What now?

285 words

“Oh my God Kate, wait until you see it!” Justine was excited about her new car, “it’s bright red. I’ll pick you up in ten?”

Justine pulled up outside her friend’s house.
Kate flew down the path, pausing just long enough to admire her friend’s birthday present.
“It’s fantastic, you’re so lucky,”
“There’s a festival on in York, I know it’s a long drive, but I want to try out the car, shall we go?”


Visitors to the festival, crowded the small town, the pubs in Main Street were overflowing. Buskers on every street corner added to the fun, aromas of different food stalls mingled and made the girls realise how hungry they were.

Kate spotted a small striped tent, and a sign that read, ‘Fortunes told here. $10.’
She nudged Justine, “Want to see what fate has in store for us?”

Justine’s eyes adjusted to the gloom, an old man was sitting in the corner.
“Come in, I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.

She sat opposite the man, who took her hands and closed his eyes. Those eyes opened suddenly and thrust her hands away.
“I’m sorry,” he said, I’m feeling too tired to do this reading, I’m closing for the day.”
He stood, shooing the girls out into the bright sunlight.

They looked at each other and laughed,
“What a strange man, at least we saved a tenner.”

Driving home along the dangerous stretch of road, Kate wondered why the old man hadn’t wanted to tell their fortunes. “Do you think he saw something and was afraid to say?”
The girls were considering this when the car ran out of gas.

They heard the truck’s brakes squealing behind them.

BOOM!