Cards of Our Fate

The Library

It was three weeks after the ball, I was still scared, but somewhat intrigued. I wanted to know more about these charms, and why they were so bad, and why they had been banished all. I went to Father's library, but there wasn't a single book about it.

"Mother?" I called out into her bedroom, where she spent most of her time in a bathtub behind a screen, always demanding fresh, hot water.

"Yes, my dear child, what is it that you want?" She responded, not even pulling off the warm washcloth from her eyes.

"I would like to go down to the library, if you won't mind," I said, quietly, "you see, Father's library doesn't have the book I want."

"Fine, child, but be back by nightfall."

"Yes, Mother, goodbye, Mother." I said, before gladly going to my room to grab some trousers and a button down shirt to wear on my way to town. The road was dusty and muddy, at least the one I took, so knee high boots were a must.

I set out on my trail, heaving the heavy sack of books I had checked out three months ago. Many took me as a poor clover worker running errands, why wouldn't they? No proper Spades girl ever touched a pair of trousers in her life, only skirts that had a faint outline of pants were worn, even for running.

I was about halfway down the path when I saw an old man sitting to the side of the path.

"Miss, come sit with me, for just a moment, please. I've been losing my mind not talking to any real people." He said, chuckling a bit at the plain-ness of his statement.

In your world, only a fool would sit and talk with strangers, but here, no one is going to knife you, or kidnap you. The lower class people are kind to each other, not back stabbing money seekers.

So I sat with him, putting my books down, they made a heavy thud and moved the dust around a bit.

"It started a few weeks ago," he began without introduction, "my old Bess and me went down to the station, she was goin' and seein' her daughter, who had married into the richer folk. She had changed so much, little Darlene, she spoke proper English, and all o' her children were named weird names that didn't make too much sense." He said, then paused, he flushed a little and said, "Now look at me talkin' to a stranger, without introducing meself, I'm Bobby Eight of Clover," he stuck out a hand.

"Beth Seven of Hearts," I said, lying a bit while I took his hand and shook it. He continued with his story about his young daughter, and how she had invited his wife to go live with her. She didn't invite the old man because of his past 'complications' with the Charms, which ment he had been accused of being a Charmer and the daughter believed he was. He was left with nothing, the wife had taken everything with him, so now he was left sitting on the edge of the road, eating the fruit to survive. The most remarkable part is that he didn't ask for money, even though my lie included being of a higher class.

I dug around in my pockets while he was putting ending details on his story, when he looked at my hand there were twenty Twenty-Piece cards (currency: one Card=one US dollar).

"My, girl, where did you get so many cards?" He asked, not reaching out for them.

"I finished up some errand running, and I picked up a good bit from the Spades family I work for, all I had to do was some yard and wood work for fifteen twenty-piece cards, and they threw in the extra five if I hauled these here books off to the library." I jerked a thumb behind me, pointing to type bag of books. H glanced at them before looking at me.

"I can't take your money, your family'll need that." He said, but his eyes keep wavering hungrily over to the cards. I thrust them towards him.

'Take it, I've already got three older brothers and a sister making almost double." I said, he finally took it.

"Seems like a lot for a family that size." He said, as I stood.

"Never said it was a small family, now did I?" I said, before tilting my hat at him, "I best be getting down to the library for it closes. See you," I said, walking off.

"See ya," the man's voice said, I could hear him getting up to go to the nearest market to buy real food.

By time I reached the library, I only had an hour or so to find a book about charms. The joy from giving had made me a little dumb, so instead of taking the usual route of finding the book on my own, I decided to ask the librarian.

"Excuse me, miss," I said to the woman behind the counter, who bumped her head coming up from under the counter, "you kay?" I asked, she nodded and waved me on to continue, "Do you have any books on gypsy charms?"

She gave me a wide-eyes look before nodding slowly. It took me a moment to realize what she though

I had messed up, I had given her a reason to suspect me. I started shaking, I hoped she didn't see, it would only make me more suspicious. I was genuinely terrified, I didn't know what they would do if she reported me to them as a suspected Charmer. I prayed that she wouldn't report me.

"It's....in the...history section." She said, staring me down, her vibrant red hair made her astonished expression bigger. I nodded to her, putting the dusty sack on the counter, and turned my back as she started to slowly take the books out.

I walked as calmly as I could to the history section, I took a moment to breathe. I didn't want to be caught, I thought as though I was already proven guilty, and if someone were to suspect me, then I might as well be.

I caught my breath, and looked for the book. It was quite obvious, the oldest, the dirtiest book there. If I had looked for it on my own I would've found it. But still, simply checking it out would've made me suspected, but the way I was so upfront about it. I shuddered.

I got my book, and ran home, hoping that I would stay a Spade, and not a Charmer.