Chapter 3
Mischa
Follow the colors.
Standing on the sidewalk in front of Psychic Sands Shoppe, I zip up my coat.
It's a sunny day, but December is definitely letting us know it's here.
Staring down the street at the plethora of booths, I mull over Lady Merla's fortune.
Well, I guess it was a fortune? Honestly, I have zero clue.
Before I drank the tea, she was enthralled with my story about the explosion in Kosovo and my remaining scars.
I figured her fortune would work that in, somehow.
But, nope.
I'm not expected at work for a couple more hours, so I take my time walking back, weaving in and out of the different booths at the Main Street Christmas Fair. Stopping at the Blackwater Family Cranberry Bog booth, I see purple-haired Isobel Redfern is manning it with a couple of her cousins.
"Why hello there, former vice president," she quips when she catches sight of me.
"Hello there, madam president."
Isobel and I were on the student council our senior year in high school at Sea Glass High.
"You wouldn't happen to be selling your famous cranberry sauce, would you?"
She puts up a finger and walks to the other side of the booth, bringing me back two jars.
"Yes! I'll take both of those."
Isobel rings me up. She places the glass jars in a cute bag with their logo of a cranberry bog and a witch's hat.
"Thanks, Isobel. I'll see you around."
Walking away, I realize I should see if I can find a Christmas gift here to send my aunt and uncle.
They are huge art lovers. So I scan the booths for paintings and other decorations.
At a wood carver's table, I almost buy a carved mask that can be hung on the wall, but a glint of dancing blue and green light bounces on the wood carver's pop-up, which grabs my attention.
Turning, I look to see where the source of the light comes from.
I can spot more colorful beams dancing along a couple more booths until they hit the ground where two little toddlers are stomping around in them.
Straining my eyes, I can't see the booth where they come from.
Turning back to the woodcarver, I say, "I will think about it.
Thank you. It's a gorgeous piece." Making my way toward the stomping toddlers, I hear someone shout my name.
Selwyn is waving to me from his jewelry booth, so I take a quick left and head over.
"How goes it?" I say as a greeting.
"Good," he says. "I heard you were going to visit Lady Merla today."
I must look surprised because he adds, "Sorry. Fred and Ada just happened to talk about it in front of me."
"No worries. Yeah. I did, actually. I just saw her this morning."
"Did you get a useful fortune out of her?"
Shrugging my shoulders, I say, "Maybe? I have absolutely no idea, but I know that Ada's fortune was pretty random as well."
"What's yours?" Selwyn says, then quickly adds, "If you want to share. No worries if not."
"No. It's alright. She told me to follow the colors."
The last word gets caught in my throat, and I look up. I'm pretty sure my eyes are bulging out of their sockets, looking at Selwyn.
"Follow the colors?" He asks.
"Oh, shit. Sorry, Selwyn. I'll see you later," I say, spinning on my heel and running across the street, passing several other booths.
When I get to the aisle where I think I saw those toddlers, I look to my right. Sure enough, there's a booth covered in colorful glass pieces, some on the table, some hung up as a display. The sunlight beams through the various pieces of blown glass, causing rainbows to dance in front of the table.
Walking closer, I see a curvy figure standing amongst the beauty.
She is drinking from a straw while I come closer.
Her wavy silver hair catches the December light, and her eyes look warm and welcoming.
I stop directly in front of her, and my cock twinges watching her slowly remove the straw from her full pink lips.
"Welcome to Saltwind Studios."