KEYS

Chapter 9: Madame Ulette

Three hooded figures were walking along the road on the outskirts of Chicago on a cold and misty evening. A few lights could be seen at the end of Dante Street where a small abandoned purple building stood facing towards the three hooded figures. The three figures made their way down the street towards the building and up the stairs. The paint was washed out and the windows dirty and cracked. Above the front door was a sign that read Ben's Building Corner. As the three figures reached the front door, it slowly creaked open without them knocking.

"I have been expecting you sir..."Said an old voice from inside.

The three figures went inside and let off their hoods. The inside of the building was warmer and cleaner than the outside. Each table had sharp corners with red fabrics hanging over them. Bright read coaches and carpets stood in the corner of the room. The only source of light was candles burning on each side of the room. In the middle stood a medium sized round table with two red couches on each side. On the table was a see-through ball resting on a figure in the shape of dragon paws.

"Please have a seat." Said the voice softly.

Ross made his way through the room trying to avoid all the ornaments on the ground. As he sat down he noticed a few paintings and ornaments that seemed quite strange and frightening. He thought of them as little monsters that his mother used to tell him about when he did not want to eat his greens or go to bed early.

Madame Ulette was short and thin. Her back was hunched over and she wore large round earrings. She had a very sharp nose and a slightly tanned and wrinkled skin. She wore flowing clothes and large amounts of rubies around her neck and fingers along with twelve golden bracelets on each arm.

"Mr Victor, my crystal ball showed me that I might be seeing you soon." Said Madame Ulette while her palm was resting on the see through ball.

Ross was shocked that Madame Ulette knew his name before he introduced himself. He felt quite awkward because he never thought that fortune tellers actually existed and now he was sitting in front of one.

"And you are Madame Ulette I suppose?"

"Yes. I may know your name and I may know that you will be coming to visit me, but not the purpose for why you came to see me tonight. Tell me the reason why you came to see me?" She said and stared right into Ross's eyes.

"Oh, well, the reason why I came to see you is that something happened to me and my sister when we were in Germany a while ago. She is actually the one who should be talking to you, not me."

"My crystal ball never lies Mr Victor. It told me that you are the one who would be needing my help. So please proceed."

"Well, we were in Germany a while back and something happened to my sister that made her do something terrible. I was playing piano one night when she came into the room all covered in blood. It turned out that she murdered our father in her sleep or so I presume because she could not remember anything."

"You were playing piano? Do you remember him playing piano Miss Victor?" Said Madame Ulette and turned her attention to Rochelle.

"No not really ma'am. I can only remember a woman singing to me and in her song she explained to me that I should cut open a bag to free something or someone. It was more like a dream to be honset." Rochelle said looking into Madame Ulette's cow brown eyes.

"Did anything else happen to one of you?"

"The day before it happened I also blacked out in the shed at the back of the house, or so I was told by one of our previous employees." Said Ross immediately.