The Boardwalk Oracle

The Boardwalk

The shuffling of wooden boards echoed and blended with the crashing of the waves.  The full moon, dusted with gray clouds, highlighted the deep cracks time had weathered.  "The sky seems almost purple tonight, doesn't Calvin?"  Kristi said, as they strolled the Boardwalk.  Slowly watching the carnival rides disappearing into the distance.

"It's different, isn't it.  The clouds make it, I don't know, almost eerie."  Calvin said, making an ass out of himself with a crooked smile as he tickled her side.

They both laughed as they embraced each other.  Kristi, a good foot shorter than Calvin,  looked up at him and beamed.  She was in love with this man.  She couldn't help but wonder in that moment what the future held.  A chill ran down her spine as a flash of lightning lit the purple sky.  She yelped as she jumped.  "How weird was that?"

"Ah babe, it's just heat lightning.  Remember how hot and humid it was today?  You watch too many movies, you silly girl."  He teased. 

They continued walking to the end of the boardwalk.  A walk they had made many times before.  "Cal?  Look."

   At the end of the boardwalk, once empty, now had a tent.  Off to the side, in the sand standing eight feet tall at the very point of it.  It had purple and green stripes and was faded like it had been there longer than the boardwalk itself.  One would think the whole place was built around it.  "We have to go in!" Kristi said with the eagerness of a child. 

   "Oh no, I've watched your horror movies babe.  You know who dies in those?  Dudes like me!  Like almost immediately.  And you know how?  From going in the strange tent that was never there before.  So there is no way in hell you are getting me in that tent!"

  "Fine you big baby.  You go get the car.  It isn't far anyways.  But I'm going in."  She said as she stepped down from the weathered wooden structure to the course tan sand.

     Her steps were deliberate and fast.  Well, as fast as they could be trudging through sand.  Each step had a grunt of frustration as if it were going to hasten her speed.  Calvin watched for a moment before huffing and stomping off towards the car.  He was putting his yellow belly foot down alright.  Every footstep toward the car, reminding him of every time a scary movie came on he'd either turn the channel or hide under a blanket when the monster appeared.  "She's fucking crazy.  She's lost her damn mind.  There isn't anything in the damn tent..." he mumbled under his angry breath.

  As Kristi approached the tent she made out a small sign that said, "Your Future Awaits, Step inside IF YOU DARE."  "Well is that a warning, or an invitation?"  She said with a half smile.  She reached out, grabbing the sand covered tent flap, and with an ever raising heart rate, she entered.

The Oracle

     The air was musty and thick.  It smelt of ocean water that sat in the sun.  In the middle of the tent, which seemed much larger on the inside, was a small round, black table.  On the table was a purple and white lace cloth, three black thick candles and a large emerald green translucent crystal that sat in the middle.  It was magnificent.  Kristi’s eyes were transfixed as she moved slowly closer to it, needing to touch it.  Feeling some type of energy drawing her near.  “What are you doing!?”  A rough Romanian accent scolded.  

     Kristi snapped out of it and immediately saw a small, older woman in the back of the tent.  Has that door been there before?  Wait, how is there a wooden door in here?  She thought to herself.  “I’m so sorry ma’am.  It is just so beautiful.  I don’t know what came over me.  My name is…”

   “Kristi, your name is Kristi Eveningdale.  You're studying to be a doctor but you long to travel the world and paint.  To create.  To be free.”

   Kristi’s eyes started to water as her jaw dropped.  How, how did she know.  No one knows.  Not even Calvin.  She is a good girl following what her parents want her to do.  “How did you know that?”

    “Foolish girl,  I know you.  I know every thought.  Every want.  Every desire you have ever had.  I am Adelina the Great.  And I can help you catch your wildest dreams.”

   Kristi’s heart danced with excitement.  She had felt like a prisoner in someone else’s life for so long.  To be free, oh to be free to do what she wanted to do sounds… sounds too good to be true.  “Adelina, you are no doubt a psychic, but this is usually the part of my horror movies where a but comes in.  Or a slasher.”  She giggled.

    “My dear, you have seen too many movies.  There are many paths the universe lays out for us.  I am simply a facilitator.  Do you wish for help my young child?”

    Kristi stared at the old woman.  She stood about 4’11”.  A good six inches smaller than me.  Her long white, brittle hair was almost dreaded from the sea air.  Her face was wrinkled from the years of adventure life had brought her.  She smiled, but there was mystery behind her eyes. 

     “I’m not that young.  I’m 22.  And I hate medical school.  I’m great at it.  But I hate it!  I want to see the beauty the world has to offer.  I want to live like the free spirit I am.”

    “I can give that to you.  Sit child.  Sit.”  Adelina led me to her wicker chair sat in front of the table.  I noticed she had a slight limp, which drew me to see the wooden cane with the emerald stone on top.  

    “That’s a beautiful walking stick. Adelina.”

    “Oh, it is more than that my dear.  Nothing in here is without its own magic.”  She said, still holding that mysterious grin that followed into her eyes.

    Kristi sat on the chair, her heart racing, her mind confused but longing.  Adelina sat across from her.  Almost not able to see above the crystal in the middle of the table.  “Now child, you seek the beauty of the world.  Your free spirit has been confined to books and scalpels.”  

A wind started to brew in the tent.  “The ages call on you to be your true self.  To feel as you feel, to speak as you speak, to look as you look, to love as you love.”  

    The wind picked up and the candles lit on their own.  “Raise your hands with me child!” Adelina said fervently.  

The wind howling through crystals and instruments on the walls Kristi had not seen before.  Kristi raised her hands, her heart felt like it was leaping from her chest.  Her breath started hastening.  Her eyes darted from Adelina to the crystal which was now starting to glow.  She couldn’t keep her eyes off of it.  Almost screaming, Adelina commanded, “PUT YOUR HANDS ON THE CRYSTAL CHILD!”

 “WHAT WILL HAPPEN?”  Kristi yelled in hesitation

   “DO IT FOR YOUR DREAMS!”  Adelina yelled in reply.

    Kristi complied, and the world faded to black.

A New World

 “Babe!  Babe!  Wake up!  Come on!  I knew you were mad at me.  But take a nap in the empty, creepy tent instead of coming to the car mad?” Calvin jested, trying to lighten the fight he was expecting any minute now.

Coming to, Kristi shook her head as her eyes came to focus.  She saw Calvin’s concerned face.  “Where’s Adelina?”

 “Who’s Adelina?”  Calvin chuckled

   “The old woman.  About yay high.”  Kristi said as she gestured with her hand in confusion.  

    As her brain started gaining control she realized the once vibrantly lit tent was now dark and empty.  Confusion ran amuck as she started to panic.  “No! She was here.  There were crystals and candles and magic.  Real magic!  Calvin!  I swear it was all here!  There was a wooden door right there!”  She pointed almost in tears.

    “Babe, you fell asleep.  You had a hell of a dream.  Let's get you home.  We have a plane to catch in the morning.”

     “A plane?  I have class in the morning.”

    “Class?  Right!”  Calvin said with a chuckle.  “And I’m the pope.  Stop goofing off.  We still have to finish packing.  Now get your butt out of the sand and let’s get home.”

    Kristi became quiet as she rose with Calvins help.  They walked hand in hand to the car.  To her surprise, it already had some of her luggage in it.  “What’s happening?” She thought.  “Honey, what time do we have to leave in the morning?”  Kristi asked, hoping to strike up enough conversation to figure out what the hell is happening.

     “Our plane leaves at 9:30am.  So we should probably be at the airport by 7am.”

   “And is it a straight flight?”

    “Babe, are you feeling ok?  Did you hit your head on a rock or something?”

     “I’m fine, I’m just tired.”

     “We fly from Minneapolis to Colorado.  Then Colorado To Florida.  We get to stay in Florida for two days because you said you wouldn’t survive if you didn’t go to Disney world.”  He rolled his eyes.  “Then we fly from Florida to Australia.”  Calvin said gently, almost worried.

    Kristi’s eyes widened.  “Holy.  Shit.  I’m going to Australia.”  She quickly covered her mouth once she figured out she said that outloud.  

    “Yeah babe, WE are going to Australia.  You took the money your parents left you and planned the whole thing.”

    Kristi’s heart dropped.  “The money they left me?  What do you mean?”

    “Ah, come on babe.  Don’t do this right now.  You know what I mean.”  He stared at the long dark road and sighed.  “The accident.  I know it was hard sweetheart, and you never really dealt with it.  But you have to at least acknowledge it happened.”

    Kristi broke down into tears.  Twenty four hours ago they were alive and well.  She was in medical school and they were both practicing doctors proud of their daughter.  And now.  And now.  “Oh my God!” She thought.  “I did this!”  She said out loud.

    “Kristi, you can’t blame yourself.  It was a car accident.  You weren’t even there.”

    The realization whirled in her head.  She was dizzy as she saw the sign looming in her memory.  “The future awaits, enter IF YOU DARE.”  “What have I done?”  She thought in horror.  “What else is to come?”  Her heart quickened.   She sat and stared out the window, frightened at what horrors were ahead.

    The next morning the alarm rang at an hour that felt inhumane.  She’d have thrown it at the wall if Calvin hadn’t turned it off before she had the chance to grab it.  The vibration of the morning was calmer.  Still somber from the shocking news of her parents, she couldn’t help but still be excited for the coming adventure.  She was about to embark on a journey she had dreamed about since she was a little girl.  

   Kristi walked down stairs as if she were being waltzed by the aroma of coffee.  Calvin had brewed his finest cup just for her.  She was a zombie in the morning without it.  They had finished packing last night and once this cup was done they were leaving this life behind and starting their new life.  It had come to her surprise last night, while snooping through the boarding passes, that there were no return tickets.  We weren’t vacationing.  We were moving.  “An adventure indeed.”  She thought, as a tear rolled down her cheek.  Calvin caught it half way.  Kissed the other cheek and said, “they’d be proud of you.”

   She embraced this wonderful man.  Sniffled, then stood up straight with a smile.  “Let’s do this.” 

The Airport

    “Flight 401 is boarding in 20 minutes.  Please make your way to gate 17G.  Again, Flight 401 is boarding in 20 Minutes.  Please make your way to gate 17G.  Thank you for choosing Delta.”

    “That’s us babe.”  Calvin said in his typical upbeat manor.

    “I can’t fly without my ginger ale.  Can we stop by the Fly Market on the way to the gate?”

     “Sure babe.  No problem.  I can get my gum too.  I hate it when my ears pop during take off.”  He said with a smile that always made her melt.

     They walked hand and hand, smiling and chatting about the adventure that was to come.  They entered the market which looked just like a gas station that had no front wall.  It had your typical books, head phones and charges, neck pillows and blankets.  All the accessories one forgets when they are rushing out the door to catch the flight they were certain they were prepared for.  “Flight 401 has begun boarding for handicaped patrons.  Please make your way to gate 17G.”

    “We better hurry.”  Kristi said as she made her way past the books and to the coolers that were sure to have her favorite ginger ale.  She opened the cooler and in the reflection she saw Adelina.  She whipped around, but no one was there.  She turned about to look at the door to see no one in the reflection but herself.  She looked tired.  Stressed.  She blinked and shook her head.  Grabbed her drink and walked to the counter.  Calvin could see she looked troubled.  As he was reaching for his wallet he asked, “ you ok babe?  You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

    “Yeah hun, I’m fine.  I thought I saw someone.  Maybe you are right,  I watch too many movies.”

     They both laughed as they walked toward the gate and boarded the plane.

Time for a Change

“Had enough adventure yet?”  Kristi yelled down from the top of a hill.

    Calvin bent over, and obviously out of breath from the hike, looked up and shouted, “are you kiddin’ me girl, I’m just getting started!”

     It took him a full five minutes to get to the top of the peak where Kristi sat with her legs dangling off the edge.  Her stare solid, icy.  “Babe.  Hey babe.  Kristi!”

    “What?” She snapped.

     “You weren’t with me.  You were on another planet there.”

     “I felt, I felt like my soul was somewhere else.  I’m sure I’m just tired.  Let’s go back to the camp.”

     Calvin was hesitant to leave it at that, but at least she wanted to go back.  Kristi was looking paler than usual.  Her skin almost gray and her hair seemed to be frail.  He was becoming very worried.  He’d find a way to push for her to see a doctor in the morning.

As they made their way back to camp Kristi collapsed.  She grabbed her side as she gasped at a pain she had never known.  She wrench back and hissed as another attack of pain flu over her.  “GO.  Go get help.”  She yelped under her breath.

     “I don’t think I should leave you babe.”  Calvin said, trying to hide the panic in his voice.

    “Just GO.  FAST!”

    Calvin ran as she kicked and screamed on the dirt.  Out of the corner of her eye she saw a lake.  She crawled her way closer.  “Just a drink.”  She thought.  As she drew her face closer to the water she did not recognize her own reflection.  It was Adelina.  She touched her face, but it was not hers.  Adelina’s face began to laugh as Kristi’s began to scream.  The water began to glow as green as Adelina’s emerald walking stick and began to ripple.  The sun became hidden with dark clouds and a flash of purple lightning lit the sky.  The water was calm again.

   Calvin returned to find no one in sight.  “Kristi?  Kristi?  KRISTI!?”

Enter if you Dare

     “Oh Dave!  Look!  Look!  It’s one of those you know.  Those tents that do those readings!  Can we go in?”

     “Amber, those people just rip you off!  You want me to tell you your future?  You young lady will have three orgasims and a good night's rest if we leave right now.  That’s your future.”  Dave said laughing while pulling Amber's arm towards the carnival’s parking lot.

    “I’m going in.  It will only be a minute.  Just wait in the car, you big baby.”  She winked and kissed his cheek.

    She sped along to the tent.  As she came closer she saw the sign that read, “Your Future awaits, ENTER IF YOU DARE.”  With a smirk of excitement she grabbed the flap and jumped as an old woman grabbed her hand.  “Hello Amber.  I’m Kristi the Great.  And I’m here to show you your dreams.”