"Mystic Eyes" - A Flash Fiction
Title: Mystic Eyes
Challenge: A 425 word story on anything.
Contest at: GaiaOnline
Word Count: 425 XD
Author's Notes: Thanks to Mark for beta-ing and giving me the idea to write about a Tarot Reading. Supposedly feels short but only so much you can do with 425 words. The reading is generally accurate and could mean quite a few things. Curious on what people's conclusions are. Love any constructive criticism. =D
Mystic Eyes by Diana Moon (Aiyanna in the Gaian Community)
“So, can you really tell the future with those?”
Jade momentarily stopped shuffling her cards. She looked up, amused to see the class president skittering around her desk. She pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear and gave a short shrug.
“It’s not like I believe in such things, but do you really believe you can read someone’s future?”
If it wasn’t an hour before class, in an empty classroom, her words would’ve sounded harsh. Instead, Jade could hear genuine curiosity.
She nodded and finished shuffling, wondering on which spread to use.
The class president sighed, fiddling with her skirt, hating not knowing how to ask. Everyone knew Jade never spoke up unless she was doing one of two things: Answering the teachers’ questions, or stating a reading’s outcome.
“It’s just that… Well, everyone who’s come to you say that you’re morbidly accurate.”
Just as Jade was about to lay down her first card she hesitated. Once again she looked at her classmate with amusement on her face. The small smile practically asking, Morbid, they say?
“Yes. MORBID. They’re always like ‘Cassy! What Jade said was true! It’s always a horrible outcome…’ Why they always came to me about your fortune telling I’ll never know really…”
The resident ‘seeress’ placed down her first card, face up. A simple three card spread would do this time, she had decided.
Cassy groaned. She knew that Jade knew why she was here, so early before class. She just couldn’t understand why Jade wouldn’t give her the answer. But that was the way Jade’s been since she could remember. Never giving up a reason till absolutely necessary.
Splitting the deck in half, Jade took the top card on her right and laid it face up. She began shuffling for the final time.
Cassy stared at the two upturned cards. From her view she saw a card depicting eight sticks and an upside-down tower?
“Well… What you said to my boyfriend yesterday… It can’t be true, right?”
The class president studied her companion, and noticed the tenseness in her shoulders. This time, Jade did not look up at her. Cassy, suddenly realizing the truth fell to her knees, hands gripping the desk, wide-eyed.
“But your readings… They’re about the people who asked for one… Not about other people… I mean I can’t be…”
Jade chose her final card, resting it beside the other two, face down. She tapped it gently. She slowly raised her face, amber eyes staring into cerulean ones.
“Still want me to read your future?”
Fin.