Written by John Safin
“Come on,” Katie pleaded. “It’ll be fun.” She pulled at Rick’s hand as she tried to pull him toward the red and
blue striped tent with the big sign: “Fortunes Told – Futures Exposed –
Mistress Sabrina Tells All.”
“Okay, okay. If you want to waste money on
such nonsense.” They were heading in the direction of the haunted
house, the highlight of Ramsey University’s annual alumni festival. The
day was bright and cool with the carnival food aroma saturating the
slight breeze. The haunted house was always a good draw but Rick’s
libido was looking forward to finding a quiet dark corner with his
girlfriend. They’ve been together since the beginning of fall semester
and she wouldn’t have sex with him. He was determined that would end
today.
The open tent flaps gave an invitation to
enter. Defused sunshine pushing through the tent fabric made the
interior well lit. A tapestry of the circular zodiac calendar hung on
the back wall. To the right, a small table with various books, candles,
charm and chains available for purchase. To the left, a small table, a
deck of cards set in the middle, and sitting to one side was Mistress
Sabrina, a youthful woman wearing jeans, a black jacket over a navy blue
shirt. Even her blonde shoulder-length hair defied the stereotypical
“gypsy” appearance of most carnival fortunetellers. Mistress Sabrina’s
gaze went from the paperback novel – a romance judging by the bodice
ripping cover – to the college couple that just entered. She closed the
book and indicated the two empty chairs on the opposite side of the
table, “Hello. Please be seated. If this reading is only for one of you,
the other will need to wait outside.”
Rick’s thoughts paused and his breathing
gasped in mid-inhale, taken off guard by the fortuneteller’s eyes –
black with the shine of obsidian and depth as the deepest night sky.
“Hi. I’m Katie and this is Rick,” she pulled
him to the chairs where they both took a seat. “I want this to be for
the both of us.”
“Very well,” Mistress Sabrina turned in her
chair to face the couple over the table. “What would you like to know? Obviously you two are together, dating for at least the last two
semesters.”
“That’s amazing,” breathed Katie. Rick
leaned back and crossed his arms in front of him.
“No magic or tricks. You two seem very
comfortable together. Mistress Sabrina leaned forward toward Katie and
lowered her voice, “Body language can reveal much about a person.”
Rick sat up correcting his posture.
“I can tell things about people and what
Fates guide them through life,” she leaned back in her chair, pushing a
stray lock of hair off her bangs. “I don’t want to do a reading for
you…” The couple was surprised. “…instead I would like to give you a
talisman. A good luck charm to guide you through your future.” She
reached below and brought up a shoe box-sized plastic container. Sabrina
removed the blue lid as she stood and picked out a small blue stone
dangling on a thin silver chain. She waved her hand for Katie to stand
and join her in the center of the tent. The mystic stood behind Katie to
secure the chain. “This a blue opal, which according to legend, will
bring good fortune on the wearer.”
Katie smiled and touched the charm, “It’s
beautiful.” She felt compelled to hug Mistress Sabrina, “Thank you.”
After watching this, Rick stood and to the
center of the tent, “How much do I owe you for the necklace?"
The atmosphere once filled with the warmth
of friendship shared between the two women became as cold as the stare
Mistress Sabrina cast upon Rick. A tolerating demeanor quickly replaced
Sabrina’s burst of distain, “The talisman is a gift. And I have a gift
for you, too.”
“A gift? Not a good way to run a business.”
“Think of it as customer service.” She
quickly went to the box and removed something that she palmed in her
right hand. She stepped slowly, as though the ground would crack with
her weight, until she was within arm’s reach of Rick. “I have always
believed the gift should match the person who receives it, as with the
talisman given to Katie. This is especially for you.”
Rick looked down into Sabrina’s open hand to
a thin disk of swirled green and black. He wasn’t sure if it was made of
marble, painted stone or an unusual gem as the available light was flat
against the material. Some type of markings or runes circled the outer
rim. “What is it?”
“It is a coin from the Maldo’c Clan, a
legendary band of mages from Atlantis. It is a penny and it has
special…qualities to it.” In a fluid motion, Mistress Sabrina slaps the
coin flat against Rick’s chest, “Kel fa dool ray menos!”
The sudden, unexpected strike made Rick
breathless and, for a moment, he thought he saw Sabrina’s eyes turn
white. Regaining his composure, he took a step backward, “What is wrong
with you!”
“Just giving you something…to think about,”
she holds her hands out and open. “Enjoy the gifts and thank you for
stopping.” Sabrina returns to her seat, opens the novel and begins to
read again.
“Come on,” ordered Rick to Katie and grabbed
her hand heading out of the tent.
While being pulled to the exit Katie shouts,
“Thank you for the necklace.”
Rick marched them several feet outside the
fortuneteller’s tent, turned to look at, “What a psycho!”
“I thought she was nice,” Katie held the
blue opal marveling at the color and beauty. “This is a beautiful
pendant. I can’t believe she gave it to me.”
“Probably stolen from another customer and
doesn’t want to get caught with it.”
“Where’s that penny she gave you?”
“I have no idea. Dropped to the ground when
she hit me with it. No way was I going to pick it up.” Rick thought
about her eyes. Freaky witch with those freaky eyes.
Katie paused and glared at Rick, “So, you
liked her eyes, huh?”
“What?” A tingling feeling on his chest
distracted Rick.
“You liked her eyes.”
“I said they were freaky.” Her eyes were
freaky. Maybe her eyes aren’t the only things freaky about her. Bet
she’s a lot of fun.
“Why do you have to say things like that?” Katie’s diminishing patience
was evident in her tone.
“Her eyes are freaky.” Rick scratched the
tingling patch of his chest.
“You don’t have to tell me when you’re
checking out other girls. It’s bad enough I have to ignore it let alone
when you tell me outright that ‘she would be a lot of fun’.” Crossing
her arms, Katie walked away as Rick followed.
“But I didn’t say anything like that!”
Now I gotta put up with this temper tantrum. So much for getting some
play.
Katie whirred around and stepped into his
path, “And if that’s all you want is to ‘play’ me then you can just go
home. How many times have I told you that I won’t have sex until I’m
married? You just don’t understand. I’ll get a ride from someone
else.” She turned again and continued with a faster pace.
He stopped. The tingle became annoying and
Rick opened his shirt. The spot of the irritation was circular with
lines along the outside, black and dark green. He rubbed it and felt the
indentations tingle but the mark wouldn’t come off. He sensed someone
was about to walk into him and he looked up. Standing there was Mistress
Sabrina.
“Enjoying the gift?”
“Coming to get your money?”
Sabrina took a step forward. Those black
eyes enthralling him. “No. Coming to see if you understand what gift I gave to
you.”
“I don’t have your coin.”
“Actually,” her hand stroked up his arm to
caress the tingling part of his chest, “it’s right here.”
Rick was excited by her touch. Maybe she
is freaky and I might luck out.
“Oh, you will get lucky.”
The tingle on his chest returned. Wh-what
did you say?” Rick stammered the question.
"I said before, I can tell a lot about a
person. I can tell you are all about closing the deal, whether it’s
business or personal, you just want what you want you want no matter
what you have to say to get your way. The Maldo’c Clan imbibed their magic into
that amulet, the coin I gave to you. The amulet contained a Spell of
Revealing. The spell itself has many uses but when cast upon a person,
their true thoughts are exposed.”
“You are a freak.” My thoughts are my
own.
“Oh, like everyone else under this spell,
you probably tried to have me read your mind. It doesn’t work like that.
Only when you intend to deceive or do actions other than what you say
will the other person know your thoughts.”
“Get away from me. You’re just too wrapped
up in your own little psycho world.” Rick took a couple steps away from
Sabrina. I’d probably feel better if I smacked her. After all, she
hit me earlier and is now back to attack me again. A good slap across
her face would just be me defending myself.
The tingle made Rick stop.
“I don’t think you should hit me. You might
not like what happens if you did.”
Rick turned to face her, “What did you do to
me?”
“Oh, I just gave you a penny for your
thoughts.”
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