The Fortune Teller

This was a repeated dream I sometimes have. Don't judge me. ;D
　　
Ch. 1
　
Snowflakes pitter patters against the car’s windows. The four of us huddling and freezing to the bone. Coral, being eighteen and the oldest, is driving us back home towards the northern coldness in Montana. Her long, blonde hair stays hidden under a beanie she’s borrowing from Natalie, an eight year old. Her green eyes are focused on the road ahead, careful not to bump the old 1959 Studebaker. Natalie holds on to me, curling up against my side for warmth. Her light, brown hair flowing down from under the dark, blue cap she’s wearing. Her brown eyes focused on the thread she’s picking at on her sleeve. Jed, who’s fourteen and two years older than me, slouches in the front seat. His short, black hair is being covered by his gray hood. His dark eyes look emptily towards the trees that zoom past.
“Krissy! Your stupid, brown hair is in my face!” Natalie complains.
“Oh. Sorry, Natalie.” I remove the braid from my right shoulder and place it on my left. “You know you’re not supposed to say bad words.”
“Stupid isn’t a bad word,” she removes her dark eyes from the thread to look into my blue eyes.
“Yes, it is. It can hurt people’s feelings. Therefore, it’s a bad word.”
Natalie buries her head into my shoulder, hugging me closer. “It is not a bad word since it doesn’t hurt mine or your feelings.”
“Just shut up, Natalie,” Jed mutters. I smack him forward. “What the hell was that for?” he yells.
“Krissy, Jed hurt my feelings!” Natalie turns my head towards her for attention. “Do something to him. Hit him again.”
“No, Natalie. Violence is not always the key. And see? Shut up is also a bad word along with hell. It hurts people’s feelings like yours. That’s why we shouldn’t say it and just compromise.”
“Coming from a girl who cusses 24/7,” Jed snickers under the darkness of his hood.
“Jed, stop it. You’re the only one who’s being a pessimist here,” Coral speaks up for the first time.
“At least I’m not blabbering them in front of little kids’ faces, Jed,” I say.
Jed chuckles under his breath and mutters some indistinct words.
Jed came from a family of seven. His parents died in 9/11 so he came to the orphanage separating from his brothers and sisters. It was hard for him, but he got over it. He saw them once in a while, but that was it. I was already there. I didn’t have any friends there and decided to take a chance. I introduced myself as the six year old I was. He stared at me funny, but needed a friend, so he let me follow him and play with him. A year later, Coral, 11 at the time, came in with Natalie, a tiny three year old. She always hugged Natalie close, not letting any of the adults take her to the toddlers room. She let them take her at night for sleep, but held on to her the rest of the day. Their mom was killed by their father because of some argument. When he realized what he had done, he didn’t want his children to live in fear of him, so he committed suicide. Mine was a tragic accident. When I was five, my mom forgot to turn off the stove when she left to a friend’s house. My dad was already dead from a cancerous disease. Firemen rushed in to extinguish the fire. I was hiding in my bed. It started to catch fire, and I was choking. I sat in my bed, covering myself, peeking out and crying out “Mommy.” My mom burst through the door seconds later after my room was surrounded by burning yellow and red flames. Her face was covered with ash, and she rushed towards me hugging me tight. She then pulled the blanket over me, and I couldn’t see anything. I heard my mom coughing and running. Then, she dropped me. It was a long drop though. I felt the wind for five seconds and landed in someone else’s arms. I heard her scream and yell from far away, and I tried to untangle myself from the surrounding darkness of the blanket. When I did, I saw my mom trying to jump from the second story. A fireman helped her down before she could jump. I saw then that she had three degree burns all over her body. Before I could come to her, she was rushed to the hospital.
That’s how I ended up in the orphanage. Coral and little Natalie started to hang out with us since Natalie came and held on to my leg for some reason. She wouldn’t let go until she got hungry or sleepy. All I knew was that Natalie liked me. We became close friends after that.
Last year, Mr. and Mrs. Zink adopted us, all four of us. It was a relief that they did. I don’t know what I would do without the three of them. They’re nice people, but they don’t really care about us. They go all night to parties and such. We just stay in the house or go out to have fun. Jed is now getting lonely and cranky since there are three girls, and he’s the only boy. I feel bad for him. None of us like the coldness of Montana, except Natalie. She just loves to play in the snow.
The little snowflakes are now falling down faster and faster across the car’s windshield.
“I think a blizzard’s going to hit us soon,” Coral announces, looking up at the sky. “It’s going to be bad.” She tries to turn on the radio to hear the news, but it won’t crank on. “Oh, well,” she sighs.
“Coral, I need to go pee,” Natalie squeaks, holding her pants and jumping up and down.
“Natalie, calm down! It’s okay,” I say, trying to calm the jumping Natalie. “Coral, just park at the next stop you see, okay?”
“Blah, blah, blah. She knows what to do Krissy,” Jed mutters.
“I know that. Stop being such a pessimist.”
“Why?”
“Who likes a pessimist, Jed?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you.”
“And why would I like people who talk negatively all the time?”
“I don’t know,” he smiles.
I like Jed. He knows that. After being friends all these years, it definitely has taken its toll. Coral knows I like him since she’s been watching the way I look at him, and the way I treat him differently from the others. I also told her when she asked me who I like. She likes some guy who works at a candy shop downtown. He always gave us free candy when we went there.
“Okay, guys. Here’s our stop,” Coral announces.
“Hey, look. There’s a gypsy tent,” Jed points out a tent that says “Fortune Teller” across the top. “Let’s go see what our fortunes will be.”
“Maybe later, Jed. Mom and Dad are expecting us back home soon,” Coral says, destroying Jed’s spirit.
“Why can’t we go? It couldn’t hurt. It should probably be quick. Plus, Mom and Dad,”- he spits out the words- “don’t really care.”
Coral looks up at the sky. The clouds are all gray and snowflakes are starting to surround us more and more. “What about the weather? You don’t want to get caught in a snowstorm, do you?”
“No, I don’t. Plus, fortune telling should be quick and easy. It won’t take an hour, Coral.”
“Jed, why would you want to know your or our fortune anyway? It’s just a bunch of hocus pocus. You think that people can tell the future? Plus, fortune tellers give me the creeps. They always look funny,” I reason.
“Chicken,” he teases.
“I am not.”
“Guys! I’ve got to go pee!” Natalie yells.
“Okay, okay, Natalie. Come on, I’ll take you,” I slam my door shut and help Natalie out of the car. “To the bathroom we go.”
“Finally. Why do you and Jed always fight? Doesn’t it get annoying?”
“I don’t know, Natalie. That’s just how people are made. I guess you need arguments to show that your point is right rather than wrong, but someone has to be wrong sometimes, right?” I look down at her. She stares into the snow, thinking about what I had just said.
“What if neither of you are right?” she asks.
“Then, I don’t know what would happen. I guess we would be arguing forever on from that point.”
“Oh.”
We tread through the snow, leaving small and big footprints behind. We reach the mini store next to the gas station and open the door. A warm breeze flows into our faces, and I start to shiver the cold off. I ask the worker where the bathroom was and let Natalie go in by herself since she wants to be a big girl.
“I can go in there by myself, Krissy!”
“Okay, okay. Whatever you want.”
“Can you wait for me out here?”
“Yes, I will, Natalie. Now, go in there.”
“You promise not to leave?” she squints her eyes at me.
“Yes, Natalie. I won’t leave. Now, hurry up. Jed and Coral are waiting for us.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, yes. Promise.”
“Okay,” she disappears behind the door.
I wait outside the door, looking at some chips and sodas I could buy. I pull a Lays Barbeque chips and a Lays Sour Cream and Onions chips, comparing the two. Natalie comes up from behind me and pipes up, “I like the Barbeque one. The other one’s okay, I guess.”
I shrug. They both cost the same. “Natalie, would you rather have two chips, a chip and a soda, or two sodas?”
“Only for me?” she looks at me wide-eyed.
“No, silly. We’re all supposed to share. So, what do you think?”
“The big chip bag and the big Pepsi.”
“Okay. Which chip bag do you think we should get? We always had Barbeque. Don’t you think we should get something different this time?”
“Yeah. Okay, get the Sour Cream and Onions one. It tastes good at least.”
“Yeah, okay.”
I buy the Lays chips along with the Pepsi and leave with Natalie skipping at my side. We reach the car, and I slide the food into the backseat. Jed immediately grabs the chips, rips it open, and starts forking it down his throat. I tore the bag away from his hands. “Jed! I bought this for all of us, not just for you!”
“I was going to share,” he makes a puppy face.
“Yeah, after you eat more than half the bag,” Coral jokes.
“Whatever,” he crosses his arms. “Hey, can we please go to the gypsy tent?”
“No, Jed,” Coral says seriously.
“It will only take a second. Please! Plus, we’ll see if she’s real or not.”
“How?” Natalie squeaks from the back.
“By seeing if she knows we’re orphans. We’ll ask her about our parents and see if she’ll answer correctly.”
“That’s kind of a clever plan, but what if she takes it the wrong way and starts talking about our parents right now,” I ask.
“Then we’ll say our biological parents.”
“Wouldn’t she get suspicious?” Coral asks.
“Nah, unless she catches it. So, can we go? Please?” Jed begs again.
“Fine. I’m doing this because I don’t want to hear you complain all the way home.”
“Thank you, Coral! Thank you, thank you!” Jed says, hugging her.
“Stop being such a kiss up,” I point out.
“No, I’m not!”
“Speak for yourself.”
We lock the car when we leave and head toward the purple and blue striped tent. The flap of the tent is open so we slowly went inside. The tent from the inside had statues made of stone encircling all around us. They were carved very intricately so you could see every clear detail. The funny thing was that they had the same surprised looking face.
The gray floor is being covered by wrappers and garbage of all sorts. The red walls surround us in a circle. We carefully step over the garbage and sit in the seats around a circular table.
“Is anyone in here?” Coral calls out.
“Yes, yes, I’m here. Hold on,” a crackly, old voice echoes off the walls.
“Okay,” Coral yells back.
“Krissy, I don’t like this place,” Natalie holds on to my arm, looking around the room.
“Don’t be such a baby, Nat,” Jed puts a hand on her shoulder. “It’s alright. There’s just an old lady in here….somewhere.” He looks around the room.
“I don’t know, Jed. I feel something funny in my tummy. Like, something’s bad is going to happen. Krissy, I’m scared!” Natalie pulls me closer, and she buries her head into my jacket. Tears start streaming down her eyes. I hold her in my arms and squeeze her tight.
“It’s okay, Natalie. Sh. I’m here with you. Everything’s going to be all right. Okay?” I look down at her pale face with red eyes.
“I’m still scared, Krissy.”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.” I rub her back and hug her tightly.
“Well, well, well. Customers!” the lady shouts enthusiastically. The moment she appears, I couldn’t avert my eyes from the huge mole stuck on the tip of her chin. Her yellow bandana covers her gray hair. Her small blue eyes dart around the room and then stayed on us. Her small, round body is careful not to bump into anything as she moves toward us. “Gather round, gather round the crystal ball!” she sings.
“Um, excuse me. Do I have to pay you anything?” Coral asks her.
“Oh, no, no, no, no. Although, you may give me a tip. Here’s the jar.” She pulls out an empty jar with little paper scraps on the bottom. She smiles a wide smile showing only her two front teeth. Natalie giggles.
“You look like a mouse!” Natalie yells, pointing.
“Natalie! Don’t be rude!” I scold her.
“Oh, it’s okay my darling. I’ve been called much worse,” she whispers. “Now, everyone sit down, sit down. Let’s begin. First of all, does any of you have any specific questions you want answered?”
“Yes, actually I have one,” Jed pipes up.
“Then, what is it young man?”
“It’s about our biological parents. They’re in the hospital and are really sick. I don’t know what kind of disease they have or anything. The doctors keep us away from them so we can’t see them or anything since they’re too sick. So, do you think you can help us and tell us what their future might be? Something else than death?” Jed winks at us when the old lady turns around to look for something. I didn’t understand until I remembered his words: our biological parents, the doctors keep us away. He’s making us one blood related family.
“Ok, then. Here is some bowls for each of you to have. We’re going to do some special magic here. Ready?” She places a bowl in front of each of us. I notice there was only three.
“Where’s Natalie?” I scan the room. She’s nowhere. “Natalie!” I call.
“Where did she go?” Jed’s eyes dart around the room, but she’s gone.
“Natalie!” We all call out for her. My heart starts beating faster with fear. I get up from my seat and start walking towards the open tent flap when the lady snickers at us.
“Are you looking for that little girl? You won’t find her in here anymore. She’s gone. Long gone.” She looks around the room, a smile playing at the corner of her lips.
“What’d you do to her,” I spit out. My eyes narrow into slits, and my fists are starting to hurt from the pressure I’m putting on them. I clench my teeth and move closer.
“Krissy!” Coral scolds me. “Maybe she just went outside to play in the snow. You know how Natalie loves the snow.”
“Please, don’t leave just yet. Here is a simple spell to help you to find that little girl,” the old lady cackles. “Don’t worry. It won’t hurt.”
“Spells? What the hell is wrong with you, lady! Are you crazy? Our little sister is missing! I’m going outside to check if she’s there since I’m probably the only one who really cares!” I shout at all of them and strut out of the room.
Before I leave, I hear Coral tell the lady, “I’m sorry. Krissy is a pain sometimes. She just loves Natalie so much.”
“I see, I see. Would you like to try the spell?” she urges.
“It wouldn’t hurt. Let’s try it,” Jed says, and I can’t hear them anymore.
I keep calling Natalie’s name, over and over again. I look around the tent, inside the store, inside the car, yet I couldn’t find her. I double check the bathroom in the store and between the isles. I finally give up. I couldn’t find her anywhere. As I walk back towards the tent, I spot a small footprint in the snow out of nowhere. I run to it and notice there is no starting point for the footprints. The footprints start in the middle of the parking lot. I follow the footprints, my mind trying to think of how Natalie’s footprints have started in the middle of the parking lot, next to our car. The footprints leads back to the tent, and my excitement turns back to woe, but my curiosity perks up. Why is Natalie’s footprints not next to my footprints? Didn’t we walk side by side? Then, I realize that the footprints are fresh and that Natalie might have returned to the tent! I run inside, finding myself gawking and in total shock. I couldn’t breathe. I barely whisper to the crazy, old lady, “What did you do?”
“Do you like my work?” was her answer. I glanced at each of the stone figures around me. Coral stood against the wall, her hand clutched against her chest, her mouth open as if crying. Natalie’s standing, her hands trying to swipe the stone off of her. Her face is streaked with tears. “Sadly, you can still say goodbye to him. He’s got about 30 seconds.” She points to Jed who’s lying on the ground, his legs and feet are already turned to stone.
“Jed!” I cry. I fling myself down to him, holding his head in my hands. He puts his hand on my cheek. “Jed, Jed, please, Jed,” was all I could sputter. I don’t know what to do. I’m lost, staring at someone I love that’s about to be gone in 10 seconds. Tears start rolling down my cheeks as I hold his, now, stony hand.
“Krissy, don’t trust her,” he breathes. As I stare into his dark eyes for one last moment, he winks at me and smiles, “I believe in you.”
His head then turns to the hard, cold grayness that matches his body. I stare at him, his eyes now two gray circles.
My body’s shivering from the anger that I can’t control. I stand and turn around to face this old “lady”.
“You insane, crazy, stupid, idiotic,-” I throw myself at her, whamming my fist in the middle of her crinkly face. I feel my fist hitting her, but she just stands there, a big hole in the center of her face. I back away in shock, watching as the hole is being replaced by the dreadful face I had seen before.
“Want to try again?” she smiles.
I just stand there, gawking at what happened. I finally grab hold of my senses and spit out, “What the heck is wrong with you, lady? Are you on some kind of drug?”
“You could say that.” With that, she spins around and disappears.
I stare at the place she disappeared. She’s gone. I can’t think anymore, I can’t breathe anymore; I stand there, clutching my chest, trying to get some air into me. I look at my family around me. I walk to each of the statues and look into their eyes. The fear they all have, the warnings they’re trying to shout are all obvious.
I bend down next to Jed’s stone body and cradle his head. The tears slide down my cheeks unto his face.