Written in the Stars (A Short Story)

by Carroll, Francene

  Written in the Stars

  By

  Francene Carroll

  Written in the Stars

  Copyright © 2012 Francene Carroll

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Written in the Stars

  by

  Francene Carroll

  “Do it now, Mel. Take your hands from the keyboard, and just walk away.” It was good advice she was giving herself, and Melanie Jones was in the act of following through with it, when she spotted a new photo that had just been uploaded to the website. The woman in the picture had long red hair cascading down her shoulders from beneath a brightly coloured scarf. Her large hoop earrings and exotic almond-shaped eyes gave her a mysterious air. It looked like there was a new girl in town, and from what Melanie could see so far, she was just her type.

  Quickly forgetting her resolution to spend less time in front of the computer, Melanie swivelled back around to face the screen properly. She clicked on the photo to get into the woman’s profile, pushed her reading glasses back up onto the bridge of her nose, and settled in to find out more.

  The woman’s name was Serenity, and she was also from Sydney, which was a very big bonus. It made meeting so much easier, if it ever got to that stage. Melanie had already been through nearly every other person listed on the site, and she was yet to find anyone she was satisfied with. Mostly they were women, but there were a couple of men too. Some had been nice, but too unsure of themselves, while others had asked too many personal questions. Most were in it for what they could get, and a few had been just plain creepy.

  With any luck Serenity would be different from the rest. She might be the one Melanie had been searching for all this time. She was about to click out of the profile when to her surprise the instant messaging window popped up on her screen with a greeting from Serenity.

  Serenity: Hi there. Noticed u checking out my profile. Feel free to ask any questions.

  Melanie was unsure what to do next. It was one thing to look at a photo and read about someone, but another to begin a conversation that might lead to more. Was she really ready to take the next step? She decided to throw caution to the wind and just plunge in. It seemed fated that Serenity was online at the same time as she was.

  Mel: Hi Serenity, how r u? I don’t do this often. Not 2 sure how it works

  She figured a little white lie wasn’t going to hurt anyone.

  Serenity: No worries, I’m new at this 2, we can be newbies together : )

  Mel: What r your hourly rates?

  Serenity: Depends what u want. I do sessions ranging from half hour to 3 hours. I can come to your place or u to mine. Happy to do more than 1 person at a time. Can also do a show, but this a bit more exy.

  Melanie had never been interested in parties or shows. For her, this was something personal and private that she did not want to share with anyone. She had not even told her close friends what she got up to, and she knew they would be absolutely horrified if they discovered how much money she had spent on this site over the past few years. The way she saw it, everyone was entitled to one guilty pleasure in life. She did not splurge on shoes or clothes like some women, or go out partying every weekend. This was her only vice, and even though she knew she could not really afford it, she could not give it up just yet.

  Mel: I’d like to start online and c how it goes from there

  Serenity: No worries. Do u want to use a webcam or just IM to begin with?

  Mel: IM to start with

  She always liked to test them, to see how good they were when they had nothing visual to work with. It gave her an idea of their abilities. If they could satisfy her on IM, they then moved to webcam and eventually to meeting in person. Only a few had made it that far, and they had been very disappointing in the flesh.

  Serenity: GR8. I can fit you in on Fri @ 7.30 pm. Does this suit?

  Mel: Good 4 me. Chat with u then : )

  ****

  Melanie was sitting in front of her laptop on Friday at seven-thirty sharp, waiting for Serenity to begin their session. To her relief, her roommates had all gone out, so she would not be disturbed. She had told them she was working on a report for work, and locked herself in her room just in case. A few butterflies danced in her stomach as the minutes ticked by. No matter how many times she did this, she still felt a little nervous, but it was all part of the thrill. Finally the IM window popped up.

  Serenity: Hi Mel. Any questions b4 I begin?

  Mel: No, just begin thnx.

  Serenity: Ok. I am feeling hot. So hot.

  There was a long pause and Melanie did not know if she was supposed to reply.

  Serenity: Have u been somewhere tropical lately?

  She had to think hard for a minute.

  Mel: I went the beach a few weeks ago. Was a hot day.

  Serenity: That’s what I’m seeing. U are also planning a holiday soon, somewhere cold, with snow. Correct?

  Mel: No.

  Serenity: U will be soon, with a couple of girlfriends.

  Her heart began to sink. There was no way she could afford a holiday to the snow for a long time. Was Serenity a fake like so many of the others?

  Mel: Can’t afford a holiday

  Serenity: U will come into a large sum of $. Is not expected but it will happen soon. This will pay 4 the holiday and quite a bit more.

  That was more like it. She had been getting very itchy palms lately which meant money was coming her way soon. Maybe Serenity was the real deal after all.

  Mel: GR8. I could use it.

  Serenity: I’m seeing a man in your life. Tall, blonde hair and blue eyes. Does this make sense?

  Melanie’s heart began to pound.

  Mel: Yes

  She had to be talking about Greg. His hair was technically brown, but it went very light in summer, and his hazel eyes could look greenish/blue in certain lights. At 5’6 he was tall. Well, taller than her.

  Serenity: This man likes 2 spend time with family & friends. I see him drinking beer. He plays a sport involving a round ball.

  That was Greg to a T. He loved to socialize and he had joined the office softball team a few years ago. He only played one game before he hurt his leg, but it proved he liked sports.

  Serenity: You like this man a lot?

  Mel: Yes

  Oh God, yes

  Serenity: I c there have been a few minor obstacles in your path. True?

  She guessed you could call a fiancé a minor obstacle.

  Mel: True

  Serenity: Guides are saying not 2 worry. U r meant to be together, nothing will stand in your way.

  Melanie felt like dancing around the room with joy. Finally she had found a genuine psychic who knew what she was talking about.

  Mel: That’s v good 2 know.

  She became even more impressed as the reading continued. Serenity could see so much, and she gave her very specific information about her job.

  Serenity: I c u working in a job that involves money & handling cash. Looks like customer service. Yes?

  At first Melanie was confused because she worked as an administration assistant, and her job had nothing to do with money. Then it dawned on her what Serenity was picking up on.

  Mel: I don’t handle $, but m
y cubicle at work faces the payroll department.

  Serenity: That’s it. Your office has water views. True?

  The park two blocks away had a duck pond that could just be seen from the lunchroom.

  Mel: Yes!

  Serenity: U do a lot of typing and filing in your job?

  Mel: Yes : (

  Serenity: I sense u are not completely happy where u r and would like a change.

  Hell yes.

  Mel: True

  Serenity: My guides are telling me there r changes ahead

  Woohoo!

  Mel: What sort?

  Serenity: Looks like a promotion in the same company. A lot more money 4 u. A big step up the ladder.

  Mel: Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. Sounds GR8.

  Serenity: One more thing. They said 2 b wary of a person around u who is not what they seem.

  They had to be talking about Caitlin.

  Mel: Did they give u a name?

  Serenity: Yes. Sounds like James or Jamie.

  Mel: Could it b Caitlin?

  Serenity: Yes that’s it. Just keep your eyes open and don’t believe everything this person says. They have their own agenda.

  Mel: I will. Thnx 4 the warning.

  Serenity: That brings us 2 the end of the reading.

  Melanie glanced at her watch and saw there was still ten minutes to go. She was not worried about it because she had found out everything she needed to know. Greg would soon be hers, she would come into a large sum of money and move into a better job, and it would all happen in the very near future. What more could she ask for?

  Mel: Thanx a mill Serenity

  Serenity: No probs. If u have any more questions u can email me. $5-$30 per answer depending on length. U can also chat with me online 4 $5.50 per minute or book another reading

  Mel: Thnx again. I’ll be in touch soon : )

  ****

  For the next few days Melanie floated on cloud nine. Knowing that her life was about to improve dramatically made it easy to ignore all the things that usually bugged her so much. When Greg leaned over and kissed Tamara at her desk when he thought no one was looking, Melanie just smiled and felt a bit sorry for the girl. She was certainly in for a shock. When the photocopier broke down, and her boss asked her and her co-worker, Lisa, to staple one thousand newsletters each, she handled it graciously and offered to do all of them.

  Caitlin texted and emailed her a few times, but she did not bother to reply. When she finally caught her on her work phone, and Melanie realized who it was, her tone became icy.

  “Is there something wrong with you Mel? You haven’t returned my texts and you’re acting really strangely.”

  “I don’t know Caitlin, you tell me. Should there be something wrong with me?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Let’s just say I have recently discovered that some people are not what they seem to be.”

  “Are you referring to me?”

  “Should I be?”

  “Okay Mel I’m going to hang up now. Call me when that bug’s crawled out of your arse.”

  ****

  By the end of the week her high had started to wear off a little. Greg and Tamara seemed more in love than ever, and no unexpected money had yet materialized to solve her financial problems. She really needed it now because she gone on a shopping spree to celebrate her good fortune. She could not call Caitlin to commiserate as they were not speaking, so she decided to email Serenity to find out if she could be more specific with the timeline for when her life would start to improve.

  Hi Serenity,

  Thanks for the great reading the other day. I just need a little clarification about some of the things you said. I know I’m meant to be with Greg, but is there anything I should be doing to move things along? Also, about my promotion and the money that is going to come my way, can you give me a rough idea of when these things will happen?

  Cheers,

  Mel

  The response came quickly, and she opened the email with anticipation. She was a little disappointed when she saw how brief the reply was.

  Hi Mel,

  You do not need to do anything. The universe will bring Greg into your orbit when the time is right. Same with the money and your promotion. Patience is the key.

  Love & Light,

  Serenity

  P.S You have been charged the full rate of $30 for this answer because it took me a long time to connect with your guides.

  ****

  For the next two weeks Melanie tried her hardest to wait patiently. Her resolve was tested when one of her co-workers pointed out that Greg and Tamara’s wedding was only three weeks away. The universe would have to move quickly if Greg was going to avoid marrying the wrong woman. That was a complication they could all do without.

  She held off contacting Serenity again for as long as she could, but on Saturday night when she logged onto the site and saw she was available, she decided the time was right to probe for a little more information. She would have to keep it brief as her bank balance had not yet recovered from her premature shopping spree.

  Mel: Hi Serenity. Just needed to ask u one more question about Greg. I know u told me to wait but the wedding is 3 weeks away. Will it go ahead?

  Serenity: The wedding may or may not go ahead. Is not 4 us to know.

  Mel: What do u mean it’s not 4 us to know??? Your job is 2 predict the future.

  Serenity: Some things are withheld 4 a reason. This is one of them.

  Mel: Can u pls give me some idea of how long I will have 2 wait 4 him? Its driving me crazy.

  There was a lengthy pause and she watched the seconds tick over in dismay. Finally a reply popped up.

  Serenity: I understand your frustration. I can only tell u 2 b patient. This is one of your life lessons that must be learnt before u can move on. Is a karmic debt from a past life.

  That made a lot of sense. She had always struggled with patience, and if this was a life lesson then who was she to argue?

  Mel: Okay thnx

  Serenity: No worries. Rest assured, the operation will be a success.

  Mel: What???

  Serenity: Sorry Tom, my guides got their wires crossed! Yes the house is haunted. Ghost angry & dangerous. U will need to get an exorcist. I can help u with this.

  Melanie’s suspicions were suddenly on full alert.

  Mel: R u answering other people’s questions while talking 2 me?

  There was another lengthy pause and her anger grew.

  Serenity: I am blessed with ability 2 read multiple people at the same time. It is a gift and I use it 2 the best of my ability.

  What a crock of shit. Even she could not buy that!

  Mel: As u charge per minute people assume they r getting individual attention. I’m putting this on every psychic review site & noticeboard I can find. Unbelievable!

  This time Serenity’s response came back quickly.

  Serenity: So sorry if I’ve offended u Mel : ( To make it up I will give u a free reading 2nite.

  Melanie’s anger abated a little. A free reading was nothing to be sneezed at, and now that she had something over Serenity, she could pump her for as much information as she could about Greg. Serenity had already proven she was gifted, so did it really matter if she was reading more than one person at a time?

  Mel: Ok. When?

  Serenity: @11pm

  Mel: I’ll be waiting

  ****

  Four hours later Melanie was still sitting in front of her laptop when Serenity’s message popped up.

  Serenity: Hi Mel. So sorry about the mix up earlier. No hard feelings?

  Mel: I was disappointed but glad u want 2 make it up. Would hate to give u a bad review

  Serenity: Let’s get started. I sense dissatisfaction in your life. U are anxious 4 things 2 change. My guides are telling me u need 2 trust yourself more, listen to your intuition and it will point you in the right direction.

  This was no help.
She had not spent so much money on psychics just to be told that she did not really need them after all.

  Mel: Can u pls b more specific?

  Serenity: Stop looking outside yourself for answers. The answers r within. Live in the moment, let the future take care of itself.