Fate's Song

Excerpt from: Fate's Song

“You don’t have a choice.”

Abagail Guthrie wound the telephone cord around her fingers as she listened to her sister-in-law rant and rave over the line. She did not need this. She’d come here for an escape, to get away from people, and yet here she was sitting on the phone with Mrs. Uppity.

“Abagail, you have to sell the cabin and split the money between you and your brothers.”

“Darla, Mom left me the cabin, and I will do what I want with it. You don’t have a choice in the matter. Quit pushing me on this.” She ground out every word through clenched teeth.

“I just don’t see how you can be so stubborn about this. Shutting yourself up in that place isn’t good for you. What about when you start touring again? You need to be in the city to work.”

“I’m not touring anymore. A fact that I’ve informed you of numerous times. I can work from anywhere and choose to do so from here. Now, if this is the only reason you’ve called, I’m going to let you go now. I have things to do.”

Darla exhaled loudly. “You are so selfish, Abagail. You don’t think of anyone but yourself. You—”

“Good-bye. I’ll talk to you soon,” she interrupted and replaced the receiver in its cradle.

Rolling her stiff shoulders, she looked at the piano and thought of the piece she was working on. Her head pounded and her entire body ached with tension. A walk, she decided. She needed the relaxation before settling down to work. She grabbed her jacket and scarf off the rack beside the door and headed out.

Breathing in the crisp cold air laced with the tangy scent of pine, Abagail let herself wander among the trees. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gone outside other than to run to the grocery store for food. She really needed to get out more. Music and composing were eating up more and more of her life. She yearned for something more, something fulfilling. But what? She didn’t have a clue.

Relationships didn’t interest her or fill the void that echoed within her. Sure, she liked sex, but that meant having a man around to distract her. The few relationships Abagail had indulged in hadn’t ended well. Once the men had realised that music was all for her, they’d split. Her last lover said he couldn’t be with a woman who jumped up in the middle of sex to run to the piano because a melody had finally clicked in her head. He made her sound so insensitive. Really, it had only happened that one time! It was just as well, though. She felt nothing more than a twinge of regret when a split up occurred, and the sex had never been that good, anyway.

Shaking the thoughts from her head, she continued through the throng of trees. Wet leaves scrunched beneath her boots and the musty smell of autumn filled her nostrils. Snow would be perfect on a day like today. Just a light falling. Anything was better than the drizzling rain that had persisted on and off the last week. She stopped and closed her eyes. Lifting her face to the air above her, she spun in a circle. Why had it been so long since she’d come out like this? She loved the outdoors, and yet, she kept herself chained inside at her piano. Why?

Cold kisses suddenly touched her face. A grin formed as she opened her eyes. Perfect. Large, fluffy snowflakes floated down from the heavens. She laughed out loud, the sound echoing through the forest. Resuming her walk, she soon found herself humming; her heart lighter than it had been in ages. She walked on for several minutes and thought of turning back. No, a little while longer out here in the air would do her good.

Prickles of awareness crawled over her skin, and she stilled. Faint notes of music drifted around her in time with the falling snow. That wasn’t music in her head; it was coming from somewhere.

Tilting her head, she strained to hear, to get an inkling of where it originated. Turning to her left, she began to weave through the trees towards the sound. Abagail’s heart ached at the sound of the haunting music. Her skin tingled as she sought its source. Faster and faster she moved until she almost ran. It kept changing directions. A small part of her brain told her this was foolishness. Chasing a song through the trees! But she couldn’t stop. She had to capture it. Even if she couldn’t find where it came from, maybe she could hear enough of it to have a chance to recreate it.

The music was louder, more intense. Her body vibrated in tune with the melody as she neared its source. Warmth rapidly spread through her veins as her mind wrapped around the sound, or rather the melody wrapped around her mind.

Suddenly she was face down on the damp ground. Damn it, she must have tripped over a log. Lifting her head, she groaned in disappointment. Silence had fallen over the forest like a blanket. Maybe the music had just been in her head. She tried to play the notes in her mind. Back on her feet, she brushed the snow from her body. Getting home quickly was the priority now. She had to get to her piano.

Turning back the way she came, she looked down, not wanting to trip over the blasted log again. All breath escaped her body and the blood drained from her face. It was a man!

Abagail dropped to her knees beside him and immediately felt for a pulse. Her shoulders slumped in relief when she felt it beat strong beneath her fingers. Though how it was so strong was beyond her. The man was like ice. He wore only jeans and a sweater—they were soaked and plastered to his body. Wet socks and tennis shoes covered his feet. His wet skin lacked any heat at all. How long had he been here? How had he gotten out here?

She shook her head to dislodge the questions swarming her mind and ran her gaze over the man. Myriad colourful bruises and scratches painted his face and a large gash underscored one of his eyes. He needed medical attention; that much was certain.