Perfect Story

This story is by Cindy Bergquist and was part of our 2025 Fall Writing Contest. You can find all the writing contest stories here.

The lines along the road blurred. Karissa blinked several times to clear her vision. She had been traveling since early morning and didn’t have a destination in mind. She was searching for an idea. Writer’s block enveloped her like a cloak, and she hoped a change of scenery would help.

An exit appeared in the distance, and she had a powerful urge to leave the interstate.

She came to a crossroads with a single blinking yellow light. Karissa yielded, glancing around the town, which resembled something out of the Cars movie, minus the talking vehicles.

She spotted The Lost Cafe on the left. It looked homely enough to let her imagination do its thing. She parked the car, grabbed her bag, and headed inside.

Smells of homemade goodness. Gravy, pie, burgers… it all mingled together. Karissa sighed, seating herself as the sign up front had instructed. She chose a stool at the granite counter and set her backpack beside her before picking up a menu.

“Hello, welcome to The Lost. My name is Jess. I’m happy you found us.”

Karissa glanced up at the bubbly waitress. “Hi. It wasn’t too hard to find.”

“That’s what they all say. What can I get you started with?”

Karissa wondered about the comment. “Can I please get a Coke? Which burger do you recommend?”

She leaned over the counter and pointed a perfectly manicured finger at the Swiss Surprise Combo. “That’s the best. Cross my heart. ” And she did just that with her fingers.

“I’ll take that then. Thank you.

Jess wrote on her pad, then headed to the back.

Karissa unzipped her backpack and pulled out the laptop. As she did, a pile of folded-up papers fell out.

“Oh, no.”

“I’ll get them,” a male voice offered.

She looked up, catching sight of a dark-haired gentleman bending over and picking up the letters. A purple glow appeared around him. Karissa shook it out of her head, frowning as she noticed him reading one. “You’re a writer?”

Karissa snatched the rejection letter out of his grasp. “Best-selling, can’t you tell? ” She added it to the other three in the pile.

“I’m sure you will be someday.” He took a place on a stool next to her. “What are you working on?”

She opened her laptop and switched it on. A blank Word document glared accusingly back at them.

He pursed his lips and nodded. “I’m Caleb.”

Caleb. Why did that name have a familiarity to it?

“I’m Karissa. Please don’t be offended, but I’ve got a deadline and I’m obviously behind.”

“Maybe I can help?”

Karissa scoffed. “How can you help?”

“Perhaps there’s a perfect story here. You only have to find it.”

Karissa looked around warily. “Like what?”

Caleb smiled, cocking his head to the side. “Maybe a romance?”

Karissa rolled her eyes. “Nice one. Not interested.” She lied, hoping the warmth in her cheeks wouldn’t give her away.

He laughed. It was a hypnotic sound. Karissa gave him a second glance and quickly added, “Anyway, I don’t write in that genre.”

Jess came with food. She smiled at Caleb with a wink before returning to the kitchen.

She raised an eyebrow, but Caleb didn’t seem to notice Jess’s attempt at flirting. His gaze fixed on Karissa.

“Okay then, what do you prefer to write.?” he asked without skipping a beat.

“Paranormal fantasy.”

Caleb leaned back on his stool. “You are in the right place. See Sandy over there by the jukebox?”

She looked over at the redhead feeding quarters into the musical machine. There was a strange green aura around her. Karissa closed her eyes and reopened them. Everything looked normal again. Was she seeing things?

“She’s a werewolf.” Caleb said, as if it were an everyday thing.

She fought the urge to slap him. “Mock me if you will. I have a story to come up with.” Karissa snapped before turning back to her laptop.

Caleb raised his hands. “No mocking here.”

“Sure. Next thing you’re going to tell me is that you’re a zombie.”

“Not really interested in eating people. I prefer just blood.”

Karissa tried hard to glare at him, but Caleb looked so serious, it forced out a laugh. “Alright, Drac, how do you plan to solve my dilemma?

“Walk with me.”

“Walk with you?” Karissa had her heartbeat increased. “You just alluded that you are a vampire or maybe something worse.” Like a serial killer, she thought to herself. “I don’t think so.”

“I can respect that. I give you my word I will not harm you.”

“And I’m supposed to trust your word?”

He nodded. “Look inside, Karissa. You are here for a reason.” Caleb stood up. “Finish your meal. I’ll wait outside. It’ll be dark soon.”

Karissa watched him walk away. He opened the door, and for a quick moment as Caleb looked back at her, she saw the purple glow return around him. He nodded at her before leaving.

She turned back, looking at the blank screen. Karissa closed the laptop and picked up the burger, taking a bite. Jess was right; it tasted amazing.

***

I have a death wish. Karissa thought as she left the cafe and walked to her car, popping open the trunk. A warm breeze rustled my short hair. She glanced behind to see Caleb waiting by a tree. “This is so stupid.” She muttered, tossing my backpack in the trunk and picking up my emergency flashlight. “I am being so stupid.” Karissa slammed the trunk, switched on the flashlight, and walked towards him. She held up the heavy light. “You try anything, you get hit with this.”

She saw a tug at the corner of his lips.

“Understood.”

They walked away from the downtown area without a word. Karissa held on tight to the light but noticed herself feeling more comfortable the longer they walked. It was like a part of Karissa already knew him. She followed him past brick and wood buildings that looked as though they needed serious care as he led her towards the treeline of the forest.

“How old is this town?” She broke the silence.

“Ancient.”

Karissa nodded. “Have you always lived here?”

He grinned at her as if he had a secret. “Not always, but I call it home.”

“It must be nice to have a place.”

“Don’t you?”

Karissa contemplated briefly. “I do. I mean, I live in an apartment in the city. But…”

“But you don’t feel you quite belong. I know. Trust me.”

Her silence was enough of a reply.

“How long have you been writing? ” He inquired. The paved path they walked along became gravel.

“My parents say I was an imaginative kid. Adventures with imaginary friends and such.”

They crossed the treeline. “What are you running from?”

A tingle of nervousness snaked up her spine as the forest swallowed them. “I’m not.”

“Yes, you are.”

Karissa glanced around as they walked, using her flashlight to see into the darkness. She also noticed that Caleb had no light yet seemed to see in the dark without issues. How?

Karissa looked at him for a moment until the sound of rushing water caught her attention.

Caleb nodded at her. “Go ahead.”

Karissa looked forward and saw light shining through the trees ahead. Curiosity taking over, she walked to the clearing. The flashlight clunked to the ground as she broke into the clearing and light surrounded her. A magnificent waterfall fell from a high cliff above to a rumbling stream below. A rainbow hung above in the streams of sunlight cascading from a cloudless sky.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?”

Karissa scrunched up her nose, not taking her gaze off the falling water. She felt Caleb’s presence next to her. “What is this?”

“Home.”

“Sandy is a werewolf?”

“I already told you.”

“Are you a vampire?”

He shrugged. “Guess you’ll have to stick around to find out.”

“I can’t.”

“Not just anyone can see this town, Karissa.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re special.” He looked past her at the waterfall. “You see things others can’t. Like that waterfall, like this town. To the normal person, that exit leads to a dead-end road. To the other, it leads to us.”

“You lie.”

“I really don’t. Anyone who comes here has a reason for being here.”

Karissa glanced at him. “What’s your reason?”

“After I became special,” he did air quotes for the word, “I was lost and doing more harm than good. I arrived here on horseback, and Sandy, the werewolf, gave me an incentive to turn my life around. I want to help you find your purpose.”

Karissa sat down on a fallen tree and stared at the surrounding beauty. A plot began forming in her mind. A woman lost in the world, finds herself in a cryptic town where a mysterious stranger helps her see hope.

Karissa smiled, taking Caleb’s hand as he sat beside her. “Maybe it will be a romance after all.”