If I called this 'Portent', would it be too determinist?

"I'm going to have to drive over there. It's no problem. I'll be there in ten or fifteen minutes," Carl said.

Luckily for Julia, nothing bad ever happened in Hartford, West or not. Except today. This morning it was as if her worry summoned up a demon from the detritus around her.

She tried to focus on her book, but her mind kept drifting back to that snap of fear she had felt at John's first comment. Her eyes stung. There was an odd smell she only caught every few seconds. It was a bit like rubbing alcohol but with a hint of citrus, like fermenting leaves. She looked around. All the people remained in soporific stupor. She felt so helpless. If these people came to life and started walking stiffly towards her, she couldn't even run and hide. She would have to scream and clutch at her useless, defunct foot. Maybe it would turn on her too.

She shook her head and turned back to her book. No zombies here. Carl would get there any minute. Then, out of nowhere, the ragged old man was flung into the seat nearest Julia. He was more torn cloth and and dried bodily fluids than he was man. Julia imagined a bird caged in car engine oil rags, falling futilely there. There was no way the man was doing anything of his own volition. Temptation must have come from the silky voices of the dust devils and sand spirits, the inhabitants of what-ever mystical city had forsaken him here. His name was Elijah, and he gripped Julia's hand as if it held the one answer that would save him from such an existence, as it were water, as if he might find sustenance by which he might survive in her fingers' marrow.

He looked Julia in the eye and she could not look away. In his pupils, she thought she saw endless, utter sorrow. Remorse, the pestilence that plagued this man's soul. In her mind, she imagined she was struggling to pull her hand away. In reality, she did not move from that spot for years afterward. He spoke quietly, his teeth black and pushing at each other.

"Don't listen to his words. You're a china doll, beautiful. Beautiful. You could never be one of us. Keep to the narrow, hee-hee! And fate will be your guide! Do not listen to him. He wants-a make you. The need will be your ghost! Keep to the narrow! Keys the narrow! Arrow...arrow. Keep the boat afloat you're row-rowing. Row-row-rowing..."

Then he was gone. Julia wasn't sure how long she had sat there. Carl was shaking her. Hey...hey sis. You look like you've seen a ghost. His words came from far, far away.

She limped to the car. They drove in silence for awhile. Buildings gave way to trees. Carl turned on the radio, "We tried singing a slow down beat 'cause you ain't used to how fast we touched. Then we locked eyes, and I knew I wasn't there..." Julia reached out and pushed the volume button, turning the radio off. "You know I hate that song." Carl looked at her and said, "I guess. You okay?" Julia started to move, rummaging through her bag and pulling out a CD. "Julia, I don't have a-" "Why do you have to be such a hippy, Carl?" She grabbed her CD player and from the glove compartment an audio-casette connected to a cord. She put her CD in and put the cassette in and pressed play. "What a beautiful face I have found in this place that is circling all 'round the sun. What a beautiful dream that could flash on the screen in a blink of an eye and be gone from me..."



"And you call me the hippy."
"Shut up. It's beautiful. It's about Ameila Earhart."
"Y'know what's beautiful? Frontin'."
"You're a neophyte."
"Uh-uh, you forget, I'm not a freshman anymore. Wait, shut up! What was that back there? You were just sitting there. You really scared me."
"Just messing with my little brother." She looked at him for the first time. "I'm sorry. I'm really tired. Where are we going?"

"I was just driving around. I drove past my place ten minutes ago, but I didn't want to disturb you. I didn't want to pull you from some hippy meditative state and leave you a vegetable for the rest of your life. It's already such a chore looking after you." Julia glared at him and he broke into a grin. "Now that's the Sissy I know."
"Don't call me that. Are we going straight to New York?"
"I think we both need sleep, besides-"
"You left some girl at your place! That's why you didn't pick up right away!"
Carl's grin only got bigger. "Yes, and no."

They pulled up to a white two-story building. "You've been living here? It's so pretty," said Julia as she limped up the stairs. "Geez, Sis. You weren't kidding with that sprain. Your ankle looks like a melon!" Carl tried to help her, but she brushed him off. Reaching the top, she hobbled down the walk. Carl crab-stepped around her and strode quickly to his apartment, opening the door and mock bowing her in. He was relishing this a bit too much; she couldn't be as disdainful as usual when she was depending on him.

A statuesque man stood directly in line with the doorway wearing only a towel. His broad shoulders were silhouetted by their reflection in the mirror behind him.
"Ben!"
"Hey, Jules! What's shakin'? I was just about to jump in the shower. Good thing you didn't come in a minute ago." His smile lit up the dim room. "You look beat," he said as he came to give her a one-armed hug, the other holding up the towel.
"What're you doing here?"
"What, you don't check your e-mail anymore? My internship got postponed, so I'm touring with The Act for June. I figured while we were in Trinity territory, I would stop by and check in on young Cap, here." He reached over and toussled Carl's hair.

They were only three years apart in age, but Carl idolized Ben. Julia did too, in a way. The three of them had grown up together. Carl and Ben had gone to school together, while Julia had been at a private school half an hour drive away. Ben had been captain of the football team, a defensive back, and had given Carl the nickname "Captain Planet" when Carl had taken up a dozen different environmental causes in the 10th grade. Ben hadn't gone quite the route of a football captain, though. He had chosen to go to Brown on a soccer scholarship despite other offers. There, he had met the other members of The Act. It had started with a passion for juggling and had escalated into a full on traveling circus act. Ben hardly looked the part of a clown now, though the floppy shoes didn't keep him from being quite acrobatic in performances.

"Carl said you needed an escort down to New York, and I thought I'd volunteer my services. Carl is...well, he and his flat here are otherwise occupied." With that, he moved back towards the bathroom. "You can share my bed," he said over his shoulder, indicating the couch. "I have a performance."

"Carl, what the hell?" Julia hissed.
"He's the no." Carl pushed the door to his bedroom open. "Lindsay's the yes."
"You're passing me off for some girl? And to Ben!"
"You guys'll have a blast. And she's not just some girl. I think she could be the one. I'm serious. I'm gonna call Mom and Dad, let them know I met the girl I'm going to marry."
"How long have you even known her?"
"Two days. So what? She's perfect. She spent last semester in Japan fighting to save the dolphins."
Julia caught her retort and gave Ben the look she reserved for moments when she wasn't sure how much of his shtick was an act. Regardless, she was tired of letting him goad her.
"I have to use the bathroom."
"I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you joined him in there."
"Oh, go sleep with your stupid dolphin lover."
"No arguments here!"

Julia sat on the couch, waiting for Ben to emerge. She could hear him singing and, in the bedroom, muffled voices. Left alone, she couldn't help returning to the thought of that old man. She thought she saw someone reflected in the TV screen and turned to look behind her, but there was only a Klimt print hanging on the wall.

Ben stepped out of the bathroom, bathed in mist. He ran the towel over his hair. "You're not gonna knock out, kid? Hey. What's wrong?"
She looked up at him. What would she say? Some homeless guy had spooked her?
"I have to pee."
"All yours, doll."

She shivered at the odd endearment but went into the bathroom. She closed the door and stood in darkness a moment, her hand feeling the cool metal of the knob. She flicked on the light. The moisture swirled around her. She looked at the shower door and felt the air go suddenly cold and lifeless. Scrawled in the condensation were the words, "I'm watching you."