Marianna Faigon was born the daughter of Doctor Roland Faigon and Josephine Marx Faigon. Up until now her life has been routine, but after witnessing her mother death a great and horrifying power is growing in her. Will it make her a hero or the dar...
The circus was supposed to be a grand event. That is what Carla keeps raving, but to me it seems like a whole lot of noise for no particular reason. I approached a man wearing a bright neon suit. Intrigued by his bravado, I stopped to behold the sight.
"One dollar to guess your weight," he said, waving his hands in the air.
"No, thanks," I said as I rolled my eyes. I moved along quickly, before he could change my mind.
There was another tent with a sign saying, 'Madam Olga Sees All.'
"Hmmm," I said, while studying the words. "That's not even possible."
"Of course, it is," a woman coming up behind me said. "Don't you want to know your future?" She pushed passed me nearly knocking me down.
"Some people are so rude," a short husky man remarked. He reached out his hand to help me up. "You alright, Miss?"
"Yes," I said, and brushed off my clothes. "Thanks."
Madam Olga, I was intrigued but still skeptical, besides, the future is not written. Why would anyone want to know their future anyway? Still, I entered the tent, not being able to pass up the opportunity to see who or what lay inside.
It was a bit dark in the tent, but then I liked it that way. There were colorful draperies lining the walls of the tent and a rich red carpet on the floor. In the middle of the tent was a round table with a stack of tarot cards lying there in plain sight. Seated at the table was a strange woman. She looked ancient to my sixteen-year-old eyes. Her hair was mostly gray with just a hint of silver towards the front. It looked as if she hadn't combed it in days. There was an obvious crease in her lip that seemed to quiver. Her eyes were dark like mine, almost black, that alone made me feel uneasy. I wanted to run out of the tent, but something, some force kept me planted in the place I stood.
"Come this way, child," she said, her voice cracking slightly. I was apprehensive about approaching but slowly stepped towards her. For some reason, I couldn't stop myself.
I was about a foot away, when I finally did stop. I stayed frozen there for who knows how long. I no longer heard the noise outside. If there was any, I wasn't sure. Everything was silent, until the woman spoke once more.
"Come, child, do not be afraid." She waved a hand as I slowly approached. "Would you like to know your future?" She asked as an odd smile came to her face.
"Not really," I said, being truthful.
"Oh, you do not believe." She laughed at my skepticism. "Most people don't."
I sat down in a wicker chair that seemed so out of place. I felt awkward sitting there and barely glanced at her face. I didn't want to look in her eyes, feeling that if I did she would know all of my secrets.
"Tell me your name, then I will read for you," she said in a low voice.
"For a price," I said, forcing myself to look at her. There was an odd glare in her eyes. She looked annoyed at me but perked up when I handed her the money. "Marianna," I said, almost in a whisper.
She shuffled her cards. From then on, I stayed fixated on them and their movement in her hands. They looked so frail and delicate, like thin paper, but somehow those cards seemed so powerful the longer I stared at them. Those hands of hers dominated them.
In my mind, her movements seemed so slow and deliberate. She looked into my eyes, and I felt as if she could see right through me. A chill went up my spine as she laid out the cards one by one. What if she really knew?
"Very interesting," she said. "There has been a great loss in your life."
"Yes," I said unimpressed. "Isn't that the same for everyone?"
"Perhaps, but with you even more," she said and swore her pupils change in size. The sight of them made me uneasy, and I wished to be clear of this place, but somehow, I felt it impossible to leave. "When did your mother die?" It was a question I wasn't expecting her to ask
I shot up from my seat. I was frozen where I stood. "How...?" Anxiety took over me, and my breathing became heavy. I couldn't say anything more and wanted to know more, but at the same time I couldn't bear the knowledge the lie behind her strange eyes. I slowly sat back down, my whole body shaking.
"Now, you believe?" She laughed, but not in a mocking way. It was more out of satisfaction. She continued to lay out her cards, but then she stopped and touched my hand, which startled me. She looked deep into my eyes, and a look of fright came to her face. I didn't say anything, but I knew that she saw something, something horrible.
"What are you?" she whispered. I saw a glowing red fire reflecting off her eyes, and I looked away, thinking for a moment that she was laughing at me again. I didn't know if it was real or all in my mind. I shot up from the table and ran out of the entrance of the tent. My heart was beating so fast as I pushed myself through the crowd.
Why did I go in there? I asked myself. I calmed down enough to continue my tour of this freakish gallery, but my brief meeting with Madam Olga shook me to the core.
There were too many people around, coming and going. Some had such happy, excited faces. I felt them staring at me and mocking me.
I stopped cold when I saw the entrance of the fun house. My own reflection stared back at me. I looked like any ordinary person, with my dark brown hair and nearly black eyes. I wore no makeup, which made me looked even younger than my sixteen years. I stared at myself for a time. Why was there no life in those eyes? Somewhere in my memory was the answer, but what did I really know about myself.
To Be Continued...
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