Eye Of The Fortuneteller

13

“Oh, no!” Kelsey cried. “I don’t believe this!”

Inside the box was a picture of Kelsey. And there, scrawled across the front, was a big, red X. A big red X right through Kelsey’s face.

The Amazing Zandra studied the Fool card that Kelsey had returned. Then she peered into the box at Kelsey’s picture. Then back at the card.

“How did you do this?” Zandra demanded.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” Kelsey shouted. “I didn’t do anything. The card keeps coming back all by itself. Because I’m under a curse! That’s why I paid you ten dollars in the first place. Remember? To take the curse off!”

“Whoa! This is totally freaky,” Zandra said. “It sounds to me like you really are under a curse.”

“That’s what we’ve been telling you all along!” Drew yelled. “Now, can you do anything to help, or not?”

“I don’t know,” Zandra shrugged. “I think you probably ought to talk to the gypsy who put the curse on you and ask her to remove it.”

“But – but,” Kelsey sputtered, “I tried that already. The only time I ever saw her was in here. And you told me that was impossible – that there was no other gypsy!”

“I am the only gypsy here,” Zandra stated. “What was this other gypsy’s name? Did she tell you?”

“Yes,” Kelsey answered. “But I don’t remember what it was. It was something weird.”

“Madame something,” Drew reminded her. “Madame… Madame…”

“Valda!” Kelsey blurted out.

“That’s it!” Drew agreed. “Madame Valda!”

Zandra’s jaw dropped.

“What’s wrong?” Kelsey asked.

“That can’t be,” Zandra said, shaking her head. “Madame Valda. Here? No,” she answered her own question. “That just can’t be.”

“You know who Madame Valda is?” Drew asked.

“Of course,” Zandra answered. “Every gypsy in the world knows who Madame Valda is.”

“Well, who is she?” Kelsey asked, planting her hands on her hips.

Zandra took a deep breath. “Madame Valda is the most powerful gypsy who ever lived. And the most evil. But you could not possibly have seen Madame Valda,” Zandra assured them.

“Why not?” Kelsey wanted to know.

“Because,” Zandra said, staring directly into her eyes, “Madame Valda has been dead for more than a hundred years.”