"Sit here, I'll be right back," Amanda tells me quietly as she walks into another room with drapes over the entrance. I sit at a small mahogany table at the side of the room; which has a box on it with some paper and a pen. While Amanda is busy I use this time to look about the room. It has hunter green painted walls, and a very large painting of a rainforest on the other side of the room. The colours of the painting clash with the wall, making it appear dull and tacky. On a little shelf is a grey container with burning sticks—or incense, filtering the room. I notice it is the same lavender smell that masked the Mexican restaurant from earlier.
"Did you know your aura is the most vibrant green I've ever seen?" Amanda walks back into the room, holding a container the size of a shoe box. She sits down at the table in front of me, placing the box on it.
I shrug, unsure of what to say. I may be a little odd, but these people are too over the top for my tastes. No wonder Lana acted so strange earlier, she refused to even talk to me and left the shop.
"You may find me crazy, but this lifestyle chose me. I was born into it," Amanda sighs, avoiding my eyes.
"Okay," I mumble, not sure what to say to that. I didn't want to hurt her feelings and openly call her crazy for her beliefs.
"Each person who comes in here to have a reading done, changes the atmosphere of the room. It depends on their aura. As I've mentioned, yours is green; which is why the walls turned green. See that painting? That's a representation of you, of where you feel you most belong."
My nostrils flare at her words, and a very large smile threatens to break free on my lips. I literally have to bite down on my tongue to avoid laughing.
"I can understand what this sounds like to you. But it's true," she takes out a few candles and herbs from the box and sighs.
"Now, for the first process you need to write three wishes on one of those sheets of paper there," she points to the other box on the table with the sheets of paper and a pen on top.
I frown, yet lean in to start writing; but she stops me from doing so.
"Wait. There are rules to the wishes. First, you can't wish to bring anyone back from the dead. Second, there is no wishing to be rich. And third, you cannot ask to be immortal. Those are the conditions for the wishes. Not only that, but there are consequences to each wish you make—so make your wishes, but be cautious about them," her stare is intense, and it makes me feel like I'm about to sign my soul away to the devil.
"What is the purpose of this?"
"I can't tell you until after the reading. I don't want anything to conflict with your results," she nods towards the sheets of paper again.
"I will give you a few minutes to think it over, and then make your wishes. If you can only think of one, I will let it slide if you want to use the two for later. But make sure the main wish is important. You will need to use your wishes anyway, so it has to be done now or in the future. Put it in the box here when done."
Amanda uses this time to organize the candles and herbs, and so I genuinely think over my wishes. If I had three wishes that could come true, what would I wish for?
Is it that obvious?
1. I wish for werewolves to be real and to be linked to them somehow. (Hint: mate).
2. To have the power to heal any injury or disease.
3. Reserve wish for later.
I fold the small sheet of paper and then stick it in a hole in the box. Amanda immediately stops what she is doing and then places the box she carried into the room on the floor. She has three candles placed in holders on the table, right in the center. She puts a small bowl in the middle of the candles, which appears to have sage in the container. With what seemed like a flash of lightning, smoke rises from the bowl, roasting the sage. I stare at it, dumbfounded. Amanda never moved a muscle to light the herb, and it was as if the flame had come from the depths of Hell itself—the embers so bright they flicker off the reflection of Amanda's dark eyes.
"Now, repeat after me," Amanda instructs, staring back at me with determination in her eyes.
"Earth, wind, air, and fire," she closes her eyes, listening to me repeat what she just said.
"Listen to my heart's desire, help me find what I'm looking for or send me packing out the door," I shriek, a giggle escaping my lips after repeating what was said. I gasp when a foot hits my shin, making my laughter die from the pain.
"Look under the table," Amanda directs, smirking at me after seeing me grind my teeth from the pain in my shin.
"Is that any way to treat a customer?" I hiss, glaring at her angrily while rubbing my leg.
"Do as I say," the woman's blank stare is back in place, her dark eyes emotionless.
I continue to glare at her as I slowly move to look under the table, eyes narrowing as I see a snow globe, without the fake snow inside the glass. There was what looked like a beach with the ocean inside. On the outside, there is dark rock with beautiful white crystals surrounding the sides.
"Pick whatever it is up and examine it."
I do as directed, peering inside the globe with interest. It looks like there are tiny fish inside, and I wonder how they were put in there and fed. Amanda stares at me with the same blank expression, her right hand gently touching the kindling sage in the container.
"What do you see, tell me," Amanda moves forward, inspecting the globe herself.
"I thought I seen a beach and an ocean, but now all I see are fish in here. How did you get them in there? How do they eat?"
Her eyes stare at mine as her head nods slowly, "the globe only shows your future. I cannot see anything. It's a globe filled with only clear water."
"What? No! You're telling me that you can't see these little guys?" I point to the tiny fish, eyes narrowing at her ignorance.
"Watch," Amanda grabs the globe from me, and the contents inside turn to crystal clear water. I don't see the little fish anymore, and it is just shiny reflections of the candles on the table.
"Only I can see where I belong. Do you understand now?" She hands me back the globe, and immediately the fish come back into my line of sight. I shake my head in utter disbelief, watching as a big shadow came and snatched one of the fish, a flash of crimson soon filling the globe.
"What the hell is that?!" I shriek, watching as fish guts spread out about the globe, the once beautiful turquoise water now tainted with blood.
"I don't see anything, as I've mentioned. Focus, look into the globe, try to see the main picture gathered there," she leans back in her chair, pointing at the globe.
I do as I'm told, staring into the globe. After a minute, I look up at Amanda to tell her nothing changed, but soon flinch when a gust of wind blasts against us. I drop the snow globe on the table, but it doesn't break. Surprise is evident on my face, as the wind in the room is so powerful I have to hold onto my chair to keep me in place. There wasn't any windows or fans earlier, so something fishy was going on—literally. I scream, feeling my body being pulled in the air. My hands fling out to Amanda for help, but she looks like she isn't even experiencing any wind. Even her hair is flattened down, and her clothes are relaxed.
"What in the hell is going on?!"
"Just remember, you agreed to this," Amanda nods at me, her voice a mere whisper to my ears.
"Have a nice trip," is the last thing I hear as a flash of light blinds me, the wind rippling my skin as it blasts against me.
"Ahhhh!" I scream, opening my eyes as much as I can, flashes of white and blue the only thing I can make out at the moment. All I know is that I'm falling, fast, and I'm no longer in the metaphysical shop.
But I'm falling from the sky—yes, the actual sky. Beneath me is a vast body of turquoise water, most likely the ocean. I continue screaming as I make my way down to the water, and within seconds, I feel it envelop me into its depths. I struggle to make my way back to the surface, as the clothes I'm wearing drag me down like an anchor. I kick to the surface, feeling my jeans slightly flare out at my ankles. My shirt flows up my stomach, no longer at one with gravity. It floats up, as does my wild, long brown hair. My lungs finally expand when I successfully pop out of the surface, squeezing my eyes shut from the saltiness of the water. A large strand of my hair sticks to my forehead, drawing over my left cheek. The rest of my hair is matted to the back of my neck, shimmering out behind my back and floating with each gentle kick of a wave.
"O-Oh God," I pant, looking around me frantically. Turning to my left, I see a vast island of green, a mountain at the top standing proud. I make my way towards it, swimming as fast as I can. It might be possible that the herb Amanda lit wasn't sage, but some type of hallucinogen. This kind of occurrence just doesn't happen, so it was best to use logic in a situation like this. I'm probably in a coma or hit my head after smelling the fumes from the herbs. It is the only logical explanation to why I'm now swimming towards an island in the middle of fucking nowhere. A place where I fell to from the sky...
I feel the sand stick to my skin and clothes as I crawl up to the tan, sandy beach. The island appears to be much larger than before now that I'm closer. I press up into a sitting position, looking around the beach for any signs of life. The trees sway gently, a breeze rolling in with the ripple of waves moving back and forth up the beach. I wait for a few minutes, taking off my shirt and squeezing out the water. There is probably no one on this island, and I'm fairly sure I'm hallucinating right now anyway. I make my way into the rainforest after my clothes are now just damp and no longer totally soaked. I continue to walk further into the island, looking back to the beach every now and then. I don't want to get lost, even though this is only some messed up dream. Who knows what can happen...I might fall off a cliff here but actually hurt myself in real life.
Snap.
I flinch, moving to hide behind a tree. My heart is racing a million miles a minute, but I ignore the sensation of fear and watch for any predators lurking in the distance. The sound echoes again, closer now. I bite my lip, leaning against the tree for support. Within seconds, I see a man emerge from the bushes. He has long wavy black hair that reaches his lower back, and eyes as black as his hair. In contrast to his dark features, his cheeks are covered in what looks like cobalt blue and white paint. There is a bit of stubble on his chin, but it looks like he sloppily cut part of a beard off there. He is slightly tall, about six feet, maybe even taller. One of the biggest things I notice is that he is naked, aside from a small flap hiding his...I blush, eyes moving back up to his face. He is quite good looking, with cute, almost hidden dimples at each side of his thin lips. His dark eyebrows are furrowed, as if he is in deep thought. His skin is very tan, like he is constantly out in the sun every day. The man is all muscle, and can probably kill me with his bare hands. I swallow the fear and try to move further behind the tree. However, before I even take a step, the man is at my side with a snarl leaving his lips.
"Espírito do diabo!" (Devil Spirit!)
"What?!" I yelp, feeling my arm twist painfully when he raises it up behind my back, holding me in place.
"Você vai morrer, espírito do diabo!" (You will die, devil spirit!)
"Please, you're hurting me!" I cry out, panting from the excruciating pain in my arm.
He growls in response, pulling my hair roughly with his other hand, making me scream out in agony.
"Fuck you!" I shout, tears now flowing down my cheeks.
"Um espírito diabólico chora?" (A devil spirit cries?) He leans back, lessening his hold on my arm to turn me around. His other hand is still pulling my hair, and as he turns me around, pain rips at my scalp. I once again, scream in pain, and he immediately lets go of my hair.
"You prick!" I shout, turning around to push him away from me; but the pain in my arm stops me from doing so. He stares at me now with an inquisitive expression, leaning down to smell my hair.
"Você cheira como o Deus azul... De onde você veio, garota?" (You smell like the blue God... Where did you come from, girl?).
"I can't understand you," I move away from him, afraid he might try to attack me again. His eyes don't leave my face as I back away a few steps. I look back at him, trying to see if he's still a threat. He doesn't seem intent on harming me anymore, but it seems like he's trying to figure out the same thing about me.
"Fale meu idioma, garota," (Speak my language, girl.) he begins to move towards me, but immediately stops when I flinch. He nods and holds his hands up, moving back a little.
I shake my head at him, taking another step back. He hisses at me, his lips pulling back at me in a snarl.
"Fique," (Stay) the man grabs for me, with a fight of course. But I'm no match against his strength, and I'm soon thrown over his hard shoulder.
"Put me down, you psycho!" I hit him in the back with my fists but it doesn't even seem to faze him. He chuckles and continues forward, further into the forest.
"Pare de lutar, garota," (Stop struggling, girl) he grunts when I pull his long hair, yanking his head back aggressively. He only groans and slaps my hand as if it is a mere fly in his way. I don't care how gorgeous a man is, or how plump his behind is—yes, from my position over his shoulder, I have a clear view of his naked ass. The flap he is wearing only hides his...I don't even want to say the word. I can feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment, and so I look away from his butt and instead focus on the dirt he's stepping on. He isn't wearing any shoes, and I wonder how he can handle walking on the rough terrain without protection for his feet.
"Put me down!" I yell when he shrugs me up more on his shoulder, his other arm that isn't holding my legs decides to curb my arms back to keep me from abusing him.
"Você canta como um pássaro. Você não cale a boca," (You sing like a bird. You don't shut up) he sighs as if he is depressed about something.
"If you don't put me down, I will scream bloody murder. And then, I will chop off your dick. Would you like that?" I threaten, hoping that he can understand me. I know he won't, but it makes me feel better saying it out loud.
"Ela deve querer ser jogada com. Apenas uma mulher como essa quer um galo dentro dela," (She must want to be played with. Bleep bleep bleep bleep...*perverted*) he laughs before slapping my ass really hard. I cry out, wiggling further up his shoulder to get away from him.
"You really do want your dick cut off!"
"Eu vou brincar com você em breve, pequeno pássaro," (I will play with you soon, little bird.) was all he said before keeping silent and not responding to my angry words. I wanted to chop off his dick, more than I've ever wanted something in my life. Hmm, maybe that should be my third wish?
I can only see dirt from my position, and his plush behind. But I try not to pay any attention to it, and instead focus on how I am going to escape this fool and get back home.
"Ancião, veja o que eu peguei," (Elder, look what I caught) the man carries me past a clearing, further up from where I was attacked by this asshole.
"Deusa, o que é isso?" (Goddess, what is this?) I hear a woman cry out, a few actually. And a bunch of males, judging by all their laughter in the background.
"Eu não sei. Mas ela canta como um pássaro. Quer ser jogado com também," (I do not know. But she sings like a bird. Wants to be played with too). He pulls me from his shoulder and drops me on the ground ungracefully. I let out an oomph, and then shriek when a crowd of people with similar features to my kidnapper surround me. I move back but stop when I feel my hand touch a foot.
"Ela volta para você. Ela gosta de você," (She comes back to you. She likes you) a man speaks loudly, a huge grin on his face as he points behind me. I look up to see what he is pointing at, realizing my captor is behind me. His cheeks suddenly turn red, and his lips purse as if he is extremely embarrassed.
"Ela será difícil de controlar. Olhe para ela, ela está pronta para atacar," (It will be difficult to control. Look at her, she's ready to attack) another man speaks from the right of the crowd, and the rest look at me in awe.
"Do any of you speak English?" I ask, hoping to find someone who could help me. But I receive no response, and the amazement seems to increase as they hear my voice.
"Please..." I whimper and hide my face with my hands, feeling helpless. In my whole eighteen years of existence, I have never faced a moment where I could not converse with another person. Well, obviously when I was a baby. But I mean, there has never been a moment where language was a barrier. I have always been understood that way; but now, things are different. It is definitely not a good feeling.
"Venha, pequeno pássaro," (Come, little bird) strong hands lift me off the ground and I feel a warm chest against my face. The crowd disperses as my kidnapper moves forward, and he slowly makes his way towards a makeshift looking hut. It appears to be made of leaves, mud, and wood. I frown when he carries me inside and sets me down on a bed of leaves, and then leans down towards me. It looks like he is going to kiss me, but he turns away to point down at the leaves.
"Você dorme aqui comigo. Os idosos decidirão o que fazer com você," (You're sleeping here with me. The elders will decide what to do with you later). I just nod, and his eyes widen in surprise. He looks at me for a moment but shakes his head, standing up.
"A hora de jogar passou. Vamos conectar nossas almas mais tarde," (The time to play has gone by. We will connect our souls later) he speaks before leaving out of the hut, closing the makeshift door behind him. I see his ass again...
I stand up, heading towards the exit but stop when I see a foot underneath the large gap of the door. I decide to stay inside, as it is obvious they put someone there to watch me. I guess I'm a prisoner now...
I sit here by myself with the unknown hanging in the air, worried about what's going to happen next.