Ch.38 Fortune teller

(Flashback) Nobody has ever been brave enough to go through the Dark Forest except for a few people like Faybelle who was practically raised in the Dark Forest. But for everyone else, goosebumps covered their skin whenever they would hear strange noises as they kept close together while following the fairy.


"We should be getting close," Faybelle announced, "I can feel it."


But as they continued down the trail, everyone noticed that Briar was starting to get weak as she tried to keep her legs moving.


"You okay, Briar?" Brooke asked.


"I don't know," she replied while yawing "But I'm suddenly feeling tired, and this time it's not on a normal base."


"This curse is starting to affect you some more," Faybelle noted, "Can you try to keep up?"


"I'll try" she mumbled.


"So um, this Goth chic" Daring suddenly spoke, "You said she looked like Destiny?"


"Most of it, yeah" Briar nodded.


"Maybe they're related" Hunter shrugged.


"How?" Darling doubted, "Headmaster Grimm doesn't have any other children, and neither he or his brother are married. Some people just tend to look alike, it happens."


"Stop!" Faybelle ordered as everyone halted.


"What is it?" Brooke asked with a worried look.


"She's here."


Everyone felt their hearts stop as they gazed around but saw nowhere.


"Um, where?" Daring asked confused.


"That would be right here," a soft voice suddenly spoke as everyone turned to see the Goth girl leaning against a tree.


Like what Briar has said, the girl did look a bit like the oracle with her dark hair tied to the side in a low ponytail, her dark clothing consisted of a black stylish top that was paired with a gray frilly skirt and a pair of black distressed leggings that were tucked in some black ankle boots. But due to the black sunglasses that hid her eyes, it was hard for everyone to see her face.


"That's her!" Briar exclaimed while pointing to the girl.


"Well, if it isn't Miss Sleepyhead" the girl smirked, "You feeling tired yet?"


"Okay, who the hell are you?" Faybelle demanded, "And why are you doing this to Briar?"


"Oh, I didn't do anything. It's just her destiny taking over."


"This whole 'destiny' thing is a fake," Darling declared, "So why is it happening to her?"


"Why are you asking me this? When you should be asking my little friend here."


She held out her hand as everyone spotted the black origami fortune teller with gold writings.


"I don't do anything" the girl continued to speak with that smirk on her face "That's the fortune teller's job. Whenever people play its game, it gives them their destiny. However, it's not always what they would except, they can keep playing and their destinies will be different. Like Miss Beauty, for example, since it's her first time playing, the fortune teller gave her the destiny she was supposed to live out, and if she plays again, a different destiny will be given to her. Not completely different, but close enough to something that's part of her story."


"Okay...?" Brooke responded a bit puzzled "So how do we stop it?"


"Again, why are you asking me this?" the girl snickered, "I can't do anything to change this."


"But you have magic" Faybelle put in with a frown "And I know it's dark magic."


The girl gave another snicker "You sure know your magic, Miss Thorn. But even though you're right about that, I still can't do anything to change Miss Beauty's destiny. However, if she's really that desperate to avoid falling into a night of permanent sleep, then she can always play again."


She held the fortune teller towards Briar who stood there with fright on her face.


"Go ahead Miss Beauty," the girl smirked, "Play again if you like. And who knows, maybe this new destiny will be a better one."


"I wouldn't, Briar" Faybelle directed, still frowning at the Goth girl "We shouldn't trust this girl and her toy."


"In that case," the girl sneered, "Good luck trying to find another way to prevent that deep sleep, because like I said, I can't do anything about it."


And with that, she disappeared in a cloud of smoke as everyone turned to Briar who was looking more frightened than before.


"Don't worry, Briar," Brooke comforted, "We'll find a way."


"How?" she doubted.


"... I have no idea."




Inside the interview room at the police station, with the drunk prisoner cuffed to the table and with an ice pack to his black eye, the siblings entered the room as Terrence slammed the notebook in front of him with the book opened to the page of the strange symbol.


"You recognize that?" he demanded.


"Yeah," the man muttered, "Ain't it the Seattle Mariners logo?"


"I've been around the Seattle marines before and I've never seen that," Skyler said with a frown.


"Well, I have," the man smirked, "And by the way, princess, you hit like a girl."


She just glared at him when Aidan spoke up.


"This notebook is evidence from a missing-persons case," he explained, "A woman who disappeared 10 years ago- Linda Samson. Sound familiar?"


"I was serving a sentence down in Stafford Creek then" the man replied.


"Is that so?"


"Yeah," he nodded with a smirk "It's where I got the tattoo. Cellmate told me it wards off evil."


"You're a terrible liar" Skyler muttered while crossing her arm.


"Bad things happen inside," he declared with his face now serious "You take whatever protection you can get. Check my record."


After a moment of thinking, the siblings got up with the book and started to head out.


"Hey sluggers," the man suddenly called out as they turned to him "If you want my advice, I'd talk to the chic who gave me this tattoo, she actually works at the night club I was at. She may not be the same person she was back then, but she could help. Although, I should warn you. That's one powerful rune. If your lost lady was drawin' that, I'd hate to meet whatever evil she was facing down."


Even though they were trying not to believe this whole 'protecting against evil' thing, the siblings couldn't help but feel chills down their backs as they walked out the room, all of them wondering what he meant by his warning.

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