In the Cards
Premise: Set about one year before the apocalypse. Beth and her friends have their fortunes told but with surprising results. Featuring OCs.
Genre: Supernatural/Drama
The county fair remained in full swing all through the night. Beth was disappointed that she only placed 3rd in the singing talent competition but everyone felt for a 15-year-old it was quite impressive. At least there was always next year.
After the contest, Jimmy dragged her on as many attractions in the midway possible and she was starting to feel quite better, since Kelly and Thomas were there too. The only sourpuss of the night was Maggie having to play babysitter to her and her friends. Only her boyfriend Justin and a few cups of beer were keeping her sane.
"Hey, the fortune teller line's pretty short." Kelly pointed over towards the tent. "Beth and I need to find out what our future husbands are gonna be like."
Jimmy glared at Kelly. "Hey! I'm right here!" The teens started laughing but Maggie was rolling her eyes.
"I hear the fortune teller's been giving the same fortune to everybody all night," said Justin. "It's why no one's going in."
Thomas asked "What's she saying?"
"I dunno. Something about a plague and death and stuff. Nothing fun."
"He's right you know," said Maggie. "That future telling stuff is as legit as pig's crap. But if you wanna waste your money, fine. Justin and I are gonna go do some square dancing."
With Maggie and Justin gone, the four teens headed over to the tent. A large sign stood at the entrance stating 'Only one person may enter at a time to see The Great Madame Hooley'. Fortunately, by this point someone was already leaving the tent, a bit pale-faced. "Who wants to give it a shot?" asked Kelly. "...see if Justin's right."
"I'll go first," said Thomas. "She can't be giving the same fortune to everybody." The others waited outside but not very long. Five minutes later, Thomas came out looking a bit bewildered. "Damn, Justin wasn't kidding about that gloom and doom stuff!"
"Did she really say you were gonna die and stuff?"
"Uh-huh." He told Jimmy. Then he laughed. "It was pretty freaky man! She said I was gonna get eaten alive!"
"That's not funny," said Beth.
Jimmy headed toward the tent. "I'll go next." Another five minutes past and Jimmy came out looking angry. "That lady told me the same thing! I'm starting to think this is a rip-off."
"Step aside boys." Kelly walked past the two boys and strode confidently into the tent. Five minutes later, to the surprise of everyone, she was coming out of the tent with tears in her eyes. She went straight into Beth's arms for comfort. "Kelly what's wrong?"
"I wanted her to tell me about my future husband."
"...and?"
"And she said it wouldn't matter, I was gonna die. She said we were all gonna die!"
Jimmy was getting nervous. "Okay this is getting freaky!"
"I guess you gotta go, Beth."
She turned to Thomas. "I'm not going in there! She's just gonna tell me the same thing she told all of you."
"Hey we wasted our money. It's only fair. Besides maybe you'll get lucky."
Beth sighed knowing lucky was not what she saw for herself. "Alright! But can you please look after Kelly? I'm gonna make this really short." She went into the tent and the mood was exactly what she expected from a place like this. It was dark and gloomy, and everywhere she looked large black candles sticking out of skulls...fake skulls she hoped. Madame Hooley was sitting at the lone table with her crystal ball and her future telling cards.
"Look can we make this quick?" said Beth as she handed her the money. "My friends are kinda upset by the readings you gave them."
The old lady had quickly grasped Beth's wrist. "I'm only warning as many people as I can. The cards foretold it to me last night. A great plague is coming. By the next year, the entire earth will be devoured by it. There is no stopping it. There is only death and evil in this new world."
Beth appeared to be unimpressed since she already expected this. "So lemme guess? I'm gonna die or get eaten like you told my friends?"
"We shall see." Madame Hooley reached over to her deck of cards and shuffled them. She fanned the cards out. "Pick your card." Beth reluctantly drew out one card and showed it to the old woman. Her eyes widened. "The Death card? This is unusual."
"Why? It's what you've been telling everybody."
"You don't understand, child. The Death card is not what mortals make it seem. It can also mean rebirth...transformation...change. You are the first since to receive the card since the great plague was foretold to me." Madame Hooley pulled out several more cards. "Death will devour the earth but it will pass over you. You will be among those in the new world."
"I dunno if I like the sound of that," said Beth. The woman did say that there would only be death and evil. Why would she want to live in a world like that?
"There is one more card." Madame Hooley put the card out infront of Beth and smiled. "The Star...I thought I would not see this card appear."
"What does it mean?"
"It means you will be a rarity...a light in this world of death and evil." She waved her hand over the other cards. "But before you can become this light, you will have to make a very difficult choice. Only when you make the right choice can you become the light."
This was clearly not watch Beth expecting at all. "I really just wanted to know if I was gonna get married or not. Not that it matters now, I guess."
"Give me your palm." Beth reached her hand out to Madame Hooley and she closed her eyes. "I see a man...strong and wise. He thrives in this world of death but he is hounded by despair. It follows him where he finds hope. He will not survive without the light you possess."
Beth pulled back her hand. "I think I should go." She quickly turned and headed out the tent. That last fortune made her feel tense, but she did not know why. Jimmy ran up to her. "You took a while in there. You okay?"
"I'm fine. Where's Kelly?"
"Thomas took her to get a sno-cone. Wanna meet up with them."
She nodded her head. As they finally met up with their friends, Thomas was the first to ask "well...what did the crazy lady say?"
Beth shrugged her shoulders. "Nothing. Just the same thing about getting eaten and stuff."
...
The fair came to an end, and Madame Hooley was distraught that no one took her warning of the great plague coming seriously. But she knew it was coming. The cards did not lie. They even told her that she would not be among the survivors. That much didn't surprise her. What did surprise her though was that among those she warned of the great plague, that blonde girl was the only one to possess a different fate...the only one who would not only live but would live for good.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the carnies nearby engaging in a rambunctious game of poker with some rednecks they happened to be associated with. Two of them were now leaving the game, one of them being far too drunk to stand on his own feet. "Woo! I told ya I'd get our money back, baby bro!"
"Dammit, Merle. You almost lost it all too."
"Aw man, I think I need ta hurl." Soon enough the two men turned to the trashcan right by Madame Hooley's tent so that Merle could expel the contents from his stomach. The other man was now supporting him. Madame Hooley approached them but suddenly stopped as the man looked at her. His face...she had seen it in her vision, the one she gave to the blonde girl. The man was becoming very uncomfortable with the woman's fear-ridden stare. "The hell are you lookin' at?"
The man pulled his brother back up and they walked away. But Madame Hooley continued to watch them. In those few seconds, Madame Hooley could see the vulnerability in that man's eyes, truly reflective of the despair that he would endure in the new world that was coming. She also saw the strength within as well but she knew that without positive energy in his life, that strength would not emerge. She felt sorry for him in a way.
The girl...the one who would live...she would be very important to him. He would not see it at first but in time, in his darkest hour, he would. However there was still that choice that she would have to make. Madame Hooley was not certain, but the cards seemed to indicate some sort of choice between life and death.
She hoped, for the man's sake, that the girl would choose life.
