She got the call first thing on Monday morning. The caller had used her full legal name and asked her to hold. Transferred her to another voice who asked her to verify her identity. “What’s this about?” she had asked. She was put on hold again before a final silky voice apologized for her wait and informed her she was the beneficiary of a small inheritance.
Everyone’s dream, right?
Justine clenched the steering wheel with her gloved hands. She bit her lip.
This was not going to get any easier. The sooner she started the sooner she’d be done. If she had any hope of getting home before dark, she’d have to start soon. Nothing helped. She didn’t want to go in.
An inheritance meant someone had died, but all of Justine’s nearest and dearest were accounted for or already in the other world. She thought. When she heard his name, she froze. Literally. Her blood went cold and she could not move for several seconds. The silky voice asked half a dozen times if she was all right before continuing with the details.
She wanted to call someone, but she couldn’t think of anyone who’d be remotely helpful. They’d tell her what she already knew or offer some platitude. It would only kill more time. Time she didn’t have.
A flutter of motion caught Justine’s attention and she stretched forward to see through the windshield. A green bird landed on a bare branch, its color stark against the overcast sky. Such an unusual color. More exotic than anything she thought one would find around here, but what did she know? It seemed to be watching her. Watching her watch it. This was ridiculous.
Justine opened the car door and climbed out.
litewings.ink 