short story beginning (constructive criticism encouraged!)

[Akuko]

Some call it Kismet. It is a powerful force that drives two people together . Virginia Swan had no idea fate was driving her onward to her future. Behind the wheel of her old Toyota Camry, she sighed. The slight rattle she heard was most likely the shocks, but she wasn‘t sure. She shook her head. Her nine to five job at the call center downtown wasn’t going to be enough to pay all her bills this month, let alone fix the car. Finally pulling into the driveway, she placed the car in park and shut off the engine. As she got out of the car the wind shifted and a slight breeze ruffled her knee length skirt and she inhaled. “P. U.” she sputtered, crinkling her nose. The air held the scent of rotting fish coming off of Lake Michigan. “God,” she thought, “Now I know why the rent was so cheap. The landlord never told me about that smell. I should really think about moving out.”

Sighing again Virginia checked the mailbox. Nothing but bills and a coupon book that was most likely filled with coupons for high calorie eateries and other assorted services. Checking her key ring, she found her house keys and slipped the key easily into the lock. Upon opening the door she was greeted by the plaintive ‘meow’ of her only roommate, George. The plump black tabby bumped her ankle a few times and meowed, more insistently this time. “Alright George,” Virginia said, dropping the mail and her keys on the kitchen counter. Bending down, she scratched George behind the ears and smiled. He always could calm her down after a long day.

George rolled over onto his back, begging her to rub his belly. “All right you little stinker,” she laughed, petting his soft fur. “Only for a moment and then I have to make dinner.” After the brisk rub George had had enough and rolled back over on his belly and walked off to the other room. Virginia walked to the refrigerator and opened the door thinking about what to make for dinner. She pulled out a Chinese food carton, opened the box, and sniffed the contents. “Hmm, I guess this is still good…” As she was pouring the congealed leftovers of the Chicken Chow Mien onto a plate and popped it into the microwave, her stomach growled.

She left the kitchen to go to the living room and turn on the T.V. Public television was pretty much all she watched and she needed some background noise. A documentary about the plight of disease was playing, and , although interesting, was fairly depressing. She shut off the set and walked to the bedroom to peel off her work clothes and settle into something more comfortable. Just as she pulled on a ratty old sweatshirt, she heard the beeps of the microwave and she knew dinner was ready. She yawned and headed to the kitchen. Grabbing the plate and a fork, she sat down at the kitchen table to a very quiet meal, alone…again.

She ate mindlessly and before she knew it the plate was empty. She got up, placed the plate in the sink and went back to the fridge for a soda. She always drank the generic store brand cola and it was usually pretty good. She took a few sips and burped softly. She walked to the living room and sat down on the old comfy couch. She placed the soda on the coffee table in front of her and sighed. It was the same old routine she had done hundreds of times in the past. Get up, go to work, come home, eat dinner, watch tv and go to bed. The weekends were the worst, and it was Friday night. She didn’t have to go back to work until Monday and she had no idea what to do with herself.

Virginia brightened as she thought of the coupon book. She got up and went to the kitchen to retrieve it. If anything, she could find a new place to get delivery from… Flipping through the brightly colored pages, beckoning everything from new aluminum siding to new checks, she laughed. Some of them were quite silly but she stopped curiously at one that had caught her attention. It was an advertisement for a psychic. She giggled softly, but was curious as it wasn’t flashy and didn’t promise meeting lost loved ones. It simply said, "satisfaction guaranteed" and included an address that was only a few miles away.

Virginia was intrigued. She was a healthy skeptic. She didn't believe in "magic" or psychic powers or anything particularly paranormal, only because she herself had never had any real experience with them. Some of her friends claimed they could read tarot cards and do palm readings, but she felt they were subjective as her friends "knew" her and could tailor a "reading" to suit her. Something about a stranger telling her about the future, with no bias or objective, pulled her to her feet. Then she smiled sardonically, there is always a bias even with a stranger. The motive this time is is the "almighty dollar." Still, she was curious and was now debating whether or not to check out the address.

[Akuko]

(This is just a start and I am wondering if it's worth finishing...please let me know what you think!)