third time's a charm

18

"Be cautious with whom you share your weaknesses with. Some people can't wait for the opportunity to use them against you."

Mediums, psychics, soothsayers, clairvoyants...whatever they were called, Win always harbored a certain respect whenever he faced one. Yet when it comes to Madame Sukie, there were no other words to describe his feelings towards her but...FEAR.

He may be sitting calmly in front of his laptop but his nerves were fried. "Why are you making predictions of me now? I'm asking about your childhood. How did you know you have this...power?"

Sukie hummed a response, leg crossed on the other as she looked outside the window. "I've been like this since I was five," she admitted. "But it never flourished into something else until adulthood. You see as a child; my parents noticed my uncanny gift when I was able to recall specific characteristics of my deceased grandfather. Of course, though it was odd they didn't think much about my vision. Same with me. I was a child back then and all I wanted was to play make-believe. I never had any vision again but I was often visited by dreams that I could interpret perfectly. My power came back when my sister died. At first, I could see random spirits walking around me," as she said this, Win was a bit frightened and moved closely to Gun whose gaze flew to his face.

Tay was behind the camera and New was on the recorder. They were mesmerized by the soothsayer they could hardly take their eyes off her, and waited with bated breath at her next revelation.

"What is your very first prediction?" Win happened to ask.

"My sister's death."

At this point, Win's heart started beating a little faster. He cleared his throat, trying to refocus his attention. "You saw her death and yet you didn't do anything to change it?"

She smirked at him as if she knew exactly what he was doing. "I did," she told him. "In fact, I did everything in my power to alter the outcome. But I quickly found out that the more desperate you are to change it, the more it is bound to happen. Maybe the circumstances will be different but the end result is always the same." Win suddenly felt light-headed, but before he could muster a response, Madame Sukie continued, "My sister's death came to me as a series of images that I barely understood at first. When I finally did, it was too late. Come to think of it, it was the same as yours..."

Gun clutched a hand to his chest and Win tried to shake her words by jesting, "Any vision, dream, or image of an incoming disaster?"

Sukie ignored his blatant attempt to change the subject. She replied with a calm façade, "A celestial being shall plummet from the heavens. Its wings shall shatter and descend upon the earth. The skies shall weep for its demise..."

Win moistened his lips. "This prediction is vague."

"I told you, I don't always see a clear picture of what was coming. Therefore, I could only describe it as accurately as I could."

"Using words such as celestials and heaven is your way of being poetic?" Win said and his lips tightened, "So, when is this going to happen."

"At noon."

He gazed directly into her eyes. "What time?"

"Specific times cost more."

Win sighed, finished the last words of his writing, rose to his feet, and picked up his laptop. His friends swiftly packed their stuff and followed the pissed-off head writer.

Sukie called, "Watch your step as you're leaving."

He rolled his eyes, "Sure---ouch!"

New looked down at his feet that was caught in a hollow on the ground outside of the house. Win was annoyed. "You saw that coming, did you?"