Fortune Teller

Natalie looked up at the sky. A clear blue sky with the sun radiating down meant the summer Mystic Fair would have full attendance. It would be hot and crowded.

“You promised.” Lainey waited in the driver’s seat for Natalie to get in her car.

“I don’t remember promising anything.” Natalie buckled the seatbelt.

“While we watched that fantasy movie last night, I mentioned there was a Mystic Fair in a county about an hour north of us. You said that’s cool.”

“What? Cool isn’t the same as saying yes.”

“I asked you if you had plans for today, and you said no.”

“You took that as a yes?” Natalie leaned back and smiled, thinking that if she was being dragged there, she could liven up the event.

“It’ll be fun. I brought cloaks for us. Mine is purple, and yours is black.”

“I could have easily said the color you would wear.” Natalie watched the traffic lessen as they traveled to a county that hadn’t experienced the same major development craze as her own county. The beauty relaxed her until she fell asleep.

Natalie slept until Lainey pulled onto a two-lane rural road. Trees on either side of the road created a canopy overhead. As far as they could see, the trees provided a roof of shade. The hilly road made it feel as if they had traveled to a northern state.

“Wow, this road is almost worth the trip to the carnival.” Natalie sat up and focused on the lush scenery.

“It’s a Mystic Fair, not a carnival.” Lainey spotted a sign with an arrow and turned left down a dirt road.

Two blocks down, they spotted a man waving them forward. He wore a tall black hat and a long black cloak. He stood rigid, glaring at them as he pointed down the lane.

“Is that a vampire or a wizard?” Natalie sensed strange vibes. She turned and found him staring at her. She turned back and decided it was a bad wizard. A vampire would burn up exposed to the full sun.

“I think I’ll stay in the car.” She tried to scrunch down in her seat.

“You will do no such thing. He’s in character. Enjoy the event.”

Another individual, in an oversized black cloak, waved them into a lane and pointed to their parking spot.

“At least this dude looks normal, because it looks like he had to borrow a cloak to be part of the event.”

“We don’t want normal, we want an adventure.” Lainey walked over and waited for Natalie to get out of the car. As soon as she did, Lainey locked the car and handed her the black cloak.

They walked along a long, grassy path, with thick bushes bursting with pink flowers on either side and trees forming a canopy overhead. In the distance, they saw a large circle framed with stones. The entrance looked as though they would step into another world.

“Look! This is perfect.” Lainey walked faster.

“I’m surprised we haven’t had to pay for anything yet.”

“Stop spoiling it.” Lainey looked back at Natalie.

Natalie smiled, and instead of answering her, she whispered, “A golden orb of radiating heat A blade of grass and canopying trees A fluttering of butterflies to meet A wish, a desire, is granted with ease.”

“Did you…” Lainey stopped and gasped. Wide-eyed, she stared at the hundred Monarch butterflies that fluttered through the entrance and headed for them.

Lainey met them halfway, holding out her hand. They landed on her hand, shoulders, and hair. She stood still, blue eyes sparkling as she laughed. Natalie came around with butterflies in her hair. She pulled her phone out and took pictures of Lainey.

“I’ll never forget this day! This is amazing.” Lainey stayed still until the butterflies lifted, turned, and headed back into the Mystic Fair grounds.

Lainey pulled Natalie by the hand toward the entrance. As they walked through the stone circular entrance, a large wooden stand on the right-hand side had thirteen brooms hanging from its top. A wooden sign above the structure read “Broom Parking.”

“Oh, my gosh, Natalie. Look!”

Natalie looked at the brooms hanging from the structure and smirked. It was tempting to send one flying across the grounds, but she resisted.

Before them stood white tents all along two sides and the back. The middle grounds had a humongous food tent. The aroma of fried food, sugary treats, and fresh-cut grass filled the air.

“How about I sit in the food tent and eat a candy apple while you visit the tents?” Natalie started to move in that direction.

“No way. You’re coming with me. I want us to have our fortunes read.”

“That would be a big fat no for me.” Natalie folded her arms across her chest as she stood firm.

“Don’t be silly.” Lainey pushed her over to the first tent.

Since the event had just opened, a few visitors mingled among the tents. Lainey didn’t have to wait. She headed for the first tent, which had a “TAROT READING” sign, and a black goat was grazing to the left of the opening.

“Come in, come in,” the old woman in a crocheted black shawl said. Her blue eyes twinkled with mischief as Lainey sat down and put her $20 in the small black bucket on the white six-foot table.

The woman handed Lainey a deck of cards and asked her to shuffle them while she thought about the question she wanted answered. When Lainey stopped, she told her to cut the deck with her left hand and place the cards on the table. Quickly, the old woman placed the cards face down, one card after another. Finished, she turned a card and began to speak. Everything seemed to match Lainey, but it was obvious by her expression that the question remained unanswered.

With the last card, the old woman looked up and studied Lainey before giving the final reading. “I see turmoil leaving as you move to another place that provides a different life.”

“What does that mean?” Lainey leaned forward.

“Ask your friend. She lives that life.” The old woman slightly bowed to Natalie.

Lainey stood and gave Natalie a puzzled look. Natalie shrugged her shoulders before leaving.

The next few vendors sold trinkets, gems, healing teas, and other items. They looked at all those things before moving to the row of tents at the back of the event. No sign appeared on the center tent, which had its sides and back down. Only a small doorway was open in the front. Looking inside, an extra layer of black walls covered the white walls. It gave off an ominous vibe, especially as they stood outside, peeking into the room. In the center of the dimly lit room was an old fortune-teller booth. In the dark, they could only make out a black-haired gypsy, dressed in a high-collared dark dress. Her blue eyes seemed to glow as she stared at them.

Lainey gasped at how dark and twisted this tent seemed to be, but Natalie stepped back. As she did, rumbling sounds from an old motor sputtering to life had her freeze. She refused to look at the gypsy, but Lainey stepped in front of the booth, searching her pockets for quarters.

“This fortune is not for you, but for the dark-haired one.” The heavily accented voice surprised Lainey. She turned to look at Natalie, who had taken another step back.

“No.” Natalie turned to leave as the fortune teller’s hands jerked back and forth over the cards in front of her. Her blue eyes flashed brightly as she cackled, “Your future has been read. Take your card.” Natalie ran away before the gypsy finished speaking.

She sat with her elbows on the table and her hands running through her hair. She didn’t want to be here. Looking outside, she focused on the sky. Black clouds moved in as the winds picked up. Thunder rumbled in the distance. As lightning streaked across the sky, a weathered hand rested on her shoulder. She jerked and looked up.

“Don’t ruin it for the rest of us.”

Natalie glanced at the old woman from the first tent, whose blue eyes seemed to stare beyond the surface.

“Your power flows in and around you. I have never seen such an abundance of raw power, but you must control yourself.” The old woman placed a candy apple in front of Natalie as Lainey came over.

Lainey looked at the old woman and Natalie before taking a seat. “Geez, it’s getting bad out there. You didn’t wait for your fortune.”

“Did you read it?” Natalie took the folded paper from Lainey.

“No. I wouldn’t do that to you.” Lainey looked over at the old woman, wondering why she was speaking to Natalie.

Natalie ripped the fortune into as tiny pieces as possible before shoving them into her pocket.

“Why’d you do that?”

“I’m superstitious, and reading my future falls under bad luck.” Natalie felt the hand lift from her shoulder as the old woman chuckled.

“It’s a good thing there are more like your friend, Lainey, than you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to use my gift.” She left the tent as the sky cleared.

“How does she know my name?”

“Probably in my brief conversation with her. She saw the fortune teller had freaked me out, so she spoke to me. Are you really going to move in with Pru?” Natalie wanted to change the subject.

“Yes. Pru is back home. I move in during the summer.”

“That’s great. Pru is the opposite of your parents.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to it. The zillion white candles in her family room are a little much, but she says they bring her comfort. I’m not there to rearrange anything about her life, so I will adapt.”

“In time, I am sure you will understand her ways.” Natalie took a bite of the candy apple and laughed.

“What’s so funny?” Lainey stood to go get something to eat.

“Look at the old woman in the black shawl, knowing she handed me this cherry red apple. Tell me that doesn’t remind you of an old fantasy tale.”

“It does. This place has a magical feel. I love it.” Lainey laughed as she glanced around and saw more people in cloaks and costumes.

“Why don’t you visit the other tents while I go thank the tarot card reader for the apple?” Natalie stood up.

“Okay. Meet me back here in an hour.” Lainey headed to the tents on the other side of the fair.

Her goat made a “baa” sound, letting the tarot reader know Natalie approached.

“I wanted to thank you for calming me and the candy apple. I had wanted to get one, so it was a pleasant surprise.” Natalie stood near the goat, scratching its head.

“The cards can read, but so can I. I am Iris from the Phoenixvale Order. What is your Order?”

“I’ve never heard of an Order, but I am Natalie of the Shadowlink.”

“You belong to Draon’s Shadowlink Order. There are rumors of a powerful teenage mage and her uncertain future. Would that be you?”

“Most likely. When angered, I seem to cause disasters.”

“Your anger results from a binding and a sudden ending to the binding. Seek the answer so you can understand.”

“What?” Natalie frowned, trying to make sense of the message.

“Draon has the answer. Seek him, but take this moonstone to help keep you calm. Now I have someone who wants a reading.”

Natalie put the stone in her pocket and headed back to the tent. Before she got there, she stopped and stared at the crowds of people filling several tents, looking for souvenirs. Natalie thought of giving them something more. Once again, she whispered the butterfly spell. Soon, butterflies filled the grounds, flitting amongst the people. She smiled at the delighted sounds as adults stilled their children, so the butterflies landed on them.

Natalie went inside the food tent and waited. The smell of cotton candy tempted her to buy a bag of it. She reached into a pocket for money. Instead, her hand found a piece of paper. She pulled out the folded fortune-teller prophecy. Agitated, she tore it up and tossed it into a garbage can. As she did, Lainey entered the crowded tent.

“Oh, wow, this was so much fun. Ending with the butterflies is amazing.” Lainey squeezed between two men to reach Natalie. One made a comment, which Lainey chose to ignore.

“That’s awesome. I’m glad you had a good time.” Natalie glanced for an opening, but Lainey pushed her way through the crowded tent. Natalie followed her. Outside, less crowded, they headed toward the front entrance. Glad to be leaving, she looked over at the broom rack. She whispered a spell and watched them rattle in place. Lainey jumped in surprise.

“Did you see that?” Lainey’s eyes were wide in surprise and delight.

“Probably a motor behind the wall that makes it happen.”

“Wow, how you don’t believe in magic.” Lainey shook her head.

“I have a logical side.” Natalie smiled as she waved her hand and sent a broom flying across the event. Lainey didn’t see it, but they could hear the crowd screaming and pointing.

“What’s that about?” Lainey turned, considering going back.

“Probably a performer.” Natalie kept walking toward the car.

“I got a couple of gemstones for my collection.” Lainey put the small bag in the back seat.

“I have a moonstone.” Natalie put her hand in her pocket to retrieve it. Instead, she stared at the folded gypsy’s prophecy.