Council Meeting

Callie slowed down and squinted through the windshield. The fog was too thick. Six hours ago she had left for home. A weekend with her family was too much. The constant bickering and drama was enough to drive anyone crazy.The fog had Callie wishing she had stayed until morning. It was almost midnight. She should have been home an hour ago but this fog made driving impossible.
"Great way to spend Halloween, Cal," she muttered. The thought made her uneasy.
"Get a grip. It's only fog."
Callie spoke out loud when she was nervous. She should have seen the turn-off by now. Callie peered into the fog for signs of a landmark. Nothing. She couldn't even see the trees along side the road. It looked like she was in a cloud. The only way she knew she was still on the road was because her headlights reflected off the raised pavement markers. Callie was driving at a snail's pace. Then as quickly as it had appeared, the fog was gone.
Callie stopped and looked around. The back of her neck tingled. She had no idea where she was. Nothing looked familiar, not even the town. Great, she had passed the turn-off. She grabbed her map. Callie decided to turn the car around and head back. Just then the gas gauge dinged. Callie saw business lights and hoped there was a gas station still open.
The lights of the gas station flickered as Callie pulled in and parked the car beside the pump.
"Generic pump probably hasn't been calibrated in years," she muttered.
"What was that?" Callie jumped in her seat. She hadn't noticed the attendant standing by the car.
"Fill it up, please?" she requested. Her voice loud in her ears.
"Regular or unleaded?" he asked. What? This was too strange of a night.
"Unleaded," Callie replied. She grabbed her cell phone and wallet and stepped from the car.
"Where's the lady's room?"
"Through the double doors in the back," was the answer.
Callie warily eyed the building. It looked like it should have fallen down years ago. Mustering her courage, Callie walked in the door and straight through the back. As she walked through the double doors, they swung shut behind her. She didn't hear the click of the lock because she was too overwhelmed by the scene in front of her.
Thirteen ominous people, dressed in black, stood in a single line. Callie stopped dead in her tracks. All she could do was stare. Fear turned her legs to rubber. The oldest man stepped forward.
"Ocala Lynn Forsythe. You have been brought here to give account for your deeds." His voice boomed like thunder in the room. Callie stammered. No-one had called her by her given name in years.
"My deeds," she repeated, in a daze. Callie knew she should run but her legs felt rooted to the spot.
"Do you deny your lies and murderous ways?" the stranger bellowed. His twelve disciples whispered in the background.
"I don't...didn't...what?" was all she could reply.
Two women detached themselves from the ranks and flanked her. Grabbing her arms, they ushered her roughly into a large chair and unceremoniously strapped in her legs and arms. A metal helmet was put on her head. As she started to protest, a rubber ball was stuck in her mouth.
"Christmas of '79, did you lie to you mother about exams so you could spend the holidays with Brian Cooper?" Callie's eyes shot open wide.
"Yes!" yelled the gathering. A jolt of electricity passed through Callie's body. She let out a muffled scream.
"April of '81, did you break John Eberman's heart, causing him to turn to drugs and alcohol, because Dave Martin asked you to prom?" Again, her eyes widened.
"Yes!" yelled the gathering. Again the electricity passed through her.
"August of '85, did you pay Andy Lewis to sabotage your car to avoid your father's funeral?" Callie felt a tear fall onto her cheek.
Again the yes and again the electricity. It seemed like hours, as Callie was shocked clean of her misdeeds. Limp and almost lifeless, she was pulled from the chair and dumped to the floor. Callie lay for a minute, on the cold tile floor. Regaining some of her strength, she looked up. She stared wildly about her. No-one was there. She was in the bay of an empty service station. Slowly, she stumbled out through the doors. The station attendant was just putting the gas cap on her car.
"Find the bathroom okay?"
Callie collapsed in a sobbing heap. The attendant slowly walked over and pulled her to her feet.
"There, there, miss. It ain't so bad," he said as he wiped away a tear. "Least ways, now you can have a clean slate. Oh, and that'll be $57 for the gas."
Callie stared at the attendant. She fumbled with her wallet and pulled three twenties.
"Keep the change." was all she could muster as she slid behind the wheel. She put her head down on the steering wheel and began to cry. Callie finally looked up and gasped. She was parked along an empty stretch of road. There was nothing in either direction. She got out of the car and looked around. No town. No service station. Nothing. Had she dreamed it? Did she wreck and bump her head? Callie tried to make sense of it but nothing worked. Finally, she realized what had happened. When she pulled over to check her map, she must have dozed off. It was a bad dream. Breathing a sigh of relief, Callie started the car and headed up the road. She came across the turn-off a half mile later. She was heading home.
Callie turned into her driveway with relief. She almost ran for the door. Her phone started ringing as she got her key.
"Hello?"
"The next council meeting is in ten years, Ocala Lynn Forsythe." Callie dropped her phone and screamed.