Dark and Dangerous?
Shannon Delany (author of the 13 to Life series, http://www.ShannonDelany.com)
I’ve gone back and forth about this post (and back and forth) again and again. Do I tell them about my potentially magical dog? The scariest thing about him is the sheer volume of pee he produces. Sure, there’s a weird story that goes along with how we got him, but is it scary? No. “What about one of the weird things that happened at college?” my husband suggested. After I finished laughing (there was so much weird about my time in college… ) I said, “No.” Weird is weird. Scary is—the first day of teaching middle school students. But that didn’t seem suitable either. So I’m wussing out and telling you about something that really happened to me (in college) and scared me in a strange way. Even now I sometimes think back and wonder. I hung out with a unique crowd. We spent a lot of time at Renaissance Faires and events like the Pennsic Wars where we—um—learned odd skills. Tarot? Sure. Sword-fighting? Yep. Traditional dances and bawdy ballads? Yes. And I was tremendously curious because of all that. So it was only natural (in a way) that eventually I’d want to see someone beyond the “circuit” who might read my cards or tell me something I couldn’t guess about my future. There was a very well-respected psychic in a nearby town. I did everything I was supposed to. Called for an appointment? Check. Drove over alone? No problem. Had more than enough cash? Well, of course. Business is business. The psychic plied her trade out of a standard suburban house. Nicely manicured lawn, tree out front, covered porch… There were no gaudy trappings—no sign on the front lawn, no flashing neon proclaiming: Palms Read Here. If anything, the place looked too normal. I knocked on the door and waited until a middle-aged woman in a loose-fitting top and slacks welcomed me inside. She was not wearing a turban or a pentacle nor was she heavily tattooed. Soft-spoken, she led me to her sitting room where there were no skulls or crystal balls but just comfortable seats and shelf after shelf of books. I was immediately at ease. “Take a seat,” she suggested and I settled down, waiting. Every card-reader and medium I’d met did things a little differently. “And you’re here for a reading?” “Yes. I’d just like to know a little about my future.” Her nose wrinkled like suddenly she’d gotten a whiff of something distasteful. “Do you--” She cocked her head and looked at the area around my head, squinting. “—do you have a particular question in mind?” Of course I did. But telling her wouldn’t be the best way to test what sort of information she was capable of getting. So I shrugged. “Well then.” She reached over to the table beside her seat and picked up a deck of cards. She began to shuffle them, but her hands slowed, and the cards slowed as she fixed her eyes on me again. “I’m sorry,” she said, setting the cards back in their place beside her, “but I can’t do this reading.” I blinked. “What?” “I really need you to leave now.” I repeated myself. “What?” “My spirit guide is telling me not to do a reading for you. Not to tell you your future.” I sat perfectly still, stunned. My eyes narrowed. “I have money… ” “That’s not it,” she whispered, all the time watching the air around me as much as watching me. “To read your future wouldn’t be… prudent.” “What? Why not?” “Will you leave as soon as I tell you?” she asked, the words just a whisper. “If I have to… ” She nodded. “All I can say is that there is something large and very dark following you. Something that has followed you much longer than you’ve been here.” “Longer than I’ve been here?” I asked, looking around the room. “No. Do you believe in past lives?” I kept my mouth shut. “Well you should. You’ve lived quite a few. And something has followed you from your past to your present. Something dark and dangerous. And my spirit guide is fiercely telling me I can tell you nothing else. You must go. Now.” “Oh—okay.” I stood up and stepped to the door. “Wait.” I dug into my pocket and pulled out the cash I’d intended for her. She waved it away and opened the door to usher me out. “No,” she said about the money. “I want nothing of yours.” I paused just outside the door to shake my head and stuff the bills back into my pocket. “Good luck,” she whispered. Just before she closed the door. And locked it.
And that was that. No reading in which marvelous things about my future were revealed, no crystals, no ghosts… just something that upon further reflection prickled up and down my spine and to this day occasionally makes me wonder if I was ever important enough to be stalked by something dark and dangerous—and if so, why?
13 to Life by Shannon Delany Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (June 22nd, 2010) Paperback: 308 pages Reading Level: Young Adult Series: 13 to Life (book #1) Something strange is stalking the small town of Junction…
When junior Jess Gillmansen gets called out of class by Guidance, she can only presume it’s for one of two reasons. Either they’ve finally figured out who wrote the scathing anti-jock editorial in the school newspaper or they’re hosting yet another intervention for her about her mom. Although far from expecting it, she’s relieved to discover Guidance just wants her to show a new student around—but he comes with issues of his own including a police escort.
The newest member of Junction High, Pietr Rusakova has secrets to hide--secrets that will bring big trouble to the small town of Junction—secrets including dramatic changes he’s undergoing that will surely end his life early.
Prize:
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