Sagacity, the accident of fate

The old haggard Norn, Clothos, stared down into the pool in front of her, her ancient eyes struggling to make out the picture shimmering on the surface. She peered closer; a young man sat on a bed his head in his hands, shoulders stooped with dejection, shaking from his sobs. The crone’s sister Lachesis, came closer and peeked over her shoulder, a measuring rod in her hands.

“Go away it’s measuring you should be doing.” the crone rasped.

“I’m merely curious sister, why is it you pay such attention to this one?”

Clotho shrugged,” I can hazard a guess," she sighed, “it just seems such a waste for him to end like this.”

The Third sister, Athropos, who sat at the loom, with a pair of shears, laughed harshly.” We are the fates. We have no time for pity, in fact, it’s time to cut this thread.”

The old haggard epitome of fate, frowned at the work she was doing.” It has always been and will always be so come and look little sister,” you will see why we are so intrigued.”

The woman stood and stretched her spine, walking over to the pool she looked down at the man who had caught her sister’s attentions so. She saw what the crone had seen, a boy, his face in his hands the blond streaks in his hair dull from his pain. And for the first time in her existence her heart went out to one of the mortals whose lives she and her sisters entwined, spun, and wove.

“He seems in so much pain,” her voice was soft with pity. “Why is it so? What did we do to make it so?? She questioned their work, again something she had never done before.

“He is sadly all alone,” Clotho coughed

“Mortals fear being alone.” The sister spoke up.

The oldest of the fates, refused to lift her eyes from the man to look at her sisters.
“It is more than that, he has always been alone. He just can not live like that any more, This manchild has suffered greatly in his short life, his undoing is what we allowed.” She intoned in an accusing fashion.

She frowned at the pool. “He is going to end his life….”. She whispered almost imperceptibly. “Tis a sad thing,” but the fabric has already been woven on the loom. It will be as it was meant to be, even we have rules.” She shrugged, “we must follow them.”

Lachesis’s head flew up and she pierced her sister with a stare.

“Why?” they asked with vehemence “Why can’t we change something right now. Why can’t we change the path of his life, WE are the fates. It is not beyond our power to do so”

The woman was momentarily at a loss, but she found her voice and croaked, “Were we to do something for this one, we would have to do something for any who asked,” she shook her head, “No it can not be done”

.
“The least we can do,” Athropos said, as she huddled over the pool….” is give him sleep so he may have one night of rest without the pain.”

Clothos the old crone frowned, but nodded her agreement “This I suppose, can be allowed.”

The Norns concentrated on the teenager, creating a new thread on the loom, measuring it carefully as he fell deeply and painlessly asleep, his breathing now regular and restful.

“Enough of this now”, Clothos ordered, “Back to work.”

The girl ran to the loom lovely in her youthful grace, the woman walked, serene and feminine, the crone hobbled her age making her movements slow, but strong. The Norns sat at the loom and returned to their work of weaving the lives of mortals.

The girl touched on the thread that was the manchild's and looked at the crone. Her sister nodded, barely perceptible. The girl smiled, careful not to let the woman see her do so, she picked up another very pink thread and entwined it with the boy's dull bluish hue, it immediately brightened the fabric.

“Sister,” Clothos said drawing the woman’s eyes from her work, though her hands continued to knot the threads. “I only hope we are doing the right thing,…. would you say we have done the right thing?”

Too late, the woman realized what her sisters had done. She looked down at her hands. To where she had knotted the man’s thread with the other, she gasped.

And he smiled in his sleep. In the wonder of this dream he had found her, the woman he had always been looking for. She stood before him her hands at her sides, a warm smile on her face. She raised her arms opening them to welcome him into her embrace. He slipped his arms around her and held her close, and he knew even though he was dreaming she would be real when he awoke, shed’ be waiting for him to go to her. He rolled in his sleep still smiling. He was no longer so alone and in pain. He knew her, he knew she’d be there when he awoke.


The woman looked at Athropos, shock making her face white, “Sister why did you do that?” she moaned.

“Do what?” the girl radiated innocence.

You crossed the threads, you changed the man’s fate, you were supposed to be cutting not spinning more thread….”

“Did I?” she smiled at the old crone, Clothos, a twinkle in her eye. “It must have been a happy accident,” she grinned.

They all knew it was no accident and the woman had to smile. In her heart she had not wanted to see the manchild end that way.

“Accident indeed. The fates don’t make mistakes!” the woman chuckled

“Oopps…serendipity!” the young Athropos said with a straight face.

They laughed at her silliness, winding down to smiles. Clothos coughed and said.
"Tis good we do not always listen to you sister." She smiled a twinkle in her aged eyes, and raised a hand in mock toast. "Here’s to the hand’s of fate!"

The young man awoke and headed straight for Gloria's apartment, he had tempted the hands of fate, but could not find it in his heart to take his own life. He knew she would be there waiting for him, their lives now inexplicably knotted together, he innately knew it was now meant to be, their future was written in the stars......