Contest #152 winner 🏆

Foretold in Smoke

Submitted into Contest #152 in response to: Set your story in an oracle or a fortune teller’s parlor.... view prompt

143 comments

Drama Fiction Urban Fantasy

Content Warning: Mild foul language


Marie S. 5/5 Stars

Vivienne is incredible! My life has completely changed since my visit. It’s like a light came on and she’s somehow unlocked all this hidden potential. She’s the best, seriously just go. Call today!

Bradley J. 5/5

Worth every penny. Highly recommend.

Kevin R. 5/5 Stars

I never thought I’d come to a place like this, but when I was at an all-time low, I just needed someone to tell me if life was worth sticking around for. I wanted to know if it ever got better. Vivienne made me believe that it would. She told me true love was right in front of me, and now I’m dating my best friend and am the happiest I’ve ever been. She’s the real deal.

Linda K. 5/5

Vivienne showed me the most beautiful future and now I am not afraid to go after my passions. Life changing.


I know your type. You’re all the same. You come to me, seeking something you believe life has withheld from you. Desperation hangs on you like a garment; you wear insecurity like a second skin. You shift and fidget in my doorway, hoping no one will recognize your car in the street and spread the word that you’re seeking wisdom from a godless heathen and her crystal ball. Yet, here you are.

My polished greeting pulls you a few steps closer into the dimly lit room, where you stare at the artwork on the wall, trying to decipher its abstraction. You fumble over a compliment when I admit I painted it myself. Your nose twitches at the cloud of earthy smoke hanging in the stagnant air, and your ear tilts toward the sharp plucking of unfamiliar instruments—music trilling softly from a hidden speaker. The sound is heady, exotic, and makes the hair on your arms rise. The caricaturistic experience you expected is something different—its alive, sacred, and it smells like singed aloeswood.

I sense the conflict within you—to stay or to flee, to grasp hold of your future and drag it into today, or to return to life as normal and submit to the natural process of discovery. You twist and wring your hands, afraid you’re damning yourself, or cursing your bloodline by setting foot in this den of witchcraft, or whatever it is they’re calling it these days. But I am no one to fear; I am a respectable businesswoman. But you must make your own choice, so I remain silent, waiting for you to remember whatever it is that brought you here.

At last, you move. You approach me like I am an oasis in the desert, doubting what you see, but desperately wanting it to be real. You are afraid to ask, afraid of the answers. I sense your struggle; I see your soft heart, your goodness and warmth, your suppressed potential suffocating under self-doubt. You are afraid to know what lies ahead because you have grown comfortable letting life rush by you. It is a river, coursing where it wills, and you are a leaf at its mercy. What I tell you will alter the course of your life, not because the words on my lips drip with inherent power, but because you will believe them. 

You are the river. You are the force that cuts a path through the unknown, that courses where it wills. You are a rush of life, pure and sweet, with the power to shape and form and forge your own future.

My gift to you is no parlor trick, my predictions are not conjecture; I simply tell you what you are, and what to look for, and you will find it every time.

I do not spin the threads of fate, but occasionally, I give the threads a gentle pluck.


***


Jim B. 1/5 Stars

Filing a police report. This woman is a scam artist.


Maurice W. 1/5 Stars

Waste of time and money. Basically told me my life was going to shit. Real downer. And the incense smelled like burnt hair.


Bryson D. 1/5 Stars

This is why I don’t trust hippy-dippy, twinkle-dust, voo-doo garbage. Creepy art, obnoxious music, and some old hag just getting off on telling people how terrible their life is going to be. And no refund policy? Well, f*** you.



I know your type. You’re all the same. You come to me, seeking something you believe life has withheld from you. Arrogance hangs on you like a garment; you wear disdain like a second skin. You burst through my doorway, ignoring the closed sign in the window, insisting you just need a few minutes from this crazy lady and her crystal ball.

Your eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, and you squint at the artwork on the wall. You recoil, unsettled by its abstraction: its unorthodoxy disgusts you, makes you squirm. You cover your nose and cough against the cloud of bitter smoke hanging in the air, swishing your arms like an aggravated primate. The twanging of unfamiliar instruments rises above the silence, warbling from a hidden speaker. The sound is eerie, foreign, and makes goose-flesh ripple across your arms. The stock-image experience you anticipated is something altogether different—it’s alive, sinister, and it smells like fire.

I sense no hesitation within you—you have come to grab the future by its horns and demand it bend and submit to your desires. You are impatient with life’s natural process of discovery and want to know what obstacles lie ahead on the path on which you’re blindly running. There is no fear of the consequences of knowing, no regard for how it will change the now. You want answers, and you will have them. You claim a chair and wait, twisting and wringing your hands impatiently until I join you across the small table.

You watch me like a stray dog you think might bite, your jaw set in defiance against anything you’re prepared to reject. Because you don’t want the truth. You want to be immersed in shimmering nonsense, to stretch out your palm and receive a shiny token of fabricated tales, to be placated by promises of a glowing future. I sense your coldness, your heart of stone, your resentment of everything that stands in your way. What I will tell you is the truth, and the truth will unfold as I tell it—not because I have cursed you, not because I am a she-devil hiding under beads and bangles, but because you are a curse to yourself. And you know it.

You are rot—an infection that will spread across all your days. Everything you touch will wither and die, and you can only blame yourself.

My words are not a hex on your soul, I don’t speak out of malice; I simply show you what you already know.

I do not spin the threads of fate. I have no blade to sever their fibers.

But occasionally, I test the threads and hold a flame beneath the strands to watch and see what burns.

July 02, 2022 02:43

You must sign up or log in to submit a comment.

143 comments

Michał Przywara
20:19 Jul 02, 2022

Fantastic, Aeris :) The first part was already a neat piece by itself, a look behind the veil, at how magic really works. A word of encouragement here, a figure of supernatural authority giving you permission to take risks, to start living life. That by itself is worth a story. But then you double down with the second part, the delicious, vicious flip side. Because of course there's a second side to this. We balance the timid-to-the-point-of-cowardly who have everything to look forward to, against the courageous-to-the-point-of-ruthless, w...

Reply

Aeris Walker
01:07 Jul 03, 2022

Thanks Michal! I think I speak for everyone here when I say how much it means that you read our stories so intentionally, with such great attention to detail and meaning. You summed up the two types of people perfectly, so I’m pleased you received the story the way I intended.

Reply

Michał Przywara
21:05 Jul 08, 2022

Congratulations on the win, Aeris :D

Reply

Aeris Walker
23:51 Jul 08, 2022

Thank you, Michal! 😊😊

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Rebecca Miles
06:19 Jul 02, 2022

Aeris this whole piece sings; it is my absolute favourite of all the ones I've read from you. Your testimonies are absolutely spot on and add perfectly to the structure: the glowing ones followed by the open enthusiasts; the acidic ones by the hardened sceptics. Presiding above it all is your master fortune teller who appraises it all with just the precision you'd expect from someone who studies carefully the people for the fortunes they make themselves. Running like a thread in each closing section, the allusions to the Fates. Have you rea...

Reply

Aeris Walker
12:38 Jul 02, 2022

Thank you, Rebecca!! I so appreciate you reading my work and being a part of my writing journey—I think encouragement is one of the best things writers can give each other and you offer it so graciously. I remember reading Heart of Darkness in an early English class, but it’s been a looonngg time. But you picked up exactly what I was going for—a nuanced allusion to what this woman’s power may or may not be over these people. Thank you, again.

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Nandini Shukla
04:59 Jul 09, 2022

Aeris! Some splendid work you did there. "But occasionally, I test the threads and hold a flame beneath the strands to watch and see what burns." "I do not spin the threads of fate, but occasionally, I give the threads a gentle pluck." I love how two somewhat similar concepts are portrayed so differently by you. These two lines were honestly gorgeous. Simple yet elegant, your story showed different types of people. Sincerely enjoyed the versatile views you have presented from the "oracle lady's" pov. I also loved how you showed what she'd...

Reply

Aeris Walker
10:59 Jul 09, 2022

Hi Nandini! Thank you so much for reading and leaving your kind thoughts. I’m glad you enjoyed the story 😊

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Carla Ward
17:55 Jul 10, 2022

This was a very original and deeply perceptive story. You demonstrate a stunning knowledge of human nature. In the end, our lives are what we invest in them. Those who are merely timid or struggling or anxious but open often need just a little push to fly, while those who are narrow, selfish, demanding, and emotionally barren are the architects of their own unhappiness and frustration. Loved this.

Reply

Aeris Walker
18:52 Jul 10, 2022

Hi Carla! Thank you so much reading. I love how you described that, “architects of their own unhappiness.” That’s exactly what I was trying to portray. So glad you enjoyed the story!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Zack Powell
18:21 Jul 03, 2022

Well done, Aeris! Repetition is easily my favorite literary device, so whenever I see a story like this, where the back half of the story mirrors the front half, I'm always excited to see which lines get remixed and how it changes the sentiment/tone/feel of the story. Needless to say, this piece didn't disappoint. Lot of good things going on in this piece. I'm a huge fan of this type of dual 1st/2nd POV. Gives us a good sense of voice from the fortune teller while putting the reader directly in the "you" role. It feels like a direct address...

Reply

Aeris Walker
01:18 Jul 05, 2022

I so appreciate you reading and commenting, Zack, you a truly such a wonderful part of this community! And I think part of what makes you such a great writer as well is that you read so intentionally and pay close attention to what works or doesn’t work for you in all of these stories, then implement that in your own writing. Beyond any competition, encouragement like this is such a reward, so thank you.

Reply

Zack Powell
02:25 Jul 05, 2022

Thank you for this lovely compliment, Aeris! Fun fact: I don't visualize anything when I read. All I have are the words on the page, no mental images, hence the majority of my comments to people being related to structure/storytelling mechanics (i.e. line breaks, POV, word choice). And you're right: when I read, it's to pick up tips and tricks on how to improve my these things in my own work. Luckily, there are a boatload of amazing writers on this site, so there's never any shortage of new techniques to try out. (By the way, I've picked up ...

Reply

Aeris Walker
11:13 Jul 07, 2022

I agree—it’s amazing to see how everyone approaches the same prompts from a completely different angle. Glad we can all inspire each other :)

Reply

Zack Powell
14:54 Jul 08, 2022

Aeris! Congratulations on the win! Well-deserved, and I'm happy to see your name on the front page!

Reply

Aeris Walker
15:18 Jul 08, 2022

Thank you so much Zack!! It’s such a surreal feeling 😬

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Aeris Walker
11:13 Jul 07, 2022

I agree—it’s amazing to see how everyone approaches the same prompts from a completely different angle. Glad we can all inspire each other :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 2 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Jim Firth
13:28 Jul 02, 2022

Aeris, Immaculate as ever! This flows so well and I didn't notice that it was in second person until a good way through because of the seamless and natural voice. There's good mysterious vibes, but I can still relate to the oracle. It was clever to preface the narrative with the polarising reviews. As I was reading the 1 star reviews, I was relishing how the oracle would react. I thought she was going to be irate, but I like how she sticks to her guns because it only ads to her mystique. Keep up the great work! I always look forward to y...

Reply

Aeris Walker
14:04 Jul 02, 2022

Thank you, Jim! I so appreciate your kind feedback. I’m still not quite certain if this technically falls into second POV or not, since it is still coming from a character’s perspective but just as more of an inner monologue with her contrasting types of clients, but I’m glad the POV felt natural! That’s always a risk when trying something unique is that the effect comes across as jarring and disorienting instead. Looking forward to your next story too ;)

Reply

Jim Firth
14:24 Jul 02, 2022

Yes, you're right. Whenever I see lots of you's repeated I think 'OoOoOoOoh second person!' But I think it could be in first person? I'm a bear of too little brain to know. Anyhow, it doesn't matter which POV it's in if the end result works, which it does!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Riel Rosehill
10:42 Jul 02, 2022

Oooh I love this! You picked my number one fave prompt of the week as well :D Adored the parallel between the first and the seconf half and how they mirrored each other. Excellent. And the last sentence... yess. It's my favourite one here. Loved it so much - I enjoyed the first half, it was stunning, but it was when I got to the one star reviews and the line "I know your type." making a comeback was when I thought: genius.

Reply

Aeris Walker
03:49 Jul 03, 2022

Hey Riel! Thank you, thank you. I loved this prompt too, and was worried it might have already been too saturated with stereotypical fortune teller tales, but I just couldn’t resist. Ugh. That last line went through a lot of changes, so I’m so glad it hit home! Thanks for reading and for leaving your feedback—you’re always such a ray of sunshine ☀️

Reply

Riel Rosehill
14:56 Jul 08, 2022

Aeris! Congrats for the win!! :D

Reply

Aeris Walker
15:19 Jul 08, 2022

Thank you, Riel!! I really appreciate it 😊

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Show 1 reply
Jay McKenzie
07:43 Jul 02, 2022

Aeris, this is beautifully written. I love the second person POV and the two sides of the penny. I love the two perspectives and the way you've mirrored the language on each side. Lovely interpretation of the prompt. I just listened to Roxie Goes Rogue on Blue Marble too. Thoroughly enjoyed your reading of it and laughed so hard. I hope you record more stories.

Reply

Aeris Walker
12:24 Jul 02, 2022

Thank you, Jay! I really appreciate you reading. And listening—that was a new (and slightly nerve wracking) experience for me, but reading stories really seems to bring them to life in a whole new way. So thank you for your encouragement 😊

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Belladona Vulpa
18:13 Aug 11, 2023

I was on my daily commute and I was exploring stories based on genre. This time I put "fantasy" and your story was at the top. The title lured me in, the story and aesthetic kept me interested for the whole thing. You must have heard of this a million times, I absolutely loved the comparison/contrast between the two types of "customers" and the POV of the fortune teller and how she interacts with them. I think her sense of "fairness" combined with her uniqueness and authenticity makes her a likeable person. Thank you for this story! :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Zi_shen Tang
04:53 Aug 02, 2023

Fantastic, Aeris xD I am so amazing for the story. can i know what are you context when you write the story

Reply

Show 0 replies
Jun Jia
11:52 Jul 29, 2023

hi aeris can i have a sypnosis or summary of this story thanks

Reply

Show 0 replies
14:40 Mar 15, 2023

"I see your soft heart, your goodness and warmth, your suppressed potential suffocating under self-doubt" hit hard. So sad that some go through the motions of life allowing that self-doubt to smother out their highest potential. The powerful truth is that our words do have the ability to weigh in on the path of those we encounter. I love the contrast between the two encounters and how each of them is so well written that we can feel and recognize those same parts we have encountered from others. Definitely following and am excited to read ...

Reply

Aeris Walker
15:20 Mar 15, 2023

Hi Sheri! Thanks so much for reading my stories and going all the way to this one. I’m so glad to hear it resonated with you. ☺️

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Savannah Wagner
18:59 Nov 07, 2022

This was super good! I felt like I was really there and could smell the incense. Really great job on using the 5 senses for description.

Reply

Aeris Walker
19:59 Nov 07, 2022

Thanks Indy! Now if only I had written in a bowl of candy in the entryway, I would have really hit all five senses 😉 Thank you for reading, I really appreciate it.

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Charly Woods
21:21 Oct 03, 2022

I love this story! I love the descriptive sentences and the two different points of view. Perfect! Congrats on the win :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Fruit Of Joy
03:19 Sep 21, 2022

What a fantastic story! Great job!

Reply

Aeris Walker
22:40 Sep 22, 2022

Thank you so much!

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
03:52 Sep 17, 2022

Well written.

Reply

Show 0 replies
Becky B
10:09 Sep 15, 2022

All of this was incredible. The first half was already beautiful and so intriguing. I truly believed in the character and their perspective. I wanted to know what they thought. The second half made it perfection. Loved it! Thank you.

Reply

Aeris Walker
02:22 Sep 17, 2022

Hi Becky!! Thanks so much for reading--it means a lot. This was a fun prompt to write for, and I'm so glad to hear you liked the story! :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
DS Gilrea
23:00 Aug 26, 2022

Fabulous story, well done. The character just comes to life as you read through the story. Congratulations on your win.

Reply

Aeris Walker
20:01 Aug 28, 2022

Thank you very much!! :)

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
Bradon L
03:10 Aug 19, 2022

I am really late to the party, but holy crap! I don’t have words. A well deserved win! I love how she figures people out, simply by how they walk in and how they react to stuff. “I do not spin the threads of fate, but occasionally, I give the threads a gentle pluck.” - this line!! “But occasionally, I test the threads and hold a flame beneath the strands to watch and see what burns.” - and this line!! Wow You use words really well!

Reply

Aeris Walker
14:20 Aug 21, 2022

Thank you so much, Bradon! I really appreciate your kind feedback ☺️

Reply

Show 0 replies
Show 1 reply
قصص Histoires
21:03 Aug 15, 2022

I like it

Reply

Show 0 replies
RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

Bring your short stories to life

Fuse character, story, and conflict with tools in Reedsy Studio. 100% free.