NaNoWriMo 2020: Episode 29

(Read a summary of the story up to now here. Or start at the beginning here.)

Where does one drive to when a madman with a gun is on ones tail? Do you drive to the safety of other people, or do you drive away from them to keep them from harm? It all depends, really, on just how crazy the madman will turn out to be and sadly at this point we have no way of knowing. Is it a risk worth taking, to be dashing straight into a populated area, or would that be not unlike using other people as a human shield? How much damage to other people would this man be prepared to do, knowing that by doing so he would also ruin his chances of ever laying his hands on the stone – or performing any kinds of summoning rituals if he ever did, because it is difficult to do so when in prison. Would he risk his years worth of work, as he himself put it, just to get even for her treachery of replacing the necklace and the stone, with one of Coco’s earrings, and put it in an aluminium box underneath the mill? Coco had been a bit miffed about losing the earring, it would be poor repayment if people were to die over it. On the other hand, how much clear thinking and consideration really goes on in a mad person’s mind when they are caught in their own rage, and approaching the point where they are trapped in their own doings, or undoings, and have nowhere to go but onwards – over dead bodies if necessary. If he was prepared to murder one for the stone, would he be prepared to murder several?

Helena’s thinking is hardly as clear as this as she shifts gear and concentrates on not hitting trees or potholes while going as fast as possible. This is no road for cars but for tractors, and the suspension is suffering greatly, but she must go on and get away. Get away or die. With gritted teeth, Helena takes a gamble and takes her eyes off the road to glance in the rearview mirror. Can you believe it, he is actually following her? Two figures can be seen running up the track behind her, one behind the other. They are far away and the distance is growing of course, but she cannot stop or slow down. Panic rising again, she puts her foot down on the accelerator. 

A bend in the track puts the two men out of sight at last, but this is hardly reassuring. She cannot keep running forever, and anyway it is time to finally make that decision that is hurting her brains. Where does she drive to? Does she leave this man in the park, with all those visitors on this day that is promising to become beautiful at last? Oh gods, let’s hope she doesn’t hit one as she is crashing through the forest like this! She shifts down again and grips the wheel. What now? Does she drive to the visitor centre, or home, or… 

She grins and takes a deep breath. 

Or to the police cars that are waiting at the end of the drive. There are two of them, as well as a number of officers standing by the trail – the trail that leads to the meadow where they had so carefully marked the empty spot the night before. Dear Rick, he remembered where it was. Helena approaches the police, still at a decent speed, and one of them starts shouting at the others so they get out of the way. Several of the officers now pull out weapons and kneel on the track. They shout at her too, probably to stop although she cannot make it out. She hits the brake, though, and sticks her hands up. 

However in the rearview mirror she sees the first man already come around the bend. He slows down at the sight of the police and hesitates… The second man also appears. He has a shovel in his hand. As Helena and the police look on, in what is no more than an instant, he hits the first man on the head from behind.

Fred is standing over his husband, panting, and throws the shovel down to the ground.

Come back tomorrow for the tying of the final ends! And thanks so much for reading. This is a choose-your-own-adventure style nanowrimo where readers helped me plot an adventure. I will be trying out now stuff now and again, and would love it if you could pop by again sometimes. Subscribe by using the buttons on the right or follow us on Twitter. Thanks!