Fantasy Tales Series: Rise of The Merfolk

Chapter Two~ Edited

We entered the room through an arch way with strings of colourful beads hanging from it. The room was small, the size of a big bathroom perhaps. The walls were lined with wooden shelves covered in dusty books and random objects. A lot of those objects were awesome rare seashells she had collected over the years. Every space of wall was covered with something, where there was no shelf occupying the walls there were odd looking clocks, paintings and ornaments. One clock was shaped like a suitcase tag and every number was a little symbol. 

Most of the paintings were of mythical sea creatures - blue Mermaids singing sailors to their death, the legendary Kracken with eight red slimy tentacles and the Lockness monster sleeping underneath the ocean. I loved it and briefly wondered if any of the paintings were for sale. In the centre of the room was a large round wooden table with a plain silk black table cloth draped over and a pile of cards stacked on top. There was a beautiful clear crystal ball as well. 

The kind woman gestured for us all to be seated so we all sat down and got comfortable. I mean as comfortable as you can when the chairs are wooden with no pillows. The whole time I got the feeling the elderly woman was watching me in particular very carefully. I felt like a lion at the zoo and it put me on edge a little bit, I felt tense but I also didn't sense the women meant any harm. In fact I felt tense because her presence was so naturally calming to me, it was strange. It was the kind of feeling you got from seeing a close family member you missed after being away from home.

'So,' She started calmly, I wondered how many times she had done this. Her voice was so soft I had to lean forward a little to hear properly. 'Who would like to go first?'

Sophia's hand instantly shot up, I wasn't surprised. 'Me please!' She sang cheerfully. Lila and I had to keep from laughing out loud at her impatience. Of course it was Sophia who wanted to go first- she always wanted to be the star. In her mind she was probably expecting to hear about what riches were in her near future or if she would be able to afford a fancy new car. Her car now was nice but even I had to admit it was starting to look old. 

The woman smiled at her, but her eyes darted towards me again. I got the feeling she was dissapointed I wasn't first. 'What type of reading would you like sweetie?'

'Uhhhh,' Sophia's face went blank. 'I don't actually know what types there are.' Neither did I if I was being honest. My mother was more into the psychic stuff, sure I believed in things like spirits and ghosts but I wasn't convinced every charlatan on the street was real. Including this woman- just because she was old didn't mean she was for real. I stared at her, but I just couldn't help thinking that she was genuine, not matter how much my mind scoffed at me. 

The ancient woman smiled, her front tooth was a little chipped and she had deep worry lines on her face from years of frowning. 'No matter! I'll decide for you.' The woman clapped her hands and stared at Sophia intensely for a minute or so. It was highly uncomfortable and seemed to drag on for ages. Sophia squirmed in her seat a little and I felt the urge to do the same, the silence enveloped the room. 'You seem to be an extravagant soul.' She finally broke the tension, her voice was still soft. 'The crystal ball for you it is.'

I wondered why extravagant souls got the crystal ball? My mind was once again lifting into the clouds, the answer didn't really matter. Although I suspected it was because of how glamorous and big the crystal ball was. Colours glinted off of it like miniature rainbows.  

The woman placed the crystal ball directly in front of her. Then, she closed her eyes and grabbed one of Sophia's hands carefully, placing it on the top of the ball. The woman looked like she was meditating. It was fascinating to watch. I loved meditating myself but watching someone else do it was amazing. Did I look that peaceful when I did it? Sophia rolled her eyes and sighed quietly. She wanted to know instantly. Suddenly The psychics eyes shot open, slightly concerned. 'I see a traumatic event in your future.' It came out as a whisper.