Mary's Bones

TWENTY-SIX

Evelyn clasped onto my hand with all her might. My circulation fought to regain its strength. It'd gone so numb I felt like I was actually going to cry soon. I staggered on my toes, the aching throb in the arch of my feet becoming too much to handle. I could no longer keep up with her pace.

We'd been walking for an hour now, which normally wouldn't have been a problem for me. But being that I was officially seven months pregnant, my feet swelled at the mere mention of long-distance walks.

The heavier I grew, the easier my ache. And she wouldn't let go until we arrived. I couldn't figure out for the life of me how she was able to move so fast. She was at the seven-month mark. Shouldn't that have slowed her down at least a tiny bit?

"Evelyn," I whined breathlessly, "are we almost there? My feet are killing me."

Why in the hell had I let her drag me into this? I should've said no. I should've politely declined her offer and enjoyed my first day back to work with no interruptions. But there was something that kept my mind stuck on crazy. Crazy enough to make these daring decisions.

"Ta-da!" Evelyn let go of my hand, a bright smile plastered across her face. "We're here!"

She spun around to the building beside us on the sidewalk. My eyes ate up the glowing neon letters that glared over us. Psychic was written in stern, curvy print. An exotic hot pink powered the glow along the two-story brick building.

"You brought me to a psychic? Why are we going to see a psychic?" I frowned and raised an eyebrow.

"It's just something to take the edge off. You know, even if you don't believe in the nonsense she's disputing. Plus, she's not just a psychic—she's a medium! And she's cheap compared to the others around here. So, how about it?" Evelyn grinned. I rubbed my arms.

The neon glow mocked me quietly. The busy streets were starting to cave in around us, excluding us and the building from the rest of the world.

"Well, I guess since we're already here, it's fine. I mean, what's the harm, right?" I shrugged. It was just a harmless little future reading. It shouldn't have messed with my head too much.

"That's the spirit!" Evelyn cheered. "Let's go see Madam Cheryl now!"

We'd been hit with a wave of colors as soon as we pushed the glass door open. The bell at the top left corner of the door rang softly. Wow, it sure was bright in here.

I gaped in awe at the pink, blue, and purple LED lights lit around the dark interior. Most of them led a path towards a staircase. It went on higher than the building's outer appearance hinted. Another set of lights glowed around the front desk at the back of the room.

The glowing neon signs didn't stop there either. They occupied separate portions of the walls, accompanied by strange paintings, pink curtains, and whatever other bright aesthetic colors one could think of.

"Ah, Evelyn. To what do I owe the pleasure today?" A woman pushed the curtains to the backroom aside, revealing her tall, thick figure.

Her wavy black hair hung to the side, barely covered by her yellow head wrap. It nearly blended into her dark purple attire, which bled nobility and pride. Pride which flared brighter than the lilac night skies that were preparing to rain over us outside the building.

"Madam Cheryl," Evelyn greeted with a smile, "it's nice to see you again! Your future readings are always a blessing. That's why I've brought a friend today."

"You two know each other?" My eyebrows knitted together. There was a sheepish smile on Evelyn's face, while Madam Cheryl smirked. Her blue eyes glistened in the light—a hint of turquoise bouncing around the rim of her pupils.