CHAPTER 5
Beth followed Lorne to the back of the bar and through a door hidden in the wall. She stepped into a room that suited her host to a T. "I love the decor, did you do this yourself?" she asked as she took a seat on a royal purple loveseat. "These rooms are my canvas but enough about me dumpling, take a load off your mind and tell me your story. Why did you come to L.A?" he asked as he handed her a drink and took a seat next to her. Beth took a sip of her drink and started her story at the psychic festival.
*"O.k. I'll come but only to please you. No, you're right. I want to know too", Beth said to her friend Shannon. Maybe she would finally have an answer to the question that has been churning in her mind since the dreams started to come. 'Who was he?' The dreams had been coming to her more frequently now than ever. Ever since she turned 21 a few weeks ago she has had him on her mind. 'Why does he consume me so much?' It wasn't like she didn't have any boyfriends. Just last week she had broken up with Charlie, who (which she didn't know at the time) was going to propose to her. 'I know it's mean but I'm glad I did it', Beth sighed as she followed Shannon out to her car. Her and Charlie just weren't compatible. It also didn't help that he didn't have brown eyes that pierced her soul. They got into the car and headed towards the old school oval.
The oval was set up like a carnival. There were amusement rides and food stalls set up all over the place. Kids were walking around with fairy floss on their mouths and balloons in their hands. Then there was the reason for the festival. Tables, chairs, wooden stalls even car bonnets were set up for people who claimed to be able to read your mind, know you fortune and help you find your true love. It was to these people that Beth and Shannon headed towards.
"Hey look. David Rethouy is here! I saw him on Fox the other day. He is supposed to be the best. Come on Beth, let's see if he has any appointments left" and with that Shannon headed towards the flashiest stall at the festival. Beth smiled at Shannon's enthusiasm and went to follow her when something caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw an old, weathered woman sitting alongside a once white caravan with Kalderash printed on the side with faded gold lettering. The woman looked up from her seat on the ground and fixed two clear blue eyes on Beth.
Her feet seemed to grow a mind of their own because the next thing she knew, she was sitting on the ground next to the old women. "You have to come to seek answers, have you not" the gypsy woman asked in a voice that seemed to float in Beth's mind. "Yes" was all Beth could manage to get out. The gypsy woman took her hand and laid in her wrinkled one with the palm up. "Mmmmm" the woman seemed to be humming a tuneless song. "Yes, it is here" the woman said as she stroked her hand. "It is destined. You will find yourself and you will find him in the City of Angels. Yes, that is where you will find your Angel" the woman pointed towards Beth's heart. "He is cold in here, but you will make it warm again. With him you will find the answers you seek. Trust in yourself. Trust in him. Trust in your love. The curse that is over his head is in your hands" and with that the woman dropped her hand. Beth stared at her palm. 'He's real?' she thought to herself. Beth looked up to find the gypsy woman studying her. "He will make it hard. That is his way. There will be demons to face, enemies to defeat. Listen to my words and all will be made right" and with that the gypsy woman got up with agility that didn't match her age, and walked towards her caravan.
"Hey, earth to Beth" hands waved in front of her face but she didn't register them. "Hello! I got us an appointment with David Rethouy it's in 10 minutes. Come on woman, this wasn't easy to get you know. I had to flirt with his secretary and she got hit with the biggest ugly stick if you ask me. Are you in there?" Beth looked up to see Shannon looking down at her. "Back with me are you? I thought the ugly lesbian talk would do it" Beth laughed at Shannon's joke. "You've been sitting there for 10 minutes just looking at your palm. What's up?" Beth pulled herself up. "I just got my palm read by this gypsy woman. She told me that I would find him in the City of Angels. That is where I would find the answers to my questions" she stroked her palm with her other hand. "Um, Beth, what gypsy?" Shannon asked. "The one right behind me" Beth turned around to only find an open field. "I swear she was right here. She had a caravan with a name on it. She was old and wrinkled like a prune" Beth looked around to the other stalls. "Beth, sweetie, there are no caravans around here" Shannon looked to the ground "and the only thing that has been behind you was one of those ponies" Beth looked to the ground to see no tyre tracks, no up turned grass, only a pile of horse shit. Well pony shit. "Let's get out of here" she grabbed Shannon's hand and pulled her towards the car.*
"...After that I went home, stewed over the gypsy's words for a few weeks until Shannon packed my bags for me and got me on the first flight to L.A. She even booked me into this really hard to get hotel, The Hyperion" Beth finished her story and drained the last of her third drink. 'When did I finish the first two?' "You're staying at The Hyperion?" Lorne asked as he leaned back in his seat. "Yes, it's so great. I even met the manager Conner this morning. That's how I came to be at your library. I was talking to him and his friends just before you called me up" 'boy these drinks sure do pack a punch', Beth thoughts slurred as she fought to clear her fogging head. "You've met Wesley and the gang then have you?" Lorne looked up to the ceiling "you like to throw in some twist don't you " he looked back and noticed Beth had a strange expression on her face. "Just speaking to my Aunt Hilda" he then noticed that Beth was starting to go his shade of green. "Wait here honey and I'll get you a drink other than blue".
Beth felt a cool glass pushed into her hands and she took a long drink. "Thank you" she rasped as the nauseous feeling began to pass. "I think I had better call the Calvary and get you home" Lorne said as he started to head towards the door "Wait" Beth called. Lorne sat back down on the seat next to her. "Don't worry I'm fine, the feeling has passed" she took another sip of her water "I need to know what you saw". "Are you sure you're up to it?" Beth nodded her head then winced slightly
"Mmm all right I'll put you out of your sea breezed misery. You're going to meet your dream man, lots sooner than you think. But be aware sweetness, it isn't going to be all roses. Something is going to get in the way and it's not good. In fact I would go, as far as to say it's just plain evil. No don't even ask, I don't know what or who it is but if you trust in yourself, trust in him and trust in your love for each other it will be made right" Lorne looked at her as if he wanted to say more but wasn't allowed to, like a child with a secret. "I'll go get your new friends" and with that he walked out of the room.
Beth followed Lorne to the back of the bar and through a door hidden in the wall. She stepped into a room that suited her host to a T. "I love the decor, did you do this yourself?" she asked as she took a seat on a royal purple loveseat. "These rooms are my canvas but enough about me dumpling, take a load off your mind and tell me your story. Why did you come to L.A?" he asked as he handed her a drink and took a seat next to her. Beth took a sip of her drink and started her story at the psychic festival.
*"O.k. I'll come but only to please you. No, you're right. I want to know too", Beth said to her friend Shannon. Maybe she would finally have an answer to the question that has been churning in her mind since the dreams started to come. 'Who was he?' The dreams had been coming to her more frequently now than ever. Ever since she turned 21 a few weeks ago she has had him on her mind. 'Why does he consume me so much?' It wasn't like she didn't have any boyfriends. Just last week she had broken up with Charlie, who (which she didn't know at the time) was going to propose to her. 'I know it's mean but I'm glad I did it', Beth sighed as she followed Shannon out to her car. Her and Charlie just weren't compatible. It also didn't help that he didn't have brown eyes that pierced her soul. They got into the car and headed towards the old school oval.
The oval was set up like a carnival. There were amusement rides and food stalls set up all over the place. Kids were walking around with fairy floss on their mouths and balloons in their hands. Then there was the reason for the festival. Tables, chairs, wooden stalls even car bonnets were set up for people who claimed to be able to read your mind, know you fortune and help you find your true love. It was to these people that Beth and Shannon headed towards.
"Hey look. David Rethouy is here! I saw him on Fox the other day. He is supposed to be the best. Come on Beth, let's see if he has any appointments left" and with that Shannon headed towards the flashiest stall at the festival. Beth smiled at Shannon's enthusiasm and went to follow her when something caught the corner of her eye. She turned her head and saw an old, weathered woman sitting alongside a once white caravan with Kalderash printed on the side with faded gold lettering. The woman looked up from her seat on the ground and fixed two clear blue eyes on Beth.
Her feet seemed to grow a mind of their own because the next thing she knew, she was sitting on the ground next to the old women. "You have to come to seek answers, have you not" the gypsy woman asked in a voice that seemed to float in Beth's mind. "Yes" was all Beth could manage to get out. The gypsy woman took her hand and laid in her wrinkled one with the palm up. "Mmmmm" the woman seemed to be humming a tuneless song. "Yes, it is here" the woman said as she stroked her hand. "It is destined. You will find yourself and you will find him in the City of Angels. Yes, that is where you will find your Angel" the woman pointed towards Beth's heart. "He is cold in here, but you will make it warm again. With him you will find the answers you seek. Trust in yourself. Trust in him. Trust in your love. The curse that is over his head is in your hands" and with that the woman dropped her hand. Beth stared at her palm. 'He's real?' she thought to herself. Beth looked up to find the gypsy woman studying her. "He will make it hard. That is his way. There will be demons to face, enemies to defeat. Listen to my words and all will be made right" and with that the gypsy woman got up with agility that didn't match her age, and walked towards her caravan.
"Hey, earth to Beth" hands waved in front of her face but she didn't register them. "Hello! I got us an appointment with David Rethouy it's in 10 minutes. Come on woman, this wasn't easy to get you know. I had to flirt with his secretary and she got hit with the biggest ugly stick if you ask me. Are you in there?" Beth looked up to see Shannon looking down at her. "Back with me are you? I thought the ugly lesbian talk would do it" Beth laughed at Shannon's joke. "You've been sitting there for 10 minutes just looking at your palm. What's up?" Beth pulled herself up. "I just got my palm read by this gypsy woman. She told me that I would find him in the City of Angels. That is where I would find the answers to my questions" she stroked her palm with her other hand. "Um, Beth, what gypsy?" Shannon asked. "The one right behind me" Beth turned around to only find an open field. "I swear she was right here. She had a caravan with a name on it. She was old and wrinkled like a prune" Beth looked around to the other stalls. "Beth, sweetie, there are no caravans around here" Shannon looked to the ground "and the only thing that has been behind you was one of those ponies" Beth looked to the ground to see no tyre tracks, no up turned grass, only a pile of horse shit. Well pony shit. "Let's get out of here" she grabbed Shannon's hand and pulled her towards the car.*
"...After that I went home, stewed over the gypsy's words for a few weeks until Shannon packed my bags for me and got me on the first flight to L.A. She even booked me into this really hard to get hotel, The Hyperion" Beth finished her story and drained the last of her third drink. 'When did I finish the first two?' "You're staying at The Hyperion?" Lorne asked as he leaned back in his seat. "Yes, it's so great. I even met the manager Conner this morning. That's how I came to be at your library. I was talking to him and his friends just before you called me up" 'boy these drinks sure do pack a punch', Beth thoughts slurred as she fought to clear her fogging head. "You've met Wesley and the gang then have you?" Lorne looked up to the ceiling "you like to throw in some twist don't you " he looked back and noticed Beth had a strange expression on her face. "Just speaking to my Aunt Hilda" he then noticed that Beth was starting to go his shade of green. "Wait here honey and I'll get you a drink other than blue".
Beth felt a cool glass pushed into her hands and she took a long drink. "Thank you" she rasped as the nauseous feeling began to pass. "I think I had better call the Calvary and get you home" Lorne said as he started to head towards the door "Wait" Beth called. Lorne sat back down on the seat next to her. "Don't worry I'm fine, the feeling has passed" she took another sip of her water "I need to know what you saw". "Are you sure you're up to it?" Beth nodded her head then winced slightly
"Mmm all right I'll put you out of your sea breezed misery. You're going to meet your dream man, lots sooner than you think. But be aware sweetness, it isn't going to be all roses. Something is going to get in the way and it's not good. In fact I would go, as far as to say it's just plain evil. No don't even ask, I don't know what or who it is but if you trust in yourself, trust in him and trust in your love for each other it will be made right" Lorne looked at her as if he wanted to say more but wasn't allowed to, like a child with a secret. "I'll go get your new friends" and with that he walked out of the room.