One Way

One Way


“Have you any idea where we are?” Melissa’s petulant voice cut through Alex’s concentration.

“Huh? Sure. We’re right here,” he said, stabbing a finger at the GPS.

Melissa stared intently. “There’s nothing there. According to this, we’re in a green splotch.”

Alex glanced at the screen. “Must be trees blocking the satellite signal … or something,” his voice trailed off.

“We should turn around and go back.”

Alex slowed. “Where would you like to do that? This road’s so narrow that we’d never make it. Hell, I’m afraid of what happens if we see another car.”

“We can ask them where we can turn around,” she said, sarcasm filling her voice. “There has to be someplace along here.”

“Not so far. Wait, there’s a sign up there.” Alex slowed the car. “What does that mean?” he asked, stopping the car completely.

Melissa stared. “The red circle with a slash means ‘no.’ Why are there arrows pointing in both directions?”

Just then, the engine died. “Maybe it means no driving?”

Alex shook his head. “Don’t be silly.” He hit the start button. Nothing.

“Don’t you have to put it in park?”

Alex felt a blush on his cheeks. He hated that she was the practical one. Putting the transmission in Park, he hit the button again. Nothing. More attempts yielded the same results. “Shit! The engine should at least turn over. I think we need to call AAA.”

Melissa pulled out her cellphone but paused. “Where do I tell them to come?”

Alex stared at her blankly for a moment. “I could walk up the road a bit. Maybe …”

At the word “walk,” Sheba lifted her head and scrabbled between the front seats, her tail wagging.

“Sheba agrees,” he continued.

“You’re not leaving me here. WE can walk,” she said pointedly.

“Okay, okay,” Alex said, a big grin on his face. “Let US go.” He laughed at the sardonic look she gave him.

Sheba took off, sniffing. “Find us a sign,” Alex called.

“Wait! My purse.”

Alex tossed the keys. “Go grab it. I’ll keep an eye on Sheba.”

“So much for chivalry,” she joked.

Alex watched as Sheba found a place to explore in depth.

“Alex!”

Melissa’s voice told him something was wrong. Turning around, he saw her staring.

“What?”

“Where’s the car?”

Alex’s head jerked up as he scanned the roadway. “What the hell?” He jogged back until he had gone past the point where the car had been. “It’s gone.” He quickly scanned the sky.

“What are you doing?”

“Aliens,” he said in a hushed tone.

“Are you crazy?”

“Explain the car!”

Melissa was stumped. “I don’t know – but it’s not aliens. I’m scared.”

Sheba began barking. It was her “I don’t like this” bark. Turning, they saw her standing in front of a mailbox, the hair on her back standing straight up.

“That wasn’t there a moment ago.”

They approached slowly. Alex read the printing on the side. “One Way. Is that an address, a name?”

“It doesn’t matter. My phone left with the car.”

They could see a house at the end of the gravel drive. Alex looked at Melissa. “Should we?”

“Do we have a choice? It’s getting late and I sure as hell don’t want to be out after dark!”

Alex looked at Sheba. “I trust your instincts, girl. Should we go?”

Sheba half squatted, marking the mailbox, and then trotted down the driveway.

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

They cautiously walked, following Sheba’s lead. The house was an old farm style.

“Alex, Melissa. Glad you came,” a voice from the shadowed porch greeted them.

Melissa grabbed his arm, fingers digging in painfully.

“Who’s there?”

A tall man emerged into the light. His features were so thin, he almost looked skeletal.

“How do you know our names?”

A dry laugh whispered from his throat. “I got a letter telling me you were on your way.”

“From who?”

His eyes seemed to glow. “Why the road, of course.”

“The road? What the hell are you talking about?”

The man’s eyes softened as he stared into space. “It’s not really a road, you know. It’s more like a ribbon; a ribbon of time. And time only moves one way,” he said wistfully.

“You’re talking nonsense,” snapped Alex.

The man refocused on Alex. “Am I? Perhaps. What year is it?”

The question confused and stunned Alex.

“It’s 2015,” managed Melissa.

“Hmmm. 75 years. Got here in 1940. Never mind. Let me explain what’s going to happen. You’re going to kill me … or I’m going to kill you. The choice is yours.”

“Are you crazy? I’m not …” Melissa’s grip tightened to a point where he winced in pain.

“Let him finish!” she hissed.

“You got a smart one there,” he chuckled. “This place is called One Way for a reason. There’s one way in and one way out.” He pointed toward a clearing.

Alex could see rows of neat white crosses adorning the open area.

“You’ve been chosen, Alex. You too, Melissa. You can become the next sentinels of time. Or, you can choose not to. The laws of free will apply even here. What you can’t choose is to do nothing. This eddy in time’s current won’t support more than two for more than an hour.”

Alex stood mute. Finally, Melissa asked, “What happens if we don’t choose?”

“You’ll begin to age rapidly, deteriorating and crumbling until only two remain. It may be you, it may be me. Time affects each of us differently.”

“How do you know all this?” Alex finally blurted.

“I’ve tried. Lost my wife.” He pointed to the graveyard. He opened a case and withdrew a large, curved knife, its blade gleaming in the light. “Now, it’s time to choose or Time will choose.”

Alex was stunned. “I can’t do this. I don’t think I believe this.”

Motion caught his eye as Melissa moved forward, grabbed the knife, and plunged it into the man. He sank to his knees, a gentle smile playing on his shriveled face. “Thank you,” he said before collapsing.

“What have you done?”

“Made a choice,” was her stern reply.

“What do we do now?”

“We get a shovel. We have a new grave to dig.”

An entry for {item: 2020439}
Prompt: A ROAD TO...WHERE?
Word Limit: 1000
Word Count: 1000