Pick a card

Chapter 1

     Leaning against the back seat window, Crystal watch the parked cars go by as her mother up in the front seat tried locating a spot to park.  In the front her older sister was touching up her makeup for, as she put it, 'In case of an emergency of running into someone here that's cute.'

     Pealing herself off the glass and glanced at her younger sister who was pretending to apply makeup, trying to be funny picking on their older sister.  Letting out a small smile at this, she undid her seatbelt as their mother put the car in park.  Stepping out, stretching, she took out her earbuds, letting the sounds of the circus flow in as it drowned out the chatter of her sister and mother, yacking about the unnecessary use of makeup.

     Tucking away the buds before they noticed they were even there, she followed as they headed towards the tents, stalls and many trailers.  They passed a dunk tank, with a mermaid sitting on the dunk seat, making fun of the throwing skills of a chubby boy Crystal recognized from the football team.

     Walking on, they passed a few other strange sights, a satyr manning a rig toss booth, using his horns for the big prizes, conjoined twins at a smoothie stand, with practically every drink having two different flavors in one, and then they walked past a dart throwing booth, manned by a, cyclops?

     Thinking about it they were all probably special costumes that someone specially designed.  How real it all looked though, she would have asked whoever made them to make her a vampire get up if she ever got the opportunity.  Shrugging, they headed through the many lanes the place provided, given they had time before the main show started.

     They passed by many other places there were very odd, as well as more normal looking ones that you would expect to see in the circus.  They checked out a few things, played a few games, and eventually they were heading towards the big top ahead of time to get seats before they were all taken.

     As they were walking a purple cart with playing card suits and astrological symbols decorating it opened and a married couple by the looks of it walked out with smiles.  Following them out, a boy that probably should've been in high school stepped out, saw them and walked over.

     "Welcome to the big top extravaganza, before the big show starts, would anyone here like a fortune telling, maybe a magic charm, I got a variety, and they do work."

     Looking him up and down, he was definitely part of the circus, he was wearing a flat rimmed top hat, and a standard magician uniform, except for the shoes, those were the only normal clothing he had, but as if that wasn't off enough, the colors of the clothing was flipped, the hat was red with a black ribbon tied around it, and his eyes were blue, but they were molten neon.

     Knowing that this obviously wouldn't be a normal kind, she started backing away, when she felt her mothers hands on her back nudging her forward, "She would like to try."

     It was another one of her mother's 'out of the comfort zone' traps.  Sure she might be a bit emo-ish, but she was stilled scared of strangers like crazy.   Watching with a nod and a slightly raised eyebrow, he reached in the trailer and pulled out a two folding chairs and a card table.

      Setting them down he gestured for her to sit.  Slowly sitting she watch as he held up a deck of cards, which she was sure wasn't there a few moments ago.  watching as he shuffled, it started with small normal shuffles, like he was shuffling a card game deck, but they started to spread out, till they flying from one hand to another at the length of his spread out arms, which were definitely a tad longer than a regular person's.

     Finally as if someone had pushed a paused button he stopped, all cards in his left hand in a neat stack, then he ran it over the table letting them spread, then as he reached the end of the deck, with a small flick of the wrist flipped they all flipped, showing blank cards, then after about ten seconds, did it again, showing the backside again, then spoke up, making all of them jump.