Chapter Two

But then I seemed to remember the fact that I have parents. Oh shit! My mind moaned to me, Mom's waiting outside! I thanked Doctor McNaught who smiled and nodded at before turning back to his papers and calling his receptionist.

Taking three long, deep breaths, I dreaded the conversation I had yet to have with my mother. I need not have worried – at least, not at that moment – because a lady – one who I assumed was the receptionist – came sauntering up to me, tapped me on the shoulder and told me that my mother was grocery shopping in the cluster of stalls next door.

After paying the fee for the appointment and leaving the store, I crossed my fingers and screwed my eyes shut for a moment before walking into the group of stalls next-door to the clinic. My eyes had to adjust to the sun for a few seconds, but after those were up, I could see tables and booths adorned with various jewelry and ornaments.

I walked up to a friendly old looking lady, with her long grey hair mattered with many strings of white and wise all-seeing cerulean eyes. Her booth was glittering with valuable jewelry; gold rings, precious stones, fragile chained silver necklaces – and then I saw it.

It was on the left-hand side of the table. The lady was serving another customer interested in buying one of those golden rings with a diamond encrusted in the middle of it. I was more interested in the beautiful antique in front of me.

Flashes of muted colors played across the pearly face of the cabochon, bringing to mind the mystery and magic of the full moon… and it all lay before me. The chain it was attached to was made of delicately crafted sterling silver so fine that it looked as if every small link spent an eternity in making. It entranced me; the blues seemed to swirl around in the clear – as if a crystal ball. The pendant appeared to be so fragile, yet so strong. There was no way I could really describe it.

The old lady, who seemed to have finished negotiating with the customer at hand, turned to me and saw my desire of the object below. All thoughts and worries I had had before seemed to slowly slip away. She seemed to notice this, and her thin pink lips curved up into a smile.

'Ahh, My dear.' Her voice was soft and it suited her look well. It was only then that I noticed she wore a long poncho – it was purple and had a five star emblem on it. I registered this to be the pentagram, the shape people used to perform exorcisms. This lady, I thought, must be a psychic – and a long skirt of the same fabric. She continued to speak and I had to advert my gaze to from the pendant for at least five minutes.

'I see you, like a few of my other customers have been stumped by the beautiful Celtic Moonstone Pendant.' I realized her words – if so many people had seen this gorgeous artifact, then why did no one buy it? I was surprised when the lady replied: 'I was hoping it would be obvious to you – my child, that the reason they did not purchase it was because it was too high of cost.'

My hopes sunk. I had actually thought that me, Susannah Simon who only had twenty dollars in her pocket, could actually own something as expensive as the "Celtic Moonstone Pendant."

But then I realized something else… I had not told this lady of my musings. She must have read them. A shifter, she had to be a shifter, either a shifter or a telepathist – the only two beings capable of reading minds that were not deceased.

'Oh no, my sweet, shifters and telepathists are not the only two beings capable of mind reading amongst the living. There are others, as well.' Her voice changed into a more mysterious tone. 'And you, child, are one of them.' I froze. What? I wasn't anything but a shifter… Otherwise Paul would have told me –

Paul Slater.

Shit. I should have known that if there was anything superior in me to him, he would not tell me. Oh was I going to have a word with him when I got back to school…

I decided to settle with an easy question, 'What am I exactly?' The lady chuckled and flicked some of her shining white hair over her shoulder. Then she took the Celtic Pendant by the chain and placed it on my palm. I wondered what she was doing, was she perhaps giving me this? I didn't have enough money to pay for it…

All thoughts flew out of my head as I looked down at the moonstone. What was once a mixture of colors had suddenly lit up in a blinding white light. I blinked quite a few times and I was pretty sure that I gasped too. The woman withdrew the pendant and looked at me again, as if only starting to see me properly.

'Oh god is gracious!' She said, grinning a maniac grin. I tried to smile back and managed to send her a small, nervous smile but she had averted her gaze. Taking out a slip of paper and a pen from the hidden drawers underneath her booth, she wrote something, and gave me the slip of paper.

'Call me between 3 and 6 am. And if you ever decide to enter my house, do it after dark. I am meditating for the rest of the day.' She smiled again. I looked down at the writing; it was neat and sort of old-fashioned. But then again, the lady was old as well. But she was a wise-old, not a forgetful-old… I actually seemed to like her.

'There is no more to be said, at least, not here anyway.' She looked around and pointed. 'Ahh, child, there is your dearest mother. Hurry along now.'

When I didn't move she gasped and laughed a little, 'Oh yes. I forgot.' Then she withdrew the pendant that she had taken from the contents of the booth and thrust it into my hand again. Once making contact with my skin it alit with the same white glow. 'A luz do moonstone, é banida de que de olhos indígnos!'

I noticed the language as Portuguese but I did not know the words that she spoke. So I asked, 'What did you say?'

'Light from the moonstone, be banished from that of unworthy eyes.' With a fleeting thought, I wondered what her name was… I never got it. 'My name, Dear? I guess, being what you are…'

'Ophelia.'

'Mine's Susannah Simon.' I said, smiling.

I turned to leave, but I swore that as I did I heard her mutter: 'Are you so sure about that?'

But I'm sure that was just my imagination.

AN: I know, I know… Suze's parents and their reaction will happen next I SWEAR! I had to add the mysterious part of this fic in first. I hope you accept that… lol. I know you will. Thanks for the nine reviews by the way. I feel so loved.

-chayfan

PS: I'll thank all reviewers specifically next chapter. Dad's calling me right now so I have to go!