Monster's Ball :Shadow In Time Read Online Free Page B

plantation, but the owner had stopped letting people come on tours after a still-at-large thief had stolen a valuable old painting there. This had happened when she was just a young girl. As she had grown older she'd hoped that somehow, some day she would receive one of the mysterious annual invitations to the Ball. Only a select few were ever invited, and no one had ever spoken about what went on there every Halloween night. In fact, she had never known anyone (personally) who had been invited, nor knew anyone who KNEW someone who had been invited . Just forget it, anyway! Fat chance an overweight, working class black girl would ever get an invitation to something so grand! She thought.
     
     
    “Drink your tea, I want to read your leaves. I haven't read yours in a while.” Ms. Skeet said, interrupting her thoughts.
     
     
    Taking a sip of her own tea to hide her smile, Rena decided to humor the woman, again. From what Rena had learned, Ms. Skeet had been a bit of a local legend in her younger days. She'd been a side show fortune teller, one so good (supposedly) that folks would stand in line fifty-deep to get their tea leaves read by her. She'd even conducted readings for several reputable politicians. Nowadays (on weekends only), Ms. Skeet's one bedroom apartment would often be filled with lonely, sad, desperate people, hoping to hear there was light at the end of the tunnel.
     
     
    Taking one final sip of her soothing brew, Rena handed the teacup to the old woman, watching as Ms. Skeet narrowed her eyes, focusing on the distinctive drops of tea leaves in the bottom of the cup as she mumbled and slowly swirled what little was left of the liquid.
     
     
    Turning the handle towards Rena, she mumbled, “This is interesting.” Angling her crooked pinkie finger towards a clump of leaves, she mumbled again, a slight tinge of wonder in her voice. “The symbol of an ink-spot, a letter’s coming for you.”
     
    “Hmmm.” was Rena's only noncommittal reply as she glanced inside the cup, seeing only a clump of green tea leaves much like any other.

“This letter will change your life. A world that you never knew existed will be revealed to you.” the old woman intoned.
     
     
    Yeah, RIGHT! ME get a letter that will change my life? More like an unexpected bill or something! Rena thought dryly, but nodded and smiled to humor her friend.
     
     
    “Now the leaves here...” Ms. Skeet said, pointing to a clump to the left of the handle, “These indicate the past. I see a handsome man, a strong man, with the seven stars together crowning his head.” Clucking her tongue in seeming frustration, she continued. “I can't see his face clearly, but....he's suffered and grieved terribly. He dwells in a large building, he has a great fortune waiting for him.”
Pointing to an even smaller clump right below the previous one, she said, “The symbol of the cat. This is a warning. Be very careful, there's a treacherous person who wishes to steal your soon-to-be love away from you before it ever has a chance to materialize. But I see a candle also. This means someone will protect you from evil.”
     
     
    “Really?” Rena said, hoping she still sounded interested.
     
     
    Suddenly the old woman gasped in surprise. Head jerking up, a look of shock (and possibly fear) was etched on her weathered features. “Here at the bottom, this represents things to come, the symbol of a lock. You must overcome your own disbelief in order to find your love, and...”
     
     
    “And..and what?” Rena asked, more alarmed at the older woman's sudden change in demeanor than she was with the actual reading.
     
     
    Shaking her gray head uneasily, Fern muttered, “A sacrifice has to be made. You must give of yourself if you want your love to live.”
     
    Well that's downright depressing! Rena thought as she rose to her feet. “Well, thank you for the reading.” She said politely. Although she had never placed too much stock in her friend's