Inevitable

by Tamara Hart Heiner

  I closed my eyes and felt the sharp blade slide against my throat. He grunted loudly. The pressure let up and the ground shook next to me. I jerked back from the burning pain, my scream silenced by the gag. Warm liquid flowed down my neck and a bright light blinded me.

  “You wanted to talk to me, Dekla?”

  I opened my eyes to see the tall blond woman floating in front of me. Her white gown drifted around her bare feet. I could see her features in sharp detail now; the high cheekbones, the pearly white skin, the stormy blue eyes.

  “Laima,” I said. My voice left my throat with a ringing clarity. I touched my hand to my neck, a jolt of surprise going through me as I recalled my last memory.

  “Yes,” Laima said, arching a pencil-thin dark eyebrow. “Your throat has been cut. In your mortal body.”

  “My mortal body?” Ah. That explained some things. “So I’m dead now?”

  Laima smiled. The corners of her eyes crinkled up to match her lips. “No, Dekla. Not now. Don’t you know who you are?”

  I frowned, feeling completely confused. A moment ago I was being murdered, and now I was having a conversation with a goddess... in heaven? “Well, apparently there’s some uncertainty on the issue. I tend to think of myself as Jayne. But I guess I’m also Dekla?”

  “Yes.” Laima took my hand. The warm softness of her skin radiated up my arm, calming my nerves. “You are my sister. There is another, Karta. Together we decide the fate of mortals.”

  At that moment I felt it. I felt a connection to Karta and Laima as ancient as the pyramids. A feeling of belonging and power stirred in my chest. “Where is Karta? Is she immortal?”

  “No.” Laima shook her head. “Like Dekla, Karta decided to give up her immortality in exchange for immortal powers. They are distributed among women of her choosing, who also help me in deciding the fates of mortals. Just like you.”

  Just like me. “But I don’t know how to help anyone.”

  “All you have to do is ask, Dekla.”

  That’s what Adelle had said, too, but it still made no sense to me. “I don’t understand.”

  She leaned closer, so close I could only see her eyes. “From time to time you’ll meet a person whose fate hasn’t been decided. Each time you do, you’ll see a possible fate, and you get to have your say.”

  “Really?” A dozen visions of various deaths flashed behind my eyes. Guilt sickened my stomach at the thought that I could’ve saved them and didn’t. “But how?”

  Laima took a step back. “You ask me to change it.”

  “That’s it? That’s all I have to do?”

  She nodded. “But that doesn’t mean I will change it. I will consider your request. And you only have the power to change the deaths of youth. If it’s an adult, you must appeal to Karta.”

  My mind reeled with the concept. “So I have to find Karta? And how will I know if you change it?”

  A smile again, as bright as the first rays of sunlight. “I will tell you if I approve the change.”

  She hadn’t answered my question about Karta. But before I could ask again, her smile faded, and she continued.

  “But you must be wise, Dekla. All people die eventually. You must consider their entire situation before you make a request. There is a cost that comes with each change.”

  A knot formed in my chest. Of course. “What is the cost?”

  “Ten years of someone else’s life.”

  I jolted. “Ten years? That’s kind of a lot!”

  Yes,” Laima agreed. “So judge wisely.”

  “But whose life? Whose life will I be affecting?”

  “You won’t know.”

  “All of the deaths I See are horrible,” I whispered. “I want to change all of them.”

  “But you cannot.” She studied me. “As your powers grow stronger, Dekla, you will be given more responsibility. You will have more visions. You can change their deaths, but remember the price.”

  Aaron. My sister. Harold. Mr. Harris. How could I choose between these people?

  Wait. Mr. Harris was an adult. I couldn’t change his. “How can I find Karta?” I asked again, suddenly feeling that this was very important. I couldn’t do my job properly if I didn’t know where she was.

  Laima let go of my hand. “You will find each other. It’s time to go back, Dekla.”

  Back. I jerked, inhaling. “But I will die.”

  “No, you won’t. That is not your fate.” Laima took a step backwards and morphed into a swan. The bird craned its long neck toward me before the clouds faded to darkness.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Static and murmured voices filled the air around me. Rough hands pressed up against my cheeks, and then a face hovered in front of me, brilliant white back-lighting him. “Jayne?”

  “Are you an angel?” I whispered. My neck began to burn, and I whimpered.

  “Help is on the way, Jayne.” The face blurred and I closed my eyes. Nothing made much sense. I’d think about it later.

  

  I opened my eyes to a yellow room with pink and green helium balloons floating above my bed. It took me a moment to recall my last moments. My hand flew to my neck, touching a cloth bandage. A white cord dangled from my index finger, and my movement triggered an alarm.

  A woman dressed in blue scrubs rushed into the room, followed by my mother.

  “Jayne?” Mom cried, then she rushed to me and threw her arms around me.

  “I’m alive,” I croaked, surprised at the sound of my voice. Raw and scratchy, like it hadn’t been used in days.

  “Hello, Jayne,” the nurse said, smiling down at me. “I’m Catherine. How do you feel?”

  “Confused.” I frowned. “I thought I was dead.”

  “You almost were. You had a six-inch gash across your neck, nearly slicing your carotid artery. If it had, you wouldn’t be here.”

  I pressed a hand to my neck, horrified. My fingers brushed up against a thick bandage.

  Catherine didn’t notice my expression. She adjusted my I.V. and consulted a chart in her hands. “I’ll let the police brief you. I know they wanted to know when you awoke. Does your head hurt?”

  “A little.”

  “I’ll bring you some ibuprofen. Let me know if you need anything else.” She left the room.

  I tried to turn to my mom, but the searing pain in my neck stopped me. “Mom?”

  “I’m here, Jayne.” She leaned over me and smoothed my hair. “We’ve all been so worried about you. Look, this is from Dana.” She drew my attention to the balloons and a hand-drawn card. It showed a blond stick figure with a giant frown and great big blue tears.

  I laughed and opened it. I love you and I’m sorry!!! Please get better!!

  I looked at my mom. “How long have I been here?”

  “Two days, honey.”

  Two days. Two days of which I could recall nothing. “Was I in a coma?”

  “No. Just resting.”

  Someone knocked on the door, and then Lieutenant Bailey walked in. “Welcome back, Jayne. I’ll keep this brief.”

  “Nice to see you too,” I replied.

  He nodded. “We’ve got the man in custody. It is, of course, the man you said it was. My question is, how did you know? Did Hannah really tell you?”

  I flattened my palms on the white sheet. “Mom? Can we have a moment?”

  “Of course.” She shot him a look and then walked out, closing the door behind her.

  I cleared my throat, wincing at the tightness. “No, Hannah didn’t tell me. Not exactly.”

  Triumph flashed in his eyes. “Did you even know her?”

  “I met her right before she died.” I hesitated. “I saw her future when we met.”

  He blinked and stared at me.

  I shrugged. “That’s why I lied. I didn’t want to take the time to convince you.”

  “You saw the future.”

  “Yep. It happens sometimes.” I touched my throat again. “Take it or leave it. How did you find
me?”

  “Your boyfriend called us.”

  “My boyfriend?”

  “Said he went back to your car to talk to you. He thought at first you’d found a ride home, but then he noticed your cell phone in the road. Your phone was beeping a message that you were late for our meeting, so he called me. While on the phone, someone in the cornfield shot your windshield out.”

  I gasped, immediately remembering Mr. Livingston. “Was Aaron hit?”

  “No, but it was probably meant for him. He got in his car and sped out of there. I sent out a K-9 unit. Apparently we were just in time.”

  “You could’ve shown up a little sooner,” I said dryly.

  A fleeting smile passed over his face. “Touche. You still thought I was an angel when you saw me.”

  I remembered the figure hovering over me when I came to. “Oh. That was you.”

  “You’re welcome. You’ll have a scar, but at least you’re alive.”

  “Thanks,” I whispered. “What about Mr. Livingston? Did you find him?”

  He frowned at me. “Who?”

  “The shooter. Mr. Livingston. My high school teacher. They were brothers.”

  Bailey was scribbling on a notepad. “He’s probably long gone by now, but we’ll get someone to his place.” He shifted his weight and looked at me. “Well, unless you have anything else to add, I’ll be on my way.”

  “Nothing else.”

  “Are you willing to testify in a court of law?”

  The thought made me shudder, but I nodded. “Of course.” Heaven forbid I should experience any other visions at this man’s hands.

  “We’ll be in touch, then.” He paused. “And, for the record—if you should happen to... witness... a crime again—you can call me.”

  I smiled. He did believe me, then.

  My mom slipped back in as soon as he left. “I just called your father. He’ll be here soon.”

  My mind was still buzzing from Lieutenant Bailey’s words. “Has a boy named Aaron been here?”

  Mom hesitated, as if she’d been fearing this question. “You mean the one who called the police?”

  “Yes. Looks like Superman?”

  “No, honey.”

  My heart sank. It had been a chivalrous gesture, then, helping me. He’d done his job and now we were through. Really and truly. “Thanks, Mom.” I reached over and squeezed her hand. “Thanks for being here with me.”

  

  They kept me for two more days to make sure I had no permanent trauma from my injuries. The worst injury was my cut, and after the nurses showed me how to keep clean it and rebandage it, the doctor released me.

  Dana came to see me four times in that two-day period, always with an offering of chocolate or candy and once with my very own bag of Dum-Dums. Aaron didn’t come at all.

  My mom helped clear out my room before I was discharged from the hospital. I paused in the doorway. “Mom, will you wait for me at the car? I need to say hi to someone first.”

  She looked at me, her aqua eyes registering surprise. But she only nodded. “Of course.”

  Thanks.” I hurried toward the elevators.

  A nurse stood over the empty bed in Adelle’s room, stripping the sheets. My heart fluttered. “Excuse me.”

  She glanced up at me and straightened. “Yes?”

  “I’m looking for Adelle. Did she switch rooms?”

  Her brow knit together in a sympathetic expression, and I braced myself. “Are you family?” she asked.

  “No. Just a friend.” My eyes wandered around the bare room, missing all the photos and flowers from my previous visit. “She died, didn’t she?”

  “I’m so sorry. She died two nights ago.”

  I nodded, my heart wooden inside my chest. I’d just missed her. If she had just held on two more days, I could’ve told her my experience with Laima.

  Wait a minute. Two nights ago I was brought in. Coincidence? “Do you know what time she died?”

  “Not off hand. Sometime after dinner.”

  The hairs on my arms stood on end, and I lifted my shoulders up and down briskly. Right around the time I... didn’t die. Too weird.

  “What did you say your name was?” The nurse stood still, her brown eyes watching me.

  “Jayne. Jayne Lockwood.”

  “Oh, thank goodness I remembered.” She pushed past me, and I slid against the wall to let her out of the room. She grabbed up a file at the nurse’s station and rifled through it. “Here.” She thrust a folded piece of paper at me. “She left this for you.”

  I stared at it. My name danced across the top in pretty, feminine script.

  “Go on.” She waved it.

  I need to know this, I told myself. I took the paper and moved into a small sitting room. I collapsed inside an oversized chair and opened the notebook paper.

  “Dear Jayne,

  “It’s lacrosse season. I’ve been following the team closely and know that the tournament is almost over. Which means, very soon your life will be threatened, and mine will come to an end.

  “If you are reading this, I am dead, while you have faced death and survived. You might be wondering how I know this, or you may have already figured it out: I Saw you.

  “It was about five years ago that I met you in passing, at a grocery store. We made eye contact, and in an instant I Saw your death at the hands of the serial killer. Something about you spoke to me. I couldn’t bare it, and I cast the judgment for you to live.

  “But Laima didn’t approve it. She said the actions you would take as an investigative journalist would lead to the same fate over and over again, and she could not change you.

  “There was only one way for me to save you. I had to pass Dekla on to you.

  “Perhaps you were angry at me for choosing you, for giving you the gift of Sight. I hope now you understand. I gave my life to you. The very next day I lost my immortality and was diagnosed with cancer. I didn’t mind. I have lived more years than I should’ve been allowed, and I knew I could not live forever. Someday, you also will choose someone to inherit Dekla.

  “You have the gift now. Use it wisely and be grateful for it. You hold power in your hands.

  “Your eternal sister,

  “Adelle”

  I read the letter three times, and each time it sank in a little deeper. Then I straightened, fresh resolve steeling me. I was alive, and I had a purpose.

  I also had a boyfriend to win back and a sister to save. There was no way I was letting them die the way I’d Seen.

  The police were kind enough to return my cell phone to me, and I called Aaron on the way home. The call went to voicemail. I hesitated, not quite sure what to say. “Aaron, it’s Jayne. I wanted to thank you. And... talk, if it’s not too late. Anyway. Thanks.” I hung up, feeling like an idiot and not daring to glance at my mother.

  What did I really want to say, anyway? That I wanted him back? That I didn’t care about Libby? That I was such a fool to push him away?

  Maybe.

  My fingers paused over the keyboard before I sent my next message, but I couldn’t be so proud that I didn’t thank her. Quickly I typed out to Laima, “Thx for helping me. Ready to start. Help?” I watched the phone until we got home. No response.

  Mom got me situated on my bed, fluffing up the pillows for me. My cell rang, and I grabbed it. My hope was extinguished when I saw, “JT’S.” I groaned. “Hello?”

  “Jayne, it’s Tom.” His deep voice filtered through the line, disappointment heavy in his tone. “I hate to do it, Jayne, but we’re going to have to let you go. You’ve missed work for three days without calling in.”

  “Tom, I’m so sorry!” I cried. “I’ve been in the hospital. I wasn’t conscious. I’m so sorry nobody thought to call you. You see, I--”

  Tom cut me off. “That may be true, Jayne, but you are simply too unreliable. We’ll have to find someone else. I’m sorry. Good luck.” He hung up, obviously not caring at all why I was in the hospital. All he wante
d was a reliable employee.

  “Well, there goes that job,” I sighed, tossing the phone off the bed.

  “What?” my mom cried, incensed. “I’ll go over there and talk to him. That’s not right.”

  “No, it’s fine.” I had to admit I felt a certain sense of relief. “I didn’t like the job anyway. I’ll find another one.”

  Beth came into the room, dropping her eyes and shuffling her feet as if waiting for me to reprimand her for entering my domain. I smiled at her brightly. Now that I knew I might be able to help her, everything was different. “Hey, Beth. Miss me?”

  Tears filled her eyes. “I thought you were going to die.”

  “Nope, not me.” I opened my arms and she rushed to give me a hug. I exhaled, feeling dizzy with emotion. It wasn’t too late to salvage my relationship with her, either.

  Beth pulled back. “Does it hurt?” she asked, touching my neck.

  “No. But I might have a scar.”

  She smiled. “You’ll look like you were beheaded.”

  “That might be fun.” My words slurred at the end, and the exhaustion hit me like a semi-truck. I closed my eyes just for a moment.

  “Come on, Beth,” Mom whispered. “Let her be.”

  

  I slept most of Friday away also, waking up only when my mom came in with food. I checked my phone every time my eyes opened. No Aaron.

  “How can I be so tired?” I complained to my mom when she brought dinner. “I wasn’t even that hurt!”

  “It might be emotional, honey.” She smoothed my wavy hair and kissed my forehead. “You took a terrible blow.”

  Maybe I was depressed. I closed my eyes and hunkered down for another snooze.

  The doorbell chimed and Mom closed the door to my room. A moment later she poked her head in again. “Jayne.”

  “Hmm?” I startled from sleep, blinking rapidly.

  “There’s someone here for you.”

  I sat up and patted my hair down. “Who?” My first thought was Dana, but my mom would’ve said that.

  “It’s a boy. He gave me his name, but I can’t remember it. I think it might be that one. You know.”

  Aaron. “Oh!” I gasped. “Do I look okay?” I didn’t wait for her to answer. I knew it would be a lie. I pushed myself to my feet, using the bed for support. My Mickey Mouse pajamas weren’t going to cut it. “Help.”