500 Words: Destiny

He was late. He waited for a break in the traffic and then crossed, hurriedly. He looked at his watch again hoping he’d misread it the previous six times he’d checked. He hadn’t. He was definitely late. He quickened his pace and weaved in and out of the massed throngs of people whose only purpose seemed to be to slow him down and make him even more late than he already was. He turned right. There it was in the in the distance, his destination. He checked his watch again. He was still late. He thought about running, but under the circumstances he decided that wasn’t a wise move. He strode on, buoyed slightly by the fact that where he had to get to was now in view. He’d never really appreciated how beautiful it was until now.

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She was happy. Today was going to be a great day. Potentially, the greatest day of her young life. She was ready. She had put in all the hard work and now that was going to pay off. She was determined. Most people had been excited for her but of course he hadn’t. He did what he usually did and tried to erode her confidence. She didn’t let him. She had long since realised that he wasn’t worth listening too. His was the only dissenting voice out of everyone she knew so his opinion no longer mattered. She was going to show him. She was going to prove to him how wrong he had been. She was going to make it and he would be the first person she told just to see the look on his face.

 

He was close. His nose filled with the familiar scents of his surroundings. He had been here many times before, but today would be the last time. He was excited. He had waited a long time for this day to come around and now he could hardly wait. Every step he took brought him nearer to his destination. To his destiny. He didn’t know it was his destiny. He walked on practically bouncing on the City’s streets. He loved her. He was looking forward to spending the rest of his life with her. He had basically loved her from the first moment they had met, and now it was almost time.

 

She was focussed. She was running through various scenarios in her mind, imagining the questions she was going to be asked. She was ready. Wasn’t she? Yes, she was ready. The lingering doubts in her mind all stemmed from him. He was wrong. She was annoyed that she allowed him to rattle her. He was wrong. She was near. She was ready. She would show him. She grabbed the pile of papers off the seat next to her; there was just one more she wanted to scan over before she got there. She held it up and turned left.

 

She didn’t see him.

 

He didn’t see her.

 

She was sorry.

 

He was dead.