How Fortunate.

C**t, clat, c**t, clop.

The harsh sound of high heels hitting pavement.

Amelia Butcher seemed to run faster than the cars racing down the city streets as she dashed down the sidewalk.  She held down her hat lest it fall off her head from all of the bobbing of her brown locks of hair.  Amelia was going to be late.

Very late.

She had made arrangements to meet her good friend Jenny at Chop Suey, her favorite Chinese restaurant for lunch, but Amelia lost track of time in the darkroom at the Globe.  She had left her photos in the fixer much too long and had to process them all over again, and in doing so time just slipped by her.  She was in a hurry to get them done because she didn't want her co-worker Jordan getting his photos published instead of hers.  She had to prove her worth as an employee…as a woman.

She was running as if a maniac were pursuing her with a machete.

Amidst all the many scents of the city the aroma of fried lomaine flowed into Amelia's nostrils – she was close, maybe only but a block away.  If she hurried she'd only be fifteen minutes late at most.  Good.  Not too late.

Amelia wrenched the door to the restaurant open, almost knocking over a waiter with a tray full of eggrolls in the process as she dashed up the stairs before the hostess could barely say "Would roo like a seat?"

Amelia rushed across the dining area to where her friend Jenny was sitting all alone, stirring her tea.

"There you are!" exclaimed Jenny, "Do you know how late you are?" she questioned as she took a small sip from her cup.

"Well…" Amelia started, "…about…well, you see- there was this…and, well-"

"At least you're here," Jenny cut her off "I ordered for you.  Egg foo yung with a side of sweet and sour soup.  I hope you don't mind, it's just that you're fifteen minutes late.  And, well, I figured that it we'd be easier for both of us if I just ordered for you."

"Oh…that's fine," Amelia replied, pushing the matter aside and settling down "You know me, I'm always late," she said as she slung her purse over the back of her chair.  They both laughed together just as the waiter brought their food.

Amelia ate her food with much distaste, she hated egg foo yung, and Jenny knew that.  They conversed over their food for awhile before the waiter brought over two fortune cookies and their bill.

Jenny opened her fortune cookie first and then urged Amelia to do the same.

Amelia unwrapped the delicate cookie, making sure not to break it.  She opened the cookie and carelessly read the fortune.  The fortune read;

 

Beware of the green in others, for the red in them may follow you.

 

"Wow," Amelia thought, "that was kind of dark,"

Jenny asked what it had said when she looked up and saw the look on Amelia's face.  Amelia told her what it said and they both sat there puzzled for awhile before Jenny spoke.

"I don't get it…oh well," Jenny said reassuringly, "I wouldn't worry about it; it's just a silly little fortune cookie anyway!"  Jenny picked up her coat and her purse "Well…I've got to head home now!  Ha, good luck.  I'm so jealous that you have a job, I'm stuck at home taking care of my husband and my kids!  Can you believe it?  I have kids," she chuckled "I wish I could be a modern woman like you."

"It's not as great as it seems, really," reassured Amelia "Women aren't really too accepted around the work place still, it seems that most women with jobs are just secretaries or should I say sexretaries."

They both laughed.

"Still!" Jenny said shaking her head "Plus!  You're beautiful too, I mean look at you!" she said as she eyed Amelia up and down.  Amelia's green sweater only enhanced her beauty; her beautiful red-brown hair, her fair skin, and the beautiful shade of bright red lipstick that she wore.

"Ha!" Amelia exclaimed as she grabbed her things "Well!  I must be off to the Globe, I need to show my pictures to my editor before Jordan can get a chance to."

Jenny waved goodbye, her bracelets jingling as Amelia made her way down the steps to the street.    

 

 

Amelia rushed into the Globe, knocking over a stack of papers from a desk as she scurried over to her boss' office.  She knew that she had to present her photos before Jordan had a chance to.  She ran and took her photos off the drying rack and rushed to show her boss, Mr. Thornton. 

He flipped through them as she stood there nervously, tapping her foot, watching intently.  He made peculiar faces as he examined each photograph.  Mr. Thornton finished reviewing the photographs and slammed them on his desk before shouting "These are some of the best damn photographs I have ever seen!  Good job Ms. Butcher!" he stopped and winked, "Especially for a woman."

Even though she should have taken it as an insult, Amelia took it as a compliment, seeing as she knew she wouldn't get anything better.  After thanking Mr. Thornton she left the office right as Jordan entered. 

They exchanged glances.

Amelia felt pride rise up inside her as she went into the darkroom.  She never even dreamed that she would have got that good of a compliment from Mr. Thornton.  She laughed to herself.

Then suddenly she felt her spirits drop. 

What if Mr. Thornton had lied to her?  What if he was going to choose Jordan's photos over hers?  Questions piled up in her mind, but she didn't have much time to think; the door was opening.

At first Amelia couldn't tell who had entered the room – the sudden burst of light blinded her and all she could see was a menacing silhouette hanging over her. 

The light adjusted and she began to be able to make out the face of Jordan.  He looked quite menacing in the faint orange light of the darkroom.  His eyes seemed to be aflame.  He stood over her in silence, she was nervous and her palms were sweating.  "What do you think you're doing?" he finally asked her, the force with which he asked the question almost toppled Amelia from her feet.

He repeated himself.

"I…don't know what you mean…" Amelia responded bemused.     

"You know damn well what I mean!" shouted Jordan, slamming his fist against the counter.  The liquid in the trays of the fixer and developer sloshed around in their containers, making waves.  They looked like the waves of a fiery ocean.  "You come in here and you out me!  Mr. Thornton picked your photos over mine.  Don't think that you have any skill or that you even belong here.  You should be at home, cooking and cleaning.  Or perhaps sewing.  Ever try your hand at that?  This is a man's world and maybe you should just stay out."

Amelia just stared at Jordan's face, which was now right up against hers.  His flaming eyes glaring back at her.  She trembled before she spoke, "Or maybe you're just scared.  Scared that you're not as good as you think and terrified that a woman is better at something than you are.  So you better just turn around with the dignity that you have left," she breathed heavily "because you're going to need it."

Jordan took a final glance at her before he stormed out of the darkroom, slamming the door behind him.   

 

 

The cold night air came as a shocking blast on Amelia's pale skin.  She pulled her coat closer to her as she shivered.  "Damn," she thought, "I missed the night bus again…and there's not a cab in sight.  Guess I'll be walking home tonight."

The streets were silent as Amelia maneuvered her way through them.  The only sounds that could be heard were the faint and distant echoes of the highway traffic.  It was a calm night and Amelia was glad that no one was around.  It gave her some time to think. 

CRASH!

Amelia whipped around and saw a trash can lying on its side.  The contents of it scattered about.

"Must have been a cat," she thought.

Amelia continued to walk, a little unnerved, and a little frightened.  She could have sworn that she saw something in one of the adjacent alleys.  She's just being paranoid she thought.  It was nothing.  "Just a cat," she told herself over and over again.

When Amelia was merely blocks from her house she heard another rustling from an alley.  Amelia dared not move from her spot so she tore out her camera from its bag.  She aimed it at the alleyway and snapped a picture. 

The flash went off and Amelia could have sworn she saw the silhouette of a man leaning against the run down old apartment building.

Before she could examine the odd shape closer, it had disappeared.  Amelia rushed the remainder of the way home, terrified and panic-stricken.         

She ran up the stairs to the building, taking two steps at a time, rushed to her room, fumbled for the keys, unlocked the door, and bolted it behind her.

Amelia sank to the floor in relief.  Good.  She was safe now.

Getting ready to settle down Amelia threw her coat in the front closet and set her camera on the kitchen table.

A sudden wave of exhaustion overpowered Amelia as she started for her bedroom.  As soon as she hit the bed she slipped into her unconscious and remembered nothing further.

Black.

 

 

The soft afternoon light slipped through the drapes and landed on Amelia's face.  It took awhile for her to stir but she slowly regained consciousness.

She was in her room, and it was a good thing too, she half expected to wake up in some maniac's basement tied to a chair.  The relief was good enough for her to start her Saturday right.  Amelia glanced over to the clock on her nightstand.  "Well," she thought to herself "…at least I can start my afternoon off right," as she made her way into the kitchen.

Her camera wasn't on the table.

Strange, she must have put it away and forgotten about it. 

Since the time for breakfast was long gone Amelia called up Chop Suey for a delivery.  She ordered her favorite; popped rice with shrimp.  The delivery would take about half-an-hour, just enough time for Amelia to get ready. 

There was a buzz at the door and Amelia rushed to answer it.  It was her food.  She opened it and excitedly sat down at the table to eat it. 

She finished in minutes, it was the best meal she had ever had.  She ate all but her fortune cookie, which she struggled to open.  The cookie cracked open with a soft crack and she pulled out the fortune.

 

Behind you.

 

Before Amelia even had a chance to react there was a familiar jingling from the coat closet as the knob slowly turned. 

Reviews

[WriterMe]

Cliff hanger story... damn, I found myself screaming 'nooooo' at the very end.
I wanted to know why did you leave the story that way? Was there more to it? Did I miss something or this was just to suffice the role of fortune cookies in our lives? Haha. A very good write. There were a few low points in the story line but that was not an issue. I like the simple flow of the story. Everyday life, with everyday happenings. Except for fortunes coming true- that I believe is something out of ordinary.
Great job =]