The Ferryman (12 page)

Episode Six

Fate vs. Fortune

They made love three, four, twelve times. Karen lost count. She only knew that it went all night long, and it was the best dream she’d ever had. Fate had lost her power, and Fortune had taken control of Karen’s life. They celebrated the victory in bed, and the whole thing had appeared so real. She felt both exhausted and refreshed.

Karen smiled at the ceiling. Things were changing for the better in her life, but she didn’t want to leave the afterglow of the dream. She sighed as she counted the random marks on the ceiling and wondered who had made them and how. Several of them looked like smudges from a round object, like a tennis ball. A few were irregular splatters that were hardly detectable. They could have been from fluids used to clean the ceiling fan. Or other things. Maybe a previous renter had owned a water bed that had exploded. All she knew was that the marks were from water and they spread out in different directions like firework trails in the sky. She rolled over and felt the ends of her hair brush the top of her left shoulder as she moved. She adjusted the strap of her new nightgown, caressing the silky fabric a few times between her thumb and index finger before releasing it. It felt smooth and daring like Fortune.

It wasn’t long before she heard the first crash and sat up. It was the unmistakable sound of cheap porcelain shattering. She heard two more crashes in quick succession and identified the sound of broken china skidding across a hard surface. The noise was slightly muffled, which made her think the source came from downstairs. It had to be coming from the kitchen. It was the only room on the first floor with enough uncarpeted flooring to break anything. It could have been Claude making the noise, but she was pretty sure he hadn't missed the bus that morning. She’d heard his footsteps running down the stairs and the sound of the door slamming when he left. His departure had shaken the house, and she never heard the door open again. It couldn’t have been him, and no burglar would make so much noise. It had to be Fate.

Karen flew out of bed and raced down the stairs, stopping only when she reached the kitchen. Fate was facing away from the door when Karen entered the room.

Karen glanced around to assess the damage. There was plenty, and Fate stood in the middle of the mess, dressed in an olive-colored linen dress that was slightly fitted. She was pulling dinnerware from the shelf, briefly surveying it and then throwing it backwards over her head towards the wall behind her. Karen ducked to one side to avoid being hit in the face.

“What are you doing?” Karen screamed.

“Cleaning,” Fate replied in a distracted tone as she studied the next culinary victim.

“Why are you breaking my dishes?”

“These plates are atrocious.” Fate spoke in an understated manner that didn’t match the violence of her actions. “Since you’re on a shopping spree I thought I’d help out. You need a few things besides clothing, and that’s what I’m here for: to help you.”

“You’re not here to help me,” Karen replied as she dodged another plate. “Are you angry with me? Are you trying to get even?”

Fate spun around on her heel and looked Karen in the eye. Karen folded her arms in front of her nearly exposed breasts. The bold red of the nightgown called attention to how little of it covered her pale skin.

“I might be angry, but I don’t get even,” Fate said pleasantly.

“It was just a kiss,” Karen said.

“Oh, it’s not the kiss. That was nothing.”

Karen blinked. Was Fate bluffing?

“Then what?” Karen demanded.

“You had a job to do, and it’s still undone. Now, I could never blame a woman for shopping, especially when she buys some very tasteful clothes. However,” she paused here to look up and down Karen’s nearly naked body, “shopping when you should be working is unacceptable.” She turned back to the cabinet and pulled out the remaining stack of plates. “Completely unacceptable,” she said as she threw the entire stack against the wall behind Karen, who did her best not to cringe at the noise. “You will finish that job today.”

“It’s practically done already,” Karen insisted as she ran her fingers through her unwashed hair. She noticed herself trembling slightly and felt the need for motion to calm herself. She smoothed her hair a few more times.

“Practically done is undone,” Fate replied. “It’s like being practically pregnant or slightly dead. Things are done or they’re not. If the work isn’t done, then you’re no closer than you were.”

“But I am close,” Karen insisted as she folded her arms in front of her chest again. She leaned forward and continued to elaborate. “She wasn’t ready yesterday, but today I think I’m going to get lucky.”

Fate cocked her head to one side, her perfectly styled hair bobbing a few times before settling in place again. She folded her arms in front of her chest as she studied Karen with renewed interest.

“Lucky?” Fate spoke as if the word tasted like smoke. She waited for a moment and then asked, “What did he promise you?”

“Who?” Karen asked.

“You know who we’re talking about.”

“I thought you knew everything before it happens.”

“I do.”

“Well, then you should know what he promised me.” Karen smiled as she settled her weight on one foot. She felt steadier now.

“I don’t know what he said to you because it’s never going to happen, but I’m sure it was probably something vague like ‘I’ll make your life better’ or ‘I can take away all your problems.’”

“He didn’t say that.” The smile melted from Karen’s face like a Popsicle on the dashboard of a hot car.

“He said something like that. Don’t try to fool me. After all, I’m married to him and know how empty his promises are. Sure, he occasionally delivers on one, and he does it often enough to keep you hoping, but it’s just enough to keep you hooked. All the while you’re doing nothing while your life falls apart.”

“And are you any better than he is?” Karen challenged. “Can you offer me a more attractive alternative?”

“That remains to be seen.” Fate turned around to close the cabinet door. She faced Karen one more time before vanishing and spoke in a slow controlled voice, “Finish the job or you’ll experience anger unlike anything you’ve seen before. You have until midnight.”

“Just like Cinderella,” Karen said quietly after Fate had vanished. The noise of her departure sounded like a blip in a bad film edit. Karen laughed to herself, thinking about editing Fate out of her life altogether. She swept up the broken plates, feeling even more like Cinderella but with a sexier wardrobe.

It took longer than she thought to clean up the mess that Fate had left behind. Fate was stronger than she appeared in her tiny frame and chic outfits. Some of the plate shards were embedded in the wall, while others had scattered into the next room. It was amazing how far a mess could travel when someone wanted to make a point. Karen tried to pull one of the shards from the wall and it sliced into her finger. It smarted like a paper cut. She took her time bandaging the small wound and then returned to cleaning up, using pliers to pull the rest of the plate shards from the wall.

When she was finished, Karen dressed in the new clothes she had purchased the day before. She had used some of the money she had gotten when she sold the ancient coins she had found the night she met Fate. She thought about Fate as she put on a tan sleeveless linen top and matching pants. It was a good day for linen. The outfit was roomy enough to breathe so that she wouldn’t feel stifled in the heat. Dressing in new clothes made her feel stronger, as if she could make an impact on the world. She looked herself over in the mirror and then headed down to the bus stop with confidence.

She arrived just before 9:15, but there was no sign of Nancy. Karen stood on the sidewalk and waited patiently. For the first few minutes she paced back and forth to pass the time, but at about 9:30 she sat down on the bench, wondering if she should continue to wait.

If she left, she might never find Nancy again. She didn’t know where to look. It hadn’t even occurred to her to ask for Nancy’s last name so that she could research where she once lived or where her children had gone. After considering her lack of foresight, Karen felt that she had no choice but to wait. She turned her face towards the traffic and inhaled the rich scent of unburned fuel vapors. It made her cough and her eyes watered until the vapors cleared.

She passed a little time by watching the cars going by. As each one rushed past she felt her new clothes flap in the air as it circled around her. As each bus stopped and opened the door for her to get on, she quickly waved it forward. She had been there for about an hour when she began cursing Fate.

“I hate it when she’s right,” Karen said quietly. “I wish Fortune were here. He’d know what to do.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of bright light, like the sun glinting off a gold coin. At first it was so bright it was painful, but then she turned to look and saw Fortune smiling down at her. She felt a warmth rush over her whole body as if she’d been resting on the beach. Everything was going to be all right.

“You look beautiful!” he said as he opened his arms. Karen stood up and immediately felt weak. She felt the heat blooming on her face as she recalled her dreams from the night before, but at the same time she felt dizzy seeing Fortune in person. Her first impulse was to rush forward and embrace him, but she wasn’t sure if that was the right thing to do. He was so perfect. She didn’t want to ruin anything.

“I had a dream about you last night,” she whispered. She felt the dryness returning in her throat and attempted to swallow.

“I hope I delivered everything you wanted from me.”

Karen felt the heat spread down her neck and over her chest.

“I see that I did.” He smiled impishly as he spoke.

“It was only a dream,” Karen answered after she had turned away to collect herself for a few moments. She stared at the moving traffic as she inhaled deeply a few times. The harsh smell of diesel fuel and burning oil sobered her up.

“Nothing is only a dream,” he replied as he stepped forward. She turned back to face him again. “After all, our dreams are what make reality bearable. We couldn’t live without them.” Fortune was close enough to embrace her, and Karen wished he would. “You have amazing self-control,” he added with admiration in his voice. He didn’t break eye contact as he spoke. Did he know the effect he was having on her?

“It’s probably learned,” she said absent-mindedly as she reached up to stroke his cheek with the back of her hand. “You’re very beautiful. I’ve never seen such gorgeous eyes.”

“I’m here to help you,” he said in a whisper. “And there are so many ways I could help.”

Karen wanted to kiss him again. She could taste it like it was already happening, but then she recalled how Fate had appeared the last time. She didn’t want that woman sweeping him away again.

“I need to find the ghost that was here yesterday,” Karen said as she swallowed hard. It would be so much easier to run away with Fortune, but Karen knew there was no escaping Fate. She needed to break the contract in order to be free, and getting out of the contract would take time.

“She’s right behind you,” Fortune whispered. He blinked a few times as his eyes traced the path up and down Karen’s left cheekbone. “I brought her here.” He moved his face in closer to Karen’s, and she wrapped her arm around his neck. He brushed his lips lightly across hers, and Karen felt her whole body leaning forward for more.

“I guess I lost track of the time,” Nancy said loudly, “but that’s no reason to become a whore.”

Karen stepped back from Fortune. She turned around and looked over Nancy from head to toe. Karen felt that she had changed so much overnight, but the ghost appeared to be the same.

“No money changed hands,” Karen said between her clenched teeth.

“That’s your business,” Nancy replied as she waved her hands in front of her. “I don’t care what you do.” She looked over Fortune as he bowed graciously in her direction. “Although that’s the kind that will knock you up and leave. Mark my words. He’s the sort. All fun and games until there’s some responsibility needed, and then he hoofs it out of the scene.”

“Thank you for the generous warning,” Karen said flatly.

“I’m just trying to help you out, honey. It’s hard enough raising a child with a husband, but it’s nearly impossible without one.”

“Sage advice!” Fortune kicked in with enthusiasm. “I admit that I am captivated with her, but the last thing I want is trouble.”

Nancy looked away and stared at the ground. After a few moments Fortune caught her eye, and the ghost smiled shyly for the briefest moment.

“Where did you go?” Karen asked.

“I walked around,” Nancy replied as she turned to look back at Karen. “I saw what happened to my house.”

“And?” Karen asked.

“It’s gone.”

“What?”

“Yes. There’s a Taco Bell where it used to be. The whole street is gone, which is sad because we had a great family-centered community there. We all helped one another.”

“Did you find out anything else?”

“Cars are faster. Stores stay open later.”

“What about your family?”

“I didn’t find anyone, and I’ve decided that’s why I can’t leave. I need to know that they’re okay.”

“What?” Karen asked as she scrunched up her face. “I gave you all night!”

“Well, it’s not enough time, and I’m not in a hurry. The world has changed, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t children who don’t need me.”

“This isn’t the way that it’s supposed to end!” Karen whispered to Fortune forcefully.

“How was it supposed to end?” he asked as he leaned closer to her again. He put his head right next to hers so that their foreheads were almost touching. His hair brushed her skin.

“She’s supposed to be ready to move on,” Karen whispered. “She needs to leave this world and go into the next, but she won’t go until she thinks she’s ready.”

“Well, then, I’ll make her think she’s ready,” he replied. Fortune swiftly walked over to Nancy.