Original Stories Fan Fiction / Romance Fan Fiction ❯ Instant Karma ❯ Beginnings ( Chapter 1 )

“Oh, bloody hell!”

 

She bit her lip, navigating through the crush of people. Kate would never find him like this. Inching towards baggage claim, her body collided with another and she slipped into an icy puddle, hip first.

 

In a crowded airport terminal, Kate lay stunned on the cold ground, looking quite out of place in her sundress and sandals. The fact London was experiencing winter had hardly registered that morning. People hurried past, indifferent to her pain.

 

And now my dress is clotted with muddy slush water. Marvelous.

 

There were so many people here, boarding planes, shuttling along, amassing into groups and blocking her passage. I'll never find him in this swamp. Not waiting for help, Kate managed up and limped to a nearby bench. Her knees were shaking from the chill, one gashed open and bleeding.

 

Yet she felt nothing but defeat.

 

“It's....really over then. Oh, God -”

 

The woman crumpled into her seat and tried to remain calm. People were staring. Of course they are staring; I look like a lunatic. From behind a finger, Kate watched a few travelers pass by in their wool coats and mittens, gawking as her white dress stained red.

 

If it were any other time, she would have envied their warm clothing. She would have cried out for help. But her thoughts were elsewhere, and her spinning mind fought to concentrate on his face.

 

I can't believe it's over. With a great shiver, the woman glanced at a clock across the way. Almost ten thirty, he's here...somewhere. Probably already seated, eating those damned peanuts he loves so much. Kate honestly had no idea which plane he would be taking, or if this was even the right airport. There were several in the city; on a whim she came to this one.

 

In blind fear of losing him, she had come.

 

“Oh, God.” She repeated her desperate whisper, pleading with the clock hand that continued to jerk forward. Sounding like a wounded animal through chattering teeth, Kate let out a groan and wrapped her arms around her frozen body, buckling down upon her knees. Go back, please, go back! Just give me more time -

 

*****************

 

 

It was a dull Sunday morning, she remembered, the day they had met. Stuck somewhere in the middle of spring, although the unusually hot weather made it feel more like summer. Kate's air conditioner had been broken, so she stalked around her house wearing as little as possible and sweating profusely.

 

What a great day to meet someone.

 

Well, not `meet' per se, as one normally thinks of a physical encounter when they hear the word. But they had come across one another just the same, however short the occasion was, and however sticky it had been - at least on Kate's end.

 

The windows were thrown open but their curtains remained still, sodden from the muggy weather. Horribly damp, the air hung thick like pea soup. Hardly anyone on the street because of it, Kate noticed as she fanned herself from across the living room. She had been checking her email at the time, typing idly to answer a particularly boring thing sent by her brother, Dan.

 

`Family's all good,' Danny had exclaimed, displaying pictures of his newest baby with pride. Looked like a pudgy loaf of dough to her, but Kate winced and typed some lie about how cute it - he, he was, asking how Dan and Margaret were doing otherwise.

 

She hadn't talked to them much over these last few years, not since their father had passed. It had been a rocky sort of falling out, but you know, family. She had to say something. His wife Margaret was relentless with trying to get in touch, too, and boy did Kate hate her for it. Sometimes people just want to be alone, and that woman with her obnoxious laughter and constant smiling, did not help any such situation.

 

And so Kate distanced herself from the only family she had left.

 

But, the occasional email and holiday dinner proved she couldn't evade them forever. However tiresome the charade was.

 

In the closing paragraph of Dan's letter, he had included a link to a site Kate hadn't recognized. Not that this surprised her. For a webpage designer, the woman really didn't get on the internet much. Sipping from her `I love Nachos' mug full of tepid coffee, Kate scrolled down the page and just about rolled her eyes.

 

A loaded statement, `Katherine, it's been long enough since you broke up with Greg; you need to get on with your life, you know?' had accompanied it. `You are what, almost twenty-seven now? By that age, I had already married and had Micky and Tom.'

 

Thus the odd link, which he labeled `For Your Own Good'.

 

Apparently, Dan thought a `match making' site would be the best remedy for a broken heart. Her dear caring older brother, always ready with his great advice. Maybe I should poke fun of `Pudgy Baby, Number Three' after all....

 

Dan went on to explain that it was a forum of sorts, where people went to chat and discuss things - icebreakers, naturally - without too much pressure applied. `Perfect for budding friendships or otherwise' he wrote, and Kate could almost picture his round face grinning wickedly at the thought.

 

More like a `perfect cesspool of losers and pasty white guys', the woman took another quick drink and stuck her tongue out. One of these days she'd have to buy a new coffee maker. Damn thing was probably a few years past replacing.

 

Kate had almost sent back a retort about how Dan should just get stuffed, but swallowing her pride and suppressing the need to vomit - after seeing her newest nephew and drinking what could only be described as `liquid gym sock', this was no easy task - she instead thanked him vaguely and clicked `send'.

 

She had no intention of following that link.

 

Turning up the John Lennon piping from her laptop speakers, Kate opened another email. Spam. She didn't usually mind spam; it was a nice way of pretending she had friends. However, this one turned out to be some ad about `enlargement pills' or whatnot. She deleted it sourly.

 

Kate didn't need to see some fifty-something guy smiling like a fool near an equally ridiculous twenty-something girl. Not that age bothered her much, but damn. There were limits. NO ONE would go out with THIS guy, especially not that disgustingly underweight girl.

 

Not that she should talk, of course.

 

Kate hadn't really eaten much these last few months. She just didn't see the point. After weeks of abuse over a few holiday pounds, her bloody fiancé had up and walked off with another woman and Kate just sort of...went recluse; boarded up in her house away from the evils of the world. Well, away from some of the evil at least.

 

She still had to go to work, although she was slowing getting that squared away, too. A webpage designer need not appear in the office, you know? Those holiday pounds certainly seemed a faint memory now, as Kate made a face to inquire about her loose jeans.

 

Fortunately, she looked a lot more fit than before, thanks to that gay little Richard Simons and the many episodes of `Sweating to the Oldies' Kate had illegally downloaded. I bet that fuck would plead for me back if he could see me now, she appraised her lean leg approvingly, partially showing from underneath a half-assed patch job on the right thigh. Bastard.

 

Because Kate appeared toned, the fact she only weighed a hundred pounds didn't look so bad. No talk of eating disorders or unhealthy things flooded her ears. No threats of hospitalization or therapy. Nothing. At least, not to her face.

 

Kate rolled her eyes and took another sip of coffee. He'd certainly approve of my new body, the vain bastard. Not that she'd ever let Gregory have that satisfaction; he could rot in hell for all she cared. But still, something about showing him up made her smile.

 

Stretching, she tugged at her ratty Queen t-shirt to make sure it didn't run up too far. The last thing she wanted was for that chuffing Mrs. Bowlby across the row to see her business again. The old goat had made a big enough deal last week when she'd `accidentally' caught Kate sprawled on the floor, naked. A view through Kate's bedroom window incidentally, nowhere near their shared alleyway.

 

Nosy bat, Kate absently scratched her side through the shirt's torn cotton and took another long drink. God, is it bloody maftin! Fanning herself again, she looked longingly towards the window. Shame there was no breeze today.

 

Perhaps she was bored, which wouldn't be a surprise, or perhaps she just didn't want to finish her laundry - still unfolded on top of the dryer - but after deleting a few more pieces of spam, Kate found herself opening Danny's email again. Just out of sheer boredom, of course. Looking about her suddenly, feeling oddly guilty, Kate hesitated and then clicked the link.

 

“Brilliant_Minds?”

 

That was what it was called, Kate duly noted, grimacing at the URL bar. What looked like a pair of lips sat in a tiny box near the left corner of the bar, parted in a red kiss. A very promising icon, indeed.

 

Well, guess it could be worse. Might have been named something sappy, or unnecessarily cheesy like `Date_Club' or `XX_Grinding_Lair '. The latter made Kate snort into her coffee mug.

 

`Brilliant_Minds' actually turned out to be a very popular dive, despite its relatively plain front; with little over twelve hundred members and thousands of different topics to choose from. How many were actually active, Kate did not know. Nor did she care, really. This all was just boredom. A way to pass some time.

 

Topics laid out for people to read, a separate chat room to talk privately in `real time'. Kate couldn't understand why Dan had mistaken it for a dating site. Scanning a few topics skeptically, going from `Your favorite Movies' to `Which Event Had the Most Historical Impact on Germany', she continued on. Maybe it is a secret sex auction, how exciting. Lord knows I've gone without a good shagging long enough.

 

But the deeper Kate hunted the more those threads looked typical of a regular forum. Conversation-breeding threads obviously, but typical nonetheless. Read through and see if you like someone's response, private message them - or simply email - the site allowed access to that information for members. Lame.

 

Scanning some of the posts within said threads, Kate quickly failed to see why this forum had been nicknamed `Brilliant_Minds' at all. So far, only one member seemed to have an IQ over twenty, and that wasn't saying very much.

 

`Instant Karma' he had dubbed himself, or at least, Kate figured it was a `he'. There was an option for gender near the left-hand side, under the username and picture. Both picture and gender were absent, as it figured. But, the bitterness of his words and the style in which he wrote drew the conclusion he was a `he'.

 

With a pleasant start, Kate realized that the username `Instant Karma' was something she recognized, or at least, thought she might have recognized. She brushed some of her hair behind a shoulder, indifferent to its sweaty tangle catching her fingers. I wonder if it's a Lennon reference.

 

If it was, well congrats: Karma had just won some `instant points'. Kate read a few passages out of a particularly well worded post, and clicked on his name with interest.

 

Karma's bio page was nothing too out of the ordinary, Kate found with some disappointment. He had left most of the spots blank. Age, country of origin, hobbies... Nothing seemed to be filled in at all. What a mystery, Kate smiled despite her damp forehead and clammy legs. The sun must have been right over the house by now, a long stream of light from the picture window proof enough. Sparing it a nasty look, Kate went back to scanning.

 

Karma had apparently joined up in 1998, or so said the board, but a quick search of his name showed irregular appearances. Sometimes he would post steadily for a month or two, then completely disappear for three or more months at a time. Post, disappear, repeat. Post, disappear, repeat. The same pattern for almost six years. How odd.

 

Whenever he did contribute though, this `Instant Karma' fellow seemed to be quite knowledgeable. Wordy, sure, but never dull. Kate quite enjoyed one topic he had responded to back in `99, something about government practices or whatnot.

 

Karma had managed to compare United States democracy to Puppet Theater, using an old Punch and Judy skit to describe the then President's methods. It was actually quite funny, but Kate couldn't do it justice.

 

The imagery stuck with her though, that much she gave him. Clinton with a hand up his ass shouting `JUDY' just made a person laugh. Although with a frown, Kate was almost certain the woman's name had been `Monica' something or other. American politics, she'd never have a mind for it.

 

Instant Karma had an amazing sense of dry humor, even on such an impersonal medium like the internet. Other members seemed to realize he was gold too, following suit in whichever side he took during debate. But Karma seemed to have a knack for keeping private, demonstrating opinion in a way as not to reveal his true self in the process. It was downright frustrating. A mystery, indeed.

 

Unfortunately, there was no way to private message `Instant Karma' either. That privilege apparently was something members could toggle on and off. The only way to contact him was to sign up and request an email address, which Kate just did not want to do. Damn, she made a little frown, but quickly reminded herself this was just boredom. Who cares if I can't contact him? Probably is some kiddie fiddler anyway.

 

Sighing wistfully, Kate moved her mouse toward the red `X' at the top of the page. `Brilliant_Minds' just did not seem her cup of tea. Or coffee for that matter, which she noticed had depleted sometime during the search. Getting up from her spot on the couch, Kate left her laptop in lieu of a fresh pot, `Instant Karma's' information page still displayed on the screen.

 

She had just managed to dump a pot full of water into her coffee maker when Kate realized she'd finished the last thing of grounds that morning. Damn. If memory served though, there might have been another container stashed around here...somewhere. Coffee was always turning up in Kate's house for some odd reason.

 

“Where are y - aha!”

 

Rummaging though a cabinet or two, she finally located said jar behind a questionable box of cereal. The coffee was still unopened, as luck would have it, although a quick glance to the expiration date showed it was two years past its prime. Oh well, Kate unceremoniously popped open the top and stabbed through the protective seal with a fork. It will have to do.

 

Adding about five tablespoons to a little paper filter, Kate let the lid fall back into place with a soft plop and pressed the `On' button. If only `Instant Karma' could have been `Instant Coffee', she may have been more apt to pursue it. Watching a trickle of brown slowly filling the pot, Kate leaned back against her lime green counter and grumbled.

 

Coffee, now. She focused her green eyes into slits, trying to will the liquid to move faster. Bugger. Standing in her small sliver of a kitchen, absorbing the syrupy air piquant and stifling, Kate soon felt sick. This was no doubt due to her spice rack sitting near the sunny window, but her reasoning skills were slowing down from the heat. All she knew was something smelled peppery and rancid, and oddly enough, like spaghetti. With a dizzy lean, she dragged herself back to her laptop.

 

“Oh,” was all she could say when she found `Instant Karma' had signed on.

 

The little light near his username, which had been black, now shined blue. That apparently meant the man was on. Sitting back down on her tatty couch, Kate debated for a bit then followed the link to register.

 

What the hell am I doing?

 

She made a face, soaking up all the new questions staring back at her. Email address, username, password, real name - yes, they even had the gall to ask that - I must be bat-ass insane. Listening for the soft sputter of coffee being made, Kate tapped her fingers anxiously on the keys and started typing.

 

Okay, email address...

 

She quickly typed `Cat_Lady_2000@Gameskeeper.com' and hit tab. `Cat Lady' had been the name Dan so lovingly branded Kate with years ago after one particularly nasty break up, and it just sort of stuck. Although she didn't actually have cats. Horrid things, made her sneeze. But `cat lady' became sort of a universal way of classifying the terminally single, or in Kate's case, pathetically single. It stuck.

 

Greg liked cats, now that she thought about it. More the reason to hate that man.

 

Okay, next! Username, uh... Kate froze. What the hell should my username be? Certainly not `Cat Lady'. The nickname was funny, sure, but it only went so far.

 

Groaning, she mused over all the corny, cheesy things she could try out, flexing her fingers about the keys. God, it's burning up. Burning...a wild idea struck, but she made a humorless huff and shook her head. Something about being `Hunka_Hunka_Burning_Kate' wasn't exactly the message she wanted to send.

 

Boy, I can be such a twat sometimes...

 

She thought about maybe making a Lennon reference. After all, if Karma saw Kate was obviously a fan... No no no, you stalker, she shook her head angrily, fancy buying some night vision goggles while you're at it, too? Idiot.

 

Cursing under her breath, Kate looked around her living room. Worn books sat on a rickety old bookcase, a few DVD's on a rack nearby, a lamp, a shabby wing chair, a dusty table. Not much in the way of inspiration. This is just plain stupid, she moved her mouse to the red `X' again, begging her better judgment to forget this whole damned thing.

 

But when Karma drifted into her thoughts again, Kate clicked back into the word field without protest.

 

`11' she typed, looking stupid. `11', that isn't bad I guess. Well, not as bad as `Hunka_Hunka_Burning_Kate' at least.

 

She hit enter and went to the next field. `Password' turned out to be easy, as she used the same one for her email address. Not very smart, but Kate could hardly care. She was just glad to get past the question with little difficulty.

 

A bogus alias filled her `Real Name' quota, something along the lines of Prudence McDaniel Liverpool III or something to that effect. How odd, Kate fanned herself with the hem of her shirt, why request a real name at all? Why would anyone care? Faintly, she wondered who would dare their true identity. Well, it's not like they will show it...

 

But Kate could hardly type `Katherine Wylde' into that blank, could she?

 

Screw that, and with a click she was facing her fancy new biography page, to decorate as she pleased. `Age' she left blank, as well as every other elective field, including `Country of Origin'. She thought mystery was the best policy, following in Karma's footsteps.

 

However, she did choose a picture to act as her avatar; a poorly drawn stick person face with a funky little grimace. My true self, she thought with a smirk. At least until she tired of the image.

 

Kate even selected `female' where it asked for her gender. She had almost left that blank, too, but...at the last second answering just seemed the right thing to do. Just in case Karma should happen upon her profile.

 

Not that this mattered, of course.

 

Wiping at a bit of perspiration curving down her brow, Kate cracked her neck loudly and settled in. Now, where are you?

 

Unfortunately, the forum did not reveal the location of its members, and Kate had to perform several `refreshes' to see updated posts. Aha! There you are, my cynical little friend. Clicking on a thread entitled, `The Plight of the Phoenix', some half-assed review of the latest Harry Potter book, Kate drifted to where Karma had been moments ago.

 

His post reproachfully deemed this installment's lack of real plot loathsome: `a rush job which should have been filled out' - which Kate agreed with - but seemed to praise the rest of the book just fine. A little gruesome about its simplicity and its length, but he made sure to state that for a children's book - a young adult's at that - it was highly entertaining and very accomplished. Karma even claimed to have bought it its first night of release, just because the `thickly imaginative and engaging storyline' of the series had captured his fancy.

 

What a beautiful poet you are, you beast.

 

Kate clicked out of the thread and stalked the `New Post' page a few more minutes, becoming oddly familiar with her refresh button in the process. This wasn't how she imagined things going.

 

Well, to be fair, she wasn't really sure what to expect. I mean, honestly, what? It's not like you thought you'd sign up, haunt the forum a bit, and he'd magically fly into your virtual arms or something, did you? Jesus, Kate. Not even close to what she imagined, no sir.

 

This is pathetic.

 

Clicking `refresh' for the umpteenth time, Kate savagely growled and retreated to the main page. That's when she noticed something intriguing, something forgotten in her haste and heat-exhausted stupor.

 

The chat room, you boob! Of course!

 

If she'd had an audience, they would have seen her slap her forehead in disgust. Urgh, it's hot. Waving herself with her shirt again, Kate slumped back into the couch. Damn you, air conditioner. Could this perishing room feel any denser?

 

And then almost like a religious experience, it called to her. Coffee.

 

Breaking for another mug-full, Kate got up and cracked her neck again. Coffee, she'd need something to sustain her, she knew. She didn't even care the hot liquid would be murder in this muggy house. The idea of a fresh cup beckoned.

 

Flopping back onto the couch after she'd returned, Kate clicked into the chat room and held her breath.

 

“Moment of truth...” She sipped her mug in anticipation, wiping her soaked brow with the back of her hand.

 

Karma was indeed there.

 

“11 has entered the chat room!”

 

No one greeted her. Well, this is a great way to start things off. She bitterly inhaled some of her drink. There were names she didn't recognize in the crowd - not a surprise - but Karma was whom she focused on. Kate stretched her fingers and typed.

 

“11: Howdy!”

 

“Banana_Peel has left the chat room!”

 

“Destini_101 has left the chat room!”

 

Normally, Kate might have been a bit offended, but this only meant she was four people away from being alone with Karma. Two down, you little bastards.

 

“11: Sorry to bust the party. Miss much?”

 

Kate took another sip of coffee. Definitely not how she pictured this going. Karma had still said nothing, and for a sick moment, Kate worried she'd turned him off. Figures, before I even get a chance I've done it again. Great going, Cat Lady.

 

“shinji_ikari_500: u didnt br8k n e ting up 11. h0w r u?”

 

Well, good to know education has reached these vast recesses of internet. Rolling her eyes, Kate tapped her reply.

 

“11: I seem to be stuck in a balmy hell from which there is no escape. Oh, but don't worry, I do have my coffee.”

 

“shinji_ikari_500: uh k s0, h0w did u m8k up ur n8m? `11' iz kinna 0d”

 

“Virginham: Maybe its his age.”

 

“Toadsmart_36: or the # of chicks he *hasn't* scored, lol”

 

Kate rolled her eyes again. Boy oh boy, I'm glad I registered for this. Send these boys a bleedin' Pulitzer or something.

 

“11: I dunno, my finger hovered above the key for a sec and I must have had a spasm. Better than some of the alternatives though, believe me. The heat's been messing with my brain for the last hour or two; I keep seeing what appears to be a lake twinkling in the horizon, but every time I go to drink I end up picking carpet from my teeth.”

 

“shinji_ikari_500: ur wierd, u kn0w?”

 

“tater321: weird”

 

“11: You have no idea.”

 

Kate still had not seen Karma type. Maybe he stepped out for lunch, she shrugged lightly and took another drink of her coffee, or went on holiday. The liquid brown sludge tasted worse than usual, if that was even possible. But, oh, caffeine. Sweet, sweet Elixir of Life. Blood for this sticky wet vampire. She forced another sip and gagged.

 

Practically giving up the battle, Kate drummed her fingers absently on the keyboard for a bit and went to find the red `X' with her mouse again. Karma obviously was not going to join in the conversation. And it was just too hot to keep trying. Damn.

 

But before Kate could click, she froze.

 

“Instant Karma: Maybe you'd do well to consider air conditioning a nice alternative to melting. Just a thought.”

 

This was it; this was the moment she had been waiting for. Releasing the mouse with a jerk, Kate pounced back to her keyboard and feverishly typed.

 

“11: If only I could. Damn thing turned mutinous last week after a difference in opinion. I thought it should work, it disagreed. Started making this horrid thumping noise. Next thing I know I'm sitting on a damp couch watching reruns of BallyK and wishing there was a pub.”

 

“11: Sad times.”

 

“Instant Karma: Haha, indeed.”

 

“Instant Karma: Perhaps you should offer a peace agreement of some sort. Bargain.”

 

“Instant Karma: First born child in exchange for a day's comfort. It worked for that little Rumpelstiltskin fellow at any rate, although I doubt the Brothers Grimm would approve of your unit being the next fairy tale wonder.”

 

Kate laughed, snorting a bit into her mug. He certainly did have a very dry sense of humor. Marvelous.

 

“11: As horribly tempting as that would be, I'll pass. Probably couldn't even pull that lie off to my ruddy air conditioner. Gotta be bad when you think a box will outsmart you.”

 

“tater_321: riiiiiiiiiiight....”

 

“11: Good suggestion, though. Now, maybe if my toaster kicks the bucket on me...”

 

“shinji_ikari_500 has left the chat room!”

 

And another one bites the dust, Kate smirked. Draining her mug in one gulp, she smacked her lips unhappily and discarded the evidence. Nasty business, that coffee. But it was something at least.

 

Cracking her neck once more, Kate focused her attention back at the screen. In the time it took to finish her coffee, Virginham had also signed out.

 

Toadsmart_36 and tater_321 were all that remained in the way of Kate's plan. Boredom looked distant to her now, Karma proving to be quite the entertaining fellow. Simply marvelous.

 

It was then that the forum's name suddenly made sense. `Brilliant_Minds' - perhaps there had been more to it than what originally thought. Seemed strangely fitting now, laughing it up with Instant Karma.

 

Kate just had to break away from the others and she'd have him all to her self.

 

Kate never got that far though. As if on cue, another window popped up and blocked all other thought process. A private chat room of sorts, addressed to `11'.

 

“Instant Karma: How `bout we give these guys the shaft and step out for a bit?”

 

“Instant Karma: Much rather talk with you in private, 11.”

 

 

And Kate forgot to breathe.