(Note: The Cystal Ball is an actual fable. I do not own it.)
The sun was just beginning to peak over the mountain peaks that stood as a backdrop to the vast city of Boston. The hustle on the streets was the early morning commuters and mumbles of groggy children boarding school buses. Many of the outside communities were quaint neighborhoods with swing sets in the backyards, a fence in the front yard, and a dog barking at the door. In the neighborhood of Highland Grove the Williams residents made home. A simple family; a father with a daughter who remarried to a woman and parented a baby boy together. Like any family they had their problems and like any they had secrets…but only the daughter knew about the secrets.
And these secrets? These special things that only she knew about, that she didn't plan to share with anyone, not even her younger brother whom she believed to still be too young of an age to completely comprehend it all…well…she wasn't thinking about any secrets. Except the secret of where her checklist may have disappeared off too.
With her father at work already and her stepmother preparing Toby for daycare, Sarah was up with the rest of the earlier birds. Sarah, no longer the naïve young girl she used to be had grown up. A few inches taller but still as lithe, fair skinned, and lovely as always. Layers of chestnut shaded hair was cut to mid shoulder length and framed her remaining child-like features with that pair of sharp hazel eyes.
Clad in a pair of faded blue jeans and an off white fitting button-up blouse decorated with a violet flower pattern, bare feet shuffled against the wooden floor and stepped over the assortment of boxes on the floor. By the array of the room that was usually cluttered with stuffed animals and trinkets one would possibly find in an antiques store was now packed in newspaper inside of boxes. Was she moving? Well, yes. In less then a week she was off to the NYC campus for the performing arts. How more unbelievable could life be right now?
Sarah hadn't felt this excited, felt these many butterflies in her stomach in years. She had always wanted to go off to college and even more so a college focusing in acting. Such a hard to get into college, it was her stunning one-minute dialogue performance that got her in. And what had she recited…simple…the words that shaped her life…saved it. '…I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City…' Ah, but old words, old memories were a fleeting thing to Sarah, at least at this moment. She was concerned with her current reality and that was getting packed.
"Where did I put that list?" she muttered between a set of clenched teeth in apparent aggravation as she continued to trek through the vast clutter.
Noon came and went in sunny Boston as people bustled to return from their lunch breaks and children were ushered out doors to play before it was time for their afternoon snacks. All in all the weather was somewhat warm for this time of year encouraging people all across the city to take advantage of it before the season changed.
Outside? Who on earth would want to go outside? Not Sarah, no, there was an enormous amount of packing yet to be completed. By lunch time she had found her list which consisted of a basic check list of the items she needed to pack.
"Sarah," a voice called through the bedroom door followed by a sharp knock. "Sarah, come out of there. You have plenty of time to finish packing, why don't you go take the dog for a walk? It's so nice outside."
Sarah looked up from her current task and sent an aggravated glare in the doors general direction. Sarah and her step-mother; the relationship over the years had certainly improved. Her step-mother wasn't quite the evil step-mother from the fairy tales anymore, not because she wasn't that evil a woman but that Sarah had grown out of her 'I hate my parents, mother, father, the world, ect.' teenage stage, and they had come to neutral grounds with one another. "I'm busy," Sarah answered the annoyance apparent in her tone.
"I have to pick up your brother soon and someone needs to get that dog out," came a somewhat patronizing response. A few moments passed before the bedroom door was pulled open and Sarah emerged in a huff. "That dog is named Merlin," she retorted tartly and slipped past her step-mother who was left with a bemused façade.
"Come on Merlin," Sarah called as she snatched a jean jacket from the coat stand next to the front door. The aging sheepdog padded off after the girl with an enthusiastic 'woof'. She decided to take the few blocks over to the park, it would give Merlin the walk he required especially considering the dog in his old age had a bad case of arthritis (the vet informed extra exercise could help relieve it), and being at the park always gave her a sense of serenity. The park was more crowded then usual with children at play, other dogs roaming the grass, and other numerous people. Moving away from the crowds she scouted out her favorite bench near the duck pond and situated herself; Merlin roamed over to sniff a tree. It was a beautiful afternoon, the sun was out, and there was a gentle breeze in the air sending strands of brown locks this way and that. Allowing that aura of calm wash over her Sarah stared off into the distance letting her mind wander. And where did it wander? The Labyrinth.
Arf! Sarah immediately snapped out of her daydream and smiled down at Merlin. She extended a hand and gave him a ruffled pet on the top of his bushy head. "Let's get outta here," she said as she rose to her feet and collected her jacket from the bench. Merlin obediently followed the girl out of the park and onto the side walk. She had only been out for an hour and that seemed long enough for her to have been away from her packing. She did have a schedule to keep too, well, a schedule in her own head. Apparently nobody but her cared about.
Coming to the four way between the block that lead to her neighborhood and the shops down town Sarah naturally turned to head down her block but Merlin wasn't on the same trek as she was. After taking a few steps down the block Sarah quickly realized the animal was not at her heels. Merlin was always a fantastic dog when it came to following her without a leash; he knew exactly where to go, except today. "Merlin, come on. We're going home," she called out to the dog that stopped mid-step and looked at her with a dumbfounded expression as if to say 'no, we are going this way, silly girl.' And continued walking towards the downtown area.
Sarah, reluctant to follow at first knew she couldn't let him wander around on his own like that so she turned on her heel and followed after him. It wasn't long before Merlin lead her to that quaint little tea boutique. Selena's, one of Sarah's favorite places to go but as to why Merlin led her here today was curious. She gave the dog a raised eyebrow before opening the door and taking a step inside. "Selena?" She called out closing the door behind her, the jingle of the bell attached the door announcing her entrance.
"Ah, Sarah! Excellent timing. Excellent, indeed." Just as Sarah came through the entrance of the shop Selena Fitzgerald appeared out of the small back storage room carrying a box that was approximately the size of a bowling ball in her hands. She had acquired a new oddity, no doubt, as yet to be unveiled.
Today Selena was sporting a vivid dark blue wrap embroidered with tiny silver flowers and matching tailored pants. As usual she accessorized with a huge belt accented with mother of pearl jewelry. On some people the ensemble might have seemed over the top or trashy but on Selena it looked elegant, neat, and deeply reflective of the woman's personality.
Setting the box on the counter Selena maneuvered around the island to give the familiar young woman a hug and to scratch Merlin's ears. "Good boy." Selena muttered making a brief kissy face and giving the dog a nod of approval. It was difficult to say by Selena's tone if she was simply saying hello to the sheepdog or if somehow her and Merlin had been in cahoots with each other in bring Sarah to the shop.
"So update me! You know I want to hear...How's the packing going?" Rising back to her full height the older woman returned behind the counter and produced two tea cups from one of the various shelves. The actual café portion of the tea room was further back in the store but Selena always seemed to have something ready on hand where ever she was standing. In this case the sound of percolating water could suddenly be heard as the mini machine clicked off indicating the water was ready. It was hard to say beyond a doubt that the machine had been there a moment ago.
"A nightmare," Sarah exclaimed to the front of the counter. Selena was a lovely older woman, she would never think of Selena as old because she had so much spunk to her personality. To Sarah, Selena was that best 'adult' friend.
She had started off by stopping by the shop on occasion to buy a piece of jewelry; always exotic and unique, then two years ago Selena offered Sarah a part time job helping at the store after school which lead into a full time summer job. It also gave Sarah an outlook when she had needed it to convey her adventure in the Underground to the world. Of course, this was done in a story-telling format during one of Selena's Actor Guild seminars. Selena questioned her about it and Sarah claimed it was from her imagination, but deep down Sarah had a feeling that Selena didn't believe her. Sarah contemplated telling Selena the truth but as time went by and Sarah grew older and more mature she kept regarding her adventure as what it was told as; a story.
"My step-mother won't get off my back, my father is no help, and I promised Toby I'd take him to the park this weekend. They are having a festival or something," she continued, her eyes skimming the counter to view the various decorations of jewelry and other knick-knacks. "I'll never be ready in time to drive up to campus next week with dad to start getting my dorm ready." She exhaled an exaggerated sigh and lifted a hand to rake through brown locks. "And, you," she started, the stress leaving her voice as the essence of the atmosphere was making her feel better. "How are you? I know I didn't come by the other day like I said I would."
"Oh, Pish-posh. Never mind about yesterday. Believe it or not I remember what it was like to be your age." Selena waved her fingers dismissively and smiled. "What's important is that you're here now. Come look what I've got." Selena chuckled excitedly, the tea momentarily forgotten as she waved Sarah over to her side of the counter and pointed to the box she had set down.
"I think you'll find this interesting Sarah. It's taken me ages to track down." Selena Lifted open the box top and removing the packing material and bubble wrap, she then carefully lifted out what appeared to be a medium sized crystal ball. Double the size of a billiards ball and clear as glass Selena quickly fished out its base which was simply a donut shaped mahogany ring, now gone nearly black with age.
Inscribed on the edge of the mahogany was a barely visible signature carved into the wood in German. Selena wasted no time in translating it. "Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Vola!" She pronounced with an accurate German accent.
The girl stared in silent awe. The moment Selena had removed the packaging and she set eyes on the beautiful object she felt a chill run up her spine sparking a whirlwind of memories in her mind. The crystal ball traveled from her mind's eye into her thoughts playing a movie of a handsomely mysterious man performing elaborate hand tricks with the exact same crystals. As if her hand had its own thoughts she stretched a single digit to touch the smooth surface. The sensations in her fingers picking up on the cool temperature of the crystal, as if the feeling snapped her awake she retracted her hand as if burned instead.
Sarah quickly realized what she had just done and she gave Selena a nervous smile. "It's beautiful. Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm… the Brother's Grimm…." Those stories had always been some of her favorites.
"That's amazing, Selena." She wasn't sure why the sight of the crystal ball made her feel overcome with anxiety. It was just a crystal ball…a crystal ball so similar to what the Goblin King owned….and the memories…she didn't want to think about 'him'.
She spared a quick glance back to the ball and then concentrated her eyes on Selena. "Where did you find it?"
"Oh I've been trying to track this little beauty down for decades. See originally it was being kept in a German museum in Hesse. That's where the Grimm Brothers were said to be from, you know. This was just one of several items said to have inspired some of their greatest fairy tales. Of course then World War II happened...and well, like a lot of national treasures around that time, the museum was bombed and its artifacts ransacked and stolen. Such a pity." Selena made a clicking sound and shook her head unaware that the last phrase was possibly significant to Sarah.
"So then from what I can tell it floated around Europe for a while and eventually ended up on a ship to Italy. They take these sorts of thing very seriously there. Apparently when it was discovered among a load of second hand antiques the captain refused to ship out until it was removed. Superstition. A Deacon from the Catholic Church had to be called away to bless the ship. It just so happens that the Deacon is friend of mine. He sent me a letter followed by this package. It's all completely off the record of course." Selena winked. "Eventualy I suppose I'll have to send it back to Hesse, assuming they believe it's the real deal and not a fake. But it's neat all the same. Don't you think? Crystal balls are one of the oldest forms of divination you know."
Sarah nodded her head in a somewhat disconnected mannerism as her mind wasn't fully in the tea boutique with her body. Selena's explanation wasn't necessarily going in one ear and out the other; actually she was fully acknowledging what she was saying it was just bringing locked up memories to the forefront of her mind. It was fascinating how Selena acquired the crystal ball. Sarah was incredibly thankful that she wasn't going to tell her that her friend stole it from a Goblin and sent it to her.
Trying to put her self back down to reality Sarah couldn't help but mutter coherently, "…if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams…" Her lips pursed tightly and she gave the crystal ball another glance. It wasn't that type of crystal…it belonged to the Brother's Grimm, the most infamous tellers of children's fairy tales. But, maybe they did… Sarah turned her attention to Selena, crossing her arms over her chest to seem nonchalant, "What do you suppose they used it for?"
"I dunno. Fortune telling, discerning the nature of the Universe, holding down loose parchment papers..." Selena shrugged giving no indication she had heard Sarah's remark.
The older woman produced a thick papered letter from some place and began to skim the page. Naturally it was written in Italian and must have been the accompanying letter with the package from the Deacon. "Let me see...I believe the Deacon mentioned something in here...Ah, yes. Here it is...This is good. He indicates that the crystal ball inspired a fairy tale by the same name."
Selena paused. "You know I think I have a book with that story in it some place. Selena briefly disappeared to rummage in the book section of her shop only to return with a worn book in her hands. "Yup! I knew I had it."
The book was written in German which was likely a reason it had yet to sell. Seleena was nice enough to translate. Due to her vast traveling Selena had long since become proficient in many of the romantic languages.
The Translation went as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The Crystal Ball
THERE was once an enchantress, who had three sons who loved each other as brothers, but the old woman did not trust them, and thought they wanted to steal her power from her. So she changed the eldest into an eagle, which was forced to dwell in the rocky mountains, and was often seen sweeping in great circles in the sky. The second, she changed into a whale, which lived in the deep sea, and all that was seen of it was that it sometimes spouted up a great jet of water in the air. Each of them only bore his human form for only two hours daily. The third son, who was afraid she might change him into a raging wild beast a bear perhaps, or a wolf, went secretly away. He had heard that a King's daughter who was bewitched, was imprisoned in the Castle of the Golden Sun, and was waiting for deliverance. Those, however, who tried to free her risked their lives; three-and-twenty youths had already died a miserable death, and now only one other might make the attempt, after which no more must come. And as his heart was without fear, he caught at the idea of seeking out the Castle of the Golden Sun. He had already travelled about for a long time without being able to find it, when he came by chance into a great forest, and did not know the way out of it. All at once he saw in the distance two giants, who made a sign to him with their hands, and when he came to them they said, "We are quarrelling about a cap, and which of us it is to belong to, and as we are equally strong, neither of us can get the better of the other. The small men are cleverer than we are, so we will leave the decision to thee." "How can you dispute about an old cap?" said the youth. "Thou dost not know what properties it has! It is a wishing-cap; whosoever puts it on, can wish himself away wherever he likes, and in an instant he will be there." "Give me the cap," said the youth, "I will go a short distance off, and when I call you, you must run a race, and the cap shall belong to the one who gets first to me." He put it on and went away, and thought of the King's daughter, forgot the giants, and walked continually onward. At length he sighed from the very bottom of his heart, and cried, "Ah, if I were but at the Castle of the Golden Sun," and hardly had the words passed his lips than he was standing on a high mountain before the gate of the castle.
He entered and went through all the rooms, until in the last he found the King's daughter. But how shocked he was when he saw her. She had an ashen-gray face full of wrinkles, blear eyes, and red hair. "Are you the King's daughter, whose beauty the whole world praises?" cried he. "Ah," she answered, "this is not my form; human eyes can only see me in this state of ugliness, but that thou mayst know what I am like, look in the mirror it does not let itself be misled it will show thee my image as it is in truth." She gave him the mirror in his hand, and he saw therein the likeness of the most beautiful maiden on earth, and saw, too, how the tears were rolling down her cheeks with grief. Then said he, "How canst thou be set free? I fear no danger." She said, "He who gets the crystal ball, and holds it before the enchanter, will destroy his power with it, and I shall resume my true shape. Ah," she added, "so many have already gone to meet death for this, and thou art so young; I grieve that thou shouldst encounter such great danger." "Nothing can keep me from doing it," said he, "but tell me what I must do." "Thou shalt know everything," said the King's daughter; "when thou descendest the mountain on which the castle stands, a wild bull will stand below by a spring, and thou must fight with it, and if thou hast the luck to kill it, a fiery bird will spring out of it, which bears in its body a burning egg, and in the egg the crystal ball lies like a yolk. The bird will not, however, let the egg fall until forced to do so, and if it falls on the ground, it will flame up and burn everything that is near, and melt even ice itself, and with it the crystal ball, and then all thy trouble will have been in vain."
The youth went down to the spring, where the bull snorted and bellowed at him. After a long struggle he plunged his sword in the animal's body, and it fell down. Instantly a fiery bird arose from it, and was about to fly away, but the young man's brother, the eagle, who was passing between the clouds, swooped down, hunted it away to the sea, and struck it with his beak until, in its extremity, it let the egg fall. The egg did not, however, fall into the sea, but on a fisherman's hut which stood on the shore and the hut began at once to smoke and was about to break out in flames. Then arose in the sea waves as high as a house, they streamed over the hut, and subdued the fire. The other brother, the whale, had come swimming to them, and had driven the water up on high. When the fire was extinguished, the youth sought for the egg and happily found it; it was not yet melted, but the shell was broken by being so suddenly cooled with the water, and he could take out the crystal ball unhurt.
When the youth went to the enchanter and held it before him, the latter said, "My power is destroyed, and from this time forth thou art the King of the Castle of the Golden Sun. With this canst thou likewise give back to thy brothers their human form." Then the youth hastened to the King's daughter, and when he entered the room, she was standing there in the full splendour of her beauty, and joyfully they exchanged rings with each other.
----------------------------
"Pretty nifty, huh?" Selena inquired when she was done and closed the book. "I suppose the story isn't really referring to the same kind of crystal ball that this is but I guess that where creative license comes in to it. What do you think Sarah? Care to have your fortune read?" Judging by the smirk on the woman's face Selena was only half joking with the offer. It wouldn't have been the first time Selena had applied her vast knowledge of all things weird to entertain her customers and friends.
In conclusion Sarah quite enjoyed that story as it was one she had never heard. She always liked the happy ending stories, an ugly princess turned into a beauty and seen for what she really was. A family bonding back together. It did bring a small smile to her angelic features. The story itself held no resemblance to her current thoughts on the Labyrinth or its inhabitants. Actually, it was a nice take on the idea of what the crystal ball could be used for. Defeating evil and breaking curses, not just showing the future and cheap parlor tricks.
When Selena bought up the subject of reading fortunes Sarah said in a joking tone to mist over her still present tension, "It'll probably just show you that I should be home packing." But jokes aside curiosity won over her inner thoughts screaming at her to say no. She shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe…" She knew Selena had been half joking as well but usually one to stray away from false future readings Sarah felt inclined that this time maybe it was important…even if it was just pretend.
This time she gave a firm nod and a small smile stretched back on her face. "Yes, why don't you Madame fortune teller? I feel an emerging cloud of mystery hovering over my head that needs a clearing," Sarah said in a humorous dramatization with a hand gesture to add flair.
"Excellent." Selena muttered with a smile. "Let me go put this crystal ball in the display." Selena's store was located on a corner lot allowing her two display spaces instead of just one. While the one near the entrance was almost always over run with objects of browsing interest the space in the cafe' was left for the more sensitive objects that Selena wasn't inclined to sell. The window in question was tinted a soft rose which shielded delicate objects from fading or being damaged by light while also offering a private and personal feeling to the cafe's atmosphere.
"I've pulled out a chair for you, Dear. go and sit down while I get the tea ready." Selena instructed when she came back. It just so happened that the chair in question was face in the direction of the display allowing Sarah to be in plainly view of the crystal ball had she looked directly straight in the seat. "Go on don't worry about Merlin. He'll be fine in here."
Sarah pet Merlin before departing into the directed room. When she settled in the chair she felt her muscles tense and quickly sought out the source of her discomfort. It was that crystal ball again. It was staring at her like a relentless eyeball. She had to get a grip on herself. This wasn't a crystal ball that had significance to her past and it didn't hold anything for her future. It was a simple crystal ball that probably inspired some of the greatest fairy tales of all time.
When Selena came back over with two cups of steaming tea Sarah couldn't help but deeply inhale the luscious aroma. She had never been a fan of tea but after being offered some by Selena every day she worked there she quickly became an addict. "Mmm," she moaned softly through pursed lips, "What flavor today?"
"Cranberry and vanilla orchid." Selena replied with an accomplished expression. "My own creation. The stuff you get in the store is all right but I much prefer making my own blends; Gives it a more satisfying flavor. Things are almost always better when their made fresh and by hand." Selena set the cups down and plopped into her own seat adjusting herself until she was properly comfortable.
"OK Kiddo here's how it works. When you drink your tea make sure to leave a sip or two of the water in the cup so that you can distribute the leaves. Got that? Then once you're done drinking take hold of the handle and rotate the tea cup slowly, three times clockwise, allowing the remains of the water to come up to the rim of the cup. That'll distribute the leaves properly." Selena instructed. It was obvious she'd done this several times before.
"Then you turn the cup upside down on its saucer and...Presto! We can then turn the cup back over and I'll tell you what it says."
Sarah was never big on fortune telling. It wasn't that she didn't like it, it wasn't one of her fonder hobbies. She allowed Selena to read her palm on a few occasions but that was it. Now she was doing to tea leaf readings. On any other occasion she'd probably be excited about this; all things mysterious excited her but today she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck tingling, and not in a comforting way. But, she wasn't going to let that get to her.
Instead she laced her hands around the cup and raised it to her noise. She inhaled deeply allowing the aroma of cranberry and vanilla orchid tingle her senses. It smelled delicious and after blowing gingerly on it for a few moments she was able to taste it. The tea was perfect but it was still hot. So, Sarah decided it was best to bring up conversation instead of sitting there in anticipation of her finishing. Sarah had retired from her help at the tea boutique for a few weeks now but she knew Selena had been a bit hesitant about getting someone else to help now that she was gone. "Has anyone answered your ad for help around here?"
"Oh mostly the usual local kids whom I wouldn't mind hiring if I actually thought they'd work instead of just digging through the shop for 'cool' stuff." Selena chuckled. "Not that I have anything against people digging through this old place."
"I did actually get a call from a young gentleman from the community college the other day. His name was Allen I think." Selena took a slow sip of her tea.
"He wasn't looking for work but then again neither were you when we first met if I recall. Apparently he wanted to know if I carried tarot cards in the store. He was trying to locate a set in order to prove some scientific theory or other he was working on. I directed him to that shop over on fifth street. Although polite enough I detected a distinct air of skepticism, the poor fellow. So few people hold onto their child-like imaginations anymore."
Sarah nodded in agreement with Selena's words on imagination. As she went back to sipping her tea she could feel a ping of sadness settle in her stomach. She knew not only for the world but for herself that her imagination was burrowing deeper and deeper into her subconscious. She needed to be prepared for the real world that she was entering and imagination wasn't going to fit, not easily at least. But, she didn't want to think of that right now. She wanted to finish her tea and enjoy herself.
She took a few more gulps before lowering the cup. "I'm sure you'll find someone. The high-schoolers get desperate once school starts up again. And I promise on my trips back home I'll stop by here to make sure you've kept the place in order without me," she joked in a fond manner. She had grown so close to Selena and she hadn't realized till then that so many things would change once she went off to college. As excited as she was she was also scared out of her mind.
Straightening up in the chair, Sarah absent mindedly began sipping the tea until she realized she had almost left none for the reading. "Oh," she exclaimed, coming back to reality. "Looks like my teas ready."
"Ah excellent! I'm done with mine too." Selena remarked put her own cup aside and rubbing her palms together as if she were warming them up. Selena briefly assisted Sarah with turning the cup properly as the task could be tricky if you weren't familiar with doing it.
Soon enough Sarah's tea cup was face down in the saucer. "Now shall we see what it shows us?" Selena slowly turned the cup over allowing the bulk of the tea leaves and remaining water to remain in the saucers.
"Now, here's how it works." Selena began putting aside the dirty saucer to tilt the tea cup in the middle of the small table so that Sarah could see clearly while she explained.
"Basically we are looking for shapes, letters, and numbers. Any of which will give us important clues about what the tea cup has to tell us. See the tea leaves closest to the rim? Those represent the present and the near future. Then as we work our way down from the rim were going further into the future. Naturally the very bottom represents the distant future or outcome of the collective events.
Now the symbols closest to the handle represent things that affect you directly, Sarah. While the symbols on the opposite side represent things that'll only have a passing effect...so think of it like the closer the symbols are to the handle the more you should take them into consideration and vise versa."
Selena adjusted herself in the chair and cleared her throat as if to indicate she was preparing herself for deep concentration. "Now let see what we have to work with..."
Selena peered quietly into the cup hemming slight. "Mm. Yes, see that dotted line there? It literally goes from the rim of the handle all the way down to the bottom of the cup. That is an indication of a long journey on your part, which would make sense since your going off to school pretty quickly now. Ooo! And look! See that little stick man about half an inch from the rim with a triangle underneath him? That means a stranger is going to come into your life. The triangle underneath him is an indication of good fortune so I think he'll be a friend. The stick figure is also a symbol of help from unexpected places."
If only Sarah knew how important all of this was going to be she would have tried to prepare herself better. Of course she paid attention; she always paid attention and was serious about anything involving magic because magic was seriously real. She leaned forward, her arms folded on the table, and her slender brown brows narrowed on the decorative teacup. It was amazing the items and figures a few tea leaves could create with the downturn of a cup.
Her hazel hues took in the design fully and tried to save it to memory before moving to the individual pictures that were displayed. As Selena started to explain each symbol Sarah concentrated on it taking her words in and deciphering it in her own words within her mind. A long journey? That obviously meant her journey college, what other journey could she be taking at this current point in time? It was almost funny and ironic how her whole life seemed to be one long journey after another.
The next symbol, the stick man over the triangle caused Sarah to start feeling overwhelmed by the sight and true relevance it had to her life and instead tried to make humor out of it. "Can you tell if he's a cute guy?"
With a small smirk on her face her attention traveled to the next most prominent image, a snake. Her smirk immediately dropped like a heavy stone thrown to water. Snakes were slimy, untrustworthy, vile creatures and she wasn't even referring to the actual reptile. No, in her mind snakes represented the worst snake of them all….Jareth. Not only did he threaten her with an illusion of a snake he turned out to have similar characteristics. How she grew to despise him in only a few hours. Her ill thoughts of the Goblin King were justified after what he put her through…but she couldn't completely ignore the other things. How he captured her imagination, her fantasies, and what if she had never walked away from him?
Well, those were what ifs that she hardly ever dawned on. Only in her dreams and deepest daydreams would she ever even consider another route other then hatred for the man. But, there was that other route…that fork in the road.
Coming back to reality, in all sense of the word, Sarah looked up to Selena and questioned casually, "What does the snake symbolize?"
"Oh the snake has an amazing symbolic history. In Egyptian times for example the snake was synonymous with the golden Egyptian sun God Amun-ra who was said to take the form of a snake and emerged from the water to inseminate the cosmic egg which was created by the other gods. It was said that all life on this earth stemmed from this egg." Selena explained.
"And you know those...um, the symbol of the cobra you often see adorning the headdresses of the pharaohs? The pharaohs wore the symbol of the cobra on their head to symbolize sovereignty, or royalty. This snake worn on the head also indicated the possession of the so-called third-eye, from which nothing could be hidden, in this or in the next world. It's thought that those who own this symbol in their nature are very powerful individuals because they have the ability to both create and dissolve illusions of the heart, mind, and spirit.
The Hindu people for example follow the thinking, that at the moment when the snake, or spirit, awakes through strict religious practices and rises into eternity, one can reach the ultimate state of humanity. Pretty amazing, eh? That snakes represent the ultimate form of humanity in some cultures?" Selena smiles as she thought about it before continuing her explanation.
"In Greek mythology it is said that the center of the earth, sometimes called the Navel of the Earth, is guarded by a snake, called Pytho. Above this navel the Oracle of Delphi, called Pythia was said to have been built. Then of course you have the biblical reference of the snake seducing Eve and, by association, Adam into eating the golden apple of knowledge which got them kicked out of the divine Garden of Eden." Selena made a tisk-ing sound.
"So what I'm really getting at here Kiddo, is that snakes get a really bad rap for being evil and untrustworthy when really, in many cultures they are considered the protectors of humanity and the keepers of divine wisdom and inner truth." Selena gave Sarah a warm pat on the hand almost as if she were sub-consciously trying to comfort Sarah's troubled thoughts on the subject.
"At its simplest the symbol of a snake represents duality. No one is one thing, Sarah. In reality good and bad, right and wrong, are purely subjective to an individual's perception. In that sense one should try never to take anything about a person or situation for granted; particularly when it comes to the motivations of people...because you never really know. The nature of the snake is to become what you want it to be. If you want him to play the villain, then a villain the snake will become and vise versa." Selena shrugged idly in her seat.
Oh! Speaking of perception..." As usual Selena had an Amazing ability to change the direction of the conversation in mid epreession to something less weighted and more casual.
"Do you know what my favorite cultural reference to the snake is? Here I'll tell you. The Aztecs placed high regard for the snake in their culture and it was believed that the snake was feathered...-feathered, can you believe that?- allowing it to communicate with the Gods. Well in one famous Aztec story it is said that an Aztec King who seeks immortality would come.
It is believed to find this immortality the king was to be sent out to sea on a raft laden with snakes. The soothsayers of old claim that one day, a new god will return from the seas. And they say that he will have long blond hair, blue eyes, and will be wearing a brighten armor."
"Pretty sexy stuff, huh?" Selena smiled mischievously arching her brows in an ambiguously suggestive nature before giving Sarah a wink.
"In the world of tea leaf reading the appearance of a snake usually indicates an enemy and tend to involve a personal hurt of some kind or an affiaire de coeur... as the French would say." Selena explained.
"Judging by where it's located in the cup I'd say it represents a person, probably already present someplace in your life...though very distant...perhaps...even removed from you in nature. So I don't really think you have anything major to be concerned about. If this person does come back into your life he shouldn't directly interfere with anything you're currently trying to achieve for yourself."
Sarah felt like she had just undergone the most extremely heart wrenching educational lecture she'd ever received in her life, let alone the ones she'd hear in college. The first part about Greek and myths and Pharaohs she was only half listening too. Actually she wasn't paying much attention at all except for key words such as; for granted, villain, ect. It wasn't until Selena caught her attention with the Aztec theory that Sarah only looked like she wasn't paying too much attention because her mind was busy spinning.
Her thoughts weren't entirely focused on the story of the Aztec king, actually the whole concept made her want to laugh. What really started her thinking was the mention of what the snake meant to her and her tea leaves, not what the Aztec king was going to do on some boat. Affiaire de Coeur? That would have been even funnier if she hadn't blatantly noticed the obvious 'J' and 'K' mixed in with the other tea leaf symbols. Were her deep dark fantasies becoming reality? Of course not, she'd never care for Jareth in any other way other then anger. But that wasn't even the half of it...How on earth could he come back into her life? Why on earth would he come back into her life? Everything was going fine, she was doing fine, she didn't need an enemy from her past ruining things. But, she had to remind herself of what Selena was saying; the snake was not always associated with evil. They were good…sometimes. That and she was almost completely forgetting that Selena said this probably wasn't going to happen.
But why did she get a sick feeling in her stomach? Why was the image of blonde hair and blue eyes becoming so vivid in her mind….and why the hell was she deeply yearning to see them in person?
No, this was stupid. The only way she'd ever see Jareth again was metaphorically speaking or in a future college essay assignment. Sarah lifted a hand to her head and using slender digits gingerly rubbed at the space between her eyes to remove the pressure. Slowly she put her hand down to the table and refocused her eyes. She licked her lips apprehensively. She needed to find an image that didn't remind her of Jareth…not that castle image…or that flying bird. No….maybe…was that…? Her brows narrowed and she pointed at the discovered symbol and asked, "Is that supposed to be a dog?"
Of course Selena -bless her heart- was completely unaware that anything she was saying could possibly be ripping through Sarah's consciousness like it currently was. If Selena had realized how pale Sarah was turning she might have put an end to the entire reading right there and then. Unfortunately for Sarah, Selena was now deeply engrossed in her educational lecturing. Old habits died hard.
"Hm?" Selena blinked coming mostly out of the trance her lecture on the symbolism of snakes had lulled her into. "Oh. Kinda looks like a Scotty dog, eh?" Selena said turning the cup to located which smudges of tea leaves Sarah was referring to.
"Dogs or dog heads usually mean companionship. You know like the saying 'Man's best friend'...typically it's associated with a loyal and trustworthy friend of some kind." Thankfully this explanation was shorter then her last one.
"And look there's an "H" near it. Do you have any friends with an 'H' name, Sarah?"
Hoggle. How could Sarah not attach an o.g.g.l.e. onto that H? Her most loyal and trustworthy companion in the entire world, including the Underground. Even when her faith in him was faltering he regained it with love from her heart with his heroic actions in the Goblin City. He had saved her from the insane Fire Gang, guided her through the Labyrinth in his own twisted way, and stood by her side through it all. If anyone deserved to be labeled her best friend it was Hoggle. A better friend then any human could ever be…and certainly a better friend then she was.
There it was; the guilt started to pour into her stomach like an acid drain. She hadn't spoken to him in at least a month maybe more. She needed him, she really did but the weight of her life was weighing off that need. That acid began to churn and it made her insides twist and she subconsciously crossed her hands against her stomach instead of placing them on the table. She missed him. She missed all of them; Sir Didymus, Ambrocious, Ludo.
She inhaled slowly and settled her gaze on Selena. Had she answered her question? "Uh," she started, "…Yes…from a long time ago…" She shifted in her seat and quickly changed the subject, "Anything else interesting on there?" Honestly she wanted to stop and go home now.
"There's some circles and wavy lines...but pish-posh. Most tea cup readings have those. Just a fancy way of abstract concepts like frustration an uncertainty...Nothing to unusual about life there." Selena sighed and gave her head a little wiggle as if she were clearing the heavy mood of the room from her mind.
"That's it Kiddo." Selena said rising from the small table to scoop up both cups and place them behind the cafe' counter. "In truth, Sarah. Regardless of how much you believe in this sort of stuff...only the past is ever concrete and even then, I'd wager, that our perceptions of what came before can be misguided and ill informed. Only you control what's real and right in your world Sarah. The world in here and in here." Selena poked on finger to her heart and the other to her head before Merlin's low gowl-wimper reminded her of the time.
"Yes Merlin, I know it's getting late." Selena briefly met the elder sheep dog in the large doorway between the cafe' and the rest of the store producing a treat for him and giving the dog a warm brisk rub on the head. "Thank you for bringing her to me, I think we've got a lot accomplished."
It was hard to say who exactly Selena was talking about when she used "we" while talking to the dog. Let it never be thought that Selena Fitzgerald was not a very strange, though wonderful, woman.
Sarah remained seated before immediately following after Selena. She allowed the relief of knowing that the session was over clear her stomach so she was able to rise to her feet without feeling like she was going to hurl. She walked out beside Selena just as she finished saying a few words to Merlin that made the girl's brows narrow in curiosity.
It didn't last long as the sheepdog wagged enthusiastically at her and gave another bark to get going. She glanced to the clock and then to Selena. She couldn't blame the woman for what she did…actually it may have been good what had happened with the tea leaf reading but she was glad it was over. To show her gratitude she leaned in and wrapped her arms around the older woman in a brief hug. "Thanks Selena." She pulled away with a smile. "That was…educational," she commented with a hint of sarcasm in her tone. She nonchalantly stuck her hands in her jean pants pockets. "I'll stop by before I leave next week. Promise."
As you like, My Dear." Selena returned Sarah's hug and gave her a playful tweak on the nose. "You know your always welcome here. Say hello to you're parents and brother for me. Who knows, maybe next time you come back I'll have wrangled that attractive young man...Allen What's-his-name, into taking over your old position here. He does sound like a skeptic but I do believe he can still be saved." Selena gave Sarah a cheeky wink as she returned around the main shop counter and started cleaning up the box the crystal ball had come in.
After goodbyes were exchanged Sarah briskly walked out of the boutique. When Sarah came to the fork in the road and took the correct turn down her street she had no problem with Merlin following her this time around. During her five minute walk home her mind felt some jumbled with thoughts the haze of it almost caused her to walk into a pole, luckily Merlin was there to walk close at her side for direction.
When she arrived home she wasn't even aware of her stepmother asking where she had been or absent mindedly answering her. She didn't even take much notice to Toby who was busy helping mommy prepare the dinning room table for dinner. "You're father will be home in an hour," Sarah recalled her stepmother saying as she ascended the staircase. That meant she had an hour to lock herself in her room before dinner.
Finally setting foot in her room the disheveled girl closed the door and collapsed belly down on her bed. The tea reading, that stupid tea reading opened the vast door in her mind flooding her reality. All she could keep on thinking about was Hoggle and the last time she had spoken with him. She recalled it was quite humorous as he told her the happenings in the Labyrinth. Nothing unusual, as he performed his duties. He knew she didn't want to hear about Jareth or the Goblin City but kept their conversation enlightening. They even had a few jokes about his last encounter with Sir Didymus and how Didymus complained to the dwarf for a good four hours about the Bog and how he couldn't believe the Bog smelled to high heaven or that no one wanted to join him in his guarding duty. Good times.
Sarah let out a muffled moan of frustration as she rolled onto her back, face up to the ceiling, and a pillow now hugged to her chest. "Every now and again in my life for no reason at all I need you…" she muttered softly to no one. "But, I don't need you. Any of you. Not right now."
She tightly closed her eyes and hugged tight to the pillow in her grasp. She was almost an adult, she couldn't depend on mystical creatures to help her in life. She had to find real people, real friends…and maybe that was why she had been dismissing Hoggle and the rest the past few months. This wasn't her reality, college was her reality. But maybe what she was longing for she already had and she was just denying the truth.
Plagued with these thoughts Sarah feel into an uneasy slumber.