A Short Story Series
By: UNWITTING CONSPIRATORS
Tim was cold.
He’d run through the rain for over twenty minutes on what was supposed to be a quick little outing to gather supplies. The first day of their celebratory trip, and here he was.
He rolled his eyes at the million little reasons she wasn’t quite the luckiest woman alive, as she’d announced on Facebook to all her friends, rose to greet him.
He swung the mostly empty gas can in his hand toward the bushes just out of his reach and jammed the dripping wet fingers of his free hand into his loose front pocket.
He fished around to find his phone checking to see if he had a connection again.
Nothing.
He needed to find some way to contact her before she left. It would be rude of him to leave her hanging, and Lora never approved of rudeness.
He held his phone over his head as if it might bring back the hot spot that had invited him to leave the campsite so hastily in the first place.
He was simply living by her rule of treating every stranger with equal interest. It was only a coincidence that the stranger who’d approached him with such intensity was also eye-catching for other reasons. By her standard, he had no choice but to be as helpful as possible.
He picked up his pace again, sniffing an armpit to be sure he’d put on the right amount of deodorant to match the effort he was putting into this whole thing.
“I’ll tell you what, we’ll make it a game…” She’d purred.
“You said you’re camping in the mountains? I happen to be doing the same thing. And, I know these parts pretty well.”
The vision chuckled. “So later tonight, I’m going to take a cruise… And when your phone vibrates, telling you my hot spot is close by. You come to find me. Like cat and mouse,” The phantom echo whispered in. “Two strangers… no one will ever have to know.”
An offer like that doesn’t wait for anything long. The thought nagged as pictures drifted in, fishing dangerously close to a guilty excitement over the secrecy and playfulness of it all.
He thought of Lora, patiently waiting in the tent, probably playing some bejeweled game or reading something lame.
A spark of paranoia ignited. What if the rain washes the remnants of gasoline toward the tent opening? What if Lora smelled the evidence of the siphoned fuel? He’d felt so clever at first, draining the tank and demanding that they needed more wine and that ‘she’d deserved dark chocolates.’
He watched her eyes come to life through the memory as he rehashed it to be sure everything was in order. She’d laughed sweetly.
But, something in her eyes seemed different than usual at a second glance. Anticipation, maybe?
Tim pulled out his phone, pushing through his more honest thoughts with his usual; fulfill the mission at all costs and never back down, mentality. It had served him well in the military.
He suddenly felt like he was back in those times again. He was doing something daring, beyond his comfort zone.
His current enemy. Lora. The unwitting fiance and the family she was so excited to introduce him to.
He wiped the thought away, breaking into a run before realizing he was trying to find something specific, not cover distance.
It was too late to think to be overthinking. I made my choice. Tim thought. He would either nail this. Or not. Either way, he was going to get what he wanted. Right?
He brought his phone screen to life and checked to see if he had any bars of service.
Still nothing.
Tim opened the lock screen to the profile picture of the girl he’d met at the coffee shop that morning.
She had a sweet, somehow familiar face, and her hair had been in a messy but neat bun.
Just the way he liked them. She was confident. It was like; she’d pinned him from across the room and decided, that one. He’d loved the rush of it.
A flash of lightning lit the sky, casting its shadow down to the ground to illuminating the forest around him. Timmy squinted into the distance. He could have sworn he’d seen something crossing the highway beneath the thick canopy looming at either side.
He stopped in his tracks, realizing for the first time how ridiculous the entire picture might look from above.
The woman he claimed to love, waiting for him to refuel the gas he’d siphoned and dumped to go through with a dastardly plan involving a literal stranger. And all under the guise of grabbing chocolates and wine for his one and only lady. When all the while, he was the one planning on enjoying a sweet treat.
Damn it… He crushed the thought with a fist full of the gas can handle. Lora ruined everything lately.
His heart picked up speed again as he pictured the mysterious smile that had caught his eye from the shadowed corner of the coffee shop. She’d held his gaze captive while he’d made to the baked goods section he used as a reason to get a second helping.
Lora hadn’t thought anything of his lingering stares. Or so it seemed. But, that look she’d given him over the fire before pulling her phone up to check the time. Again, Tim brushed the thought away. It was nothing. He was acting paranoid.
This extracurricular trip was all her fault. Tim pondered the new direction of thought, slowing his steps. She was the one who’d chosen this charming place, the one who wanted to stop for a latte. He’d never have come if not for this out-of-the-blue trip. So maybe the whole thing was just a gift from the universe for doing the right thing and asking her in the first place.
He smiled, encouraged at the idea of destiny at work.
A flash of lightning plastered the sky with its light, casting its shadow down to reflect through the branches and gathering darkness.
The trees were getting thicker. Tim glanced around himself, appreciating the vastness outside of what his eyes were seeing currently.
The gas station he’d last had service was no more than around another corner or two. He shivered as another shock of lightning stopped him in his tracks.
He fumbled with his phone to engage the flashlight and pointed it out in front of his feet. His eyes crawled toward the next bend just as the next lightning flash came to pass.
Another shadow revealed itself in the passing light. It shifted strangely over the two-lane highway surrounded by mountain forests.
The little flashlight almost seemed to make things worse. Claustrophobia descended thick all around Tim. The idea of darkness shielding anything outside the small beam of light crept in. The combination of enough unknowns sent him soaring into action again. He nearly dropped his phone while disengaging the artificial light.
Tim blinked and rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, refusing to believe what he’d seen for a second time.
He cussed again and again,
Blowing off anxious steam under each breath.
When he looked down the winding road once more, the shadow had vanished. He couldn’t be sure through his readjusting eyes, but it almost looked as if the shadow figure were standing just outside of the bushes, watching him from across the two-lane highway in the opposite direction.
His breath caught. How would he explain being out in the dead of night and getting attacked by a bear or something? He hesitated. Then caught himself up again. Stop being such a wuss.
He’d been a marine after all. What the hell was he afraid of? He lifted his boot and felt for the knife strapped at the base of his ankle.
If it’s a bear, I can climb a tree or outrage it. Push comes to shove, and I can find some campsites nestled together and aim for it. Bears are antisocial. Everyone knows that. Suddenly he found himself wondering if anyone knew that for curtain or if it was just something book nerds said to seem bright and show their knowledge of something they’d never really seen with their own eyes.
Before he’d finished the thought, Tim found himself walking. Already convinced there was nothing stalking, it was simply his eyes playing tricks on him. The fanciful ideas pouring into his mind moved his feet forward one at a time. They carried him, almost against his will, the same way they had on patrols while overseas.
He smiled bitterly at the memories. Especially at night, his imagination had lifted him away from a doomed shell into a place where anything could happen. He picked himself and the boys laughing over whatever they could grasp at and but a face of humor too. That survival tactic had saved him. He was sure of it.
And then there was Lora. She had answered his calls anytime, day or night. She’d come through in a way most of the guys in his crews envied. Tim slowed in his steps again.
They had moved from place to place for his military career for most of their relationship. Tim frowned. A sting of guilt stuck him where his heart used to beat. They spent holidays with his family religiously since they were the only solid time he could get away from the base. Until recently, she’d never complained.
It wasn’t until he was getting ready to propose that he realized he’d only met her Step-mother, who happened to be in Italy at the same time as they had.
Tim had a close-knit family for the most part. Another flash of lightning broke through the canopy and his thoughts, unleashing a new torrent of rain. The large drops slapped over the pavement loudly.
His frown thickened through the invasive droplets. Lora stopped insisting he meet them altogether. He slowed his feet.
Something nagged at his gut. But when? Better yet, Why had she lost interest in him becoming acquainted with her roots? Until this moment, he mainly had felt relief over her, not hounding. It wasn’t until after the engagement that she made the offer again.
The phantom of an explosive argument poured through his memory.
“You promised this year we’d spend Christmas with my family. You knew how important it was to me, Tim. They were expecting us!”
“Come on, Lora. Don’t do this. My mom gets worried about me. You know how my line of work is. It’s never a guarantee.”
Nothing is ever guaranteed with you, Timothy. She’d said that right before walking away. She’d left to run errands or something. It had been at least three more Christmases since, and she’d never said a word about spending the vacations off base with his family, his loud brothers, the not-so-secret judgments of his sisters. She’d just kind of melted in, listening quietly like she always did.
In the last six months, she’d gone from quiet to venomous. She’d been very vocal about particular frustrations: The stagnancy in their relationship, her desire to start something careerwise, both of them living their best life. The unrest had driven him to spend his bonus on a nice big ring. One that might impress a man he’d never met, her father. She’d mentioned he’d be proud to have another military man in the family.
Suddenly Timothy stopped again.
What are you doing? The thought screamed. Lora outmatched him in loyalty. He was about to step out on the one person who’d stuck with him while he’d been off in the world, living his dreams, excelling in his career.
She’d always wanted to be a mother, she’d said so once, and here I am. He thought, suddenly feeling rotten inside. I’m giving her a ring that doesn’t belong to her. The thought sunk in. He’d been a dog in the manger their entire relationship. He didn’t want her to belong to someone else but was unwilling to imagine life with her and only her. Forever.
He went cold as if the storm were rubbing off inside him.
Had he been living a lie and forcing her to indulge? How long had she known? He thought back to recent arguments as he turned in his tracks. She had to know.
Loyalty, duty, respect, all of those were in his better nature in his best moments. He started to jog, making his way back up the hill.
This was a stupid mistake. Tim had someone who’d been willing to put up with him for so many years while he lived in two worlds, testing one while jumping into the other with two feet. How long had she known?
The thought coursed through his mind. It rushed through him, revving him up as he chewed on the realization.
And when they come around telling you their grass is greener, and they’re showing you a good front. Call their bluffs if you feel like a tough guy, but it’s better not to waste your time with fools using you as a tool.
The thought of his dad seeing him doing what he was about to do made Tim run faster in the direction he’d come.
Just know they’re only feedin’ you their best foot. Their grass isn’t greener, boy, but it’s easy to pretend when you’re on the outside lookin’ in. They’re showing you a poker face over a hand they don’t have. Focus on your growin’, and you’ll have a better view to observing it all. Take it from your old man. If you knew where I came from, you’d know there’s somethin’ better waiting for every generation coming. I’m just excited for you. You and that pretty darlin’ of yours, she’s the real thing, whatever you do, don’t forget that.
His dad was a wise man.
Tim shook his head as the image of the pretty girl at the coffee shop entered his mind. He couldn’t picture anyone they shared their lives with finding out he’d cheated, and that’s why the engagement had broken.
They had been arguing lately. Most people understand a sinking ship doesn’t offer much hope to its passengers. But why was it sinking?
He imagined a field of underwater mines, blasting at his command. A million little situations he’d kept to himself, letting them build to stand between him and someone who’d stayed despite her better judgment. He imagined the latest argument where she’d let that slip.
They’d been fighting because she’d been coming up with conclusions he didn’t like. He naturally wanted her less when she didn’t agree with everything he’d said, and the longer they’d been together, the less she seemed to agree with him. After the last big argument and his proposal, she stayed quiet in moments she might have laughed or asked him to expand on in the past. Even now, she’d nod along and let him get things off his chest. But he’d felt the distance growing.
Maybe this was the Kismet Lora always brought up. Tim let the thought slither in, slowing his steps toward the campsite and his soon-to-be bride. The idea of going back suddenly felt wrong.
He was divided.
He stopped again, realizing the rain had let up, the treeline was thinning so he could see the clouds rolling thick above.
They glowed orange and ominous green as they passed over, capturing the full moon at the other side. The forest seemed less oppressive. The internal fight mode had died to a dull roar.
Tim looked down at the gas can. Idiot, you still need gasoline.
He looked over his shoulder at the twisted pavement disappearing in a steep S curve.
I can do it in the morning, just say the rain got too heavy and I wanted to enjoy the trip with her, worry about the details later.
He smiled at the idea of how her face might light up and then cringed at having to pretend for another moment that he was even the slightest bit noble. Again the picture of the pretty stranger who’d slipped him her hot spot so he could connect to the internet at the ritzy coffee shop who charged 20$ to use the code and changed the password daily.
He scoffed at the idea of paying that much for something so standard.
He kicked another loose rock out of the way.
Not hooking up with a number like that was a crime against his checklist. She’d come on strong, made gestures he’d only seen on the internet, never in real life. She was bold. He stopped again.
She reminded him a lot of Lora when he’d first met her. A chill ran down his spine. She hadn’t always been quiet and reserved.
He remembered watching her proudly climbing a fire escape at the base of the tallest building in his hometown and inviting him to climb along with her after she’d safely reached the first landing. She’d already disappeared over the building ledge before he followed after.
He frowned again. When had she gone quiet?
How had he not noticed?
The answer was simple enough. He’d stopped paying attention.
You wanted this. The thought slithered in with the smiling cafe girl. You invited it.
Her eyes sparkled with the same light he still caught in his fiance when she didn’t think anyone wasn’t looking.
He’d caught her dancing around in the kitchen from time to time, grinning with her eyes shut. He’d stopped asking what she was thinking about, but he loved soaking in those moments.
Tim swung the gas can into a stray bush, imagined what she’d be doing if he came back, and surprised her before she expected him.
Then again, he’d been gone for a while, so maybe she was already long past the time of expectation and well into the annoyance he’d found lurking behind every corner recently.
He was coming around a bend in the road. The final stretch leading to their campsite entrance had come into view when his phone dinged again, stopping him in his tracks.
The notifications sounded for the first time since he’d hurried to step away from the campsite.
He opened it up, “Connect to AAA Hot spot.” the option prompted.
Tim hesitated again. He looked both ways as he stood dumbfounded at the fork in the road. Thankfully the rain had stopped, but the wind howled in through the opening in the canopy. It was cold against his wet clothes.
His finger hovered over acceptance before pressing down. What could it hurt, right?
It’s not like he was planning to go through with it anymore, but at least he’d have ammunition during his next lay.
After a moment, his dim phone screen brightened to show him he was now connected, though the signal was weak.
Suddenly a text bubble popped up—a Facebook message. The picture was the same one from the profile he’d been viewing.
You chicken out or what? I’ve been waiting forever.
He smiled, imagining the avatar laughing at him playfully from behind the message.
His thumbs remained poised above the screen, trying to think of something clever to respond with.
You didn’t get lost, did you?
The stranger prompted again.
He turned uphill to follow the fork leading back to his tent. Maybe it would be better to let this heat up slowly. See where it goes. He reassured himself as he typed out his reply.
No, sorry, I got tied up, can’t make it tonight.
Send.
Raincheck?…
Send.
The three dots of destiny appeared, stopping him in his tracks as he waited with bated breath.
Want something to remember me by until then?
Tim’s heartbeat quickened.
YES
Send.
You have to send me something first. It’s only fair. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours.
He smiled and released it. That sounded exactly like something Lora would have said in the beginning.
He looked up and in the direction of their campsite. He bit his lip before dodging behind the tree line to take a provocative selfie.
A camera flashed out of view, and he returned to the barely paved road readjusting his pants.
He held up his phone, peering at the screen for a moment before again hitting send.
Now it’s your turn.
*Smiley Face*
His heart sank with every second. The dots signaling a response didn’t appear.
He sat down and waited just above the fork in the road until he realized the time. Tim started to trot as the rain started falling in with the wind pushing against him. He checked to see if the Hot Spot was active, and it appeared stronger than it had at first.
He could see the first campfire and hear it crackling under the drizzle. He was sizing up the group sitting around its outer edge when his phone lit up again.
Tim’s heart skipped as he rushed to the other side of the active campsite.
When he opened his phone, he saw something completely different than what he’d expected, a notification for Lora’s Insta-story. He swiped past it and moved back to the message log. The dots of destiny rose and fell. They danced and then disappeared. He closed his phone screen again, and just as it was going back into his pocket, it buzzed.
New Message.
The lock screen proclaimed. Tim swiped and typed in his password, excitement rising as he realized the hot spot growing stronger. He looked behind. The road was still dark and empty. He opened the message, and in a single second, his expression flipped 180 degrees.
His eyes opened wide, horrified at what he was seeing. The last chapter of his life flashing before him with a picture and a single word.
Busted.
He slowly swiped his finger over the screen, switching to Lora’s Insta-story.
The same picture his mystery girl had sent popped up.
His fiance was laughing, Eyes closed while squeezing his new fantasy, who was glaring directly into the camera with a look meant for one person, and one person only—the engagement ring on Lora’s finger, highlighted with the caption reading.
“Here to celebrate the newest addition to the family!
(As you can see, nothing has changed 😉
#sistersforever! <3″
Timothy’s phone clattered to the ground. His mouth hung open, dumb-founded yet again.
It wasn’t Kismet. It was Karma.