Tarot Cards

Three

I emerged through the curtain of beads that was the entrance, and found myself mesmerized by the set up of the shop. It was dimly lit and the aesthetic of it gave that of a Wicca shop. A thick scent of cloves and patchouli and lemon peel filled the air while an eerie viola played from a CD player stationed at the checkout counter. A series of multicolored beads, ribbons, dream catchers and figurines hug from the ceiling. Spices,herbs and ancient looking candles covered the left wall of the store. Ceramic vases, vials and fermented concoctions were staged on the first three tables in the front. As I walked deeper into the store, I started noticing books stacked as high as they would go; some with writing I couldn't comprehend. Some that had just symbols and pictures of skulls and chicken bones.

Past the books, on the right wall, was a display of jewelry and trinkets; feathers and more mounds of metallic dust and candles and fans and turbans. There was an entire self filled with mason jars of tea leaves and dead flowers. Labels such as 'Lover's Root', 'Inhibitions Nevermore' and 'Sex Spell' caught my eye as I skimmed over the jars. Another small table held various mortar and pestles and more vials-these ones with different color liquids and brilliant shades of dust.

"Hello?" I called when I noticed I was the only one in the cluttered space.

"May I assist you, chère?" A velvet-smooth voice spoke behind me and I spun around quickly; started.

I pressed my hand to my chest as I caught sight of the beautiful, dark skinned bald woman that stood four paces away from me. She stood next to the stockpile of ancient books I'd just passed. She was dressed in dark green tank and brown maxi skirt. She had a vibrant tile-blue, silk sash wrapped around her waist and her nails were long filed points painted in the deepest shade of red I'd ever seen. Her frame was willowy and feline-like. She looked more like a goddess than human. She was quite striking. Her eyes were green and piercing amongst her high-set cheekbones and full lips. She wore wide hoop earrings that helped exaggerate the long column of her neck.

"Oh my gosh, you scared me." I breathed.

"I'm sorry, child. I did greet you when you walked in." She folded her long arms over herself and tilted her head at me.

"I must've been entranced by everything. I didn't hear you." I chuckled, humorlessly.

"Monique Leveau." The striking woman's face grew stoic and my mouth fell open. "My stars, you haven't aged a day."

"You know me?" I dropped my arms to my sides.

"It's me, Marshala Endu." She said and frowned when my face didn't give away the slightest hint of recognition. "You're not Monique."

"No, I'm not. I'm her daughter, Amara. How do you know my mother?" I took a few steps towards her.

"Her daughter?" She gasped. "The resemblance is uncanny. You look just like her."

"So I've been told."

"I knew your mama well. We went to school together." She grinned. "Forgive me for staring, child. It's just I haven't seen Monique in years and it's like taking a look into the past. I would've mistaken you as a shadow had you not explained yourself."

"A shadow?" I asked, a bit confused by her choice of words.

"Normal folk call them ghosts. Fantôme." She spoke the word in French and ironically it sent a shiver down my spine.

"Normal folk?" I rose a quizzical brow at her.

"Heavens, girl, don't you know who you are?" Marshala gave me a surprised look.

In that moment I couldn't shake the feeling that she had a better idea of who I was than my own self. I turned away from her and fixed my eyes on a skull perched on top of a stack of books. The gold letters underneath the skull caught my eye and I moved the skull; picking up the book and bringing it into focus:

Strange Gods: Voodoo, Magic and the Walkers Of Shadows

"Voodoo...Magic...Walkers of shadows." I spoke to myself.

I looked back up at Marshala who was still wearing a look of utter shock.

"She never taught you. You were never shown the ways of our world." She spoke almost inaudibly.

"What are you talking about? What is all of this?"

"Is your mother here with you, chère?" She asked.

"No. She went missing almost two years ago." I said.

"Missing? What do you mean?"

"She disappeared. My father thought she may be dead...but I know that's not true." I crossed my arms around the book and held it to my chest.

"Idris Montgomery is your father?" She asked.

"You knew him too?"

"Very well. I guess that explains it. You're concealment from our ways. That's the only reason Monique left here was because of him. He did not like her involvement with our circle."

"Marshala, forgive me, but I don't follow. You're speaking in riddles." I shrugged at her. "What Circle? Was that her family? If so, I'm looking for them. I need to find them to let them know of my father's passing and to get some answers."

"What?" All the blood drained from Marshala's face and she gasped. "Idris is dead?"

"Yes. He died in a house fire...our house. I'm sorry if I'm dumping all of this on you. It's a lot to process. It's just I don't have anywhere else to go and finding my mother's family here is the only way I can get some answers to questions I didn't even know I had until yesterday." I blurted.

"Wait, you mean your grandmother doesn't even know you're here?" She gaped.

I shook my head slowly; confusion clear as day on my face.

"Bless the moon, child. You came in like a wrecking ball." Marshala exhaled sharply; whirling around and rushing to close and lock the shop door.

"What are you doing?" I followed her.

"I have to take you to her. You're not protected on your own." She spoke as quickly as she moved. She swiftly walked around the counter to retrieve her satchel and jacket.

"What do you mean I'm not protected on my own? Protected from what?" I asked probably my millionth question since I'd arrived here.

"I'll explain on the way. But we must be quick." She took my hand and led me through the back of the shop and out the back door.

I was surprised to find a grey Kia Optima parked in the alley way. She locked the back door and the two of us rushed to her car.

"How long have you been in town?" She asked once we were buckled in and she cut on the engine.

"I got in this morning at around nine. But I slept for most of the day. Why?"

"You didn't go anywhere or do anything to attract attention? To get eyes put on you? Did you?" Marshala was frantic with her words and her thinking.

"No, no. I just...I just...slept..." my voice trailed off at the end.

Marshala turned to look at me as she drove. "What is it?"

"This might sound strange...and I can't believe I'm actually saying this out loud, but I think...when I fell asleep...I didn't stay asleep. I think I-"

"You think you went somewhere? In your dreams?"

"That's insane. No, no there's no way that's possible." I shook my head, refusing to believe that for a second.

"Impossibilities are only as powerful as the mind that thinks so. Let that be your first lesson into your awakening, Amara. You're a Leveau; you haven't even begun to understand what that means for you."

"Well, tell me then! You're not making any sense!" I shouted out of frustration.

I was startled when Marshala's car lurched to a stop. The next thing my eyes caught were the three dark figures that stood in front of the car. That wasn't what had scared me, but the fact that all three of them weren't actual people at all. But inky, black silhouettes of people who should've been there, but weren't.

They were physical shadows and I couldn't believe my eyes.