"Saturn, it's time. You get to meet the Fortune." my father called up the stairs. "I'm almost ready." I called down. "Remember. He doesn't like to be kept waiting." he said impatiently, but there was something else there. But I couldn't quite describe it. I walked down the stairs, slowly one at a time. "Ready." I breathed.
We filed out of the house, and into our van. My parents had thought about getting a different car because Ian had left, but I had insisted that we keep it. "There are too many memories in this car." I had reasoned.
"Honey, are you sure that you want to meet this man? This is your last chance to change your mind." my mother pushed, eyeing me in the rear view mirror. "Mom, I have to do this. it's the only way." I answered, forgetting my daydream. "OK." she said. "I guess it's out of my hands now." she sighed.
The ride to the Fortune's domain was long. Much longer than I anticipated. "You never told me his house was so far away. We could have just flown there in a rented helicopter." I told him. "I thought of that. But Harold doesn't like loud noises or anything with wheels. That's why we have to park far away from his camp and walk. Your mother and I decided it would be easiest if we took the van. His house is in California. We live in Washington. So it will be a while." he said laughing. "I know where we live dad." I said.
i sighed. "I'm getting sick of being in this car." i said to no one in particular. "I told you to bring a book or something." my mother scolded. I nodded. " I know." I turned my attention to the window. I had never been anywhere outside of Washington, and I found the landscapes so..different. The trees changed their looks. From pines to palms. The grass here was taller, and the people dressed so differently. In the tiniest of clothes people would swim, shop, and walk around parks.
The air here was hot and dry, and I began to sweat. I didn't know much about the climate here, so I asked my father. "Why is it hot here, while in Washington it's cold." I asked. "Well, it is a little hard to explain, but the closer a place is to the equator, the hotter it gets." he decided. Not wanting to get into a history lesson, I nodded my head in agreement.
"Almost there" my mother said, patting my leg. "Are you nervous?" she asked glancing to the backseat. "A little, but not as much as I thought. It's almost as if I'm ready for him." i said.
We pulled up to parking lot. I stepped out of the car, and went to walk between my parents. I grabbed their hands. "Let's go." I said.
We walked through the woods surrounding Harold's house. "Why is he so set off from civilization?" I asked. "Let's just say he likes his privacy." my father said, eyeing my mother. They know something. But they won't tell me. What did the Fortune do, I thought to myself. "This is it." my mother said. "No turning back." my father said. "I'm ready." I snapped.
An old man walked out of the cave entrance, and walked towards us. His walk was like a shuffle. Slowly but surely, his body pressed on until he was only a few feet away from us. "Ah, John, Eve. How are you? I see you have brought along Saturn." he addressed my parents. "How do you know her name?" my father questioned, suspicious. "Why, didn't you know, we have already met. Isn't that right Saturn?" he turned to me. "Yes." I said. My voice shaking. "We met in my dream last night. He knows what I want, who I am. There is no need for introduction. Let's get down to business." I explained to my parents, but I was looking at the Fortune.
Both of my parents stared at me, flabbergasted. "Why didn't you tell us?" they asked in unison. "It was my dream. I didn't think I had to explain myself." i said. But that was not what I wanted to say. "She is sorry. What she wanted to say was that she wasn't able to tell you because a barrier was keeping her mouth shut, and unable to share these types of things." the Fortune explained.
"How did you know that?" both my parents asked. "Since me and Saturn share the same ability, i am able to communicate with her through the mind." he explained to everyone, even me. "That explains the dream, right?" my mother asked. "Yes." I answered, before Harold could. "Exactly. I would say more, but I think we should go inside first." he told. "Follow me." We walked inside the cave. from the outside, it looked shabby and unwelcoming. but when I walked in, it blew my mind.
It looked like a mansion. with a huge skylight that lit up the room, and a gigantic plasma screen TV in the living room, it was like a dream. "Just wait till you see the kitchen." my dad called. i walked through the arch, still staring in awe at the room. "Holy Cow!" i said.
the kitchen was just as mesmerizing as the living room. a huge island decorated the center, while to the right was a dining room table that looked like it had once belonged to a king. i turned my head to the left. a sliding door led right out to the beach on the other side.
"Why do you have such a shabby house on the outside, and live like a king on the inside?" i asked like he was crazy. he laughed. " To keep out unwanted attention, of course." he said with a grin.
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"Please sit." Harold instructed. My parents began to sit. "No no, just Saturn." he said. My parents stood back up. "Why only her, we are her parents, we will no longer be kept in the dark about this." my father snapped back. "Calm down John." my mother cooed. Finally, my parents walked out of the room.
"That was weird." I said. "Why did you want my parents to leave?" i questioned. "Because I felt that it would be easier to talk to you without further distractions." the Fortune answered. "Now, shall we begin?" he asked.
