If I owned anything I probably wouldn't be here.

Last Time...

"Your existence is an anomaly. Fate concealed even to our eyes," at this they all scowled before resuming,

"Who are you?"

Their voice was level. Not once during that triad did their voice raise or inflect in the slightest, and yet the sense of dread intensified.

I thought about how to respond. These old ladies, contrary to their appearance, were dangerous. I could feel it. The air was heavy with an unknown property and people around us were giving us wide berth and seemed to ignore the rasping voices of the women and the altercation itself as a whole.

"Listen," I slowly held my hands up in a placating gesture. A part of me chided, "I don't know who you guys are but, my name is Kyle Anderson. I believe you have me mistaken with someone else."

Somehow, this seemed to make them mad.

"Insolence," their tone of voice was uncompromising and left little room to refute their declaration.

"You dare attempt to deceive the Fates with such blatant fabrications?"

I swallowed hard. How the fuck...?

"Alright look my name is Vincent Raptis," they tilted their heads slightly to the left.

"I don't know what you guys are talking about. I'm just a regular kid."

This was stupid. They were more than 60 feet away from me and had no weapons insight if one discounted the large shears that rested idly in the grip of the right one. They'd have to be close to use it and I'm sure I could outrun them. But...My legs felt like lead. I was sweating and despite every instinct in my mind screaming to run, I couldn't. Somehow, I can't help but feels as though they could kill without moving an inch from their seat.

The Fates slowly rightened their heads before continuing, "You tell no lies."

The pervasive sense of foreboding lessened. I could feel the pressure lessen and I realized it was too quiet. My eyes darted, taking in the abandoned roadway, sidewalks, and the inconceivably empty stores.

I swallowed harshly. I felt delirious and my mouth felt all too dry.

They looked at me as if appraising my value. The silence stretched before it was finally broken, "You are a blotch in our vision, something only the Protogenos should be capable of," one of the three was silent and had begun to dig into the basket, "and yet you have the barings of a mortal."

The vague and confusing declaration was followed by the one in the middle pulling out a purple string and tentatively handing it to the one on the right. They gripped the shears before an ominous *SNIP* rang out.

I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion.

Then as one, "You may be of use..."

Suddenly, just as they had appeared, they were gone. There were no sounds that accompanied their departure. No pop, no show of light. If it wasn't for my heart thumping against my ribs harshly and the sights and sounds that were once's muffled crashing down upon me like a weight on a glass floor, I would have been entirely convinced nothing was wrong.

My breaths came in gasps and my lungs struggled to intake oxygen. A pedestrian bumped into me before sucking their teeth in irritation.

Slowly my anxiety and fear morphed to rage. I clenched my fist and my eyes shut before taking slow, shaky breaths. When I felt suitably calm I looked at the empty bench. What the fuck just happened?

*Line Break

When I arrived at my small dingy apartment I raced up the stairs before haphazardly racing towards my bedroom. I ignored the sharp stab of pain and my pelvis hit the kitchen counter before grasping my backpack and wrenching it open. I open the laptop and went about searching for the word that had stumbled its way into my mind, 'Moirai'.

I scowled as I read the page. The Fates, Greek mythology, gods? I closed the laptop carefully before I clasped my hands as I propped my head against them. I clenched my eyes shut. The light trickling through the window behind me was the only thing that illuminated the darkened room. My mind replayed the scene over and over. I just spoke with goddesses.

Part of me refutes the statement with a vigor that bordered extremity. It was inconceivable divine beings were real. But, what else could that have been? The presence they exuded had saturated the air and left me almost paralyzed. I opened my eyes and looked at my hands. They had asked what was I. Good question...

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock at my door. I looked up to my mom standing at the doorway. Her eyebrows were furrowed with concern, "Vincent?"

I swallowed before smiling, "Hey."

Then her frown deepened almost imperceptibly, "You-", she stopped. She looked at me before sighing,

"Hey, why don't we go for a drive?"

I frowned.

She must've read my confusion as she backtracked saying, "You look like you could use some fresh air."

I held back a scoff. I wanted to tell her that's the last thing I needed. The Fates visit was still prominent in my mind and the revelation that Greek figures from mythology wore at my mind. I was tired. I wanted to lie down and wake up to it being a dream, But, it wasn't. Besides, I couldn't bring myself to refuse her efforts.

I nodded.

The car smelled of cigarettes and lavender air freshener. The magenta seat covers felt prickly against my back. The floor was littered with fast food bags and a lonely bobblehead sat on the dashboard. From the mirror hung two dice and the Brooklyn Nets logo. The drive itself was quiet as the wind ruffled our hair. The drive over the Brooklyn Bridge saw the moonlight reflecting off the water.

From my peripheral, I began to notice my mother eye me from time to time. I turned to her,

"What?"

She glanced at me before turning to the road. She took a breath before starting.

"Do you remember that man who was here earlier?"

I scrunched my nose in distaste, "Yeah, what about him".

She struggled for a bit before starting up again, "He'll be coming to live with us for a while."

I whirled upon her, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, what?!".

She took another breath and glanced off to the right.

"Listen, he said he'd be willing to help out with some expenses and he just needs a place to sleep-," I cut her off

"CUM IN?!" I understood fully what their arrangement entailed. More money for being a cum rag. I felt my anger mount.

"For fucks sake, you're a nymphomaniac aren't you?!"

This time she rounded on me, her eyes were indignant, "Listen things are hard-"

"Don't you think I fucking know that?!" I hissed.

"Then you should understand-".

Whatever she was going to say was halted by the appearance of a tree flying in front of them. She stepped on the brakes and turned the car sharply. The car spun out as the tires screeched and soon the car itself began to flip.

I saw all this in what felt like slow motion. I saw my mother's face go from shock and then contort in fear and she gripped the wheel. I felt the car rotate in a nausea-inducing spin. The car flipped and I felt my stomach go with it. I saw the ground come closer and I turned, reaching for my mother and then, everything went dark.