Wheel of Fate

26.

Neil was driving nearby Cherry Oak Drive as he was making his way home. As he was passing Brimborn Steel Works, something weird hit his windshield, making him swear off the road and almost crash.

Neil was getting frustrated at what happened to him. His day at work wasnt the best, and now this accident was not helping. He got out of the car to see the damage. The damage in the car wasnt that bad; there was something weird and sticky on it though. He thought it might have been a big bug or bird shit.

He didn't have much time to inspect it as he started to hear something moving by the trees. Neil is violently dragged by the leg into the basement of the abandoned factory. He screamed for help and tried to hold into anything he sees, but its no use. He is faced with a monster that not even in his worst nightmares has seen. He was scared for his life, he tried to back away, but the monster had opened a petal-like mouth that jumped straight into his face.

After that moment, Neil's life changed for the worse; he had no idea what was coming and what he was going to be part of. His mind was foggy as he got out of the factory. He had a hand on his forehead as he was stumbling to get to his car.

He had both of his hands on the roof of the car, closing his eyes, and when he opened them, everything changed; it looked like a different version of where he was. He saw a group of people approaching him with one person in front of the group. "What do you want," he yelled at the person. There was red lightning in the sky. The group stopped walking but not the one that was leading the group; it stopped until it was only inches away from Neil.

He thought he was dreaming or he had hit his head too hard because the person that he was looking at was him.

"I want you to build," the man said. Neil was confused and looked around, "What do you want me to build?" "What you see," the other version of him said. And just like that, in a blink of an eye, everything went back to normal.

Seeing that he was alone again, he got back in his car. "I'm not insane," he said and started to drive to his house. Once he was by his house, he parked the car and turned it off. He looked at himself in the rearview mirror, he was sweating, and he had blood on his forehead. He cleaned his face with the sleeve of his shirt.

He closed his eyes, but when he did, he only saw that monster. He opened his eyes again, quickly looking around, making sure he was safe.

He got the keys to the house from his pocket, his hands shaking, and he unlocked the door; when he went in, he saw his family eating on the kitchen table. Susan was sitting next to Max. Billy and Olivia were whispering about something, but everyone stopped talking once they saw Neil by the door. They looked down at the food, not saying a word, "are you hungry," Susan asked quietly getting up from the chair and going to get a plate.

Neil was starting to have a headache; he couldn't hear what Susan was saying as the room was spinning around. He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his head, "Neil, are you alright," Susan asked, seeing that something was wrong.

The three kids looked at Neil; he had his other hand on the wall. The room was still spinning for Neil; he was trying to walk to the table, "Ill help you," Susan told him as she was trying to help him steady himself "no!" He pushed her, making Susan lose her balance and fall to the floor "mom," Max said, getting up and going to her side.

Olivia and Billy looked at each other. Olivia looked at Neil; he looked different; she didnt know what, but something in him was changing. Not caring about Susan, he walked down the hall to his room; as he was walking, Olivia noticed some blood on his forehead that he hadnt cleaned completely.

Susan went back to the table and continued to eat quietly. Olivia looked at her for a second Susan gave her a small smile.

Once Olivia was done eating, she put her plate on the sink and went to her room. She opened her door and heard her father talking but he was alone in the room she wasnt sure who he was talking to, "you're in the way, Olivia," Billy said. He had stopped walking and was standing near her "shut up, William," she quietly screamed at him, bringing her index finger to her mouth.

He furrowed his eyebrows, he was going to ask her what was wrong, but then he heard his father talking. "Who's there with him," he asked, looking at Olivia.

"No one," she said, looking at her brother.