Scent

Godammit, broke down again! The trusty Toyota that’s been my faithful friend since college has finally failed me. As luck would have it, also in the middle of the night and middle of no where. I coasted to a stop along the side of the heavily wooded two lane highway. Smoke pouring from under the hood I reach for my cell, No service! This is getting better by the minute. Think Mark, wait, walk who knows… I exit my vehicle and wait, zero cars, one hour then two. Screw it ! I’m walking somewhere. Has to be a house, gas station, a passerby somewhere. I did leave a note, grabbed my coat locked the doors and down the road I went. After about an hour a break! Lights in the distance through the woods. I turned and followed down a long drive way. ...

Part One Christina lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling fan as it made slow, lazy circles above her. “Hemmin, hemmin, hemmin,” it seemed to say to her in its perpetual hum. “Hello, Mr. Ceiling Fan,” she murmured. “How easy life is for you. How easy, how predictable. Last year at this time you were spinning above me, not a care in the world. I lay here looking up at you and was much the same. Tomorrow you will still be spinning here, going around, and around, and around, your place in the world assured, but I…” ...