The next day, I was determined, no matter what, to find out more
about the woman. She was haunting my dreams, and it was hard to sleep when
I saw her. When I woke up, Mai and I had breakfast, and then I went back to
my house. I dreaded coming into my house, cause who knew what my father
would be like. To my relief, he was passed out on the floor. I secretly
hoped he'd choke as I changed and left the house quickly.
I went over to Tristan's to pick up Serenity. I had a key, and I could come in whenever, so I opened the door, went upstairs, and caught Tristan and Serenity sneaking pecks at each other. She giggled as he kissed her neck, and I immediately felt like puking.
"Ahem!" I said, calling them to my attention. "Should I come back in a hour or when Serenity..."
Serenity cut me off.
"It's nothing serious." Her talking came abruptly. "It's just...harmless, harmless flirting."
"Yeah, and it was fun!" Tristan said. Serenity smacked her forehead at his stupid comment.
"I'll fun you!" I said, twisting Tristan's arm into an arm lock.
"Stop." Serenity ordered, and I did. Man, sometimes she just didn't get fun.
"Hey, Tristan, any more freaky visions about the green haired woman?" I asked. Was there a connection that Tristan and I were the ones who saw this woman?
"Not really, I've been seeing a different woman. She wore a hood and dressed like she was poor. She was saying something, but I couldn't remember what it was.
"Why don't we use Serenity's Tarot cards?" I joked. I meant it only as a joke, but Serenity actually seemed to enjoy the thought.
"Maybe it can explain something." She said. "It couldn't hurt, could it?" I thought it was just some dumb superstition that people used to play on the fear of dumb fucks that believed it, but Serenity wasn't dumb, and we didn't have any answers.
Tristan drew the cards, and picked out The Fool first.
"Looks like this readings about you." Tristan said to me. I resisted the urge to punch him on. He drew a second card and picked up some card called the Queen of Swords.
"Hey, it's a woman. According to how these are supposed to work, it's a woman scarred by pain and loss. So, I guess that means a dark hero." Tristan said. He drew another card and it was the Ace of Cups.
"Hey, she's falling in love with someone, and that's something she never intended."
"Are you saying that the mystery woman is falling in love with me? Well, I am good looking." I said, boasting. Tristan rolled his eyes.
"No, The Queen of Swords is falling in love with you. Now, let's get another one." Tristan drew again and drew the High Priestess, but it was upside down."
"A selfish woman. Man, Joey, you can pick them. Let's see what else is coming." He drew again and drew a card called The Moon.
"So, she's deceiving you. Better watch out for that woman." He said, shuffling the cards again. He picked out another Queen, the Queen of Rods, again upside down.
"God, Joey, you get the bad women." Tristan said as he laid the card down. The Queen of Rods upside down meant a wise woman who uses her power for unjust ends. He drew another card, but this card was black, all black. When Tristan drew it, he immediately put his hand to his head, and starting breathing heavily.
"You okay." Serenity hugged his shoulders.
"Uhhh...yeah. I think so. I don't know what that card means, but every time I draw it, I get a headache. I think I've done what I can. So Joey's got one good women and two bad."
"I ain't the fool!" I shouted. Tristan rolled his eyes again, he didn't believe me. What the hell was I worried about, these were just cards.
I went back to Mom's house, and decided to head back to the garden. That was where I saw the woman, and that was where I wanted to go if I wanted to see her. As I walked down there, I got my hopes up; it was getting cold again. But I didn't see the fountain.
"Hello!" I called out. "Is there someone there?" I said. I was greeted with a rustling form the bushes, and a beautiful figure came out of the bushes.
"Oh, I'm sorry, is this garden yours?" She asked. She had a breathy voice, a very sexy voice. Maybe not as sexy as Mai, but I could definitely feel myself attracted.
"Yeah, are you lost?" I asked.
"Sort of, I'm looking for something. Something I've lost a long time ago."
"What did you lose?" I asked. I looked into her eyes, green charming things that invoked feelings of warmth and trust.
"My grandmother's pendant." She said. "It's round and has an emerald inside. Have you seen it? I lost it around here."
"No, I haven't, but I'll..." I trailed off, looking into her eyes. She was beautiful, maybe the most beautiful person I'd ever seen.
"What are you starin at?" My subconscious yelled at me. "You like Mai, quit staring at some chick just 'cause she's got pretty eyes." My real self wasn't listening, just looking at her.
"Call me Andrea. I'll come back here in three days, and we can look for it again." She said with a wink, pronouncing it like "Ann-dray-ah." And then she darted off into the woods.
"I hope you don't trust her." Came a voice from behind me. It was the woman's voice! I turned around quickly and there she was, the green haired, pale skinned woman. She was dressed in a short dress that exposed much of her legs, and it was adorned with flowers. She reminded me of a beautiful hippie.
"Huh?" I said, confused.
"Do you know who that was? That pendant she talks about does not belong to her. It actually belongs to me. Of course, I will be more forthcoming to prove my position and answer any questions you may have."
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you still in awe at her beauty? Men. She asked you to find an emerald pendant that belongs to her grandmother, and I say that the pendant is not hers."
"What pendant? Why does she want it if it ain't hers, the bitch wanna sell it?"
"Do you remember that you and your male friend have been having visions?"
"Yeah, you know why? Tell me."
"Your friend Tristan Taylor is having visions because he has Vistani blood, he is a gypsy."
"Gypsy? You mean those people in Europe that rob you?"
"No, I mean gypsies that had the gift of foresight. His gift is quite strong, and that is why his affinity with the cards is great. You can trust him, and you can trust me. You cannot trust this Andrea."
"What about me, am I a gypsy?"
"No, you are having visions because your Andrea was trying to reach out to you. She wanted to put images into your mind to make you fear me. You can trust me, and I will help you."
"Help? Who are you?"
"You may call me Tatiana." She responded. Man, whenever she talked, she made me dizzy.
"How are you going to help me?" I asked. She was a lot of talk, but no action. I much preferred a girl like Mai.
"Because I have not only the power to make the visions stop before more painful ones emerge, but I can give you the power to contend with Andrea. Wouldn't power impress the woman you really like."
"Wait, how do you know about Mai?"
"I have watched you, Joseph. I apologize, but I had to make sure I could depend on you. She is a woman who loves power, no? Follow me, and I will give you the power that you need."
I stopped for a second. Of course I wanted to impress Mai, and I knew she liked rich, powerful men, and that I was neither of those. If I could get stronger, then she'd like me? And, if I got really strong, I wouldn't be afraid to ask her on a date because she likes strong guys.
"Alright, I'll help you."
"Good. I'll give you everything you want once you bring me the pendant. We must stop her from getting it, and I can defeat her. The pendant is somewhere nearby, but there is a sacrifice that must be made to it. I will leave that to you. Then, you must perform a magic ritual to release it. I will teach you this ritual now. Return when you get the pendant, but return only at night."
She waved her hands around, and it made me kinda dizzy, but then I felt something in the back of my mind. How to break the bond of something like for the pendant. I turned around to ask Tatiana another question, but she had disappeared.
"Weird." I noted. I was getting really dizzy again, and this time, my dreams weren't about the strange Tatiana, nor about Andrea.
I dreamed about Mai.
I went over to Tristan's to pick up Serenity. I had a key, and I could come in whenever, so I opened the door, went upstairs, and caught Tristan and Serenity sneaking pecks at each other. She giggled as he kissed her neck, and I immediately felt like puking.
"Ahem!" I said, calling them to my attention. "Should I come back in a hour or when Serenity..."
Serenity cut me off.
"It's nothing serious." Her talking came abruptly. "It's just...harmless, harmless flirting."
"Yeah, and it was fun!" Tristan said. Serenity smacked her forehead at his stupid comment.
"I'll fun you!" I said, twisting Tristan's arm into an arm lock.
"Stop." Serenity ordered, and I did. Man, sometimes she just didn't get fun.
"Hey, Tristan, any more freaky visions about the green haired woman?" I asked. Was there a connection that Tristan and I were the ones who saw this woman?
"Not really, I've been seeing a different woman. She wore a hood and dressed like she was poor. She was saying something, but I couldn't remember what it was.
"Why don't we use Serenity's Tarot cards?" I joked. I meant it only as a joke, but Serenity actually seemed to enjoy the thought.
"Maybe it can explain something." She said. "It couldn't hurt, could it?" I thought it was just some dumb superstition that people used to play on the fear of dumb fucks that believed it, but Serenity wasn't dumb, and we didn't have any answers.
Tristan drew the cards, and picked out The Fool first.
"Looks like this readings about you." Tristan said to me. I resisted the urge to punch him on. He drew a second card and picked up some card called the Queen of Swords.
"Hey, it's a woman. According to how these are supposed to work, it's a woman scarred by pain and loss. So, I guess that means a dark hero." Tristan said. He drew another card and it was the Ace of Cups.
"Hey, she's falling in love with someone, and that's something she never intended."
"Are you saying that the mystery woman is falling in love with me? Well, I am good looking." I said, boasting. Tristan rolled his eyes.
"No, The Queen of Swords is falling in love with you. Now, let's get another one." Tristan drew again and drew the High Priestess, but it was upside down."
"A selfish woman. Man, Joey, you can pick them. Let's see what else is coming." He drew again and drew a card called The Moon.
"So, she's deceiving you. Better watch out for that woman." He said, shuffling the cards again. He picked out another Queen, the Queen of Rods, again upside down.
"God, Joey, you get the bad women." Tristan said as he laid the card down. The Queen of Rods upside down meant a wise woman who uses her power for unjust ends. He drew another card, but this card was black, all black. When Tristan drew it, he immediately put his hand to his head, and starting breathing heavily.
"You okay." Serenity hugged his shoulders.
"Uhhh...yeah. I think so. I don't know what that card means, but every time I draw it, I get a headache. I think I've done what I can. So Joey's got one good women and two bad."
"I ain't the fool!" I shouted. Tristan rolled his eyes again, he didn't believe me. What the hell was I worried about, these were just cards.
I went back to Mom's house, and decided to head back to the garden. That was where I saw the woman, and that was where I wanted to go if I wanted to see her. As I walked down there, I got my hopes up; it was getting cold again. But I didn't see the fountain.
"Hello!" I called out. "Is there someone there?" I said. I was greeted with a rustling form the bushes, and a beautiful figure came out of the bushes.
"Oh, I'm sorry, is this garden yours?" She asked. She had a breathy voice, a very sexy voice. Maybe not as sexy as Mai, but I could definitely feel myself attracted.
"Yeah, are you lost?" I asked.
"Sort of, I'm looking for something. Something I've lost a long time ago."
"What did you lose?" I asked. I looked into her eyes, green charming things that invoked feelings of warmth and trust.
"My grandmother's pendant." She said. "It's round and has an emerald inside. Have you seen it? I lost it around here."
"No, I haven't, but I'll..." I trailed off, looking into her eyes. She was beautiful, maybe the most beautiful person I'd ever seen.
"What are you starin at?" My subconscious yelled at me. "You like Mai, quit staring at some chick just 'cause she's got pretty eyes." My real self wasn't listening, just looking at her.
"Call me Andrea. I'll come back here in three days, and we can look for it again." She said with a wink, pronouncing it like "Ann-dray-ah." And then she darted off into the woods.
"I hope you don't trust her." Came a voice from behind me. It was the woman's voice! I turned around quickly and there she was, the green haired, pale skinned woman. She was dressed in a short dress that exposed much of her legs, and it was adorned with flowers. She reminded me of a beautiful hippie.
"Huh?" I said, confused.
"Do you know who that was? That pendant she talks about does not belong to her. It actually belongs to me. Of course, I will be more forthcoming to prove my position and answer any questions you may have."
"What are you talking about?"
"Are you still in awe at her beauty? Men. She asked you to find an emerald pendant that belongs to her grandmother, and I say that the pendant is not hers."
"What pendant? Why does she want it if it ain't hers, the bitch wanna sell it?"
"Do you remember that you and your male friend have been having visions?"
"Yeah, you know why? Tell me."
"Your friend Tristan Taylor is having visions because he has Vistani blood, he is a gypsy."
"Gypsy? You mean those people in Europe that rob you?"
"No, I mean gypsies that had the gift of foresight. His gift is quite strong, and that is why his affinity with the cards is great. You can trust him, and you can trust me. You cannot trust this Andrea."
"What about me, am I a gypsy?"
"No, you are having visions because your Andrea was trying to reach out to you. She wanted to put images into your mind to make you fear me. You can trust me, and I will help you."
"Help? Who are you?"
"You may call me Tatiana." She responded. Man, whenever she talked, she made me dizzy.
"How are you going to help me?" I asked. She was a lot of talk, but no action. I much preferred a girl like Mai.
"Because I have not only the power to make the visions stop before more painful ones emerge, but I can give you the power to contend with Andrea. Wouldn't power impress the woman you really like."
"Wait, how do you know about Mai?"
"I have watched you, Joseph. I apologize, but I had to make sure I could depend on you. She is a woman who loves power, no? Follow me, and I will give you the power that you need."
I stopped for a second. Of course I wanted to impress Mai, and I knew she liked rich, powerful men, and that I was neither of those. If I could get stronger, then she'd like me? And, if I got really strong, I wouldn't be afraid to ask her on a date because she likes strong guys.
"Alright, I'll help you."
"Good. I'll give you everything you want once you bring me the pendant. We must stop her from getting it, and I can defeat her. The pendant is somewhere nearby, but there is a sacrifice that must be made to it. I will leave that to you. Then, you must perform a magic ritual to release it. I will teach you this ritual now. Return when you get the pendant, but return only at night."
She waved her hands around, and it made me kinda dizzy, but then I felt something in the back of my mind. How to break the bond of something like for the pendant. I turned around to ask Tatiana another question, but she had disappeared.
"Weird." I noted. I was getting really dizzy again, and this time, my dreams weren't about the strange Tatiana, nor about Andrea.
I dreamed about Mai.