Forlot: A Girl Who Needs Her Space - Book Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Two

An older man stood in front of the entrance with a gun in his hand. He was not aiming the gun at us, however, his finger was on the trigger. If Karma or I were shot, it would definitely alter the future.

"Well?" he said. "Are you going to answer me? Or am I going to have to shoot you? And just so you know, I am an excellent shooter."

I was so taken aback by this man and his gun that I did not know how to respond. I almost stumbled back onto the road. A chill slithered down my spine. I was scared. Scared that he would shoot and kill us. He did not look insane...but looks can be deceiving.

Karma held up her hands - and the box - as if she were surrendering. "Please, sir. We mean you or anyone else no harm. We were just coming in to enjoy ourselves."

"You want to enjoy yourselves in my bar?"

"This is your bar?"

"Yes, I am the owner." He took a step forward. "I can - and will - deny service to whoever that I please."

"You have every right. But I promise that we will be on our best behavior. We will not wreck your bar or cause a fight. We are good people who want to have a blast."

"Everyone at my bar wants to have a blast. Sometimes, they mean it literally."

"We have money. Lots of money," Karma lied. "We will purchase our drinks and get out of your hair."

He eyed her suspiciously. "What are you holding?"

She lowered her hands and patted the box's lid. "It is a music box. I promise that it is only a music box."

"Then you will not mind if I take a look at it."

She looked at me. I looked into her eyes and whispered to her. "I would not give him the box if I were you."

She looked back up at the man and took a deep breath. "I will give it to you only if you promise to give it back."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Why are you afraid that I will not give it back to you? I am not a robber. I have never stolen in all my life."

Karma adjusted her glasses. "It is just that...this music box belongs to my friend over there. It is special to her, and she does not want anything to happen to it."

"Oh? How is it special?"

"Her grandparents let her have it after their passing."

"How could they give it to her after they passed?"

"They had a will, and the music box was in the will."

"Now I understand." The man turned to me. "Sorry for your losses."

I clasped my hands together. "Thank you," I said.

He put away his gun. "You know what? I have changed my mind. I will allow you ladies to come in if you show me your cards."

"Oh, yes," Karma said. "We have our cards. They are in my friend's bag. Just give us a minute to get them out."

"Sure."

Karma and I turned around and lowered our voices.

"Set down your backpack and unzip it," she ordered.

"I am not going to do that," I hissed.

"Why not?"

"It is pointless. You and I do not have cards. We do not have cards because we are too young to have them. We are children."

She yanked my backpack off me.

"Hey!"

She dropped my bag on the sidewalk. "I told you in the last chapter, Carmen." She unzipped my bag. "You and I are not kids or even babies because we have not been born yet."

I hesitated. "...I still do not know what that means. But it does not change the fact that we do not have cards."

"Leave that to your music box." She opened the lid and set the box on my bag. She waited for the music to play before clearing her throat and saying, "I want cards for the bar."

"Should you not specify what kind of cards?" I asked.

Karma was staring at the magical box. "It is your music box, Carmen. I do not know why you are asking me."

Poof! Two cards appeared in her hand. She then closed the box and stuffed it in my backpack. She zipped back up my backpack and scooped it up. I asked for my card and held out an open hand. She nodded and gave me it and my bag. I held my backpack by its strap and stared at my new card.

I was impressed by the music box's powers. It was able to create a card that resembled real ones. Actually, our cards were real. They were real now. Karma and I were holding them. It was all thanks to my music box.

The only things that were inaccurate were the year that we were born and the age. We both were twenty-one.

"I understand why our ages are different," Karma said. "But why were we born in the 1900's?

"It makes sense that we would be born in the 1900's," I replied. "Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if they found out that we were born in the 2000's?"

She uttered a giggle and slapped her knee. "My gosh. It would blow their minds! Literally!"

"Did you ladies find your cards yet?" the man asked.

We spun back around and walked towards him.

"Yes, we do," Karma said. "I am sorry that it took a few minutes."

We gave him our cards and crossed our fingers. Would he fall for it?

After examining the cards, he handed them back to us. He opened the door and motioned for us to come in.

"Come on in."

We thanked him and scrambled in the bar. I was soooo excited to be here that I did not know what to do first.

Then I saw Mom.

"Mom!" I called.