![\"The](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.everywritersresource.com\/shortstories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/The-Fortune-Teller.jpg?resize=640%2C360&ssl=1\")
<\/h2>\nby Meghan Campbell<\/p>\n
The fortune teller pushed the cloth curtains out of her way and stepped into the room, adjusting the oversized turban on her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood evening,\u201d she said to the man sitting at her fortune telling table with a smile. \u201cI\u2019m sensing the presence of a J. Justin, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
He stared blankly at her. \u201cHayden.\u201d<\/p>\n
She plopped onto her chair and held out her hands. \u201cI\u2019m just kidding, I don\u2019t know. I\u2019m not psychic. What I am, though, is an incredibly gifted palm reader.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reluctantly held out his hand, palm up. She grasped it and began to read. \u201cAh yes, here it is. Hayden Cartwright. Born January 28th. Likes the smell of honeydew but not honey or dew. Enjoys the musical talents of The B-52s and The Doors\u2014ooh, good taste. Let\u2019s see\u2026raised by macaws after being abandoned by parents who were straw benders at the straw bending factory\u2026wow\u2026\u201d She looked at him. \u201cI\u2019m pleasantly surprised. All the macaws I\u2019ve met have terrible manners.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes I was very lucky. Mother and Father Cluck-Cluck were well behaved birds who rarely ate their young. They were also very good teachers, I learned to fly after only a week. Look, the reason I\u2019m here is because I was just hoping to ask you something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes of course. What is it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWill my true love and I live happily ever after?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHm\u2026\u201d she said, narrowing her eyes as she read further. \u201cI see complications in your future. She\u2019s having problems with her pregnancy\u2026the baby\u2019s born\u2026it\u2019s a human and macaw hybrid, a human head and a bird body, it\u2019s too heavy to hold up so it just wobbles around on its little bird feet, its wings flapping but to no prevail\u2026years later it struggles in math and has trouble tying its shoes\u2014oh god, it\u2019s so terrible!\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked at her questioningly as she covered her eyes, horrified. \u201cWhat? No, Melissa, Melissa Peters. The human one.\u201d<\/p>\n
She lowered her hands and looked at his palm. \u201cOh. Yeah. You\u2019re going to be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
He watched her closely. \u201cThat\u2019s it?\u201d<\/p>\n
She smiled. \u201cThat\u2019s it. Oh, and seventy dollars please,\u201d she said, holding out her hand.<\/p>\n
He paid the fortune teller and left the tent, looking around nervously before crossing the street and reaching into a tree. He extracted a macaw from the branch and tucked it under his arm, scanning his surroundings before taking off down the road.<\/p>\n
\u201cRun, Janey! Run!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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