8. In The Cards

Chapter 8

In The Cards

“ Y ou’re not!” A hint of expected shock and amazement was in the mirror reflection’s voice. “I thought we talked about this.”

“It’ll be fine,” Alice assured the mirror. She pulled off the black container cap, pursing her lips in anticipation, as she applied the purple lipstick. She stood there, head titled, trying to find the words to justify her actions. “Besides, it’s a harmless little date. It’s nothing.”

“That’s how these things start,” Alice’s mirror reflection was quick to retort. “Need I remind you of Sam?”

Alice clenched her lips, pressing against each other, careful not to ruin the freshly applied layer. “Don’t say that name.” Alice glared at her reflection.

Her mirror reflection crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “It started as a harmless little date. A little flirting over dinner. Teasing. Laughing. Kissing. Taking baths together…” her voice trailed off. “Then bam, we’re uprooted to the middle of nowhere. Are you prepared to do that again? ”

Alice slammed the lipstick tube down on the rim of the porcelain basin. The tube slipped from her hand, rolling down into the basin.

“Hugo is not Sam!” Anger washed over her face. “He isn’t a witch like Sam… who was trying to exploit me… Take advantage of me… Use me! ”

Alice’s reflection paused on the hurt in Alice’s voice. She enjoyed the playful back-and-forth banter, but even she knew her limits. She uncrossed her arms, rubbing her face before admitting defeat. “I’m sure he won’t be. Just be careful. Hey. It’s only the two of us, and I’m worried about you. No you, no me. You know?”

Alice lowered her head and in a soft tone whispered, “Thank you.”

“Let’s have a look at you,” Alice’s reflection said. “Do one of those twirly things. Let me check out the goods.”

Alice took a few steps back and spun around. Her purple hair twirled in the air. She wore a tight black top that accentuated her silhouette. Billowy, mesh, long sleeves exposed her shoulders and arms and connected the top to her high neck collar. A black leather miniskirt hugged the curves of her hips. Fishnet stockings wrapped around her long legs, leading toward a pair of black Doc Martens. Alice’s reflection struggled to find the right words. She examined her up and down. Her mouth gaped open.

“How do I look?” Alice asked, finishing another twirl.

“I’d sleep with you,” Alice’s reflection commented.

Alice stopped, hands on her hips. A disapproving stare on her face. “That’s not what I asked.”

Alice’s reflection winked. “No. But that’s what you wanted to ask.”

Knocks on the door echoed up the stairs to the bathroom. Response knocks, the sound of wood smacking against the closed door, echoed through the bathroom.

“I know. I know,” Alice shouted to her overprotective guardian on the other side of the door.

Alice’s reflection leaned against the edge of the mirror, framing her Cheshire Cat like grin between both of her hands. “It’s looovvver boy.”

Alice scrambled to pick up the makeup tubes, stuffing them into a worn, black canvas pouch, which she then tossed onto a shelf. She opened the bathroom door.

“Stay!” Alice commanded to something out of the reflection’s view.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do tonight,” Alice’s reflection shouted. “Wait! Do everything I would do. Either way, have fun. Enjoy yourself!”

Hugo Dodds paced around the gray, hexagonal, gazebo like porch. The soles of his black Chelsea boots echoed with every step atop the boards. He glanced over toward his house. He paused, reflecting if he was making a mistake.

He paced around to the front of the porch and peered over at Johanna’s house across the street. The yellow house was darkened with the curtains drawn. The sun was setting. People and families marched in an unorganized procession toward the fall festival in the center of town.

A few acknowledged Hugo standing on the porch. He gave a half nod and waved in response. He spun around, hiding himself further on the back of the porch as he awaited Alice’s arrival, and knocked on the black door again.

Knocking came from inside the house with someone speaking in an indecipherable language. He tried to look through the black sheer curtain draped across the door’s window. He couldn’t see any movement inside. Then he heard the noise of metal against metal as the lock unlatched, and the door opened. Hugo gave an audible gasp, his mouth gaping.

Alice stood in the doorway smiling. He struggled to find words. His eyes traced the curves of her body from her black top to the leather skirt, and finally to her fishnet stockings. Hugo wanted to find the words, needed to find the right words, but her beauty stole them.

He finally offered a simple, “Wow.”

“Hello, Hugo,” she said, brushing her hair behind her ears. “I’ll be right out. Just a moment.” She closed the door behind her.

Hugo stepped back, tugging at his black leather jacket. He brushed his fingers over his short beard, making sure it was properly groomed. Then he ran his fingers through his wavy, long, coifed hair, attempting to put every hair back into place. He waited for her return.

She exited the door, wearing her black tailcoat and signature hat.

“You look great,” his words returned to him.

She blushed. He noticed her eyes trace his wavy hair before locking onto his icy blue eyes. She paused only for a moment before continuing to examine his neatly trimmed beard. His black leather jacket tight around his chest, accenting his slightly muscular build. The light colored jeans that hugged his legs. The black leather boots.

Alice was silent. A sly smile betrayed her closely guarded thoughts. She bit her lip before manifesting, “You too.”

Hugo smiled at the thought that those two words were all she could say at that moment.

“We should get going.” Hugo motioned down the porch steps. “The line for the turkey legs is going to be super long if we don’t hurry.”

Alice expanded her smile before responding with a hint of sarcasm, “Oh, wouldn’t want to miss out on a turkey leg.”

“Best in the state!” Hugo responded before leading her down the stairs.

Alice took up position on the left of the sidewalk.

Hugo was quick to interrupt. “Sorry, I have to be on that side.”

“Oh?” Alice seemed startled.

“It’s a chivalry thing. A personal thing. I have to be between you and the cars,” Hugo explained as he stepped to Alice’s side .

She smiled. “I appreciate a chivalrous man.”

“All those years going to the renaissance festival, I guess they rubbed off on me.” They joined the procession leading toward the center of town.

Johanna Newes sat in her high-back antique chair, watching the procession down the street from behind a small opening in her curtains. Her brunette hair was pulled neatly back into a ponytail. A grandfather clock ticked in the background. Her living room was dimly lit as to not alert anyone to her presence.

A wretched, blasphemous holiday , Johanna thought.

She noticed movement across the street and saw a familiar figure. She pulled back the lace curtain to get a better view. He was unmistakable. She also recognized a familiar pointed hat.

“How could you, Hugo?” she whispered as she tapped against her pinned cloak clasp.

Hugo and Alice proceeded down the street. Johanna sprung up from her chair and turned off the antique lamp on the side table to darken the room.

The town center was a flurry of revelry and joyous people. Throngs of people mingled through the brightly colored tents and food trucks that lined the streets. Kids ran around in a menagerie of Halloween costumes. The smells of fried food and expensive beer saturated the air. A melody of carnival music blared from mobile rides that beckoned, calling young children to partake—for a fee, of course.

A Ferris wheel, taller than the buildings, gave riders a magnificent view of the town. Faux jack-o’-lanterns adorned the tops of the ornate streetlamps, struggling to fight back against the darkness of the night sky. Hugo and Alice wove their way through the crowd, clutching their prized turkey legs.

“Look, Mommy, she’s a witch like me,” a young child’s voice caught Alice’s attention.

She bent down, looked the child in the eyes, and smiled at her witch costume.

“Well, hello, fellow witch. Are you causing mischief and mayhem, like me?”

The child giggled as Alice asked the question. She reached behind the child’s ear and conjured a small candy bar. She paused, seeking confirmation from the mother before handing over the treat. The child’s eyes widened at receiving a gift of chocolate.

“Thank you,” the child replied before showing her mom.

Alice stood up.

“I love the costume,” the mom replied before they scurried away.

“Oh, it’s not a costume,” Hugo stated before he winked at Alice and nudged her shoulder. “Do you always carry around small candy bars in your pocket?” he joked.

Alice lightly smacked Hugo across his chest. The back of her hand slid across the smooth leather. “Jealous you didn’t get one?”

“Actually, yeah.”

“Too bad. Fresh out,” Alice replied. “Have to save the rest for trick-or-treaters. So, what’s on the agenda, Hugo Dodds?”

“Well, we have to stop by the fortune teller; that’s always fun. They have a bobbing for apples booth—catch as many as you can in one minute to win prizes. Maybe ride the Ferris wheel.” There was joy in Hugo’s voice, a joy he hadn’t felt in a long time. “Oh, and we have to try the homemade cider. What do you want to do first?”

Alice took a bite of her turkey leg. She wiped the juices from her chin, careful to not get them all over her coat. “This is a good turkey leg.”

“Told you. Best in the state.” Hugo took a bite.

“The fortune teller sounds fun.”

“Great. She pulls three tarot cards. You’ll love it. It’s all for fun. ”

“Hugo? Hugo Dodds?” a familiar male voice shouted over the noise.

Hugo recognized that voice from a few weeks ago. He stopped, dropping his head, fretting over the interaction to come. Biting his lower lip, Hugo hoped the person who mentioned his name would disappear. He turned around to see George and Julia approaching.

“We didn’t think we’d see you here. How are you doing?” George asked.

“He’s doing just fine, thank you,” Alice intersected. “I don’t believe we’ve met. Alice Primrose, Hugo’s date.” Her elbow nudged Hugo’s arm.

“Oh, a date?” Julia said. “Well, we’ll leave you two alone. It was lovely to meet you.”

“Great to see you, Hugo,” George added as he and Julia hurried away.

“Date obligations fulfilled.” She winked at Hugo and took another bite of her turkey leg.

They finished their turkey legs and worked their way through the crowd toward a red canopy tent. An older woman sat at a makeshift table. Her wild, gray hair was tucked under a maroon headscarf. Fake gold coins dangled from the scarf. She wore a multi-colored, tie-dyed, billowing dress that could have been the required uniform for a hippie commune.

Various rocks and bright crystals adorned the black velvet tablecloth. An opaque crystal ball, roughly the size of a softball, rested atop a black pedestal. A scuffed up, plastic bucket sat in one corner with a sign that read: Donations for the Newbury Grove Annual New Year’s Eve Celebration .

“Step right up. Step right up. Learn the mysteries of your future yet to be. Let Madame Sophia tell you your fortune,” she barked to attract potential customers.

Hugo and Alice approached.

“Ah, the happy couple. Care to know what love has in store for you? ”

“Oh, we’re not a couple,” Hugo replied. He quickly shot a glance over to Alice, hoping he didn’t say anything to upset her.

“Not yet, anyway,” Alice was quick to respond, giving Hugo a mischievous grin and a wink. “Maybe it’s in the cards.”

Hugo placed two, twenty-dollar bills into the bucket. They sat down on a pair of plastic foldable chairs.

Madame Sophia shuffled the deck, careful to not let any cards slip out prematurely. The corners tapped against each other as they rapidly found their new positions. She offered the deck to Alice, inviting her to cut. Alice split the deck into three roughly even piles.

“Fate has been cast.” Madame Sophia gathered up the deck. She flipped over the first card. The Tower Card. “I see a sudden upheaval in your past. A change. For good or for worse, but a change nonetheless.”

Alice shifted in her seat.

She flipped over the second card, placing it in the center of the black velvet cloth. The Nine of Swords. “Great trauma, anxiety, hopelessness—probably brought on by this great upheaval—washes over you.”

Alice fixated on the cards. Her cheeky grin was gone. She shifted even more on the hard plastic chair. “I don’t think we should continue.”

“Come on,” Hugo said. “We have to find out what happens next.”

Madame Sophia flipped over the concluding card. The Two of Cups. “A union. Possibly love or marriage…” her voice trailed off. She paused for a moment to inspect the cards. “Ah, it all makes sense now. A great upheaval in your past led to the feeling of great hopelessness, but if you persevere, you will find the connection, the partnership you seek.”

Alice’s eyes lingered on that last card.

“Did you stack the deck? This must be your love connection deck, right?” Hugo asked, teasing at the possibility it was all a setup.

Madame Sophia picked up the cards and shuffled yet again. “I do not stack my deck. I merely interpret what’s before me.”

The cards snapped into place. She shuffled a few more times before offering them to Hugo. He cut the deck a few cards from the top.

“Fate has been cast,” she said as she took the deck once more.

She flipped over the first card, placing it near the middle of the table. The Five of Cups. “A great loss, grief—”

“We’re done,” Hugo exclaimed. He bumped into the table as he stood up from the chair.

Madame Sophia secured the crystal ball as it rocked back and forth.

Alice grabbed his arm, beckoning him to sit down. “I made it through mine; you can make it through yours,” she said, looking up at him. “Besides, we need to figure out what happens next.” Alice smiled as she released her grip.

Hugo locked onto her eyes—begging, hoping, pleading for the support to continue. She gave a small nod. He sat back down in the chair. He extended his hand, beckoning for hers. She interlocked her fingers with his as their hands cupped together. She gave a quick squeeze, letting it linger before releasing.

Madame Sophia flipped over the next card. The Two of Swords. “It looks like you’ll have to make a difficult decision. One that could be very painful.”

Hugo’s eyes fixated on the first card. The words echoed through his mind. Grief. Loss.

She flipped over the concluding card, placing it at the end of the row. The Four of Wands. “This is very good.”

“It is?”

Sophia’s fingers guided Hugo’s eyes across the three cards. “A great, painful loss in your past,” she explained as she moved onto the other two cards. “You will be forced to make a difficult decision. If you make the correct decision, then you will find a joyful celebration in your personal life. These are the cards as I interpret them.”

Alice squeezed Hugo’s hand. His solemn face froze at the sight of the cards. Madame Sophia snatched the cards up and shuffled them back into her deck. She turned her attention back toward Hugo, staring at the empty space on the table. A blank expression on his face.

“So, I’d save up for that ring if I were you.”

Alice and Hugo snapped their gazes at Madame Sophia before looking at each other. Alice let go of Hugo’s hand.

“I’m sorry. Why a ring?” Hugo asked.

“Based on both of your readings,” Madame Sophia responded. “I see potential love in your future.”

Alice and Hugo scrambled to find something to say next. Anything. They locked eyes. Knowing glances turned to half smiles.

“Thank you for the reading,” Alice said. “It’s been very—”

“Enlightening,” Hugo finished.

They both stood; Hugo was careful to not knock over the contents of the table, and they exited the tent.

“So,” Alice said. “You going to save up for that ring?”

Hugo lowered his head and chuckled. “The night’s still young. There are plenty of chances for you to change your mind…”

Hugo’s voice trailed off as his shoulder slammed into a smaller, more diminutive body. Hugo grabbed the other person’s shoulder to stabilize them both. A dance of two people colliding, trying to not fall over onto the pavement.

“I’m sorry. My fault. I wasn’t looking,” he explained. His eyes locked with the unsuspecting soul. “Johanna, I wasn’t expecting you to show up.”

“Johanna. What a wonderful surprise to see you,” Alice said in a low, sarcastic tone. Alice’s eyes fixated on Johnna from beneath the brim of her hat.

Johanna Newes brushed back her displaced ponytail. She tugged at her trench coat like jacket, giving two taps to the ringed cloak clasp before composing herself. “Sorry to run into you, Hugo. I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”

“I’m sure it was an accident,” Alice added.

Hugo arched his eyebrows as he gave her an inquisitive look .

He turned his attention back to Johanna. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Johanna replied. “No harm done.”

“I thought you didn’t enjoy coming to this event,” Hugo said.

“I thought, why not head down and see what all the fuss was about?” Johanna replied.

Hugo motioned off into the distance. “We were going to try our hands at bobbing for apples, if you’d like to join us.”

Alice gave Hugo a stern tap against his side, startling him. “Don’t you mean giving our heads a try at it? Besides, I’m sure Johanna has other things she wants to do.”

“Thank you for the invite. Bobbing for apples does seem—” Johanna paused. “Fun.”

Alice kicked Hugo’s boot. He took the hint that three was a crowd.

“You know,” Hugo added. “Actually, I promised to take Alice on the, um, Ferris wheel.”

“I’m afraid of heights, and I need someone to hold my hand,” Alice chimed in.

Johanna gave a half smile. She tapped the clasp twice. “I understand. Have fun.”

She stepped away before turning back. “Oh, Hugo, wasn’t the Ferris wheel Elizabeth’s favorite ride here?”

A solemn look masked Hugo’s face. He went to pinch his ring, but Alice’s hand intercepted him. She interlocked her fingers with his, holding tight.

“Enjoy, you two,” Johanna added before disappearing into the crowd.

Hugo stood there motionless. Alice placed her hand on his chest, below his shoulder. She rubbed his muscular chest over the black leather.

“Hey,” she said. Hugo locked eyes with Alice. “Come on. I bet I can get more apples than you.”

He smiled. “You’re on.”