AUTHOR'S UPDATE:
August 5, 2004 -- Prologue has been updated. A plothole was found that needed changing: Arthur mentions in GoF that he owns a large collection of batteries. Therefore, I have explained the plothole by making the collection be of car batteries. Therefore, it's still possible for Arthur not to know what smaller batteries look like. Also changed was Severus' impression of Caitlin as a "woman" to "girl", prior to his learning her status as a graduated college student, and the addition of aspirin as a part of Caitlin's purchase to establish her need for headache pain relief.
Author's Name:R. Joy Helvie
Author's E-mail Address: captjacksparrow1661 (insert "at" sign here) hotmail . com (delete the spaces)
Part: 1/?
Rating: PG (may be upgraded with later chapters)
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Pairings: Snape/OC; Ron/Hermione; Harry/Parvati; Neville/Luna
Synopsis/Summary: An eccentric Muggle finds out she's got a magical history and is asked to teach Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. Little does she know that her newfound powers will lead to her discovering some shocking truths about one Professor Severus Snape. Snape/OC.
DISCLAIMER: All the original characters from Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling (although I, of course, wish to own Severus Snape).
The idea of the Dead Zone belongs to Stephen King (whose movies are some of the coolest out there; Secret Window rocked!).
Any characters appearing in this story that are not from Harry Potter belong to R. Joy Helvie; please get permission from me before using any of my characters.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED, and if you're really, really nice, I promise to return all the characters to their previous state by the end of the story.... maybe. ;-)
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is the first of a series (hopefully). I'm a huge fan of the show Dead Zone, and I love the idea of being able to see the past or future by touching an object or person. Well, one day I was thinking about writing my first Harry Potter fanfic, and I realized that I could perhaps develop a scientific explanation for the magical powers that are in the books. Then, my thinking turned to divination, and I thought it'd be really cool if I came up with a story where the Dead Zone is what controls how much (or little) magical powers a person has. Thus began this story. I'm hoping to write several more stories wherein an OC with the Dead Zone ability run into the characters of a fandom and they have adventures together. The Dead Zone ability is a great plot tool and can add a lot of suspense to a story. Well, I hope you like!
The Dead Zone Chronicles: Harry Potter
The Eye of Destiny
PROLOGUE
"Oh, that is ingenious! Isn't it, Severus?"
Severus Snape sneered at the redheaded middle-aged man bending toward the metal shelf. His companion had always been extremely fascinated with the way Muggle technology worked, but now was not the time to ogle over such trivial things as men's electric razors.
"Yes, yes, ingenious. Are you finished, Arthur?" Severus was impatient to get out of this small Muggle store. He found the light music that was playing over hidden speakers to be so utterly boring, it seemed eager to destroy his concentration on the task at hand. "All we were sent to buy were some... what were they called?"
"Batteries," Arthur Weasley replied, standing straight and looking at Severus with an excited twinkling in his eyes. "According to Harry, that is what will make that flightlash... er, lightflash... Oh, whatever it is, batteries are what makes it work."
Severus rolled his eyes. It had of course been Harry Potter who had decided this wonderful trip to a Muggle drug store was needed. The boy had discovered a cupboard in the attic of 12 Grimmauld Place that seemed to repel magic. Therefore, as the lumos charm would not work to illuminate any interesting artifacts that might be in the cupboard, Potter had decided that they should use a Muggle contraption called a flashlight that would give them the light they needed. However, upon finding a flashlight, he had discovered its power source to be missing, and Severus had been chosen--of all the people present at Grimmauld Place at that very moment--to accompany Arthur to the Muggle drug store.
It was just one more way that boy had found to get on Severus' deepest nerves. It seemed that even after the wholly depressing events that had taken place at the Department of Mysteries a few weeks ago, the boy had not lost his touch. "So why don't we buy these batteries and be done with it already?"
"Ah, I would, Severus, except..." Arthur's face flushed with embarrassment.
"What now?" Severus snapped.
"I don't know what they look like. Considering the large collection of car batteries I own, you'd think I would know what smaller batteries look like--but apparently they're completely different from automobile power sources. I suppose I ought to have asked Harry to draw me a picture, but I didn't want to bother him, what with recent events. Besides, I figured--"
"Why don't we ask a Muggle, then?" Snape interrupted, not interested in hearing more about the Boy Wonder's depression than he had already been subjected to in the past few weeks.
"But... how would I do so without looking a complete fool? Batteries seem to be a common Muggle power source. If I'm to appear to be a Muggle, I should know what a battery looks like."
You've already succeeded in looking a complete fool, Severus felt like pointing out in light of Arthur's intense fascination with the razors, but he wasn't in the mood for an argument. He sighed in annoyance, swept down the aisle and looked for the nearest Muggle.
The closest was standing at a rack full of thin paper books with several non-moving pictures plastered on their covers. Her flat strawberry blonde hair fell limply about her shoulders as she pored over one of the books. She looked busy, but Severus was sure his task was of more importance than flipping through a book that gossiped about famous Muggles.
He strode over to the girl and tapped on her shoulder. His finger made a swishing noise when it made contact with the olive green coated nylon of her windbreaker. She jumped at the noise--or the touch; Severus couldn't tell--and whipped around to face him. Her expression clearly showed that she was surprised to have been called to the attention of a complete stranger.
"Pardon me, miss," Severus said in as polite a tone as his personality could afford him. "Do you happen to know where the... batteries are?"
Her half-open hazel eyes quickly sized him up and a strange look of appreciation flitted for a few seconds over her pale freckled face. Her mouth twitched up at one corner, making it look as though she was too tired to achieve a full smile. She pointed to her left at a wire rack that displayed cardboard packages holding bronze and black cylinders.
"I'd suggest using Energizer. They keep going and going and going..." The girl chuckled at her own comment, but Severus frowned. He didn't see the humor in her words, but then again, of all sentient beings, Muggles seemed to have won the prize for having the oddest senses of humor.
Taking a quick glance about him to make sure Arthur was outside of hearing range, he muttered, "Thank you," and stepped over to the wire rack. He could feel the Muggle girl's gaze on him and he attempted to ignore it as his mind moved on to more pressing matters: there were a variety of sizes of batteries available.
Arthur suddenly appeared at his side and his eyes lit up once more. "So these are non-automotive batteries? There are so many to choose from!"
"What was it that Potter wrote on that slip of parchment he handed you?"
Arthur dug into the pocket of his red Muggle jacket and pulled out what he was searching for. "Ah, here it is. Let's see... Ah, yes, he wrote 'Two C'. I suppose he means we need to buy a package of two that says 'C'."
"How did you ever guess?" Severus mumbled.
Not hearing this comment, or just choosing to ignore it, Arthur plunged on. "Which manufacturer shall we purchase from?"
"The Muggle woman suggested Energizer. She said they last a long while." At least he hoped so. He would be loathe to make another trip like this for a long while.
Arthur seemed fine with this suggestion, picked up a package with black and green batteries of the size "C", and traipsed over to the purchase counter. Severus stood to the side, as close to the door as possible without completely blocking the exit. As Arthur fumbled with the Muggle money that Hermione Granger had lent him, Severus found himself looking in the Muggle girl's direction. She had moved on to the frozen foods section and was taking a bucket of ice cream from the freezer. She pulled a wallet out of the back pocket of her loose blue jeans and then proceeded in Severus' direction.
Feeling eager to avoid as much Muggle contact as possible, Severus turned his attention back to Arthur to see if he was finished. Unfortunately, the eager wizard was now trying to decipher the amounts on the coinage, with help from the clerk, who was visibly struggling to force down a smile.
"Friend of yours?" came a soft, lilting voice.
Severus, surprised at the distinctly American accent he had just heard, turned to see his Muggle helper standing behind him. He nodded.
"Are you foreign to these parts?" the girl inquired. "I can see your companion is having troubles with the money. I had quite a bit of trouble myself for months after I got here."
Severus stared; he couldn't help it. No Muggle had ever been so forthcoming with him. They usually just ignored him, and he them. Forcing himself to say at least something, he replied, "Yes, we're new to this area."
"Must not be from too far away. Your accent is definitely English."
"And yours is most definitely American."
She smiled. "You got me there. I came out here for college, loved life here, and so I stayed here after finishing my education."
College? Severus looked closely at the girl. She didn't look a day over seventeen. Either she was a decidedly brilliant student who skipped several grades or, more likely, she possessed an inherited gene for youthful looks.
Finally finished with his purchase, Arthur turned and gently tapped Severus' arm. "Ready to go, Severus?"
The girl--no, woman, Severus reminded himself--raised an eyebrow at Arthur, and to Severus she said, "That's a wonderful name. Are you named after the emperor Lucius Septimius Severus?"
Severus could only nod, being taken back by the woman's strangely correct guess; not many people--Muggles or Wizards--were studied up on enough history to know of the man for whom he'd been named. Arthur, noting his partner's silence, extended his hand to the woman. "I'm Arthur Weasley, and this is Severus Snape. We were just on a quick trip to pick up these batteries. Thank you for the help in finding them, miss."
Taking the man's proffered hand, the woman replied, "Not a problem. And my name's Caitlin Boyd."
"Well, I do hope we meet you again someday," said Arthur, taking Severus' arm and leading him toward the door.
Severus pulled away from Arthur's grasp and glared. "I can find the door on my own, thank you very much."
xoxox
Caitlin pulled her mouth into a half-smile and watched with fascination as the two men quickly left the building. Turning to the clerk, she commented, "Now there go some very interesting people. I should get out more often. Maybe I should sub for you sometime, Mark."
Mark smiled and replied, "I'd be more than happy to, if you really mean it. It would keep me away from nutters like them for at least a day."
"What do you mean, 'nutters'?"
He leaned forward on the counter and pointed his thumb in the direction of the door. "I've had people like them in here before. They don't seem to know what things like batteries are, and they have no inkling of an idea how to use money. In fact, one time a man tried paying me with some coins he called galleons. I've no idea what country they come from, but it's definitely not from around here."
Caitlin looked at the door. She couldn't help but think of the man called Severus. He'd been quite polite with her and she had to admit, he wasn't the ugliest man she'd ever met. For half a second, she wondered if she would ever see him again. She shook her head, clearing away all thoughts of her strange encounter, and plopped the ice cream beside the register. She grabbed a pack of generic aspirin, set it on top of her dessert, then put her wallet next to it and dug about for cash as Mark rang up the purchase.
"Getting ready to do some heavy reading?" he asked as he slipped the ice cream and medication into a bag.
"You're getting to know me far too well," Caitlin said with a smile as she handed him her money. "Yes, I'm going to go home, slip into bed, pop in a classical music CD, and read to my heart's content. I've had a boring day, and I relish the idea of sinking myself into an adventure novel."
"Well, have double the fun to cover for my boredom. I have to stay here 'til closing."
Grabbing her purchase, Caitlin waved and replied, "I will!" as she walked out the door.
xoxox
Arriving home after a long day of boredom was the best feeling in the world, Caitlin had decided. She headed straight for the kitchenette of her small one-bedroom flat. After setting her keys on their hook, she ripped the plastic bag off her ice cream--dropping the box of aspirin on the floor in the process, shuffled around in a drawer for a sturdy spoon, and stepped over to the microwave. She stuck the ice cream in the machine for ten seconds to soften it up and then headed to her bedroom, picking up the dropped box of aspirin on the way and clutching it to her chest tightly.
Deciding to get into more comfortable clothing, Caitlin set down her ice cream and aspirin on the nightstand and felt immediately at the back pocket of her jeans to take her wallet out.... only it wasn't there.
"Ah, dadgummit!" she exclaimed, realizing she had left the wallet on the counter at the store. Reaching into her other back pocket, she pulled out a small ZipLock bag containing her driver's license and credit cards, rolling her eyes heavenward and saying a prayer of thanks that she was so protective of her things. She had learned from experience that pick-pockets aimed for thick wallets in back pockets, so she kept her cash in the wallet, but her important cards in a bag that would go undetected in the other denim pocket.
She could wait until morning to get the wallet from Mark, who had likely discovered the item just as she had zoomed out of the parking lot, but she had her theatre tickets in there, and she needed them for tomorrow afternoon. She didn't feel like dropping by the store just before going to the theatre, so she decided she would retrieve her wallet tonight.
Grudgingly she picked up the ice cream and aspirin. Back in the kitchen, she stowed her snack in the freezer and set the spoon on a napkin near the sink. She then took a quick moment to rip open the box of aspirin, pop two pills out of their bubbles, and swallowed them sans water. Grabbing her keys from their hook, she set out.
xoxox
Life just wanted to play with her luck, Caitlin surmised as she noted the raindrops that were now smattering her arms. She punched a button on the inner panel of her steering wheel. All too slowly, the hood on her electric-hybrid vehicle rose to protect the soft carpet interior.
She leaned forward to glance at the sky. Though only five o'clock in the evening, it was pitch black. Dark cumulonimbus clouds broiled overhead. A quick shot of lightning briefly illuminated the steadily darkening streets. In that quick flash, her gaze caught onto a small figure as it jumped into the road, directly in her car's path.
She quickly jerked her wheel to the right, avoiding the fox--which she could now identify, being in such close proximity--but coming too far over the side of the asphalt. In a split second, the car had slammed into the stone wall lining the byway, and Caitlin Boyd left the world of the conscious.
August 5, 2004 -- Prologue has been updated. A plothole was found that needed changing: Arthur mentions in GoF that he owns a large collection of batteries. Therefore, I have explained the plothole by making the collection be of car batteries. Therefore, it's still possible for Arthur not to know what smaller batteries look like. Also changed was Severus' impression of Caitlin as a "woman" to "girl", prior to his learning her status as a graduated college student, and the addition of aspirin as a part of Caitlin's purchase to establish her need for headache pain relief.
Author's Name:R. Joy Helvie
Author's E-mail Address: captjacksparrow1661 (insert "at" sign here) hotmail . com (delete the spaces)
Part: 1/?
Rating: PG (may be upgraded with later chapters)
Genre: Drama/Suspense
Pairings: Snape/OC; Ron/Hermione; Harry/Parvati; Neville/Luna
Synopsis/Summary: An eccentric Muggle finds out she's got a magical history and is asked to teach Muggle Studies at Hogwarts. Little does she know that her newfound powers will lead to her discovering some shocking truths about one Professor Severus Snape. Snape/OC.
DISCLAIMER: All the original characters from Harry Potter belong to J. K. Rowling (although I, of course, wish to own Severus Snape).
The idea of the Dead Zone belongs to Stephen King (whose movies are some of the coolest out there; Secret Window rocked!).
Any characters appearing in this story that are not from Harry Potter belong to R. Joy Helvie; please get permission from me before using any of my characters.
NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED, and if you're really, really nice, I promise to return all the characters to their previous state by the end of the story.... maybe. ;-)
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This story is the first of a series (hopefully). I'm a huge fan of the show Dead Zone, and I love the idea of being able to see the past or future by touching an object or person. Well, one day I was thinking about writing my first Harry Potter fanfic, and I realized that I could perhaps develop a scientific explanation for the magical powers that are in the books. Then, my thinking turned to divination, and I thought it'd be really cool if I came up with a story where the Dead Zone is what controls how much (or little) magical powers a person has. Thus began this story. I'm hoping to write several more stories wherein an OC with the Dead Zone ability run into the characters of a fandom and they have adventures together. The Dead Zone ability is a great plot tool and can add a lot of suspense to a story. Well, I hope you like!
The Eye of Destiny
PROLOGUE
"Oh, that is ingenious! Isn't it, Severus?"
Severus Snape sneered at the redheaded middle-aged man bending toward the metal shelf. His companion had always been extremely fascinated with the way Muggle technology worked, but now was not the time to ogle over such trivial things as men's electric razors.
"Yes, yes, ingenious. Are you finished, Arthur?" Severus was impatient to get out of this small Muggle store. He found the light music that was playing over hidden speakers to be so utterly boring, it seemed eager to destroy his concentration on the task at hand. "All we were sent to buy were some... what were they called?"
"Batteries," Arthur Weasley replied, standing straight and looking at Severus with an excited twinkling in his eyes. "According to Harry, that is what will make that flightlash... er, lightflash... Oh, whatever it is, batteries are what makes it work."
Severus rolled his eyes. It had of course been Harry Potter who had decided this wonderful trip to a Muggle drug store was needed. The boy had discovered a cupboard in the attic of 12 Grimmauld Place that seemed to repel magic. Therefore, as the lumos charm would not work to illuminate any interesting artifacts that might be in the cupboard, Potter had decided that they should use a Muggle contraption called a flashlight that would give them the light they needed. However, upon finding a flashlight, he had discovered its power source to be missing, and Severus had been chosen--of all the people present at Grimmauld Place at that very moment--to accompany Arthur to the Muggle drug store.
It was just one more way that boy had found to get on Severus' deepest nerves. It seemed that even after the wholly depressing events that had taken place at the Department of Mysteries a few weeks ago, the boy had not lost his touch. "So why don't we buy these batteries and be done with it already?"
"Ah, I would, Severus, except..." Arthur's face flushed with embarrassment.
"What now?" Severus snapped.
"I don't know what they look like. Considering the large collection of car batteries I own, you'd think I would know what smaller batteries look like--but apparently they're completely different from automobile power sources. I suppose I ought to have asked Harry to draw me a picture, but I didn't want to bother him, what with recent events. Besides, I figured--"
"Why don't we ask a Muggle, then?" Snape interrupted, not interested in hearing more about the Boy Wonder's depression than he had already been subjected to in the past few weeks.
"But... how would I do so without looking a complete fool? Batteries seem to be a common Muggle power source. If I'm to appear to be a Muggle, I should know what a battery looks like."
You've already succeeded in looking a complete fool, Severus felt like pointing out in light of Arthur's intense fascination with the razors, but he wasn't in the mood for an argument. He sighed in annoyance, swept down the aisle and looked for the nearest Muggle.
The closest was standing at a rack full of thin paper books with several non-moving pictures plastered on their covers. Her flat strawberry blonde hair fell limply about her shoulders as she pored over one of the books. She looked busy, but Severus was sure his task was of more importance than flipping through a book that gossiped about famous Muggles.
He strode over to the girl and tapped on her shoulder. His finger made a swishing noise when it made contact with the olive green coated nylon of her windbreaker. She jumped at the noise--or the touch; Severus couldn't tell--and whipped around to face him. Her expression clearly showed that she was surprised to have been called to the attention of a complete stranger.
"Pardon me, miss," Severus said in as polite a tone as his personality could afford him. "Do you happen to know where the... batteries are?"
Her half-open hazel eyes quickly sized him up and a strange look of appreciation flitted for a few seconds over her pale freckled face. Her mouth twitched up at one corner, making it look as though she was too tired to achieve a full smile. She pointed to her left at a wire rack that displayed cardboard packages holding bronze and black cylinders.
"I'd suggest using Energizer. They keep going and going and going..." The girl chuckled at her own comment, but Severus frowned. He didn't see the humor in her words, but then again, of all sentient beings, Muggles seemed to have won the prize for having the oddest senses of humor.
Taking a quick glance about him to make sure Arthur was outside of hearing range, he muttered, "Thank you," and stepped over to the wire rack. He could feel the Muggle girl's gaze on him and he attempted to ignore it as his mind moved on to more pressing matters: there were a variety of sizes of batteries available.
Arthur suddenly appeared at his side and his eyes lit up once more. "So these are non-automotive batteries? There are so many to choose from!"
"What was it that Potter wrote on that slip of parchment he handed you?"
Arthur dug into the pocket of his red Muggle jacket and pulled out what he was searching for. "Ah, here it is. Let's see... Ah, yes, he wrote 'Two C'. I suppose he means we need to buy a package of two that says 'C'."
"How did you ever guess?" Severus mumbled.
Not hearing this comment, or just choosing to ignore it, Arthur plunged on. "Which manufacturer shall we purchase from?"
"The Muggle woman suggested Energizer. She said they last a long while." At least he hoped so. He would be loathe to make another trip like this for a long while.
Arthur seemed fine with this suggestion, picked up a package with black and green batteries of the size "C", and traipsed over to the purchase counter. Severus stood to the side, as close to the door as possible without completely blocking the exit. As Arthur fumbled with the Muggle money that Hermione Granger had lent him, Severus found himself looking in the Muggle girl's direction. She had moved on to the frozen foods section and was taking a bucket of ice cream from the freezer. She pulled a wallet out of the back pocket of her loose blue jeans and then proceeded in Severus' direction.
Feeling eager to avoid as much Muggle contact as possible, Severus turned his attention back to Arthur to see if he was finished. Unfortunately, the eager wizard was now trying to decipher the amounts on the coinage, with help from the clerk, who was visibly struggling to force down a smile.
"Friend of yours?" came a soft, lilting voice.
Severus, surprised at the distinctly American accent he had just heard, turned to see his Muggle helper standing behind him. He nodded.
"Are you foreign to these parts?" the girl inquired. "I can see your companion is having troubles with the money. I had quite a bit of trouble myself for months after I got here."
Severus stared; he couldn't help it. No Muggle had ever been so forthcoming with him. They usually just ignored him, and he them. Forcing himself to say at least something, he replied, "Yes, we're new to this area."
"Must not be from too far away. Your accent is definitely English."
"And yours is most definitely American."
She smiled. "You got me there. I came out here for college, loved life here, and so I stayed here after finishing my education."
College? Severus looked closely at the girl. She didn't look a day over seventeen. Either she was a decidedly brilliant student who skipped several grades or, more likely, she possessed an inherited gene for youthful looks.
Finally finished with his purchase, Arthur turned and gently tapped Severus' arm. "Ready to go, Severus?"
The girl--no, woman, Severus reminded himself--raised an eyebrow at Arthur, and to Severus she said, "That's a wonderful name. Are you named after the emperor Lucius Septimius Severus?"
Severus could only nod, being taken back by the woman's strangely correct guess; not many people--Muggles or Wizards--were studied up on enough history to know of the man for whom he'd been named. Arthur, noting his partner's silence, extended his hand to the woman. "I'm Arthur Weasley, and this is Severus Snape. We were just on a quick trip to pick up these batteries. Thank you for the help in finding them, miss."
Taking the man's proffered hand, the woman replied, "Not a problem. And my name's Caitlin Boyd."
"Well, I do hope we meet you again someday," said Arthur, taking Severus' arm and leading him toward the door.
Severus pulled away from Arthur's grasp and glared. "I can find the door on my own, thank you very much."
Caitlin pulled her mouth into a half-smile and watched with fascination as the two men quickly left the building. Turning to the clerk, she commented, "Now there go some very interesting people. I should get out more often. Maybe I should sub for you sometime, Mark."
Mark smiled and replied, "I'd be more than happy to, if you really mean it. It would keep me away from nutters like them for at least a day."
"What do you mean, 'nutters'?"
He leaned forward on the counter and pointed his thumb in the direction of the door. "I've had people like them in here before. They don't seem to know what things like batteries are, and they have no inkling of an idea how to use money. In fact, one time a man tried paying me with some coins he called galleons. I've no idea what country they come from, but it's definitely not from around here."
Caitlin looked at the door. She couldn't help but think of the man called Severus. He'd been quite polite with her and she had to admit, he wasn't the ugliest man she'd ever met. For half a second, she wondered if she would ever see him again. She shook her head, clearing away all thoughts of her strange encounter, and plopped the ice cream beside the register. She grabbed a pack of generic aspirin, set it on top of her dessert, then put her wallet next to it and dug about for cash as Mark rang up the purchase.
"Getting ready to do some heavy reading?" he asked as he slipped the ice cream and medication into a bag.
"You're getting to know me far too well," Caitlin said with a smile as she handed him her money. "Yes, I'm going to go home, slip into bed, pop in a classical music CD, and read to my heart's content. I've had a boring day, and I relish the idea of sinking myself into an adventure novel."
"Well, have double the fun to cover for my boredom. I have to stay here 'til closing."
Grabbing her purchase, Caitlin waved and replied, "I will!" as she walked out the door.
Arriving home after a long day of boredom was the best feeling in the world, Caitlin had decided. She headed straight for the kitchenette of her small one-bedroom flat. After setting her keys on their hook, she ripped the plastic bag off her ice cream--dropping the box of aspirin on the floor in the process, shuffled around in a drawer for a sturdy spoon, and stepped over to the microwave. She stuck the ice cream in the machine for ten seconds to soften it up and then headed to her bedroom, picking up the dropped box of aspirin on the way and clutching it to her chest tightly.
Deciding to get into more comfortable clothing, Caitlin set down her ice cream and aspirin on the nightstand and felt immediately at the back pocket of her jeans to take her wallet out.... only it wasn't there.
"Ah, dadgummit!" she exclaimed, realizing she had left the wallet on the counter at the store. Reaching into her other back pocket, she pulled out a small ZipLock bag containing her driver's license and credit cards, rolling her eyes heavenward and saying a prayer of thanks that she was so protective of her things. She had learned from experience that pick-pockets aimed for thick wallets in back pockets, so she kept her cash in the wallet, but her important cards in a bag that would go undetected in the other denim pocket.
She could wait until morning to get the wallet from Mark, who had likely discovered the item just as she had zoomed out of the parking lot, but she had her theatre tickets in there, and she needed them for tomorrow afternoon. She didn't feel like dropping by the store just before going to the theatre, so she decided she would retrieve her wallet tonight.
Grudgingly she picked up the ice cream and aspirin. Back in the kitchen, she stowed her snack in the freezer and set the spoon on a napkin near the sink. She then took a quick moment to rip open the box of aspirin, pop two pills out of their bubbles, and swallowed them sans water. Grabbing her keys from their hook, she set out.
Life just wanted to play with her luck, Caitlin surmised as she noted the raindrops that were now smattering her arms. She punched a button on the inner panel of her steering wheel. All too slowly, the hood on her electric-hybrid vehicle rose to protect the soft carpet interior.
She leaned forward to glance at the sky. Though only five o'clock in the evening, it was pitch black. Dark cumulonimbus clouds broiled overhead. A quick shot of lightning briefly illuminated the steadily darkening streets. In that quick flash, her gaze caught onto a small figure as it jumped into the road, directly in her car's path.
She quickly jerked her wheel to the right, avoiding the fox--which she could now identify, being in such close proximity--but coming too far over the side of the asphalt. In a split second, the car had slammed into the stone wall lining the byway, and Caitlin Boyd left the world of the conscious.