk towards the bar. His body moved with an elegant grace, and confidence exuded from him. He was tall, really tall, and the navy t-shirt he wore clung to his big biceps.

  I didn’t know what to do. Half of me thought about turning around and walking away, feigning ignorance of his presence, but the other, more curious half wanted to know more about him. Against my better judgment I went to the bar with my empty drinks tray, where he stood waiting to be served.

  My skin tingled the closer I got to him, and without realising it I quickened my pace to reach him. I was drawn to him like a magnet, like some unforeseeable force was pulling me towards him. I opened the half-door to the bar and stepped in. My foot caught the step and I tripped over the only stair there was, and landed ungracefully on my face.

  I stood up as quick as I could, dusted off my apron and smoothed out my hair, and pretended the pulsating throb across my nose wasn’t there. It wasn’t easy, especially when tears began to form. I gathered the nerve to look at him, and I stood with my mouth open, appalled.

  He was laughing at me!

  His shoulders bunched up and down as he continued to laugh, and my skin reddened with embarrassment. I knew I was clumsy, but for once I really wished I wasn’t. I felt like a fool.

  I cleared my throat and attempted to act cool. “Can I get you something?”

  He stopped laughing long enough to answer me, “Corona.” I turned to the cooler and took out the lager, popped the cap off and handed it to him. I placed his money in the till and walked away. I couldn’t stay a minute longer.

  I busied myself with customers, taking orders and wiping tables. I cleaned like a robot would have done as I continued to think about the stranger from my dreams. I didn’t know him, but I felt like I did.

  My mind was torn, there was something familiar about him, but apart from him appearing in my dreams I didn’t know what else there was. I felt like he was the missing piece in my puzzle, but I couldn’t even begin to explain what puzzle.

  I glanced his way as if seeing him would answer my thoughts. Guilt swept across my face as I realised I’d been caught staring. He was looking at me too, with his eyebrows twitching in concentration.

  My knees felt weak as we locked eyes, and my body revelled in the attention from him. I was behaving like some schoolgirl with a crush, which wasn’t like me at all. I shook my head to clear my thoughts, and just like that the connection broke. I exhaled with relief. My tables were clean, and the customers were happy. I had no choice, but to go back to the bar where he was. “Can I get you anything else?” I asked.

  “I’m good for now. Do you work here often?” he asked.

  “As often as my schedule permits. It’s almost every day.” It was an odd question, but I didn’t see the harm in answering. He was making an effort at conversation, and quite frankly he was way too handsome to ignore, even if he had laughed at me before.

  “Do you like it here?”

  “Yes, but my time here is almost up.” I hadn’t meant to say that, I didn’t even know why I did. I was drawn to him again and I couldn’t help it.

  “It is?” he asked as his brows marred together.

  I nodded. “Yep. I’m going to travel the world,” I said proudly, and he scowled at me like I’d offended him.

  “You’re leaving?” he mumbled ever so quietly I almost didn’t catch it. I nodded, unsure what to say. He looked sad and angry at the same time and I had no idea why. He was just a stranger, granted a stranger that had been frequenting my dreams, but it wasn’t like I knew him.

  I had to keep myself active again because I couldn’t work out what just happened. I turned to empty the dishwasher, and piled the glasses up on the shelf neatly and carefully.

  “Are you new in town?” I asked in an attempt to keep him talking. I’d never seen him here before, he had to be new to the area.

  “Yes.”

  “Business or pleasure?” I called over my shoulder.

  “Business…I think,” he hesitated, and I turned to look at him. He was confused, but I decided to let it go.

  “Well, I hope it works out for you. Whichever it is,” I smiled.

  “Can I get a burger and chips please?”

  “Sure. With cheese?” He nodded in response and I took the order to the kitchen. I closed up the dishwasher and wiped down the side. “It won’t be long.” I smiled at him again, and walked towards the emptied tables. Beer glasses and plates covered the sticky surfaces. I piled them up on my tray and cleaned the tables efficiently.

  Working at The Hybrid always felt repetitive. I’d take orders, clean, and clean again. The locals were harmless enough, and there were even days when I didn’t mind listening to the gossip that floated around the room.

  I took the plate from the kitchen and placed it in front of my handsome dream walker. “Thanks. This looks great.”

  “If you need anything else let me know. I’m Luna by the way.”

  “Riley,” he grinned from ear to ear, and my heart melted. He completely dazzled me with his good looks.

  I walked to the staff area and took out my phone. I scrolled through my contacts and clicked on the name I wanted. I placed it to my ear and waited.

  “What’s up, Luna?”

  “Hey, Sky. Nothing much,” I lied. “Just wondering if you’re coming in tonight?” She’d mentioned about claiming her free drink earlier, but with the night going on she still hadn’t made an appearance. I would’ve killed for an interruption from her, Riley had me all worked up and bothered.

  “Nah! My plans changed, John is here instead.” I looked at the phone as if Sky could see me. I had no idea who John was. “Luna? Still there?”

  “What? Oh, yeah. Sorry. I’m trying to work out who John is.”

  “You remember this afternoon, after class…”

  “Oh, yeah! The one you were making googly eyes at?” I laughed. Sky always had guys tripping over her fe
et, believe me it was hard to keep up with the man of the moment. Surprisingly, it never stopped her from chasing the other guys she really liked too, and that’s exactly what happened earlier.

  “Mmhmm...” she mumbled, clearly distracted.

  “OK, you’re grossing me out. I’m going now,” I said. I didn’t want to listen to Sky’s ‘noises’ while on the phone. I had enough crazy of my own going on.

  “Bye.” That was all she managed to say before hanging up. I put my phone away and noticed the time. My break was over already.

  The room wasn’t as busy anymore, but the noise level was still high as the country music played out on the sound system. I cleared away Riley’s plate and yawned. I was really tired.

  “Busy day?” Riley asked.

  “More like busy week. Honestly, I don’t know where the time goes,” I said.

  “Sometimes you just have to stop and take in your surroundings. Really look at where you are in life, otherwise it’s just going to pass you by. Regret is a heavy word to live with.”

  I agreed with Riley, though I didn’t know where all this seriousness came from. The sombre tone he spoke in suggested he knew all too well what it felt like, and I had this sudden longing to comfort him. I didn’t know what sorrows he faced, but right then I would’ve done anything to ease his pain.

  “Do you have any regrets?” I asked as curiosity got the better of me.

  “I do, but dwelling on them won’t change the outcome,” he sighed, as a heaviness settled around him.

  Lee walked into the bar area. He looked dishevelled and stressed as his hair stuck all over the place from where he’d been running his hands through it. “You can finish now Luna. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “Really? I don’t mind waiting,” I said.

  “Don’t be silly, you work too hard as it is. Which reminds me, tomorrow you have the night off.”

  “I do?” I asked confused. I was sure I’d been scheduled to work.

  “Yes. You’ll need the time to celebrate!” Lee gestured his hands in the air dramatically. I laughed and thanked him. Riley had vanished, our conversation forgotten. I grabbed my keys and coat and wandered back into the bar ready to leave.

  “Can I walk you to your car?” Riley asked as he returned from the lavatory, the door swinging closed.

  “Why?” The word slipped out before I could stop it. He’d been mostly kind to me, and here I was questioning his integrity.

  “Well it isn’t safe to walk alone at night for a lady such as yourself. There are monsters out there.” I was taken aback. Did he really say monsters?

  “What makes you any different?” I whispered.

  “You’ll see. In time,” he answered cryptically.

  I walked out the door, I didn’t know what to say to that. We walked side by side while dawdling along the street.

  “What’s happening tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Hmm?”

  “That guy, he said you’d be celebrating. What’s the occasion?” He looked genuinely interested which made me overwhelmingly happy.

  “Oh, it’s the last exam for my degree tomorrow,” I smiled. “Well, this is me.” I pointed towards my car, and watched as his expression changed.

  “You drive this?” his eyebrows raised in disbelief. “Nice!”

  I shrugged nonchalantly, his reaction pleased me. His eyes swept across the bodywork before they landed on me. Within seconds my skin tingled with apprehension as he stepped closer towards me, sandwiching me between him and my car.

  Electricity flowed through my body as he leaned down towards my head. I lifted mine in anticipation and closed my eyes, feeling his hot breath brush against my skin. “Good luck tomorrow, Luna.” He turned, and walked away. “I’ll see you soon.”

  Riley disappeared into the darkness and disappointment rained heavily on my heart. He was gone.

  Chapter Three

  I clambered into the car and sat staring out the windshield into the night.

  Riley.

  That was the name of the man I was dreaming about every night. My breath caught in my throat. I’d been foolishly thinking he was going to kiss me, but instead he’d teasingly spoken to me within centimetres of my face and walked away! What was he playing at?

  He acted all chivalrously one minute and then turned cold the next. I couldn’t understand him, and I certainly didn’t understand why I was disappointed. I was confused, of that I was sure.

  His physical appearance was enough to convert a nun, but his personality? It didn’t escape my attention that he said he’d see me soon though. Had that been a polite way of giving me the brush off, or had he really meant it?

  I turned the key in the ignition and drove home, fed up with trying to decipher something I couldn’t understand. I was drained of all energy as I walked through the house, and my bed was calling my name.

  I changed into my t-shirt and shorts pyjama combo, and tried to switch my mind off. I needed to forget about Riley. I wouldn’t ruin my future writing career because of some man I barely knew. I wouldn’t be that girl.

  The high-pitched irritating buzz of my alarm greeted me before I was ready to acknowledge the day. I turned over, and stopped the annoying noise, before pulling the quilt over my head. That was much better.

  I knew I had to get up, but I was comfortably warm and happy where I was. I gave in, aggravated as I kicked off the quilt, and let it crumple to the floor in a messy heap. Freedom was within smelling distance, I just had to get through the morning.

  I slid my dressing gown on and walked downstairs. It was days like these that I wished I drank coffee. I absolutely hated it, but the caffeine hit would have done wonders. I rummaged through the fridge and found a punnet of blueberries and a pot of strawberry yogurt. A healthy brain-boosting smoothie was just what I needed.

  I loaded up the fruit, yogurt, and milk into the blender and blitzed it away. Swirls of pink, white and purple spun around, amalgamating into a tasty drink as my mouth watered in delight. I poured every last drop into a glass and turned on the TV.

  The news came on and I stared at it for a little while as a bright red ‘BREAKING NEWS’ ticker tape continuously scrolled across the screen. “Andrew Collins and Jessica Price were last seen four nights ago at a nightclub in Cardiff,” the clown-faced female news anchor reported.

  “They were believed to have left around midnight. Friends and family are concerned over their whereabouts, and police are urging for any details. Please call the hotline on…”

  I turned it off, and stared at the blank screen instead. I was used to the depressing news, and I didn’t need to hear anymore. The world was turning into a bitter and nasty place where World War three would soon happen. Forget zombies, humanity was the plague of the twenty-first century, especially with power-hungry governments ruling each country. It seemed like nobody was ever satisfied with what they had.

  Hot water ran into the kitchen sink and I switched off the tap just in time. I gazed out the window into the garden and watched the heavy rain pour down as I washed up. Miserable was the word I’d use to describe it, but I wasn’t going to let it dampen my spirits.

  I loved the woods behind the garden, they were a great source of inspiration for my writing. Especially with days like today where the precipitation hung heavily above the tree line, and misty fog rolled its way around, curling like fingers holding onto the evergreens.

  Showered and dressed I was ready to tackle the day. I picked up my belongings and locked the door on my way out. I often parked in the garage which connected via the kitchen door, and today I was grateful. In fact I was regularly grateful, because it rained more often than it didn’t.

  The click of the car echoed around the garage as it recognised the ‘open’ signal from the key. My phone vibrated in my hand and I jumped unexpectedly as I settled into the driver’s seat. The screen lit up with a missed call and voicemail from yesterday.

  I vaguely remembered my phone ringing yesterday morning, though
I couldn’t understand why it was only telling me now. I connected it with the in-system Bluetooth and listened to the message as I drove out of the garage. I had no idea whose number it was.

  “Luna, it’s your mother. Just wanted a quick chat. Good luck with your exam tomorrow. Your father and I were hoping you’d come home for dinner on Saturday night to celebrate. Let me know. Love you.”

  As usual my mother had failed to tell me why she was phoning from a new number. I shouldn’t have been surprised, her mobile phone track record could beat any teenagers’ hands down. At least I knew I was definitely her daughter, clumsiness was obviously a family trait.

  I hit redial on the screen and listened to the ringing tone. The traffic was light this morning, and I took my time to take in the scenery. I wasn’t that eager to wait around before my exam started. “Luna, darling. How are you?”

  “Hi, mum. I’m fine thanks, a little nervous.”

  “Well, that’s to be expected, dear. I take it you got my message?”

  “Yeah, for some reason my annoying phone only just popped up with the message icon.”

  “Are you still using a replacement? Maybe it’s time you got a new phone.” I screwed my nose up, I didn’t want to go down the route of more new technology. I had more than my fair share of gadgets.

  “There’s no point mum, I’ll be abroad soon anyway.” I used it as an excuse, I could just imagine the cogs in my mother’s mind turning, concocting some scheme to buy me a new phone. “What’s for dinner tomorrow night then?” I knew if I distracted her long enough, she’d forget I even mentioned my stupid phone. One day I’d learn to keep my mouth shut.

  “You’re coming? That’s wonderful!”

  “You know me mum, food and I’m there!” I could hear her laughing away through the speakers in the car, and I smiled in response. The rain continued to hammer down on the windshield, and the back and forth motion of the wipers became therapeutic.