I couldn’t see a thing. I could hear voices in the background and I could tell that I was outside somewhere but my surroundings were black. I was standing up on what felt like concrete. I could feel someone’s clammy fingers on my face. It took me a second to realize that somebody was standing behind me with their hands over my eyes.
“You won’t believe what else we have planned for you, Pammie.” I heard a young woman’s voice on my left.
My legs moved against my will. “I shudder to think,” Pamela said sarcastically.
“Oh, you’re going to love this one. I promise,” said a female voice on my right.
We continued walking while my eyes were still covered. I was afraid that I would lose my footing and fall on the concrete but Pamela seemed calm. Yet it was easier for her. She knew all these people.
We came to a stop a minute later and the person who was covering my eyes removed her hands from my face. I was standing outside and it was dusk. Three women who appeared to be in their early twenties were standing next to me. Each woman was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. I had no idea what time period I was in. But I guessed that these women were Pamela’s friends and from that I guessed that Pamela was close to their ages.
We were standing in front of a brick building in downtown Salt Lake City. The writing on the window read, “Madame Kathleen” in wispy letters as if the words were going to evaporate in a puff of smoke.
“You guys took me to see a psychic for my birthday?” Pamela said.
“Don’t tell us you aren’t wondering when John’s going to propose?” said the woman with the dark brown hair. She was the one who’d had my eyes covered.
“He did give me a ring,” Pamela said holding out her hand. I could see that it was the ring. It never occurred to me that Todd might have stolen it from someone else.
“I don’t know why you like that thing so much. It doesn’t even have a diamond in it,” one of the other girls said.
Pamela stared down at her hand. “John wanted me to take care of it. He said it belonged to his father.”
“How touching,” one of her friends said sarcastically. She opened the door to Madame Kathleen’s shop and gestured Pamela to go in.
When they walked in a woman dressed head to toe in powder blue stood to greet them. “Velcome,” she said in a Persian accent. Her wavy hair billowed from her headband. “And v’hat brings you in today? Let me guess… Someone’s v’aiting for that special someone to pop the question.”
Pamela’s friends gave her a knowing look. “She probably heard us talking outside,” she said under her breath.
“Dear, I do not hear, I see,” Madame Kathleen said. “Come, sit down and I v’ill tell you more.” She led Pamela to a table in the back of the dim room. The room resembled your everyday fortune teller’s shop. Strings of beads hung from the ceiling while gypsy music played in the background. A crystal ball sat in the center of a table and a deck of tarot cards were stacked next to it.
“So,” Madame Kathleen said when they were settled. “You v’ant to know v’hen you v’ill marry?”
Pamela shrugged. “Sure,” she said. I could feel what she felt. She thought this whole thing was a scam and wanted to get it over with.
Madame Kathleen rubbed her crystal ball. “I feel that you v’ill not marry at all. But you v’ill have one child. A son.”
“Anything else?” Pamela said.
“You v’ill also die at a young age.”
Pamela blinked. “What?”
“Car accident.”
Pamela placed her hands on the table. “Aren’t you people supposed to tell me I’m going to have a long life? What’s with this bullshit that you’re spewing?”
“Madame Kathleen speaks nothing but the truth. If I see it, I tell you.” She looked down at Pamela’s hands and her eyes widened when she noticed the ring. “This is a very fine piece of jewelry,” she said grabbing Pamela’s hand.
She glanced at her friends. “That’s what I keep telling these guys but they say a diamond is better.”
“You don’t understand. This ring has a mysterious power.”
“Okay,” said Pamela.
“In a future lifetime you v’ill have to overcome two challenges. That is v’hat the serpents represent. The first challenge v’ill be easy but the second v’ill require the use of help. The frog symbolizes you. You must jump to overcome these obstacles, sometimes having to jump through time.”
“Cool,” said Pamela who was still unconvinced that Madame Kathleen could predict the future. But I knew better.
“The man seeking to kill you has a motive. Listen to v’hat he says before taking action. He’s not as evil as you think.”
Pamela gasped. “Okay, I’ve heard enough. First you tell me that I’m going to die young and then you tell me that some psychopath is stalking me. What kind of a psychic are you?” she shouted at Madame Kathleen. If it weren’t for her friends she would have kept going. She was full of that much rage.
Madame Kathleen was taken by surprise. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just guide.”
“Guide this you stupid—” A couple of hands grabbed Pamela from behind.
“Come on Pam, let’s go,” her friends said.
Pamela struggled against her friends’ grips. With all arms snaked around hers, it was impossible for her to get away. They dragged her out of Madame Kathleen’s store. When they reached the corner of the street they let her go.
“That woman’s lucky that Pam didn’t kick her ass,” one of her friends commented. I could tell by the look on her face that she was impressed with Pamela.
“What was with that woman?” another asked. “I agree with Pam. A psychic can’t tell you when you’re going to die.”
“Well, would you rather be told the truth or some sugar-coated lie?” another asked.
“They can’t really predict the future,” the first girl said.
“Oh no? Tons of people have been able to predict the future. What makes Madame Kathleen different from anyone else?”
“Hello! She’s running a business. She’s just trying to make money.”
“And what if she’s not?”
While her friends bickered, Pamela stared at the ring on her finger. She seemed mesmerized by it. “What’s the matter Pammie?” One of her friends asked.
Pamela took off the ring. “There’s something strange about this ring. I don’t know how that lady knew so much about it. But sometimes when I put it on, it shocks me.” She held it up to the light to examine it.
“You really think that what that lady told you wasn’t bullshit?”
Pamela brushed a piece of dust off the ring. A second later, the familiarity of the ring’s powers sent static sensations all over Pamela’s body. The entire time this was happening she was thinking about the future lifetime that Madame Kathleen had mentioned.
In minutes, we were in another place. It appeared that we were at a train station and we were standing in front of a young woman. It took me a moment to realize that the young woman was me. The trouble was that my eyes were black. Right then I knew my fate. I tried to scream but couldn’t. In seconds, I blacked out.
“You won’t believe what else we have planned for you, Pammie.” I heard a young woman’s voice on my left.
My legs moved against my will. “I shudder to think,” Pamela said sarcastically.
“Oh, you’re going to love this one. I promise,” said a female voice on my right.
We continued walking while my eyes were still covered. I was afraid that I would lose my footing and fall on the concrete but Pamela seemed calm. Yet it was easier for her. She knew all these people.
We came to a stop a minute later and the person who was covering my eyes removed her hands from my face. I was standing outside and it was dusk. Three women who appeared to be in their early twenties were standing next to me. Each woman was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt. I had no idea what time period I was in. But I guessed that these women were Pamela’s friends and from that I guessed that Pamela was close to their ages.
We were standing in front of a brick building in downtown Salt Lake City. The writing on the window read, “Madame Kathleen” in wispy letters as if the words were going to evaporate in a puff of smoke.
“You guys took me to see a psychic for my birthday?” Pamela said.
“Don’t tell us you aren’t wondering when John’s going to propose?” said the woman with the dark brown hair. She was the one who’d had my eyes covered.
“He did give me a ring,” Pamela said holding out her hand. I could see that it was the ring. It never occurred to me that Todd might have stolen it from someone else.
“I don’t know why you like that thing so much. It doesn’t even have a diamond in it,” one of the other girls said.
Pamela stared down at her hand. “John wanted me to take care of it. He said it belonged to his father.”
“How touching,” one of her friends said sarcastically. She opened the door to Madame Kathleen’s shop and gestured Pamela to go in.
When they walked in a woman dressed head to toe in powder blue stood to greet them. “Velcome,” she said in a Persian accent. Her wavy hair billowed from her headband. “And v’hat brings you in today? Let me guess… Someone’s v’aiting for that special someone to pop the question.”
Pamela’s friends gave her a knowing look. “She probably heard us talking outside,” she said under her breath.
“Dear, I do not hear, I see,” Madame Kathleen said. “Come, sit down and I v’ill tell you more.” She led Pamela to a table in the back of the dim room. The room resembled your everyday fortune teller’s shop. Strings of beads hung from the ceiling while gypsy music played in the background. A crystal ball sat in the center of a table and a deck of tarot cards were stacked next to it.
“So,” Madame Kathleen said when they were settled. “You v’ant to know v’hen you v’ill marry?”
Pamela shrugged. “Sure,” she said. I could feel what she felt. She thought this whole thing was a scam and wanted to get it over with.
Madame Kathleen rubbed her crystal ball. “I feel that you v’ill not marry at all. But you v’ill have one child. A son.”
“Anything else?” Pamela said.
“You v’ill also die at a young age.”
Pamela blinked. “What?”
“Car accident.”
Pamela placed her hands on the table. “Aren’t you people supposed to tell me I’m going to have a long life? What’s with this bullshit that you’re spewing?”
“Madame Kathleen speaks nothing but the truth. If I see it, I tell you.” She looked down at Pamela’s hands and her eyes widened when she noticed the ring. “This is a very fine piece of jewelry,” she said grabbing Pamela’s hand.
She glanced at her friends. “That’s what I keep telling these guys but they say a diamond is better.”
“You don’t understand. This ring has a mysterious power.”
“Okay,” said Pamela.
“In a future lifetime you v’ill have to overcome two challenges. That is v’hat the serpents represent. The first challenge v’ill be easy but the second v’ill require the use of help. The frog symbolizes you. You must jump to overcome these obstacles, sometimes having to jump through time.”
“Cool,” said Pamela who was still unconvinced that Madame Kathleen could predict the future. But I knew better.
“The man seeking to kill you has a motive. Listen to v’hat he says before taking action. He’s not as evil as you think.”
Pamela gasped. “Okay, I’ve heard enough. First you tell me that I’m going to die young and then you tell me that some psychopath is stalking me. What kind of a psychic are you?” she shouted at Madame Kathleen. If it weren’t for her friends she would have kept going. She was full of that much rage.
Madame Kathleen was taken by surprise. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble. I just guide.”
“Guide this you stupid—” A couple of hands grabbed Pamela from behind.
“Come on Pam, let’s go,” her friends said.
Pamela struggled against her friends’ grips. With all arms snaked around hers, it was impossible for her to get away. They dragged her out of Madame Kathleen’s store. When they reached the corner of the street they let her go.
“That woman’s lucky that Pam didn’t kick her ass,” one of her friends commented. I could tell by the look on her face that she was impressed with Pamela.
“What was with that woman?” another asked. “I agree with Pam. A psychic can’t tell you when you’re going to die.”
“Well, would you rather be told the truth or some sugar-coated lie?” another asked.
“They can’t really predict the future,” the first girl said.
“Oh no? Tons of people have been able to predict the future. What makes Madame Kathleen different from anyone else?”
“Hello! She’s running a business. She’s just trying to make money.”
“And what if she’s not?”
While her friends bickered, Pamela stared at the ring on her finger. She seemed mesmerized by it. “What’s the matter Pammie?” One of her friends asked.
Pamela took off the ring. “There’s something strange about this ring. I don’t know how that lady knew so much about it. But sometimes when I put it on, it shocks me.” She held it up to the light to examine it.
“You really think that what that lady told you wasn’t bullshit?”
Pamela brushed a piece of dust off the ring. A second later, the familiarity of the ring’s powers sent static sensations all over Pamela’s body. The entire time this was happening she was thinking about the future lifetime that Madame Kathleen had mentioned.
In minutes, we were in another place. It appeared that we were at a train station and we were standing in front of a young woman. It took me a moment to realize that the young woman was me. The trouble was that my eyes were black. Right then I knew my fate. I tried to scream but couldn’t. In seconds, I blacked out.