3 Knights and Magic*

Knight of Pentacles Knight of Swords

High Priestess

Knight of Cups Knight of Wands

Death

Out of seventy-eight cards in the tarot deck, why do I keep getting these cards over and over again?

For some weird reason, I always managed to pick these cards from the different tarot readers I've approached and none of them knows what they meant and they didn't dare interpret them for me as if they're afraid of something.

This isn't even a healthy coincidence anymore. Chills run down my spine. I felt like I was cursed.

"Two major Arcanas align with each other and four Minor Arcanas surrounding them that did not complement with the other cards. So many possibilities and situations... but as a highly-skilled tarot reader such as myself, I couldn't pinpoint what will happen in the future."Beth drummed her fingers on the table, a line etched between her brows. "I'm not sure I could get an accurate reading from this. Why don't you pick another batch of cards?"

She shuffled the cards earnestly for five minutes and let me pick another set of cards.

Want to know the result? The cards are the same.

"This has been happening to me for a long time." I sighed heavily, rubbing my eyes. "I was hoping you'd shed some light on this, Beth. Did you ever have this kind of experience when you're reading for one of your clients?"

"Major Arcana cards rarely change during the readings but the minor ones can change depending on your day-to-day decision making." Beth's eyes had a haunted look in them. "Are you sure this happens all the time?"

"Yes," I replied shakily. "The sequence doesn't matter. They just sort of appearing as if jumping out from the tarot decks every single time."

"What does your intuition say?"

"Pardon?"

"What do you think is their message? What is your gut feeling?" Beth leaned forward, staring into my eyes as if she could see my soul. "Do you feel like you could interpret them yourself?"

"I don't know!" I burst out, shaking my head. "I haven't tried reading the tarot before."

"Give me your hand."

Beth tried to read my palm as she held my fingers together. She keeps on positioning them under the color-shaded lamp on the table. She scowled at my hand and I held my breath as I waited for the reading.

"I've studied palmistry before," Beth whispered. "You're the first person I've encountered with this unusual pattern. When it feels like I've gotten a good look at them, my vision becomes blurry and now..." Beth rubbed her temples in dismay. "I feel like someone has been repeatedly pounding my head. I think I need to rest."

Beth called for her assistant as she wrapped her hands around herself as if it's cold in the room all of a sudden.

"This is my last client and her name is Cassandra Reid. Tell the people lining up outside to disperse because I'm not reading for them anymore." She instructed the secretary. "We're closing the shop."

"Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait." I called out, running a hand through my hair in frustration. "This is your last day in New York City, right? Aren't you gonna indulge the last patron in line? It's still early. It's nine o'clock in the morning, Beth. Like me, they came a long way just to see you and are willing to pay your price. You are not a cheap psychic either. If I was one of them, I'm gonna be so pissed off." I told her a matter-of-factly.

Beth threw back her head and laughed. "Like you're the one to talk, my dear. This has happened because of you."

"Me? W-Why?" I stuttered.

I was utterly speechless.

Oh no.

I hope my experience with psychics is not having a comeback right now.

"Are you okay? I'm sorry." I whispered apologetically. "I must have ruined your business."

"You most certainly ruined my business, young lady," Beth replied as perspiration showed in her brows. "You just stole my psychic abilities and I've felt them being sucked away by your energy. Trust me, I've read your aura earlier and something is seriously wrong with it and now... I can't read them anymore. Both a blessing and a curse. I've lost my sources of income but at least I'm free."

"But I didn't---"

"Here. I'll recommend something to get rid of the hexes around you." Beth rummaged on her storage chest under the round table and showed me a box of ancient tarot cards inside a glassed-in case. "I think you'll need this one too." She removed her opal necklace, moved behind me, and fastened them to my neck. "This will serve as an amplifier for individuals with ESP."

"But I'm not even a---"

"Just trust me, my dear." Beth's eyes flickered with pity. "Only a fellow psychic could cancel out each other's voodoos." She clapped her hands as a cash register drawer shoots open and a whir of the receipt was printed. "The items will cost you two hundred and fifty dollars. Not including the reading, of course. I won't charge you for that."