At a second light, she gazed up at the sky. Jules was flying up there somewhere. Finna thought back to the day she and Jules met. It was at the café on Cresent Street, when Jules dropped her high-calorie dessert on Finna's new leather fisherman sandals. In conversation, Jules conveyed her philosophy ... the no coincidence factor. The two were destined to meet ... one owning a gallery, the other an artist.
She could imagine Jules loose in Paris. Coming to know the woman as she did, the first two days of the trip would be spent checking out the paintings, the rest of the time, the painter.
"Go for it, girl. But you better come back," she whispered with a smile, and veered onto Old Coast Road.
She hated this road. While it was a great shortcut to the other side of the island by the light of day, it could be disastrous in the dark with its miles of sharp turns, slopes and no streetlights. While trying to find the cutoff back to the main boulevard she became tense remembering the stories she heard from the islanders claiming the dreary stretch as haunted or possessed. A chill ran down her spine as she anxiously glanced in the rear view mirror, almost expecting to see someone sitting in the back seat. What was wrong with her anyway? She was acting like a child spooked by a stupid legend, most likely made up to attract tourists.
"Focus, Finna," she whispered to herself. "And find that cutoff."
A light fog curled around the car. She turned down the high beams, hoping to improve her driving perception. All she wanted was to be home, safe and secure, in her 1830's renovated carriage house. It was a small, quaint rental, furnished with thrift shop finds; but at the present, she longed for its comforts, eager to kick off the black heels that were persecuting her toes. It had been a long day. Hell, it had been a long week!
With one hand, she searched for the Beethoven CD left on the side console, hoping the comforting notes of her favorite piano concerto would take her mind off the sudden eerie sensation that washed over her. Finally finding the disk, she freed it from its container, and inserted it into the dashboard player, only glancing away from her driving for an instant.
With her gaze returning to the road, Finna was astounded to discover the mist parting around the figure of a woman beautifully dressed in a white gown. Boldly, the young female stood in the center of the desolate way, her raven tresses flowing to her waist, a vision so awesome it caught Finna's breath.
In a heartbeat, all movement slowed. Finna's own gasp sounded like it had come from someone else, as the bright light that shone from the lady momentarily blinded her. Spellbound and weightless, like a soaring seagull over the ocean, Finna felt herself being pulled into the scene before her. If not for the sudden blast of music from the dashboard player, the enchantment would have entirely taken her over.
The lethargy was instantly replaced by speed, and the sound of her own screams alerted her to swerve the car to avoid hitting the woman. The Toyota's tire ran over a jagged rock on the side of the highway, the explosion ricocheting through the dead of night. Finna lost control of the car and did the worst thing possible; automatically her foot jammed on the brakes.
The old coupe became airborne before rolling several times down a slope, shattering the windows around her. Finna's chin struck the steering wheel, and she bit her tongue, the copper taste of blood filling her mouth. The seatbelt kept her from being thrown, but not from being bounced. Her left shoulder smashed against the door, and her right knee hit the underside of the dashboard. The airbag failing to open left her no protection, and her chest hit the steering wheel. Pain cut through her.
"Oh, God!" she screamed. She was thrown sideways, cutting her head on a jagged piece of glass. Warm blood trickled down the left side of her face. Finally, the car came to rest on all four of its tires at the bottom of the embankment, its roof partially caved.
)
Halloween night Finna Tarellie travels home via Old Coast Road. Swerving to avoid hitting a woman standing in the center of the road, Finna crashes. Lifted from the wreck by the mysterious woman, who speaks telepathically, Finna's told she's chosen for a special mission and must right a terrible wrong.
