The woman was not what Gabrielle had expected at all. For one thing, she
wasn't that old. From the talk in the village, Gabrielle had expected your
everyday witch: old wrinkled skin, a long nose, warts, and long gray hair.
Yet the woman standing before her was no older than forty -- with curly
copper hair no less! She wore a white peasant top that left the shoulders
bare and a long brightly printed skirt. Big chunky necklaces added more
color, as did a scarf tied around tied around her head, the two ends
sticking up like rabbit ears. In all her years living in the village,
Gabrielle had never seen anyone dress this way.
"Let me guess." The woman spoke, a smile on her face. "You want your future read. Or else you want a potion to get your young man's interest. But with you, I'm betting on the first one."
"How ... how did you know that?" Gabrielle asked, surprised.
"Well, what kind of witch would I be if I didn't know why you're here?" The woman replied. "Why don't you come in and I'll be happy to read your future."
Gabrielle stepped over the threshold into the witch's house, her eyes wide. Everything about the house was so ... odd. The rug on the floor was like nothing she had ever seen before. With each step her feet seemed to sink into it. And it was so big! It seemed to stretch from wall to wall, but surely that was impossible! Then there was the furniture. Gabrielle wasn't even sure what to call the things, for they seemed to be stuffed chairs. She touched one cautiously and it was so soft! Glancing up, she saw the light came from a thing hanging on the ceiling, yet it wasn't a candle.
"My name is Molly." The witch offered as she sat down on the plump sofa. "I can see you're transfixed by my home. You see, I'm from the future. The far future."
"The future?" Gabrielle's mouth dropped open again. "How did you get here?"
"I have a few powers. See, my father is Apollo." Molly explained as she poured two cups of hot tea. "I came here because I wanted to get to know classic Greece better. I may be only a Demigod, but I inherited a few powers from my father. One of them is the ability to time travel. Mainly, I just came here to observe and see how things are. Anyone less honest would try to make money on artifacts, but I wouldn't do that. In fact, I'd like to get to know my family better."
"Your father is a God?" Gabrielle slowly walked around the living room. Stopping at a bookcase, she carefully pulled a tome off the shelf. Opening it, she stared in wonder at the printed pages. Although she couldn't read it, Gabrielle knew that she held the work of some future bard in her hands. "You have bards in the future?"
"Oh, yes! But they call themselves authors." Molly sipped her tea. "Actually, many of them make very good money. Some are a lot richer than I am."
"And are woman allowed to be ... authors?" Gabrielle asked as she turned the book this way and that. She studied the binding, ran her hands over the smooth plastic jacket, sniffed the pages. She flipped through the pages, amazed at how many there were. It would take her years to write something like this. Her green eyes went back to the bookcase. There were so many books! Seeming them all together was staggering the mind.
"Of course!" Molly patted the sofa cushion next to her. "Now why don't you come and sit down? Have some tea."
Placing the book back onto the shelf, Gabrielle sat down on the cushion. Immediately she felt her body sink into the soft material. It was the oddest sensation she had ever felt. Why, even her bed at home was nothing like this. "This is like sitting on a cloud!"
"I never thought of it like that, but I suppose you're right. Now give me your hand." Molly held out her hand to Gabrielle. "I'm physic, so I can pick up on things. And I can read palms. So we might as well start with that."
Gabrielle had no idea what palm reading was, but it didn't surprise her. She was beginning to realize that most things in Molly's home was new to her. Even the tea had tasted exotic. Gabrielle held out her hand. "I want to find my soulmate. I saw in a dream the other night, but I don't know who he is...."
Molly grasped Gabrielle's hand and closed her eyes. As soon as she had a solid grip, the images started to form in her mind. Normally Molly had to concentrate hard to see anything, but these images came at her so fast, with such clarity it was amazing.
Fog. A dark forest. A tall dark man. A moon covered in blood.
Then the images went forward, to the future.
Molly's body began to shake. She flung her head around, her eyes snapping open. Yet it was clear she didn't see Gabrielle or the room around her. She began to whimper.
"What ... what do you see?" Gabrielle asked, frightened now. The woman was acting so strange it was scaring her.
Molly yanked her hand away from Gabrielle. Then she raised her palm to face the would-be bard.
Gabrielle grasped in fright.
Molly's palm was covered in fresh blood!
Turning over her own hand, Gabrielle was shocked to see that it too was sticky with the warm substance. Raising her eyes to the witch, she asked a finale question. "What did you see?"
"Your death." Molly replied.
"Let me guess." The woman spoke, a smile on her face. "You want your future read. Or else you want a potion to get your young man's interest. But with you, I'm betting on the first one."
"How ... how did you know that?" Gabrielle asked, surprised.
"Well, what kind of witch would I be if I didn't know why you're here?" The woman replied. "Why don't you come in and I'll be happy to read your future."
Gabrielle stepped over the threshold into the witch's house, her eyes wide. Everything about the house was so ... odd. The rug on the floor was like nothing she had ever seen before. With each step her feet seemed to sink into it. And it was so big! It seemed to stretch from wall to wall, but surely that was impossible! Then there was the furniture. Gabrielle wasn't even sure what to call the things, for they seemed to be stuffed chairs. She touched one cautiously and it was so soft! Glancing up, she saw the light came from a thing hanging on the ceiling, yet it wasn't a candle.
"My name is Molly." The witch offered as she sat down on the plump sofa. "I can see you're transfixed by my home. You see, I'm from the future. The far future."
"The future?" Gabrielle's mouth dropped open again. "How did you get here?"
"I have a few powers. See, my father is Apollo." Molly explained as she poured two cups of hot tea. "I came here because I wanted to get to know classic Greece better. I may be only a Demigod, but I inherited a few powers from my father. One of them is the ability to time travel. Mainly, I just came here to observe and see how things are. Anyone less honest would try to make money on artifacts, but I wouldn't do that. In fact, I'd like to get to know my family better."
"Your father is a God?" Gabrielle slowly walked around the living room. Stopping at a bookcase, she carefully pulled a tome off the shelf. Opening it, she stared in wonder at the printed pages. Although she couldn't read it, Gabrielle knew that she held the work of some future bard in her hands. "You have bards in the future?"
"Oh, yes! But they call themselves authors." Molly sipped her tea. "Actually, many of them make very good money. Some are a lot richer than I am."
"And are woman allowed to be ... authors?" Gabrielle asked as she turned the book this way and that. She studied the binding, ran her hands over the smooth plastic jacket, sniffed the pages. She flipped through the pages, amazed at how many there were. It would take her years to write something like this. Her green eyes went back to the bookcase. There were so many books! Seeming them all together was staggering the mind.
"Of course!" Molly patted the sofa cushion next to her. "Now why don't you come and sit down? Have some tea."
Placing the book back onto the shelf, Gabrielle sat down on the cushion. Immediately she felt her body sink into the soft material. It was the oddest sensation she had ever felt. Why, even her bed at home was nothing like this. "This is like sitting on a cloud!"
"I never thought of it like that, but I suppose you're right. Now give me your hand." Molly held out her hand to Gabrielle. "I'm physic, so I can pick up on things. And I can read palms. So we might as well start with that."
Gabrielle had no idea what palm reading was, but it didn't surprise her. She was beginning to realize that most things in Molly's home was new to her. Even the tea had tasted exotic. Gabrielle held out her hand. "I want to find my soulmate. I saw in a dream the other night, but I don't know who he is...."
Molly grasped Gabrielle's hand and closed her eyes. As soon as she had a solid grip, the images started to form in her mind. Normally Molly had to concentrate hard to see anything, but these images came at her so fast, with such clarity it was amazing.
Fog. A dark forest. A tall dark man. A moon covered in blood.
Then the images went forward, to the future.
Molly's body began to shake. She flung her head around, her eyes snapping open. Yet it was clear she didn't see Gabrielle or the room around her. She began to whimper.
"What ... what do you see?" Gabrielle asked, frightened now. The woman was acting so strange it was scaring her.
Molly yanked her hand away from Gabrielle. Then she raised her palm to face the would-be bard.
Gabrielle grasped in fright.
Molly's palm was covered in fresh blood!
Turning over her own hand, Gabrielle was shocked to see that it too was sticky with the warm substance. Raising her eyes to the witch, she asked a finale question. "What did you see?"
"Your death." Molly replied.