Chapter 1
531 Words
Raindrops fell heavily on the windshield. Appollo was struggling to see through the foggy glass.
"Damn!", he thought. "No weather report predicted such heavy rain. I wouldn't have chosen today of all the days to come here if I had known earlier."
Appollo was so lost in thoughts that he failed to notice a stray dog crossing the road. He nearly ran over it, before managing to steer his car to the left, thereby banging into a tree.
" Damn! Double damn! " he muttered, and examined himself. He only had a small cut on his forehead. He stepped out, and took a look at his car.
"My beauty! I'm so sorry to have crashed you so badly.", he sadly stared at the bad shape of his car.
"You seem to have damaged your car pretty badly."
Appollo turned around on hearing someone speak. He saw a man, in his 50s, peering at his car through his glasses.
"Yeah I guess so sir. Do you know any garage around here?"
"Shush young man! Don't 'sir' me. Makes me feel even older than I actually am! Call me Alex. And as for the garage, the nearest is a mile away. They would have closed down by now. By the way, where are you heading to at this time of the night? "
"Zen"
The man looked at Appollo closely.
"Zen? What for? I haven't seen you around there before. Are you visiting someone?"
"Well actually no. I don't know anybody there. I'm from Delphis, and actually a novelist. I..." he was cut off by Alex.
"Novelist? Wow. Literature interests me! Well you are in for some luck today. I'm from Zen, and if you don't mind, I'll give you ride to the place. Where exactly in Zen do you want to go?"
"Uhm.. Actually, as I told you before, I don't know anyone there. I need to find a place to stay until I complete my latest work. Do you know any place which I could rent for a few days? "
"You can actually stay at my place if you don't mind. I stay alone, and I would love to have someone with a taste for writing for company."
"Oh no! I wouldn't want to bother you."
"Well then, there is this motel a few miles away from town. The Mystical Nest. I'll let you know the directions once we reach town. I'm sorry I wouldn't be able to drop you there. I've to return home as I have some urgent business."
" That's absolutely alright Alex. At least I can get a lift till town. That's really kind of you. By the way, I'm Appollo. " They shook hands, when Alex noticed a birthmark on Appollo's wrist. It was almost shaped like a sword.
" Appollo... Mm.. Destroyer huh? ", said Alex, looking at his wrist.
" Haha.. Yeah. Though my weapon of destruction is different. The pen is mightier than the sword! " Appollo joked.
They walked towards Alex's car and got in. As Alex turned on the engine, he asked,
" I absolutely forgot to ask you.. Why have you come here from so far away to write your book? What is your book based on? "
" The Hecate Castle"
- Writer
