Eye Of The Fortuneteller

7

“So were the crabs real or not?” Drew asked.

Kelsey told Drew all about her terrible night as the two walked to the beach the next morning.

“I told you!” Kelsey yelled. “They weren’t real. Well, one of them was real. But not the others.”

“So – why were you afraid?”

“Look!” Kelsey said, shoving the Fool card right in his face.

“So?” Drew pushed her hand away.

“So!” Kelsey couldn’t believe that he could be so dumb. “I told you. I tore it up into a million pieces and threw it into the garbage can! Now look at this thing. It isn’t even bent or creased.”

“This just doesn’t make any sense,” Drew said as they reached the beach and started tromping through the sand.

“Wow, Drew. When did you become such a genius?”

“Very funny,” Drew grumbled. “So – what are you going to do?”

“Well, I am definitely not going to let that old gypsy and her stupid curse scare me,” Kelsey declared. “And now I am going to get rid of this card- forever.”

Kelsey headed directly to the ocean. She stood on the shore for a few moments and watched the waves roll in.

“What are you doing?” Drew asked.

“Watch,” she told him. She held up the Fool card and tore it again and again and again – until she couldn’t tear it anymore.

Then, with Drew by her side, she waded out into the water. When the first wave broke around her knees, she scattered some of the bits of paper over the water.

She and Drew watched as the foam carried them away.

When the next wave hit, she did the same thing, scattering a little more of what was left of the card. Wave after wave, she did the same thing – until nothing was left.

“There,” she said as the surf carried off the last torn pieces. “It’s gone for good. Now let’s go swimming.”

“We have to wait for our parents,” Drew reminded her. “You know the rules. ‘No swimming, kids, unless we’re with you.’”

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But they promised they were coming out right away,” Kelsey complained. “Where are they anyway?”

She scanned the beach, searching for them. “There they are!” she said, spotting them.

Kelsey jumped up and down, waving at their parents to get their attention. When they waved back, Kelsey darted into the ocean.

“Race you to France,” she called over her shoulder to Drew.

Drew dived in after her.

They fought their way through crashing waves until they were shoulder-deep in the water. Kelsey watched as a wave began to swell behind them.

“Let’s ride this one,” she yelled.

“All right!” Drew yelled back.

Kelsey bent her knees and pushed off the sandy floor. Drew did the same. The wave took them on an awesome ride. Perfect all the way to the end.

They swam out and waited to catch the next wave. Suddenly Kelsey felt something squishy hit her back. And it stayed there – right between her shoulders.

“Drew,” she called. “Do you see something on my back?”

But Drew wasn’t there. He had caught the wave and was headed for the shore.

She reached over her shoulder to swat off whatever was there. The tips of her fingers brushed against something soft.

Something wet and slimy.

Something that began to wriggle against her skin.

“Jellyfish!” she shrieked in terror.

She tried to brush it off, but it wouldn’t budge.

She jumped up and down and tried to shake it off. The more she struggled with it, the tighter it clung to her.

Digging into her back.

Stinging her with its deadly poison.