“Where are we going?” Charlie asked as he trotted alongside the gracefully floating Sharodi.

“To see Malinda. I told you about her earlier, remember?”

Of course Charlie remembered. He had been holding on to every word Sharodi said, but she said this as though Charlie should obviously know where they were headed.

“And how is she supposed to help?”

“Well she’s psychic,” Shari said. Charlie expected this statement to be followed by the obvious duh! but Shari continued. “I’m mostly hoping that she tells me how you factor into all of this mess. You must play some key role in the curse but I’m not sure what that is just yet, although you can’t ask too much when it comes to a psychic. They get quite bothered when you demand answers, so we have to go at this with a simple approach. Just be accepting with anything she tells you, no matter how vague it may be. I think sometimes psychics just like to be vague, but they swear up and down that it is so they help, but not hinder the natural strings of life.”

Charlie looked at Shari, trying to process everything. He had no idea how Shari could be so young, only five months old, yet know so much.

“How do you know all of this?” he asked.

“Well, most of it comes from my mother’s knowledge. She had to use her wits to gain information from a psychic and use it in the best way possible. Some of it comes from my own experience, though. Like I have said, I had to go through many psychics to find you and to equip me with proper knowledge for my mission.”

“So, Malinda. How is she?”

“What do you mean?” Shari asked.

“Well is she nice? Mean? Shy? Outspoken? Normal? Crazy?”

“Crazy?” Shari giggled. “All psychics are a little crazy. But then again, don’t you think you’d lose a bit of your mind if you knew so much?”

“Well, how does it work? What does she know? What does she see?”

“She knows just about everything that doesn’t involve her,” Sharodi explained. “She doesn’t know what time she will wake up tomorrow morning and if or when she will be let out of these boundaries. These instances directly involve her, and they are self-fulfilling. She does, however know the very date that I will fulfill my destiny. She knows when you will first lay eyes on your soul mate. She knows when her cousin will die. Well at least, she could know these things if she only looked. Of course, all of this relies on the fact that the strings of life continue on path.”

“What do you mean by the strings of life?”

“Each string represents a possibility of a particular outcome. There are billions and trillions of possible outcomes for every situation. Malinda, and many other psychics in fact, see only one string. This particular string is more like a rope, if you’d like to think of it that way. It is the most probable outcome and will more often than not come true as long as there isn’t any external interference. That would be their reason for being so vague in helping others. If they know for a fact that everything will work out, then what would be their reason for interfering? Sometimes, though, the “rope” as we are calling it can only come true with their help.” Sharodi got caught in her explanation until she looked at Charlie, staring at her wide-eyed as though trying to digest this load of information.

“So then, couldn’t everything be ruined if we ask for her help?” Charlie asked.

“Well, yes,” Shari said uneasily. “But she will most likely just tell us that she won’t interfere. Any information she does give us could be extremely useful, though.”

Shari stopped suddenly at a point in the road for no noticeable reason. She turned into the woods and Charlie followed obediently. After a short while Charlie noticed a clearing ahead with only one small house. Shari raced forward.

Three clangs echoed in the clearing as Shari lifted the giant, eagle-shaped knocker, with magic of course, announcing their arrival. Malinda’s house was well hidden in the forest. There wasn’t even a small cleared area for cars to drive up. Her house left no trace to the outside world that she even existed. When they first walked up to the door Charlie thought she wasn’t home. There was no smoke billowing from the chimney, no light visibly shining through the few curtained windows.

A full minute passed and Charlie began to let his mind wander. Charlie couldn’t believe how much trust he put in Sharodi. He never expected to be able to trust anyone anymore, but then she shows up, telling him of fairies and magic holders. Maybe if she came to him when everything was normal he wouldn’t have believed her. Now, however, he knew something was wrong. He had wanted an explanation for everything going on, and strangely enough, Charlie could accept this bizarre reason. For some reason it felt right to him. Just as Charlie was getting lost in his thoughts the door creaked open. Whom he assumed was Malinda stood in the doorway with a wary look on her face. Charlie gazed at the woman.

She was a few inches shorter than Charlie, understandably since Charlie was tall for his age. She was plump and looked to be in her early 50’s. She wore a long, mauve dress with many sequins, beads, and jewels embellished on it. Around her neck lay at least fifteen sparkly necklaces and on each of her fingers was at least 2-3 rings. Her wrists clanged as each one of her many bracelets hit together with the slightest movement.

Malinda’s thick black hair lay slightly curled over her shoulders, extending down to her lower back. She had a black scarf-like thing wrapped around her head, also gleaming with jewels and sequins. Charlie’s first impression of her was that of a fraud. He expected Malinda to be found in one of those fortune teller stores where they charge you a ridiculous price, then lie and tell you a bunch of garbage that will keep you coming back.

Charlie found it ironic that a woman who tried so hard to live away from civilization and go completely unnoticed would look so very noticeable. She looked like she wanted to attract all of the attention.

Just as Charlie finished his assessment of the mysterious woman, she turned and walked into her house, leaving the door wide open. Shari confidently glided after her, while Charlie hesitated. He hurried to catch up though, at the thought of what could be lurking in the forest.

He followed Shari and the woman into a living room that was just as jewel-covered as Malinda herself. Charlie took a seat across from Malinda in a poufy, oversized couch. Once he sat down, he sunk in, feeling that it would take a lot of energy to climb back out. Meanwhile, Shari floated over to Malinda and landed on the arm of her chair. Malinda glanced at Sharodi through the corner of her eyes.

“You know I can’t be of much help, Miss Sharodi.” Malinda paused. “Plus, I see you’ve found the boy.” She nodded in Charlie’s direction. Shari just gazed at Malinda, silently and patiently.

“Miss Sharodi, you know I do not want to interfere,” Malinda said with pleading eyes.

“Malinda,” Shari said calmly. “You know I would not come to you if it were not absolutely vital.”

“The whole line of you is always so doubtful, even when you know who you’ve come from.”

“Now, now, Malinda. You know I don’t believe such nonsense. We are all equal,” Shari said, almost defensively.

“Equal.” Malinda rolled her eyes. “You haven’t lived as long as I have. Not even close.”

“Stop trying to change the subject,” Shari accused. Malinda huffed.

“Oh fine. I’ll look, but I can’t promise that I’ll tell you anything.”

“Thank you.” Shari smiled, looking triumphant.

Charlie looked at her, astonished that she had such an effect on that woman. Malinda lifted herself from her chair and settled on the floor, crossing her legs. Her eyes closed and her breathing slowed. She sat very still for at least five minutes. Charlie began to get worried, but every time he tried to voice his concerns, Shari glared at him with a stern look before he even made a peep.

So, Charlie sat quietly and waited and waited. Getting your fortune told was kind of boring, Charlie thought. He had expected a play-by-play look into everything she saw, but they got nothing. After a painstakingly long time Malinda’s eyes flickered open and she drew in a long, ragged breath.

“Well?” Shari asked eagerly.

“I must not disturb.”

“Anything you could tell us would be helpful,” Shari urged.

“You really are a dangerous little creature aren’t you?” Malinda teased. Shari kept silent, looking expectant. “You have such a persuasive power over me.”

Malinda looked at Charlie and shook her head.

“You are such a foolish, hormonal young man.” She looked disappointed. “I will give you a few words of advice. For one, be strong. Vulnerability is the enemy at such times. Secondly, focus on yourself. You have the key to everything. Find it and use it. Lastly, learn when to trust and when not to trust. Your life may depend on it.”

Once Malinda finished the three of them sat silently. The most chilling part of Malinda’s advice was that she was speaking directly to Charlie with an urgent tone in her voice. Sharodi began to talk to Malinda, saying their good-byes, while Charlie sat deep in thought. He rose to leave when Malinda stopped him.

“And Charlie.” Charlie tensed as she spoke his name without ever having been introduced. “Sometimes the reason why you do things is more important than actually doing it.” With that, Charlie and Shari left Malinda and headed back towards Charlie’s home.

“Well she was a load of help,” Charlie remarked.

“Yes, she was,” Shari agreed.

“I was being sarcastic.”

“Oh, but she was. She gave us three, or rather four, great pieces of advice.”

“I could have read all of that off an inspirational calendar,” Charlie said. Shari gave him a peeved look.

“Well, sure, they aren’t clear-cut instructions, but now we know what to watch out for.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Charlie agreed. “Oh, by the way, what was it that you two were talking about who you come from and being equal and stuff?”

“We’ll save that story for another day,” Shari said, obviously avoiding something.

At that moment a bloodcurdling cream pierced the air.

“If we have another day,” Charlie said, terrified, as a stampede of strange creatures came bursting from the woods.