Fates Plan

Fate, that mysterious, invisible being that twists and forms your life. Fate can be cruel, disruptive, it can be kind and generous. For all my life I've been at war with my fate, that which molded me, I fought it with all my might. I tried to change it, weave it to my own wills and wants. That's why I've ended up here. I fought the tide, brought the things I love to this point of recycling. I'm inhuman.

My fingers grip the styrofoam cup, its warm and filled with coffee. I want to drink it, to have its warm liquid fill my stomach with comfort. But no, I can't. I see her, feel her essence fill my heart to the point of bursting. Drawn by fate, we are like two asteroids propelling into one another. There is no way to stop it, no way to change what I've done.

This is our story.

I won't bore you with the time-travel, I will tell you this though: be careful what you wish for. It has never been truer than this.

She stands at the counter, waiting her turn to be served. Her long, gold-spun hair hangs in loose curls down her smart grey suit, she is slim and curvy. Her eyes would be of the clearest blue, eyes that could make any man fall to his knees and beg for her favor. Long graceful fingers tap the metal on her purse, she was always impatient.

I glance down and know my coffee has turned cold, stale. A normal man would get another, no? But I'm rooted here, I know if I move, she will see me.

"Avoiding her won't solve this, you understand."

The voice behind me is like nails scraping along the glass. The soft, sultry voice with a hint of venom calls me out on my weakness, I am afraid.

"I wove this fate just for you, Lord Raven, you asked and I gave. And you so shamelessly avoid my gift?"

I feel her fingertips coming up my back slowly, peaking at my shoulder and gripping tightly, painfully as she leans in to whisper.

"Though you avoid her, it will be as I will it. You will watch and you will learn to not insult Gods."

I turn suddenly but I know she is gone. The Goddess Denia, I prayed to her once, only once and my prayers were answered. And I, as a foolish young man, insulted her, mocking the gift she gave me with callousness.

Turning back, I notice her looking my way and cringe inwardly. Lowering my eyes more, I try with all my might to avoid those eyes. She can captivate me like no other. But I hear the distinct tap of her high heels on the marble, I can feel her presence getting closer and closer to me.

My hands are gripped together, my knuckles are turning white in my strain. I feel my hands begin to loose their  feeling. Then, like a beautiful angel, she sails past me and meets with another gentlemen. I feel relief beyond belief but my heart aches as she kisses him, I can tell they are together and I am aggrieved. I shouldn't be, I should rejoice and praise God that I am not he, that she may be happy without me.

But fate always has a way of making things happen, for they sit at the table in front of mine. I can see her clearly, sitting towards me and I am left breathless.

Long ago, when I first met her on the Isle of Ruby, her fathers island, I was this breathless too. Her beauty was rivaled by none, her pure skin was like alabaster, her rose bud lips sent shivers down my spine and her smile made the cloud part, making the sun shine down upon my unhappy existence.

Her eyes blink towards me, I catch myself staring at her and lowering my eyes. How could I be so stupid? Staring like a love-sick man. But that's all that this is, I am a man who's weakness, sickness is love.

I glance at her once more and catch my breath, her eyes shine in the light like two priceless gems, she is smiling like my Savan. Her face, the picture of perfection and her heart belongs to me, I was lucky in that. My dear, my love, my weakness Savan..

I stand abruptly, leaving my cold coffee behind and bolt through the stores doors. I run, I run as fast and as far as I can before loosing breath and collapsing in an alleyway.

"You really adore angering me."

I glance up at her and sigh. She is a beauty, this Goddess of lost love, her long black hair cascaded down to her knees in a tight braid, her stomach is exposed below a purple silk top that hangs off her shoulders and shows a generous amount of her bosom, from the waist down she is covered in the same but the sides are slashed with see-through mesh.

Her gray eyes bore into my green and I know she is scheming against me once more. Pleading with her now would be a mute point as she is stubborn in her ways. So I stay quiet and let her rant at me, like the weakling I am.

"How could you just run off like that? Is this not what you wanted? You have her back! Yet you run like a coward from her gaze, you run from your love!"

I shake my head, "I am running from what I know will happen."

The silence that descends is deafening, unnerving.

"Is it my fault you flaunted her like a prize? Saying you saved her with your bare hands? When it was my mercy, my powers that brought you her back. And as if to add insult to injury, you broke the promise made to

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 me. This is your punishment, you will watch and you will learn."

"I have apologized. I was young and stupid, I was naïve. How much more do you want? My blood? My very soul? Or are you after my heart?"

I hold out my hand and with my house keys I begin to dig into my skin, it takes a while but I begin to pull blood from my palm. I go until my hand is bathed and her face is showing her shock.

"Is this what you want? I thank you, I do for bringing her back to me when I needed her but I can't do this any more. You weaved her here, an innocent who I stupidly cursed like this. How much longer do I suffer at your hands?"

I drop to my knees, my heart is heavy and I can feel the warm trickle of tears falling from my eyes.

Purple satin comes into my view, her hands underneath my chin, raising it so we're eye to eye. Clouds gather in her eyes, I watch her tilt her head and frown.

"I gave you a condition and you broke it. You are a liar and you will get what you deserve, avoiding fate is not wise. Accept your punishment with dignity."

Hours maybe did I sit there, wallowing in my own self-pity. Breaking her rule, her easy, stupid rule cost me happiness.

Finally standing, I dust off my knees, ignoring the pain in my hand as I shove it into my jacket pocket. Coming out of the alley I look left and then right, people are walking in front of me like a blur. If only I could walk into them, become one of the blurs and forget everything.

I step onto the side walk, turning right I begin to walk towards my apartments street, its nearby and safe. During the years I've worked up a decent business, we buy and sell artifacts, going through museums and purchasing new display items for them. It is small but business is alright. Having a few artifacts myself, I know what is and what is not real. It helps, I suppose.

Turning onto my apartments street, I glance up and smile, the building itself is bricked, covered in vines. It is like a home I once owned long ago, when I had met another one of my Savan.

Then my mind turns black with smoke, I can smell the burning woods, the screams and pleas of those trapped within the walls of a home that held love and happiness. My hands burn as I see flashing images of my beautiful bride, covered in ash, burnt on one side of her body.. its horrible.. the smell.. its..

A random man bumps into me and I snap from my memories. Stumbling, I walk across the street to the front door, I walk up the winding staircase and make it into my small apartment. Once inside, I fall and hold myself.

"Darren!?"

I still, the voice of my good friend Farion echoing in my brain. My brain tells me to get up and smile, joke as if I just pranked him but my body still feels hot, my hands still grasped around the body of my beloved. Her screams echoing in my mind like a constant reminder of what's to come.

"Darren, for the love of God, what happened!?"

He comes over and helps me up. He examines my face and sees that I'm sweating as if with a fever but he feels me, the confusion in his face tells me I feel normal to him. I wave him off.

"Leave me be, I will be fine when I get some rest."

I keep my eyes downcast, avoiding his concerned gaze. Abruptly I turn from him and make my way to my own bedroom, I can hear him follow me and I hear him about to say something, only to be silenced by my closing door.
Clicking the lock in place, I press my ear against the door. I can hear him breathing from the other side and then his departing footsteps. Pressing my back against the strong wooden door, I am breathless still. Memories that I should never have let in, that I should have buried with my former lives have crept their way back into my life.
Damn Denia, damn Savan.
I press my good hand against my face and sigh.
How could I damn Savan? In my rush of anger at Denia, I cursed at the one person who could bring me joy in this life. It was a hasty thing to say.
But no matter, I cannot see her again. Never, no matter how much Denia weaves her into my life, no matter how much she has played with my fate and the lives of those I love. I won't watch her be destroyed again, I won't destroy her.
I grab the tissues on my dresser and press them against my injured hand, then I fall face-first against my massive bed, the downy sheets welcoming me, the scent of freshness makes my worries wash away as quickly as they had come. I run my calloused hand across their softness and my mind is pulled back again. I compare these sheets to the skin of the one whom I love.
Reality kicks me back, the sheets loosing their very essence of comfort.
A knock on the door has me swinging my head towards it, approaching it I hear my roommate on the other side. He is talking to someone and my heart drops, how can she be here?
Opening the door, I am relieved. He is only on the phone and it looks like its a business call. For the first time today I find my smile, work always had a soothing effect on me.
"Yes, he is here. Hold on."
I ignore his look of worry and take the phone with a boys excitement.
"Hello? This is Darren Raven, may I ask who is calling?"
There is a breath on the other side of the phone, a soft, excited inhale.
"My name is Savan McAlister. I'm to understand you deal with special artifacts? I'm in need of a respectable company to make sure my artifacts come to our museum intact."
No.
I must of heard wrong.
"Excuse me, I'm sorry. What was your name again? You cut out for a moment."
I hear the phone brush against something, maybe cloth, it creates interference for a moment and then she clears her throat.
"I'm sorry, I said my name is Savan McAlister."
As if it were poison, I thrust the phone at Farion and shake my head. He looks confused, hurt even but I shake my head firmly, making it clear that I do not wish for this contract.
His mouth opens, I know he's about to protest. At this moment I hate him for being so stubborn. Again, I shake my head.
Farion grabs the phone and in his most cheerful voice says, "Apologies, Ms. McAlister, my boss was pulled away very suddenly. He will call you back at his next convenience."
He turns to me, to say what he was going to say but my glare silenced him. Again, I close my door on his concern, again I shuffle to the bed that should have comforted me. But it doesn't, in the growing darkness of the setting sun, I am alone with my memories, my fears and my doubts.
In the growing darkness, I fancy the demons of my past are dancing about the shadows on the walls. Playing merry with the happiness that was once mine. But as the sun sets, I watch as they cower and are eaten by a great monster. The monster which I carry with me, the monster to which I will forever hate.
My fate.

Author's Note

I chose a different way of writing, I find I like it. As you will see, we are only seeing the world from Darren's point of view, his thoughts and his emotions only. Please, if I made any errors or something seems wrong, don't be afraid to tell me. I would like to go far with this concept and I hope you all enjoy!

Reviews

[zainul]

You captivated me by your amazing words and style.
Nice work indeed.