When Our Fates Collided

CHAPTER 1

Petra Blossom

They say life is a roller-coaster but the roller-coaster has ups and downs, right? Well, my life has only downs...

But things changed.

My parents are travellers. And I spent most of my life with my grandma. But I left the city, where I lived after my grandma passed away and went to my grandma's original house which was on the outskirts of the country. Between all this mess there was an increase in the amount of fine dust in our country. Everyone was taking all the precautions and always wore masks. I didn't know what to do or work. I looked around the city like a tourist. I stopped by a small restaurant. It was decorated very beautiful inside. I ordered a simple afternoon lunch. After having the meal, I had to go to the restroom. As I was walking, I noticed that the kitchen and the restroom were just next to each other. I used the washroom and when I came out the building was shaking crazy. There was an earthquake. I am Petra Violet Blossom, and I quote my life is none less than a fiction novel! I walked out of the restroom. Everyone was panicking. Few went under the table and a few rushed out. I knew I couldn't make it to any of the tables so I ran into the kitchen and took shelter under the table. There I saw a cook under it, looking scared. He was wearing a mask but I could make out that he was really scared.

"Hey, are you, all right?"

He didn't reply. I sort of guessed he wouldn't reply. That's how things work in my life anyway. Surrounded by disappointments. The shaking stopped. You see, you should never leave just because you thought the quake stopped. It can come again anytime. So, I remained sheltered under the table. But the cook got up and rushed towards the door.

"Hey, stop! You don't know if the quake has stopped or not. Come back!", I yelled. The guy totally ignored me. Seeing him leave so confidently I thought maybe he knows better. So, I got up too. But... Shit! As soon as I was near the exit of the kitchen, it started shaking again. It was getting scary in the kitchen. I went out. I started panicking. I didn't know where to go! But suddenly someone pulled me from the back. It was the cook and there was another guy with him with his mask down.

"We got this! There is an emergency exit here.", said the guy next to the cook.

"Ya, like you are not lying!", I yelled.

"It is true! Come with us now!", he screamed.

The quake stopped again.

"You are in a god damn customer outfit and you were telling me about the emergency exit. Look, the freaking cook is quiet! And wear your fucking mask properly."

The quake stopped.

"Is that important now? The quake might start again, so come with us, lady!", said the guy fixing his mask.

I stared at the cook. The quake began again.

"I can't hear you because of the mask. He is telling the truth, come with us", said the cook while using sign language.

"What?! I am sorry. I trust you now!", I said in sign language and aloud. "Lead the way, mister!", I said to the guy. I followed them and we quickly went out. The quake stopped again and we ran to the road. Everyone was thankfully out, uninjured.

"Thank you", I said the cook in sign language.

'You're welcome.', he replied.

"What about me?!", asked the guy lowering his mask.

"Thank you, too.", I said with my emotionless face.

"Okay.", he shrugged a little and then he spoke, "How do you know sign language?"

"I had to learn it, so I know it.", I said along with my hand gestures so the cook could understand too.

"You don't have to do that. He can read lips.", he said.

"Oh...", I said, nodding. So, he wasn't ignoring me earlier? That's good.

"But you need to know. You are wearing a mask."

"Oh, right!", I said feeling silly.

"You're not from here, am I right?"

"Yeah."

'I thought the same. I have never seen you around.', said the cook.

"So, are you a tourist or are planning on settling?"

"Probably settling. It's kind of the safest place in the county and my grandma pretty much grew up here."

"Oh... Gotta job?"

"Not yet."

"Great! Would you like to teach sign language at our school for the special?"

"No."

'That was quick.', said the cook.

"I am not into teaching", I said.

"You don't have to. You will start enjoying it when you start teaching. How well are you in it?"

"I'm great but I am not good enough to teach."

'You never know.', said the cook.

"Yeah! Look, it's not easy to get a job here, tourists come and go. You earn differently in different seasons. So, the natives don't usually hire anyone."

"So?"

"Think about it", he said and gave me his name card. "You can call me anytime if you wanna give it a go. By the way, I am Tim Lautner."

"Petra Blossom.", I introduced while bowing.

"I'm Will Marshall, just in case you were curious!", signed Will happily.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Marshall.", I said smiling. But seriously what's up with this dude? I glared at him and said, "But I am not at all curious about you."

I walked between the two and found myself out. How noisy can these people be? I returned back to grandma's house.

[

Writer note:

" "-> means that the characters are talking.

"<i>" -> means that they are talking aloud and are also using sign language.

'<i>' ->Means they are only using signs

]