Galen's Destiny

Chapter 1-3

Galen arrived at the restaurant right on time, parked in the lot, then walked along the side of the building toward the sidewalk. Suddenly he had the creepy feeling someone was there. He turned swiftly, searching the darkened area. For an instant, he thought he saw a man, but when he stared into the shadows at the side of the lot, there was no one.

“And nowhere for them to go, so it was my imagination,” he murmured. It was true. The lot abutted the building at the far side of the restaurant. There were no trees, no doorways, just shadows and a blank wall. Still, he shivered while hurrying onto the sidewalk.

His mother was standing in front of the restaurant. When he joined her, she hugged him, asking, “Is everything okay? You look like you saw a ghost or something.”

Never one to lie to her, he replied, “I had the weirdest feeling. Like someone was watching me. But no one was there, although for a second I thought I spotted a man.” He shrugged, then laughed when she playfully asked to smell his breath. “Honest, Mom, I haven’t been drinking anything except sodas. Cross my heart.”

“I believe you, sweetie. Next question,” she said as they entered the restaurant. “Do you have room for more food?”

“I told you I would. It’s been hours since the barbecue. Okay, maybe two hours, since I ate.”

The host led them to a table on the patio of the Indian restaurant—their go-to place for celebrating any special occasion.

After they perused their menus, mainly to see if there was anything new, they ordered their meals, and chai, which the waitress brought a moment later. Lydia studied her son over the rim of her cup, nodding. When he lifted an eyebrow in question she said, “You are definitely a handsome young man.”

“Jeez, Mom.”

“You are. I’m proud of you. Oh, not because you’re handsome, but because you’re well on your way to making a life for yourself.”

“I couldn’t do it without your help.”

“Pfft. You know what you want and you’re going after it. Of course, being a mother, I can’t help but add that I wish you had someone in your life beside me. A nice young man to make you happy.”

Galen laughed. “You’re right. That was so a mother thing to say. It’ll happen—I hope. Just not for a while. Not until I get settled in at school and have time to breathe.” He looked out the patio window at the people wandering under the streetlights along sidewalk. Some were couples and for a moment he envied them. He was about to return his attention to his mother when he saw him again. The man from the parking lot—just a brief flicker of a shape but he was sure it was the same man. One second he was there, the next there was no one, just as in the lot.

“What?” Lydia asked.

Galen shivered. “Nothing. Okay,” he amended. “I thought I saw the guy I told you about, but since I barely saw him either time…just a…If I believed in ghosts…” Lydia made a ‘woo-woo’ sound and Galen laughed. “Yeah, as if. My mind’s playing tricks on me. Turning shadows into substance.”

“Undoubtedly. Still—” she grinned, “—you might want to invest in one of those backpacks the Ghostbusters carried.”

“Ri-i-i-ght, Mom.”

They were both laughing when the waitress arrived with their meals. From there, they ate and talked about inconsequential things the way a mother and son do. But Galen couldn’t shake the feeling the man he’d seen was real and, for some reason, playing a game with him.