by Jonas Saul
It felt like the pavilion grew darker, smaller.
Was this the danger she was in? Would the police get her notebook and want to talk to her?
She backed away from Dolan. With a glance to her right, she saw the old woman, Esmerelda, watching her. So she had followed her from the booth.
Her parents walked up.
"Sarah, we're here to pick you up. Are you done yet?"
She turned toward them and almost hugged her mother.
"Honey, what's wrong? Are you okay?"
Sarah stepped away and moved back to Dolan.
The tension in the air was palpable.
Speaking loud enough for Dolan to hear, she said, "I was sent here to give you a message: Save yourself."
"What was that all about? Who was that man and the old woman who was staring bullets into you?"
She ran from the building without her notebook, her parents trailing behind.
"I'll tell you on the way home," Sarah said.
They left the Psychic Fair not knowing the message 'save yourself' was meant for Sarah.
Chapter 3
Someone like her should never be here. Why did Sarah have to come?
The fair closed twenty minutes ago. The area she stood in was dark except for a few random night lights. There was just enough illumination for her to see which way to walk out to her trailer in the back.
The last piece to stow away was her crystal ball. The one prop she hated the most because of how fake it was. To have someone with her talents using such a prop seemed disrespectful. It was all for show. Everything was for show. That was the way the public had to see it as per Dolan.
"Esmerelda."
She jumped, almost dropping her crystal ball. Without speaking, she turned and set the ball back down on the table.
"What do you want?" Real worry coursed through her. Why was that? Why would she be concerned about Dolan?
"You look jittery. Not usual for you. If I had to guess, I'd say something's bothering you."
Esmerelda put her hands out in front of her, "Don't try to use any psychic stuff on me, Dolan."
"I'm not. You know my rules on that."
She stepped back. Dolan walked around her booth table and sat in the customer's chair.
"I came over because I wanted to talk to you about a customer you had today. I would've come sooner, but I had to get rid of all the naggers."
"Naggers? Is that what you call the public?" Esmerelda didn't sit. She leaned back against a steel post bordering her booth.
"No, not the public in general. I had to give a name to the stragglers. They remind me of the paparazzi."
"Who can resist you," she said, without trying to sound too sarcastic.
"Esmerelda, you've been with the fair for a long time. We've known each other for over twenty years. Why do I hear such bitterness in your voice?"
Esmerelda looked away. Dolan was right. Why was she feeling disrupted? Maybe because she knew Sarah was so young and she was playing in a game unaware of its rules. She should have stopped Sarah earlier. She should have taken her by the arm and told her exactly how much danger she was in. She should have told her to stop listening to her messages in her notebook.
"I'm sorry, Dolan. You're right. It's been a long day."
"Do you remember the young girl with the missing hair? Quite a distinguishing feature."
"I recall her. Why do you ask?" She had no idea why Dolan would be interested in Sarah.
"I bumped into her after she left your booth."
Esmerelda could feel his gaze on her. Did Dolan recognize Sarah for what she is?
"I saw that. If you're looking to apologize to her, it's too late. I don't keep personal records of the people I do readings for. But you already know this. Besides, I didn't even get the chance to do a reading for her." Esmerelda turned and stared right at Dolan. "Is there something you're not telling me?"
"Look, Esmerelda. I'm not sure what it is myself. I felt some kind of a spark with that girl. She had a message in her notebook. I have no idea what it means, but it's quite unsettling."
Dolan lowered his head. Esmerelda waited for him to continue.
In the seconds of silence she heard someone walking nearby. She edged out of her booth and looked down the aisle just in time to see a suit jacket flutter past a booth about six down from hers. A black jacket. The same one worn by Alex, Dolan's assistant earlier today. Was the assistant listening in or coincidentally walking by? She lifted her nose and took in a deep breath to see if she could detect his cologne.
"Did you hear that?" she asked.
"Hear what?"
Esmerelda brushed it off with a motion of her hand and gestured for Dolan to continue. "You said there was something else?"
"Yes."
He got up from the chair and looked down at Esmerelda. She was almost two feet shorter than him.
"She had a notebook with her. When she fell to the floor it popped open. I went to help her up but she fell into a trance and wrote something down. Then she snapped out of it."
Esmerelda waited for Dolan to go on. In the darkened pavilion she hadn't noticed how anxious he looked. This was more serious than she thought.
"I saw my name in her notebook. She circled it numerous times before standing up. There were two words beside that."
"Having your name in her notebook shouldn't be a mystery. You're the one that makes this Psychic Fair popular. Everyone comes to see you. After all the help you've given the police with missing person cases, you're a celebrity."
Dolan was shaking his head as if he was frustrated. "By my name it said, 'save yourself'."
Esmerelda sat down. "Sarah is an Automatic Writer. The problem with her is she is changing the future. She's getting precognitions about people in need of help and then attempting to help them."
"How do you know all this? You read that much?"
"No, I recognized her from the news. She saved a woman from drowning under the St. Elizabeth Bridge; the Anchorwoman who crashed over the edge when that garbage truck lost its wheel."
"That was Sarah?"
"Yes, and she is in trouble. Something is coming, but I couldn't tell what. She needs help. As soon as I told her, she bolted. I wish I could help her, but I fear, within twenty-four hours Sarah will either be dead or a victim to her own precognition she's trying to stop."
Chapter 4
Sarah couldn't believe what was happening.
She lay on her bed, not sure what move to make.
Yesterday she met Esmerelda at the Psychic Fair and all she got was a warning and something about being able to hear the Other Side. Her parents had argued most of the night about it.
The pressure of the danger that's supposedly coming started to mount. Maybe it had to do with her notebook. If the police ever got their hands on it, she would have some explaining to do. The kind of explaining that got you locked up with a nice white jacket. Maybe that was it?
Automatic Writer?
Someone or something from the Other Side was using her as a tool.
She needed to get her notebook back. She wanted to re-read all the entries, and then destroy it.
She couldn't turn to her parents. It would only fuel their current arguments. She felt guilty enough for that. They wouldn't listen anyway. They always treated her like a child. Even at eighteen, they still treated her like she was fourteen. Half of that was her fault; she hadn't moved out yet and there was no indication that she would anytime soon.
She had no friends to speak of. She knew people from school, but no real friends she could trust. She had no boyfriend. Who would want one anyway? With all the trouble relationships seemed to be, it was the last thing she wanted to add to her mixed up situation.
She decided she would have to see Esmerelda again. She could explain what Automatic Writing was.
She got up and sat on the edge of her bed.
Was Dolan in trouble? Could she help?
Should she help?
Sarah picked
up her bedroom phone. After dialing information she was routed to the Psychic Fair's number. On the third ring, a woman picked it up.
Sarah could feel her hand shaking from the vibration the phone made against her ear. She was taken aback by this because she had been in situations in the last six months that should have scared her more.
This one felt more personal though.
Now she had to try to save herself.
She asked for Esmerelda and was told that she was in a session and couldn't be disturbed. Sarah left her name, telephone number and hung up.
She grabbed her address book and opened it to an entry she'd made months ago about Mary Bennett. There had been an attempted kidnapping and at the right moment, Sarah stepped in and stopped it. After Mary was confirmed to be okay Sarah had tried to slink away undetected but she'd been grabbed by Mary who had written her phone number down and told Sarah to call if she needed anything. Anything at all.
Sarah dialed the number. A male, probably a servant, answered and told Sarah to hold while he went to find Mary.
A moment later a female voice came on the line. "Hello, who's this?"
Sarah recognized Mary's voice. She'd never forget it. Mary had been her first save.
"It's Sarah," she whispered.
"Sarah? I don't know any Sarah's...Oh wait. Are you the girl with no eyebrows? The one who was by the trash bin that night?"
"Yes."
"Hold on. I want to talk to you, but not here. Let me put the phone down so I can go to my room. You'll wait?"
"Yes, I'll wait."
Sarah heard the phone drop and feet shuffling. Moments later she heard the familiar click of a phone lifting and then Mary yelling that she got it. The other line was put down.
"Why haven't you called sooner? I've got so many questions."
"I like to stay anonymous. I don't make it a practice to get to know the people I help."
"Are you saying that I'm not the only one you've helped? Is this something you do regularly?" Mary sounded surprised.
"Not regularly. Only when...I'm supposed to." Sarah stood and walked to her bedroom window. Her parents were still out so she didn't have to worry about them overhearing anything. "Listen, I didn't call to talk about that. I wanted to ask for your help."
"Help? Whatever it is I'll give it my best."
"I need you to do two simple tasks for me. What I need you to do involves my father and a woman named Esmerelda.
Chapter 5
Esmerelda spent most of her day trying to figure out what was bothering her more. Could she be that concerned about Sarah, a girl she just met? Or was it what Dolan had said last night?
Her booth was small. From where she was standing, she reached around and grabbed the closed sign. She was done for the day. No more clients, no more brooding. She placed it in its holder on the table.
"Closing early?"
The voice startled her. She looked up and saw Dolan's assistant. She should have sniffed him coming. He was always doused in Fahrenheit cologne.
"Yes. I'm not feeling well. I wouldn't be at my best for the clientele."
"But it's only the lunch hour. Do you feel Dolan will approve of his top psychic taking off early?"
"I don't care what Dolan approves of. I should've retired years ago. I do this because I want to. I don't work for you or Dolan."
"Alright, alright, you needn't get so defensive. I was merely concerned about your well being."
Yeah right, she thought. She wondered why she always felt the need to explain herself to Alex. Why did she even talk to him? Not many of the employees got along with him. Some of the lunch room talk was curiosity as to why Dolan kept him on.
"I'm leaving Alex. I'll be back tomorrow."
"Where are you going?"
"It's none of your business. But if you must know, I'm going to my trailer for a siesta."
Esmerelda stood and edged her way around the booth's table. The closer she got to Alex the worse the cologne was. Intoxicating, like it seared the oxygen out of the air.
Within two steps she expected Alex to say something, but he didn't. She walked away in silence.
It was a slow day at the fair anyway. She'd had a few people to read for this morning and as she walked through the pavilion she could see it was half empty.
When she reached the back exit door she stopped dead in her tracks.
"Where're you going, Esmerelda?"
"To my trailer, Dolan."
He moved in front of the back door, his arms crossed.
"I want to talk to you about that girl you did a reading for yesterday."
"Again? We discussed her last night. I know nothing more."
"Ah, but I think you do. Come with me."
She had no intention of going anywhere with him. Something was not right.
She moved for the door when Dolan reached out and gripped her arm above the elbow. He led her away from the back door.
"Hey. What are you doing? Let go of me."
"We need to talk."
It was so unlike Dolan to act this way, so uncharacteristic. Maybe her precognition of danger had come true and Sarah's parents were here demanding answers.
Minutes later they were under a steel staircase that led to the offices above. The closest booth or fair attendee was at least thirty feet away.
"Alex and I were having a conversation yesterday when we bumped into Sarah. You already know what I saw in her notebook. Alex is also curious about it. I remember you said that Sarah could be dead or a victim of one of her own precognitions. But that works with save yourself. So what's going on? Should I be worried? I mean, just before she leaves the pavilion she whispers that I need to save myself. Is this about me or Sarah?"
"I told you yesterday, I didn't even get a chance to do a full reading." This was so unlike Dolan. "What is this all about? Why drag me over here to ask the same questions from last night? Besides, what do you have to worry about?"
"Something's got me freaked out."
She saw something in Dolan's eyes that didn't seem right. The fair was still quite empty; no one was close enough to hear them. Esmerelda stepped back.
"Alex was standing by your booth when he overheard you say the girl was in danger. Alex listened a little more. You know it isn't the practice of the Dolan Ryan's Psychic Fair to do negative readings. I not only want to know what you were talking about, I need to know if it relates to me."
"I'm sorry Dolan; I refuse to talk about it. As far as I'm concerned, it has nothing to do with you."
She could see his surprise. He took a step back and looked around.
"Whatever Alex heard wasn't meant for his ears or yours. The reading was for Sarah and Sarah alone. I can't tell you about the danger because I don't know what it is."
"Esmerelda, how long have we been at this together, doing readings, helping people find love, marriage, peace? You of all people know me. As the years have been getting tougher and tougher, all I want is to make a little more money and then get away from all this. I'm done, Esmerelda. I want obscurity. Esmerelda, tell me what's going on? Was the 'save yourself' comment for her and not me?"
"I have nothing to say about this. Besides, I didn't get to see inside her notebook."
Esmerelda turned to leave but Dolan's stopped her.
"What's happening to you Dolan? I have never seen you like this."
"I need to know why you won't talk to me. Are these girl's problem's related to me? Tell me, Esmerelda."
She didn't say a word.
"Esmerelda."
She saw his jaw clench together when he said her name. She felt his anger, his desperation.
She stepped back and walked away in a half jog. Their impromptu meeting was over. The truth was she really didn't know what form the danger would take. One thing she knew was that it did have something to do with the psychic fair and she wanted no part of that.
On her way out the back door she saw Alex again. He was sitting on the table in her booth, watching he
r.
Chapter 6
Sarah took a seat near the exit doors in the rear of the bus. It was empty but for a few teenagers. The doors rattled shut and the bus lumbered forward.
After she talked to Mary, Sarah felt she'd made a mistake. Trusting people had always been a big deal for her and now she realized she probably said too much to Mary.
They mutually felt a connection on the phone that made Sarah feel odd, seeing as they'd only talked once before. Sarah wasn't used to having people she had to rely on.
Mary said the reason she wanted to help was because of Sarah. Not only had Sarah saved her from being kidnapped, she also intrigued her. Mary said her life had become boring, where Sarah's life sounded exciting. She wanted to get involved the next time Sarah went to stop a kidnapping. Sarah had quickly refused and got off the phone but not before securing Mary's commitment to help in exactly the way Sarah needed her help.
The familiar ding of a bus rider signaling their intent to exit the bus at the next stop made her jump. It woke her from her reverie just in time. She was a block away from the pavilion where the Psychic Fair was being held.
The bus stopped in front of the fair and Sarah got off. She headed to the front entrance. When she got there she was confronted by a registration table with two women sitting behind it.
She looked at the fee that was posted on the table and knew she didn't have enough. She thought about asking if a notebook had been returned to lost and found, but thought better of it. Talk to Esmerelda first.
"I was wondering if you could get a message to Esmerelda for me."
One of the women, with a smile that showed all her teeth and some of her gums, looked up at her. "What would you like me to pass along?"
"Could you tell her that Sarah Roberts is out front and that I would like to talk to her? Tell her that it concerns the reading she did for me yesterday."
"I could, but I don't think she'll be able to drop what she's doing to come out front. She's one of the most popular psychics we have here. She's probably got a line at her booth right now. But I'll make sure she gets the message."