Midnight Carnival (Part 6) The Reading
Welcome back for the next installment of this month's web serial exclusive for you! I am having a lot of fun writing this one and I'm not sure I will be able to wrap it up properly by the end of the month. It may just extend into February. Too soon to tell. but I hope you are enjoying it just the same!
In part 5 of The Midnight Carnival we left Maya and Emily outside the tarot readers tent. Let's catch up and see what's within...
But first, the legal bit:
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As the girls drew nearer, Emily was able to see the tent more clearly. Adorned with richly patterned tapestries, the fabric bore the mark of ancient symbols that seemed to pulse with an ethereal glow. The entrance, covered by a deep maroon curtain embroidered with golden moons and stars, swayed gently in the night breeze. The scent of incense wafted through the air, mingling with the distant notes of carnival music.
As they stepped inside, the atmosphere shifted. The interior of the tent was bathed in a dim, mysterious light. The flickering candles cast dancing shadows upon the crimson velvet drapes that lined the walls. The air was thick with a mixture of sandalwood and myrrh, wrapping the space in an intoxicating embrace.
In the center of the tent, a small round table awaited, adorned with a worn, ancient-looking deck of tarot cards. A crystal ball, as clear as liquid moonlight, rested in a delicate silver stand, its surface seeming to swirl with unseen visions. The psychic tarot reader, draped in flowing robes that mirrored the night sky, sat in silence, her eyes veiled in an air of ancient wisdom.
Emily hesitated just inside the doorway. Her eyes were wide, and she had an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach. Maya grabbed her hand and pulled her closer to the table. Two stools sat opposite the tarot reader and Maya was quick to settle into one of them.
The moment Emily was seated beside her friend, the tarot reader's eyes met theirs, her gaze penetrating and unsettling. Without a word, the reader indicated the cards with a dramatic wave of her hand. Maya prodded Emily.
“Go on,” she said with a smile. “It’s fun, you’ll see.”
Emily looked at the reader for permission before she touched the deck of cards.
“Form a question,” the woman intoned, “then shuffle the deck and set them back on the table.”
Emily did as she was told, much to the delight of Maya who nearly squealed with excitement. Emily, on the other hand, didn’t share her enthusiasm. As the reader selected several cards and placed them on the table, she couldn’t help but admire the artwork that was on them. The cards, spread out with deliberate precision, depicted scenes of both beauty and terror.
As the woman began to interpret the cards, her voice carried a haunting cadence that echoed through the tent, revealing cryptic messages of fate and impending doom. The atmosphere inside the tent became charged with a chilling energy, and the two girls found themselves captivated by the mystic's words, equal parts drawn to the revelations and terrified by the ominous truths unveiled.
Leaving the tent, the two couldn't shake the lingering sense of foreboding, as if the veil between the carnival's enchantment and the impending horrors had been momentarily lifted.
“That was—”
“—odd,” Maya finished.
They stepped to the side as another couple entered the tent.
Maya began to laugh, the spell broken from the ominous reading. “You should’ve seen your face though!”
Emily paled and looked down at her feet. “Didn’t you think that was creepy?”
Maya laughed harder and pulled her into the throng of people walking down the thoroughfare. “Look around!” she laughed. “Everything about this place is creepy!” She giggled and put her arm across Emily’s shoulder. “That’s what makes this fun.”
Emily smiled though she didn’t share the same enthusiasm as her friend. There was something about the reading that stayed with her. She didn’t get the impression that it was a joke. The sincerity in the reader’s tone was quite convincing. As she looked around at the many booths with the hawkers peddling the games, she frowned. She really was gullible, she thought. Of course the woman’s message was convincing. It was all part of the atmosphere.
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