06 - Eye of the Fortuneteller (7 page)

It’s just a wing. A tiny, little wing. As harmless as a piece of cellophane.

Kelsey closed her eyes and opened her mouth. And she told herself that that’s exactly what it was—a little piece of
cellophane.

The moment the wing hit her tongue, she pushed it back toward her throat.
Then she swallowed quickly.

She didn’t taste a thing. It almost felt like swallowing the skin of a
peanut.

Only it wasn’t the skin of a peanut. It was the wing of a horsefly. And
Kelsey could feel it sticking in her throat. She swallowed and swallowed. But
she couldn’t make it go down.

She started to choke.

Just as she was about to ask for a glass of water, she saw Gregor reach for
the sand crab.

She quickly gathered saliva in her mouth and forced the wing down in one big
gulp.

Gregor lifted the crab and removed one of its legs. He dangled it in front of
her.

Kelsey shut her lids tightly and tried not to think about it. Then she opened
her mouth.

As soon as Gregor placed it on her tongue, she swallowed—hard and fast.

The crab leg scratched her throat as it went down.

Kelsey imagined that it was still alive.

Alive and wriggling back up into her mouth.

Kelsey slammed her hand over her mouth—so she wouldn’t throw up.

“You have just one fear left,” Gregor stated. Then he pulled out a jeweled
knife and sliced off a chunk of the slimy, foul-smelling jellyfish.

The gypsies stared. Silently.

It seemed as if everyone stopped breathing.

Kelsey broke out into a sweat. She wiped her clammy palms on her jeans.

She tried to open her mouth. But she gagged.

“I can’t,” she cried as she turned her face away from Gregor.

“You must,” Gregor told her. “Or the curse will always be with you.”

“You can do it, Kelsey,” Drew pleaded. “I know you can!”

She shook her head. “No,” she told Drew. “I can’t.”

“Kelsey,” Drew replied, “you have to.”

Kelsey knew Drew was right. She had to try. “Okay,” she said, inhaling
deeply. “I’m ready.”

Kelsey closed her eyes and held her nose. She opened her mouth. She told
herself that if she swallowed it quickly, everything would be okay.

Gregor placed the quivering gunk in her mouth.

It oozed on her tongue.

She forced herself not to think about it. She closed her mouth around the
bitter slime.

It tasted salty and fishy. Like eating rotten bait.

But the taste wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was how it felt in her mouth.

Slimy—like mucous.

Ooozing and sliding around on her tongue.

Swallow!
Kelsey ordered herself. But she gagged again.

Swallow!
This time the glob slipped down her throat. Slowly. Kelsey felt
her stomach lurch.

She was sure she was going to vomit.

Swallow!

Kelsey had to swallow three times to force the quivering blob down her
throat.

She opened her eyes slowly and smiled at Gregor. Drew beamed—as if she had
just won an Olympic gold medal.

“You have done very well,” Gregor congratulated her. “Very well, indeed. You
are a brave girl. And you should be most proud of yourself.”

“I am.” Kelsey laughed. “I am!”

“You did it, Kelsey!” Drew exclaimed. “You really did it!”

“So, is that it?” Kelsey asked Gregor. “Is the curse all gone now?”

Gregor peered into his magic book. “No,” he told Kelsey. “The curse has not
yet been broken.”

“What else do I have to do?” Kelsey wailed. “What else could there possibly
be?”

“You must throw something belonging to Madame Valda into the fire,” Gregor
told her.

“You never told us that!” Drew yelled.

“Something belonging to Madame Valda!” Kelsey shrieked. “I don’t have
anything belonging to Madame Valda. I’m doomed,” she told Drew. “I’m totally
doomed.”

“There must be another way!” Drew protested.

“No. No other way,” Gregor stated.

“Maybe Madame Valda left something in your shack?” Drew turned to Zandra.

“Umm. Let me think….”

“She didn’t have anything except that stupid deck of cards,” Kelsey
interrupted.

“Kelsey!” Drew exclaimed. “That’s it! The card! You still have the Fool card!
That
belonged to Madame Valda!”

Kelsey’s face lit up. She started rummaging through her backpack to find it.
“You’re right! We
do
have something that belongs to Madame Valda.” She laughed. “And here it is!” Kelsey pulled the Fool card out of her bag.

“I’m not sure this will work,” Gregor said, taking the card from Kelsey to
examine it.

“What do you mean?” Drew shouted. “Of course it will work. It’s Madame
Valda’s card!”

“Yes, I know,” Gregor started to explain. “But the book suggests using an
article of clothing or jewelry.”

“Yeah,” Kelsey snapped. “But we don’t have an article of clothing or jewelry.
We have a card. Besides, the book doesn’t say you
can’t
use a card,
right?”

“No,” Gregor admitted, flipping through the pages. “It doesn’t.”

“Then this will work!” Drew exclaimed. “This will break the curse!”

Gregor handed the card back to Kelsey. “Yes,” he agreed. “This should break
the curse!”

The crowd of gypsies cheered.

Kelsey stared down at the card in her hand.

The Fool’s haunting face grinned up at her. But this time Kelsey grinned
back. She was going to break the curse. Now she was sure of it.

“Approach the fire,” Gregor instructed as the crowd fell silent.

Kelsey took a deep breath. Then she stepped up to the flames.

The heat of the fire stung her cheeks—so she backed off, standing just close
enough to toss in the card.

“Here goes,” she whispered to herself.

She lifted her arm, ready to throw—and the fire began to crackle.

She lowered the card to her side. She glanced around. Then she began again.

But as she raised her arm, the fire’s gentle flicker roared to a blaze.

Kelsey jumped back.

The flames soared higher and higher. Hot sparks shot out from their tops.

“What’s going on?” she screamed at Gregor.

But Gregor didn’t answer. Kelsey could see his face in the glow of the blaze.
He looked terrified. He edged back—away from the circle of gypsies.

Kelsey moved in toward the flames.

I have to throw this card in! I have to!

“Hurry!” Drew shouted. “Throw it! Throw it before it’s too late!”

Kelsey swung her arm back and—
BOOM!

The fire exploded in her face. And the flames leaped out—leaped out to grab
her!

She screamed and screamed. And when she finally stopped, she heard a
terrifying sound. A sound she had heard once before. A sound she would never
forget. The sound of Madame Valda’s evil, haunting laugh.

Kelsey stared up. Up at the raging fire.

And gasped.

Madame Valda soared up from the center of the flames.

Her fiery body rose high above Kelsey. She loomed over them. Laughing madly.

“Again I face the Fool,” she cackled.

Daggers of fire flew from her lips.

“What do we do?” Kelsey cried out to Gregor.

“I… I… don’t know,” he stammered, his eyes fixed on the evil gypsy
woman.

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Kelsey screamed.

“He doesn’t know because he is a fake!” Madame Valda bellowed. “How can you believe in this gypsy clown—and not believe in
Madame Valda!”

Kelsey whirled to face Gregor. He inched back again—farther and farther from
the old woman.

“He is no gypsy!” Madame Valda roared. “He has no powers! There is nothing in
his stupid, little magic book to help you.”

Then Madame Valda pointed her finger at Kelsey. “Fool!” she cried.

A firebolt shot out from her fingertip—and the gypsies began to scatter.

“They are frauds,” Madame Valda spat. “All of them. There is not one true
gypsy among them.”

As she spoke, she turned her hands upward. Pillars of black smoke burst from
her palms.

“I’m out of here!” Zandra screamed and took off down the beach.

Madame Valda cackled at the sight.

“Come on, Kelsey.” Drew grabbed Kelsey’s arm. “Let’s go!”

“I can’t,” Kelsey groaned. “If I don’t face her now, I’ll be under this curse
forever.”

Madame Valda laughed her evil laugh. “You are going to pay for angering
Madame Valda yet again.” Her eyes burned right through Kelsey. “Not only does
this Fool insult me once, she enlists the help of more fools to insult me
again!”

Kelsey spun around to face the other gypsies. But no one remained. They had abandoned her—left her alone to fight the hideous
witch.

“Did you really think you could get rid of my curse so easily?” Madame Valda
crooned. “Well, think again! You will never get rid of it! Never!”

Madame Valda’s laughter echoed through the night. Her hot red eyes bore into
Kelsey.

“Kelsey!” Drew shouted. “Throw the card into the fire!”

“Go ahead, Fool,” Madame Valda taunted. “Try to burn it! Try!”

“Stop calling me Fool!” Kelsey cried. Then she inched forward, her eyes glued
to the ugly gypsy.

“Come, Kelsey.” Madame Valda beckoned with a fiery finger. “Come closer to
the flame!”

Kelsey stepped forward—and Madame Valda hurled a fireball at her feet.

Kelsey leaped away and fell.

“Come, Kelsey.” Madame Valda laughed. “You can do it!”

“Kelsey!” Drew screamed. “Are you okay?”

Kelsey nodded, jumping to her feet.

“I have to try again!”

Kelsey glanced up at Madame Valda. The evil gypsy’s eyes were closed!

“Throw it!” Drew screamed. “Throw it now!”

She must be tired, Kelsey thought.

“Now!” Drew screamed.

Kelsey swung her arm and hurled the card into the fire.

“Yes!” Drew’s shouts echoed as Kelsey watched the card sail straight for the
flames.

And then she felt it.

A strong wind against her face.

“Nooooo!” she shrieked as the card flew from the fire.

It rode the burst of hot air Madame Valda released from her chest.

Kelsey gaped in horror as her only hope blew away.

The Fool card soared past Kelsey.

Way above her head.

Way out of her reach.

Out—out toward the beach.

“Oh, no!” Kelsey cried. “It’s headed for the ocean!” Kelsey and Drew tore
down the beach after the fluttering card. It appeared as a dim white speck as it
floated out—out to sea.

Madame Valda’s laughter cut through the air, but Kelsey didn’t turn back. She
ran. Ran for her life.

“I can get it! I’ve got to!”

The beach was pitch black. Kelsey wanted to look down—to see where she was
running. But she didn’t.

She trained her eyes on the card. She could lose sight of it in a blink.

She ran faster. Faster.

But suddenly she felt heat at her back.

“She’s chasing us!” Drew screamed.

Kelsey turned—and saw a huge ball of fire streak through the sky. It swooped
down—and spun around her.

She stared in terror as Madame Valda soared up from the fireball’s center.
Dripping fire.

The flames licked at Kelsey’s legs… arms… hair.

She threw her arms over her head and screamed.

“There is no way to escape me, Fool.” Madame Valda’s fiery breath hit the
back of Kelsey’s neck. “No way at all.”

The card!
Kelsey had lost sight of the card!

She jerked her head around. There it was! Dipping down—right in front of her.

Kelsey sprang up for it. And just as her finger brushed its tip, the gypsy’s
hot breath blew it away.

“Nooooo!” Kelsey screamed. “Nooooo!”

The card flipped and spun in the air.

Kelsey leaped for it.

The evil gypsy blew it again—blew it from her grasp.

“To the sea!” Madame Valda cackled. “To the beautiful
black
sea!”

The card swirled in front of Kelsey. It fluttered down in front of her face.
Then rose up sharply.

Kelsey lunged for it. But it whirled around her.

Taunting her.

Then it sailed out to the shore.

Kelsey lunged again. Plunging in the cold, inky water.

“Say goodbye, you little fool!” Madame Valda shrieked. Then she threw her
head back and roared with laughter.

And just as she did, Kelsey snatched the card from the air—and thrust it
directly in the center of Madame Valda’s flaming body!

“Here’s your card back, Madame Valda!” Kelsey spat.

“Nooooooo!”

Madame Valda’s screams rang out through the night. Her fiery form exploded in
an enormous burst of light. And tore through the blackened sky.

Kelsey smiled as she watched the fire fade—as Madame Valda’s features began
to melt.

Her fiery figure shriveled up—smaller and smaller.

And then she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“No! No! Noooo!” Kelsey screamed when she heard the explosion.

“I won!” Drew shouted. “I won!”

Kelsey glared at the clown she had been aiming at. Its inflated balloon head
bobbed from side to side.

She set down her water pistol, defeated. “Only because I let you win,” she
shot back.

Drew just laughed as the carnival barker handed him his prize—a giant
pretzel. He broke it in two and gave her half.

“Thanks.” She smiled. “What should we do next?”

“Let’s go through the haunted house again,” he suggested. “The Shadyside
Carnival has the best haunted house!”

“That’s because Shadyside is the best haunted town,” Kelsey joked.

“I’m glad we made it back from the beach in time for the carnival,” Drew said
as the two headed for the haunted house ride.