Allie laughed, “No idea, huh?  Well, I guess that’s good enough.”

 Matt glanced sideways at her and saw her arm sneak in to wrap around his own and grab his hand.  He thought that felt wonderful.  “Ya think?” He asked.  “That wasn’t being flip. I really don’t have any idea where these sho…..”  He broke off.  Jeez, do you wanna screw up the best thing that’s happened to you since getting to this school? 

He turned to face Allie, still walking, still holding hands and said, “I mean…I mean …”

A tug on his hand brought him to a halt.  Allie grabbed his other hand and looked up into this eyes.  “Do you believe in fate, Matt? 

“Not really….I mean….I believe that people make their own…”

 “I do.  I believe that everything happens for a reason.  My girlfriend dragged me off to that frat party.  I wouldn’t normally have gone, but something – in the back of my mind, something told me I should go.  And – why were you there?  You’re not a member of that fraternity, are you?”  She shook her head in time with Matt’s own shaking head.  “That’s what I thought.  So, what brought you there?” 

Matt gave her a long look, trying to decide how much he should tell her.  She believes in fate.  She’ll probably believe his story about the shoes, too.  But, if not I’m going to look like the biggest fool ever to….Matt broke off his inner argument and decided to go for broke. “I was there because of my shoes.  I mean, I found these shoes in the laundry-matt, in the dryer and there was….”

Matt had been watching her eyes, ready to switch his story if he saw something there that indicated she thought him crazy.  He didn’t see “crazy” in her eyes.  He saw worry and then, fear.  “Are you okay, Allie.  You look awfully scared.  I’m sorry if….”

“No…I’m okay.  I think I know what you’re going to say and that….I’ve heard it before.”

Matt, amazed, searched her eyes, again, seeking direction.  Her hands squeezed his, urging him to continue while her eyes still showed traces of a fear.  Fear that she really had heard this story before.  “Okay.  There was a note in one of the shoes….”

“Oh, my God!”

“The note said….”

“Put these on.  You won’t regret it.  Don’t put these on and you will die,” she finished for him.

Now, Matt was scared.  How did she know that?  His knees felt weak.  His eyes widened in surprise.  His shoes were “urging” him to move.

He couldn’t refuse the shoes.  

He turned and pulled the trembling Allie along with him.  He wanted to stop.  He wanted to take Allie into his arms and hold her until she stopped trembling.  He wanted to ask her how she knew about the shoes.  What they meant to her, but he couldn’t stop.  The shoes wouldn’t allow it.  He tried to talk to her while walking.

“Allie, I can’t stop.  The shoes, they won’t…..”

“I know.  It’s okay.  Just slow down a little, willya?  You can do that, can’t you?”

Matt slowed his pace and found that the shoes gave him no resistance.  He felt better and Allie seemed to have calmed down, too.  He glanced at her and said, “You have to tell me how you knew about the note in the shoes, Allie.  I mean – it was weird to start with but, now – it’s down right scary.”

He had to strain to hear her response as she whispered, “My brother.  My brother found a pair of black chucks in a laundry-matt dryer.  We found the note wadded up in his jeans when we found his body.”