No......
NO......
NOOOOO.......
That's what I was screaming inside my head as soon as the nurse told me the news. Tears stung in my eyes as I stared at the nurse in shock. My vision was blurry as I struggled to wheel my way out of here. The nurse gently wheeled me back to where I was.
" Wha- what?!" Was all I could say. The nurse looked at me, shaking her head sadly, her face wobbling.
" I'm sorry, Ashlynn, but its true, and there is nothing we can do about it," she said with sorrow in her eyes.
" H-how long do I have left to live?" I asked, fighting back tears. The beeping monitors in the room were NOT helping. I hated loud, monotoned noises. I closed my eyes and took a couple of deep breaths.
" About one or two months," the nurse said, squeezing my arm in sympathy. I opened my eyes and this time, I couldn't stop the tears. It had just felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. That's when I burst into tears and wheeled out of the hospital, the nurse calling after me.
***********************************************************************************************
EARLIER THAT WEEK
" C'mon Ash, it's going to be fun!!" Jessica said, her baby blue eyes sparkling and her light brown hair flying all over the place as we made our way through the enormous crowd. I rolled my eyes.
" Jessica, fortune tellers are bullshit," I protested as she wheeled me towards the fortune teller's tent, my short blonde hair getting in my eyes.
" You're going to ruin your new shoes if you don't stop dragging them in the dirt," Jessica snickered. I looked down at my shoes, which were Converses, and stopped dragging them. We were at the Washington Carnival and Jessica said that we were not doing ANYTHING until we went to the fortune teller known as " Madame Opal".
Jessica was completely obsessed with fortune tellers and all that bogus. Personally, I think fortune tellers are just nonsense, but Jessica always made me come whenever she heard that there was a fortune teller in town.
One time we went to this super fancy fortune teller. He told our fortunes, but later we discovered that he was a scammer and a criminal on the run. Jessica couldn't stop having nightmares for weeks after that. (We were only 10 at the time).
We finally saw the tent and made our way over to it. The tent itself was made of some sort of pink gauze with diamonds, rubies and opals stuck at the borders of the gauze. At the top of the tent was a little pink flag, flapping and waving in the wind. At the side of the tent was a neat little sign hammered into the ground saying: Madame Opal's Fortune Telling Service in swirly blue writing. As the flaps whipped around, I heard a silky soft voice saying:
" Come on in, Jessica and Ashlynn".
Jessica and I stared at each other in shock. How could she have known our names when we haven't even stepped inside the tent yet?
" Oh boy," Jessica murmured in my ear as she wheeled me inside the tent, her nose twitching. She always did that when she was nervous or excited.
Now that we were inside the tent, the tent seemed much larger than it looked. In one corner there was a bunch of incense sticks burning. I coughed and spluttered at the strong smell. In another corner there was a bunch of dream catchers, fluttering softly. In the centre of the room was a little table with cushions surrounding it. A big glass ball was on the table. Sitting on one of the cushions was a small woman dressed in silk robes. She had a scarf wrapped around her head, hiding her hair. Her face was showing no expression as she sat there, calmly looking into the crystal ball.
" Greetings," she said in that silky soft voice. Me and Jess just stood there like rigid planks refusing to move. This was unlike any fortune teller we had ever went to, and we were scared. Scared, but excited. Well, at least Jess was. I was fucking terrified.
" Come, sit," Madame Opal said, gesturing to the two other cushions across from hers, her bracelets and bangles jingling and jangling. Jessica hesitantly sat down, staring at her in awe. Me on the other hand, I wheeled myself over to the other side of Jessica
" Now, who's fortune shall I tell first?" Madame Opal asked. Jessica timidly raised her hand.
" Ah, yes young Jessica. I knew that you would raise your hand. Now, let's see." Madame Opal somehow looked bored while telling Jessica's fortune. It was the same, " Luck will come your way, I see great things for your future," and all of that. Then, she turned to me, and as she spoke, the irises of her eyes turned a dark shade of grey.
" Love and fame will come your way,
But also death is lurking around the corner.
One month you will have to live the good life,
A grave thing awaits you,
If you do not succeed."
I stared opened mouthed at this woman. Surely, she was just one of those dodgy old people who tried to tell fortunes but ended up out of business. I felt a shiver going down my spine. I had never believed in all of this shit before, but then, I wasn't so sure. I turned to Jessica but she was already getting up to leave.
" Well, that was fun," she replied cheerily, her eyes sparkling. (in case you haven't noticed already, her eyes sparkle a lot when she's happy).
I gasped in shock. Surely, she had just heard what Madame Opal had just said.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Jess asked, a confused look on her face.
" Um... did you not hear what Madame Opal said to me??" I asked, shocked. How could she be so calm when I just got told that I could DIE at any given moment.
" Yeah, I heard what she said. Pretty much the same thing as my fortune," Jessica replied, looking at me with suspicion.
Madame Opal must've made sure that Jessica didn't hear what she said to me, I thought.
I smiled at her, taking a deep breath.
" Sorry, must be the nerves from before about going here," I said in a cheery tone. She smiled at me too and started wheeling me out of the tent. I tried not to think of what just happened as she was walking around, stopping at every food, clothing and beauty stall, oohing and aahing at everything we saw
It's not real...
It's not real....
It's not real.....
Hey guys I hoped you enjoyed the first chapter!!
xoxo BB_201
DISCLAIMER: To those who are superstitious and believe in fortunes, I am not trying to be offensive or anything, that is just my personal opinion. Please don't hate. :)
YOU ARE READING
One Month
ChickLitAnyone's life can change in one month, right? Well, for Ashlynn Rosedale, that is certainly true. She was just an ordinary girl. Well, if by ordinary you mean a girl in a wheelchair. One day, she gets her fortune told by a mysterious woman who goes...