Drums of Fate

Kash’s mom had driven the same Suburban for the last twenty-two years and, even though it was old and had no bells and whistles, it had enough room for all seven of them to ride in one vehicle, so most times, it was their vehicle of choice. When they all piled in at 3:15 in the morning to make the short trip to Villisca, most of the girls did so reluctantly, particularly Taylor, who was actually crying, and Cadence, who had clearly lost her battle with Drew, and once again, given in to the sobs and declarations of attending solo. Cadence hated being late, but she figured for an event such as this it didn’t really make much difference.

Typically, Sydney and Drew sat in the back because they were the most petite. Cadence was shaped more like an athlete, and though she really didn’t have a much bigger footprint, she did have longer legs, so the other girls let her sit in the middle seat with Taylor, who was just a bit curvier than the other girls and Jack, whose position had changed from right next to Cadence to the far side of the seat once they decided to be “just friends.” Despite the fact that Jon had ridden shotgun approximately four thousand consecutive times, he still insisted on yelling “shotgun” as they approached the vehicle, just in case someone decided to challenge his position.

This time, however, the seating changed just a bit. Taylor and Cadence were ordered into the vehicle first so that the others made sure they didn’t try to escape. Though it was possible Taylor may turn and run at any moment, Cadence wasn’t going anywhere without Drew. She was determined to keep her younger friend in her sights the entire time and keep her safe no matter what. She had no reason to suspect that this would be anything other than a wild party, full of costumed drunks attempting to get lucky. Nevertheless, her dream had been enough to inspire a sense of caution, and she was particularly concerned about Drew’s well-being.

Drew was sitting in the middle of the seat in front of her, so excited that she would not even buckle her seatbelt but insisted on leaning up between the two bucket seats, shouting directions. It had not been easy, but she had been able to procure the address for Percy’s Lot through an extensive online search of property records. Luckily for them, there was only one Percy who owned a significant tract of land near Villisca, Iowa.

It was unseasonably warm, and most of them were only wearing light coats or jackets. Drew was wearing a bright red cape and had also brought a Guy Fawkes inspired mask. Drew mentioned that she was disappointed that no one else had decided to wear a costume, but she was so invigorated that they had decided to go, she let her disappointment lie.

Cadence hadn’t been easily convinced to come along. In fact, Drew had been forced to turn on the tears. Cadence had showed up earlier that day, adamant that this was a dangerous idea and that someone could get hurt. They weren’t invited to these festivities; they didn’t know anyone else who was going to be there, and for all they knew, this could be a group of devil worshipers. Drew had snickered at the last remark, which made Cadence angry. She explained what she had dreamt and that it had not ended well and, though she was aware it was just a dream, and no, she didn’t think it was a premonition, per se, it did make her more aware of the fact that what they were doing was potentially hazardous, and they should just find something else to do. By then, however, Drew had already purchased her costume and made arrangements to sneak out of the house. There was no way she was going to change her mind, and if Cadence didn’t want to go, she could just stay home by herself. Drew was going. Period. End statement.

So, Cadence had to go, too, because she was not letting Drew go without her, no matter how many gentleman escorts she may have. If Drew was going to put herself in a vulnerable situation, then Cadence was going to follow. She just wished she hadn’t quit karate lessons in the third grade.

It didn’t seem to Cadence like it took very long at all to reach what Drew was sure must be Percy’s Lot. At first, there didn’t appear to be anything much happening in the open field west of town. In fact, the countryside seemed to be sleeping. Then, Kash pointed out a soft orange glow off in the distance, and they realized there would be some trekking involved in reaching their destination.

They decided to pull into the field and drive in the grass for a bit, an attempt to determine whether or not there was an actual designated parking area or if they were supposed to hoof it from the road. As Kash carefully made his way over the uneven surface, they began to see dark shapes in the distance and realized there were, in fact, other vehicles. The sound of music drifted through the air, and Drew began to sway in time to the beat of the drums.