TillForPie
First Post
Postcognition
The blanket of stars is replaced by a bright Arizona sky in an instant and Chance finds herself in the same spot as before. She instinctively tries to check her watch, as if to make sure she arrived at the right time, but of course, she's not really here.
Harper is sitting on the bench, idly strumming on the guitar in his lap, with Crow beside him. Nearby there are three squad cars parked outside the Gold Dragon buffet.
Chance fast-forwards a few moments until she sees the buffet door open. It's Law in his uniform, and he's making his way across the parking lot with a box of food in his hands. Chance fast-forwards again, watching Law cross the lot toward Harper at high speed, slowing down once he's reached the bench.
"You might want to vacate," says Law. "I have a feeling you've had run-ins with Officer Bailey in there." Law extends an arm, offering the food to Harper. "He's been feeling a bit... hostile, today."
Harper reaches out to accept the food, when a woman's voice cuts in from beside Chance. "This is Nazareth?" Chance swivels her point of view around to get a look at the new arrival. She's in her late 20s or early 30s, blonde hair in pin curls, wearing a sleeveless seersucker dress that looks like it was ripped right out the 50s. "This is where it all started." She gives the two men a crooked smile, briefly revealing white teeth between bright cherry lips. "You're Law of course. And you..." She looks Harper up and down. "Agnasci? No. You're Harper."
Where'd you come from? Chance rewinds, watching the three pantomime their conversation in reverse. Then the woman is gone. Chance plays the events forward again at normal speed, this time keeping an eye behind the bench.
"You might want to vacate," says Law. And the woman is there, suddenly appearing out of thin air behind the bench in a split-second that Law is glancing back toward the Gold Dragon during his explanation. Chance plays through that moment a few more times. In one instant there is only empty space, and in the next the mystery woman is there. She doesn't have to glance around to get her bearings - as soon as she appears she's on a path around the side of the bench to Law and Harper's side.
"This is Nazareth? This is where it all started." She smiles at the two men. "You're Law of course. And you... Agnasci? No. You're Harper."
Law and Harper both look over at the newcomer in surprise.
"Ma'am I'm not sure what you're talking about," Law offers. "I am a police officer if that's what you meant." He smiles.
"What? Who are you?" asks Harper, pulling to his lap the food he'd accepted an instant earlier. "And what started here?"
The woman's smile is a knowing one. She seems otherworldly. "Earnshaw. And I guess you wouldn't know yet, huh?"
Beep beep!
A cab is pulling into the parking lot from off the street.
"That's my ride, fellas!" Earnshaw scurries to the car. "And boys," she shouts back at them just before getting in, "he goes left!"
Harper sounds exasperated: "Who goes left?"
And the next moment Chance is standing back in the present, in the darkened parking lot.
The blanket of stars is replaced by a bright Arizona sky in an instant and Chance finds herself in the same spot as before. She instinctively tries to check her watch, as if to make sure she arrived at the right time, but of course, she's not really here.
Harper is sitting on the bench, idly strumming on the guitar in his lap, with Crow beside him. Nearby there are three squad cars parked outside the Gold Dragon buffet.
Chance fast-forwards a few moments until she sees the buffet door open. It's Law in his uniform, and he's making his way across the parking lot with a box of food in his hands. Chance fast-forwards again, watching Law cross the lot toward Harper at high speed, slowing down once he's reached the bench.
"You might want to vacate," says Law. "I have a feeling you've had run-ins with Officer Bailey in there." Law extends an arm, offering the food to Harper. "He's been feeling a bit... hostile, today."
Harper reaches out to accept the food, when a woman's voice cuts in from beside Chance. "This is Nazareth?" Chance swivels her point of view around to get a look at the new arrival. She's in her late 20s or early 30s, blonde hair in pin curls, wearing a sleeveless seersucker dress that looks like it was ripped right out the 50s. "This is where it all started." She gives the two men a crooked smile, briefly revealing white teeth between bright cherry lips. "You're Law of course. And you..." She looks Harper up and down. "Agnasci? No. You're Harper."
Where'd you come from? Chance rewinds, watching the three pantomime their conversation in reverse. Then the woman is gone. Chance plays the events forward again at normal speed, this time keeping an eye behind the bench.
"You might want to vacate," says Law. And the woman is there, suddenly appearing out of thin air behind the bench in a split-second that Law is glancing back toward the Gold Dragon during his explanation. Chance plays through that moment a few more times. In one instant there is only empty space, and in the next the mystery woman is there. She doesn't have to glance around to get her bearings - as soon as she appears she's on a path around the side of the bench to Law and Harper's side.
"This is Nazareth? This is where it all started." She smiles at the two men. "You're Law of course. And you... Agnasci? No. You're Harper."
Law and Harper both look over at the newcomer in surprise.
"Ma'am I'm not sure what you're talking about," Law offers. "I am a police officer if that's what you meant." He smiles.
"What? Who are you?" asks Harper, pulling to his lap the food he'd accepted an instant earlier. "And what started here?"
The woman's smile is a knowing one. She seems otherworldly. "Earnshaw. And I guess you wouldn't know yet, huh?"
Beep beep!
A cab is pulling into the parking lot from off the street.
"That's my ride, fellas!" Earnshaw scurries to the car. "And boys," she shouts back at them just before getting in, "he goes left!"
Harper sounds exasperated: "Who goes left?"
And the next moment Chance is standing back in the present, in the darkened parking lot.