It started out like any other day for Serena Moonflower, waking up at five in the morning,
getting dressed for the day, and having breakfast. She could have almost anything she asked for..
except for the time she wished she could have with her parents. "Tch, bet they wouldn't care if
I even dared to disappear. After all, they hardly even have acknowledged my very existence. They
probably dropped me off at some stranger's house the first few years of my life while they went
overseas." she thought to herself as she gazed out the window. Upon focusing on the sky, she
then notices a shooting star. She had always wondered if magic really existed, but, due to her
personal doubts, she never expected the matter to be resolved one way or the other. As she went
back upstairs to finish getting ready to go to school, she heard a knock on the door. Upon going
back toward the door, she cautiously eyes the instruments of protection near the door and then
wonders if she'll need one of them, today. That is, until she heard an old woman's voice. It was
unclear what she said, but sensing no danger, Serena opens the door. Her silver hair was greeted
by a gust of wind as her bright, sapphire blue eyes squinted at the light that kissed her somewhat
pale skin.
"Pies! Freshly baked! Child, I know you might've had other plans but could I just have about
five minutes of your time, at most? I'll be on my way afterwards." After Serena nods, the old
woman continues. "It's so nice to know there are still some youngsters with some respect for
their elders. You see, I need money for my granddaughter's operation. I need ten thousand dollars
more to cover it, but sadly, you're the only one left that I haven't sold a pie to in this town.
So, you can imagine the emotional state I'm in. So, if you could, would you mind sparing a few
dollars toward her surgery?" the old woman said, almost sobbing. Anyone could hear the pain in
her voice. Feeling pity for the poor old grandmother, Serena thought about it briefly when she
asked the old woman if she wanted to come inside a moment. She was suspicious of Serena at first,
but after noticing that it looked like Serena just wanted to help, the old woman accepted the
invitation.
After helping the old woman sit down in a rather comfortable chair in the living room, Serena
went upstairs to her room and looked through her closet until she found a jar full of money. If
she remembered right, it had a little over ten thousand dollars in it. After counting the money,
she realized she could help the old woman with the rest, after all. She happily went downstairs
to the old woman. Now that she thought about it, she had seen the old woman at the local hospital
before, and once before that at a house nearby, which made her wonder if she lived nearby. The
old woman saw the money in Serena's hand as she was given it. She was speechless at Serena's display
of kindness and generosity. After the old woman counted it for herself, she was wanting to cry,
but not of sadness.
"This.. is enough to cover it and the rest of the house payments... Are you sure I can have this
much?" she said, almost stuttering. Serena smiled and said, "Money should be no object when a
child's life is at stake." The old woman agreed and thanked Serena, amazed at how wise she was.
Realizing she was going to be running late, she offered to walk the old woman home along the way,
to which the old woman agreed, as she didn't feel comfortable walking home by herself. After she
finished getting ready, she and the old woman walked out of the house and, after locking the door,
Serena made sure the old woman made it back to her house safely. However, what the old woman said
next was slightly unusual but interesting. "I do hope you come back, sweet child. I can tell you
about your future! Bless you, child! May this act of kindness be the start of your good fortune!"
she said as she watched Serena walk on after Serena waved at the old woman. "How odd... I've heard
of fortunetelling before, but.. can any of it be true?" she thought to herself as she made her
way to school.
Once at school, she was stopped by the principal, who seemed surprised, but not much. "Serena,
running quite late, I see. What on earth were you doing?" Serena looked down, ashamed for being
late. "I was getting money to donate to this old woman for her granddaughter's much-needed surgery.
I hadn't even finished getting ready when she showed up. I even walked her back to her house, which
was along the way here. It was hard to do, since I was originally saving it for a place of my own,
but, what is money when compared to saving a child's life?" Serena said. The principal knew of
Serena's good nature and decided to let it slide. "I understand, Serena, but you should hurry on
to your class. You'll need a note." She handed Serena a handwritten note and goes on her way to
the office. Once in the classroom, Serena hands the teacher the note from the principal and takes
her seat. Her friends Lara, Katie, and Ayumi had already started gossiping about people around
the school when Serena came across the fact that Katie had asked if the others had seen Serena at
all, today.
"No, I haven't seen her, today. Do you think something happened?" Lara said, somewhat shocked.
Ayumi, as innocently as ever, says "Maybe she got in trouble and a handsome prince saved her and
took her to his castle..." This of course made Lara and Katie laugh, at which Ayumi turned red
with embarrassment and said "Well, it COULD be possible, you know." After thinking about it, the
other two girls agreed saying that anything could be possible. At that moment, Serena decided to
go ahead and take her seat, which caused her friends to look her way. "Serena! Where have you
been?" they ask. After explaining to them about the old woman and what the old woman said, her
friends were shocked. "Oh, yeah, my mother went to her, long ago, for a fortunetelling session.
According to her, that woman is the real thing, not those greedy fakes that just tell you what
you want to hear. I never went to her, though, for I was scared of what I'd learn." Ayumi said.
"Well, she offered me a session as thanks for that ten thousand dollars she needed. Even said
she hoped that it would be the start of my good fortune." Serena said. Lara gasped. "I've looked
that up before, and it is actually a blessing! From the real deal, awesome things are bound to
happen starting when they say that. Did anything happen on the way here or when you got here?"
she said. "The only thing I can think of right now is that the principal pardoned me for being
really late. Does that count?" "Like, yeah it does, Serena! Nobody's been able to do that before,
and, if you didn't you'd get detention for it, but you didn't! Awesome!" Katie said. Ayumi looks
at Serena and says, "So, when do you think you'll get your prince, Serena?" Serena and the other
two girls became shocked, then they all started laughing. "Yeah, I don't see why I should even
think about being able to get one. I mean, look at me."
Her friends then looked at her with surprise. The Serena they grew up with had self-esteem
issues? They knew she was trying to make it sound like a joke, but they knew low self-esteem when
they saw it. "Come on, Serena. You're beautiful." said Ayumi. "Yeah, every guy keeps asking me
for your phone number when I'm all alone, here at school. But, I respect my friends more than I'd
want to be cool by their standards. Face it, Serena. If every girl wishes they were you, then you
must have much that they don't have." Katie states, appearing as if she just told a great truth.
"You're popular, you're beautiful to the max, athletic, talented, and dare I say? You're the perfect
package! Umm.. No homo..." Lara said as she glanced to the side at that last sentence. After class,
the four of them went to lunch, as class was extended by for a while on account of a gunman going
through the school. Luckily, police got him before he could do any damage.
"How ironic was it that the gunman turned out to be Theodore Jackson? I mean, I knew he was a
bully and all, but resorting to guns just to be mean? That's not mean, that's.. just evil..." says
Ayumi. Serena nods and puts her head on the table, her face covered by her arms. "Serena?" they
say in unison. "So much for a blessing..." Serena muttered. They couldn't think of anything to
say to cheer up their friend.. that is, until Ayumi remembered what Theodore claimed had stopped
him. "It was weird how he said an arrow stopped him, wasn't it? A gun could beat an arrow, any day.
So why be scared of an arrow? Maybe he saw a ghost..." The girls thought about it then bust out
laughing, which the silliness of it all had made Serena crack a small smile after sitting up. Her
friends faced her and said at the same time, "There's a smile! ... What?" They bust out laughing,
once again. "Well, thank goodness it's supposed to be a half day, today." Serena thinks to herself.
After school, Serena decided to head back to that old woman's house for the free fortunetelling
session. Upon arriving at the door, the old woman opened it and welcomed her. "I've been expecting
you, sweet child." she said, causing Serena to be confused. "Ah, don't worry about how I knew. It was
foretold in the reading I did for myself earlier. Now, now, come in, child, please." she said as
she urged Serena inside and shut the door. "Ordinarily, you probably would've thought I was some..
oh, I don't know, old cuckoo bird.. or whatever, but let me guess... Something told you to come
see me, didn't it child?" Serena was dumbfounded. "I-I came to see if the doctors could do anything
for your granddaughter with the money you raised, but..." "But?" the old woman asked while doing a
'go on' hand gesture. "There was a gunman at our school, today... He shouted that-" "An arrow stopped
him, am I right, child? As to how I knew, it was also foretold, yet, it doesn't help my case when he's
all over the news channels..." she said with a sigh at the end as she turned on the television for a
moment, to prove what she said, then switched it off.
"Now child, shall we begin the reading?" "Reading?" "For your future, child! I normally charge
for this kind of reading... However, as a sign of gratitude for providing me with that money for my
sweet and adorable grandchild, I'll give you any readings for free, from here on.. that is, until it
comes to be time for me to join my beloved Charles..." she says as she points at a picture on the
wall. She then faces Serena. "So, what do you wish to know, child? Come, now.. don't be shy..." After
giving it some thought, maybe she should know her future. After all, with all that's happened, what could
it hurt, right? At least, that was her way of thinking. "I.. want to know as much about the future as I
am allowed, if it's alright with you..." Serena nervously shifted, after which the old woman offered her
a seat across the table from her. After gathering some materials, such as a small pouch, a cloth, and
a white bag with a small bottle attached to the outside of it, the old woman takes her place back across
the table. She looks at Serena. "Well, child, are you ready for us to begin the reading"?
[To Be Continued.]