This is a short story, inspired some by Blackmore's Night song "Where Are We Going From Here?"

But all the characters are from my imagination, as are their secrets.

Line Fortunes

A young girl bounced alongside her mother as they walked around the stalls. A fair was in town, a carnival, and the girl always loved going to things of the sort. Her mother was happy to calmly watch her as she energetically bounded from place to place. They had both just finished running around in one of the fun houses, and gotten some orbital pops. The daughter had already eaten all the chocolate ‘moons’ orbiting her sucker, and had the sucker in her mouth.

Suddenly, the girl saw something that captured her attention. Pulling the sucker out of her mouth with such haste she almost dropped it, the girl pointed to a small tent with ‘Reveal Your True Fortune’ written on a sign beside it. “Oooo; let’s go there!” She said excitedly. Before her mother even had time to look where her daughter was pointing, the girl was off. The woman smiled as she walked after her little one; the girl always went after what she found even the slightest bit interesting.

The girl didn’t wait for the slowpoke behind her, she knew where she was if needed. She slipped behind the door curtains and looked around. The place was filled with things, trinkets and decorations, yet didn’t seem crowded at all. She stared in awe at the colors and objects around her.

“Weeeeeel-come!” Said an old woman’s voice, tinged with an accent. She stepped out of nowhere, or from the piles of things, so the girl thought. Her mother came in the tent then, and also saw the woman. They both smiled. “Ah, a family visit!” Said the old woman. She had a bright scarf around her head, not very used, though her other clothes weren’t quite in such fair condition. They were still nice though, and weren’t too unusual for her occupation, so were given no special note.

“Come, come!” She said, going over to a short table, beckoning they follow. “I will tell your fortunes, yes? Tey will help you.”

“Help us what?” The girl asked.

“Why, trough life, child! All fortunes help you understand about where you are going in life.”

The girl looked over the table with wide eyes, then turned to her mother. “Pleeeeeease?”

Her mother laughed. “Why not? We could find out something fun.” She handed the woman some money, and her daughter sat down first, wiggling in anticipation.

“Ah; I can sense a special spirit in you already.” The old woman said, “As soon as you came in here, I said to myself, ‘Self, tere is someting special around here.’ Now I can clearly see it is you.” The girl grinned and giggled a little, as all small girls do when they are talked about.

“Now, give me your hands.” The woman continued. The girl put the sucker in her mouth and did as she was told. “Now, close your eyes, and relax. I will be feeling your hands, but do not worry.” The girl closed her eyes tightly at first, and then slowly loosened up.

The woman bent over the table as she inspected the girl’s palms. She felt over liens and ridges, muttered some things that came out as hums, then abruptly stopped. She went back and traced a few more things quickly, then again, more slowly. Her face was confused, concentrated. The mother wondered what was going on. The girl still obediently had her eyes shut.

“You can open tem now.” The old woman said, some hesitancy that hadn’t been there before in her voice. The girl opened her eyes on the woman expectantly. The woman smiled and looked apologetically at her mother. “Tis little one is not yet fully developed; some of her signs I cannot read well because tey are not ready.” The mother smiled understandably; she had never heard of such a thing, but she didn’t know much about fortune telling.

The old woman turned back to the girl. “Your future, I do not fully understand, I am afraid.” The girl’s hands dropped, disappointed, as did her face. “But,” continued the woman with a smile and twinkle in her eye, “I can tell you tat it will be one heck of a ride! You have much in store for you; tis I know.” The girl’s smile returned, happy to hear of anything, even a mystery. “Plus, it will involve lots of traveling. Take advice from me, and learn to pack light!” She vaguely gestured to her tent, as if mocking her own statement. (or proving it) “Also, keep important tings close to your heart.” She patted her chest, and briefly showed a small necklace that looked simple and old, but special and loved.

The girl listened, and nodded. Then she turned to her mom. “Did ’ja hear that? I’m gonna be an explorer!”

Her mom smiled. “Yeah; you better let me know where you go so I can join you sometime!”

Her daughter laughed. “Of course, silly!” She got up from the table and hugger her mom.

The old woman looked at the girl’s mother. “You too, yes?”

“Sure.” The mom said contentedly. She then sat at the table, her daughter behind her, wandering sneakily through the things in the tent.

“Close your eyes, and give me your hands.” They took hands, and the old woman began the same ritual as with the girl before. After little while, she stopped, and her face fell with sadness at what she found. However, it wasn’t a second later she was back at it – no one had noticed her lapse.

Eventually she stopped. “You may open now.” The mother did so, entirely at peace with herself and confident her daughter was still close by. The old woman smiled. “You are very close to family, yes? The mom nodded. The woman patted her hand sympathetically. “You hold tem close, always. A family is a strong ting.” The mother smiled, then thanked her. “And remember tis as well – You will never be forgotten.”

The mother looked at the old woman, not entirely understanding what she was saying, yet knowing it was somehow important. “I will remember.” She eventually said. The old woman smiled as the girl dragged her smiling mother off to a new attraction.

A different girl, also young, popped up among the tent’s trinkets and boxes. “Grandma, I never thought that markings and signs were ever ‘undeveloped’; I always thought they were set from the time you’re born.”

“Tey are, my little one.” The woman said, “But tat girl has truly got some strange stuff on her. It’s always better to give tem a little sense of happiness, tough.”

The little girl ran in front of her mother, away from the tent, her green hair flying behind her. “Come on – this way! I’m leading you through a different world here!” She said happily.

“Wait up!” Her mother said, laughing. “You gotta remember you’re faster than me, Dee!”

5-15-09(written)

Characters - me

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