(text-style:"bold")[Sham(text-style: "blink")[an] Shack]
You enter the shack, pushing past the mix of blue glass beads and flowing fabric with wild faux-cultural patterns. Its dark colors cox you into its trap.
A woman sits on the ground at the center of the room, in criss-cross apple sauce, surrounded by different-shaped pillows with dazzling tassels adorning their sides.
[[Look around]]
[[Have a seat]]Mounds of fabric hang from the walls, covering every inch. They hang from the ceiling as well, swooping so low you hunch, afraid of brushing against them.
Old, abnormal bookshelves line the walls. Like a heavy head resting on a pillow, the bookshelves make indents in the fabric walls, the fabric almost swallowing them whole.
A myriad of LED candles cover any flat surface the room has to offer, giving the room an eerie glow.
The woman has not moved since you entered. She holds so still she could be a mound of pillows.
[[Take a closer look at her]]
[[Sit down]]
You approach the woman, her face covered by a loose scarf veil. It flows from her head across her shoulders and drapes her body like a cloak. The scarf's mystic blue color has faint imprints of tie-die swirls and embellishments of a golden trim. You can't see her face as it is tilted down.
The veil hangs low.
A singular crystal ball sits directly in front of her, its murky blue color gives off a glowing haze that illuminates the cozy surroundings.
She mumbles something under her breath, as a throne of pillows directly across from her waits for you.
[[Take a closer look at her]]
[[Sit down]]You walk around to the side of her, crouching down a foot away to get a better look. You see her face, it looks like she is deep in thought or on a higher plane of concentration. She lets out a loud (text-style:"bold","expand")[SNORE] as a line of drool drips from her mouth onto her lap.
You choke back a laugh as she snaps up. Her eyes are rimmed with red, and she looks displeased blinking hard as she stares at you, (text-style:"italic")[almost cross-eyed].
“You took forever to get here and now you want to laugh in my face about it? You are a horrible niece.”
Her old voice crowns and her lips smack with dissatisfaction.
[[“You were sleeping”]]
[[Say nothing]]You sit down across from her. Nothing happens for several moments as you match her, sitting criss-cross apple sauce. It's comfortable on the pillows, the throne of comfort embracing you like a loving hug. You snuggle deeper into their soft clutch. Laying your head down on one of them you realize how dusty they are. Sitting up, you let out a loud (text-style:"bold","expand")[SNEEZE].
The woman jumps, shooting her head up to look at you.
A soft smile appears on her lips
“Aahhhh my favorite niece! How wonderful to see you”
[[Say nothing]]She huffs
“I KNOW I was sleeping, child. That's why I called you here. I need you to take over for me while I take a nap. It won't be for long. I just need to get rid of this splitting headache.”
She narrows her eyes at you.
“It’s the one favor I ask of you (text-style:"italic")[and it's not like you do much else anyway].”
She mumbles under her breath.
[[“What do I have to do?”]]
[[“I don't know about this”]]
[[“Am I gonna get a headache from doing this too?”]]She clears her throat
“Well, thank you for showing up on such short notice. I need you to take over for me while I take a nap. You see, I have this splitting headache that I must get rid of. I won't be gone for long.”
[[“What do I have to do?”]]
[[“I don't know about this”]]
[[“Am I gonna get a headache from doing this too?”]]“It's quite simple. I just need you to pose as a professional crystal ball reader while I am gone. You have the gift; you know what to do. Just look into the ball, give the interpretation to the customer, and please dont screw up.”
[[“OK”]]“Well, it's too late to back out of this now so suck it up. It's quite simple, I just need you to pose as a professional crystal ball reader while I am gone. You have the gift. Please dont screw up. Just look into the ball and give the interpretation to the customer.”
[[“OK”]]“Ooooo we got jokes now huh? Shut it child before I curse your entire bloodline. I don't want kids so I could care less about what happens to this damned family name.
Just follow instructions; it's quite simple, I just need you to pose as a professional crystal ball reader while I am gone. You have the gift, (text-style:"italic")[unfortunately], so you know what to do. Just look into the ball, give the interpretation to the customer, and DONT screw up.”
[[“OK”]]"Great, let's get you started! Oh, and one more very important thing. You can keep all of the tips given to you, as a (text-style:"smear")[reward], you are very welcome. Ok, yes, onward then!"
[["Onward!"]]You are all set up, everything is in place. Your Aunt left to go to the back room of the shack (after:4s)[(which was hidden behind a bookshelf that opened into a passage)]
and left you to fend for yourself. You sit in the same spot she did, which smells oddly of Doritos, and have nothing to do but wait.
[[Sit and wait]]
[[Poke around]]
[[Get on your phone]]BORINGGGGGGGGGG! You sit and twiddle your thumbs, waiting for a customer. Minute after excruciating minute passes as you sit in the soft flowing garments against the plush of the (text-style:"blur")[warm, inviting pillows.]
You do not know how long you have been sleep before a throat clears. Your head shoots up, you can feel a line of drool leaking out of the corner of your mouth, and you wipe your veiled arm with it.
It's your first customer!
[[“Oh no”]]You look around at the surrounding area. The old bat keeps it pretty clean, with not many things laid out but the crystal ball. You start digging through the mounds of pillows, hoping to find some mystic things you can fiddle with, but you find something even better.
(click: "better")[Underneath one of the pillows behind you is a family-sized bag of Doritos and a liter of Sprite.]
You dig in, munching happily on the Doritos and chugging the liter of Sprite. A throat clears. You comically slowly munch the last of your chip and swallow, turning around.
It's your first customer!
[[“Oh noo”]]You pull out your phone and start scrolling. You know your Aunt said not to be on your phone, but what else are you supposed to do? Sit here, be bored, and die? You get comfortable and end up on your back scrolling through Instagram reels. You laugh loudly at a funny video of a duck before you hear a throat clear. Clicking your phone off you sit up shimmying your way back into position.
It's your first customer!
[[“Oh nooo”]]He definitely looks displeased, if not angry. Rightfully so, you were definitely sleeping.
The person is a young man in his 20’s he has an expression on his face that lets you know he means business. The way he is frowning, he’s definitely getting wrinkles by 30. The expression seems almost natural to him like his face is probably stuck like that. (text-style:"italic")[Poor man. ]You look at the rest of him, he is wearing a dark grey suit and tie with a stark white collar shirt underneath. He looks awkward and out of place to be bending like this and sitting on the ground.
“Hello”
He greets you with a monotone voice.
[[Start your introduction]]“Greetings stranger! And welcome to the—or uhh my shack of mystery, where my intuition can tell you your greatest fortune or grave mistake. I uhhh will tell you your fate if you dare to hear it. But like everything in life, it comes at a price… (text-style:"bold")[29.99 ]to be exact—yea.”
[[Oh, yikes]]He definitely looks displeased, if not angry. Rightfully so, you were destroying that bag of Doritos.
The person is a young man in his 20’s he has an expression on his face that lets you know he means business. The way he is frowning, he’s definitely getting wrinkles by 30. The expression seems almost natural to him like his face is probably stuck like that. (text-style:"italic")[Poor man.] You look at the rest of him, he is wearing a dark grey suit and tie with a stark white collar shirt underneath. He looks awkward and out of place to be bending like this and sitting on the ground.
“Hello”
He greets you with a monotone voice. Extending his hand to you.
[[Shake hands with him]]
You shake hands with the man. The handshake is stiff, and his fingers are cold. (text-style:"italic")[It's so serious and professional that your sloppiness is almost embarrassing.] You remove your hand and see that you left Dorito dust all on his hand and it also stains the sleeve of that stark white shirt.
You hope he doesn't notice.
[[Start your introduction]]He definitely looks displeased, if not angry. Rightfully so, you were on your phone while on the clock.
The person is a young man in his 20’s he has an expression on his face that lets you know he means business. The way he is frowning, he’s definitely getting wrinkles by 30. The expression seems almost natural to him like his face is probably stuck like that. (text-style:"italic")[Poor man. ]You look at the rest of him, he is wearing a dark grey suit and tie with a stark white collar shirt underneath. He looks awkward and out of place to be bending like this and sitting on the ground.
“Hello”
He greets you with a monotone voice. A ding sounds on your phone
[[Start your mystical introduction]]“Greetings stranger!
Your phone pings, (text-style:"blink")[ding]!
And welcome to the- or uhh my shack of mystery,
(text-style:"blink")[Ding ]
where my intuition
(text-style:"blink")[Ding ]
can tell you your greatest fortune or grave mistake.
(text-style:"blink")[Ding ]
Me and my all-seeing ball- ooo uhhh crystal
(text-style:"blink")[Ding]
ball will tell you your fate if you dare to hear it. But
(text-style:"blink")[Ding ]
like everything in life it comes at a price… 29.99 to be exact- yea.”
[[Oh, yikes]]He gives an annoyed sigh.
“Yes, I'll pay the money. Just tell me my fate. I don’t have time to waste. I'm a busy man, as you can see.”
You're messing this up bad. You have to pull this together.
You start to give him his reading.
Your Aunt trusts you, so she obviously has faith that you can do it just as well as she does.
Hopefully.
[[Mystic reading]]You raise your arms, the drape of the fabric rising with you like the moon rising with the tide. You pull the fabric of your long veil as it blends with the rest of your garment, seeming like waves, as you finally place your hands atop the crystal ball. You look deeply into it, moving around the contents of the ball with only your hands. The ball changes to a bright white, glowing brighter than before and illuminating everything in the room.
The man stares in awe.
[[“I see…”]]You stare deep into the ball, and a scene plays out.
(text-style:"smear")[It's a drab board room with tan and brown colors that blend into a soulless mush. The man stands at the head of an empty table; however, murmurs of mundane men can be heard throughout the room. The man is dressed in a suit but has clown face paint. He seems to be doing a stand-up routine, his wide grin and hopeful eyes in contrast to his depressing surroundings. ]
You look up.
(click: "You look up.")[
[[“You are a joke to everyone around you”]]
[[“Quit your job and become a clown”]]
[[“You have a joy hidden deep within you, let it out”]]
]He definitely left without paying, and you didn't dare run out after him. Yikes.
[[Settle back down]]He thanks you profusely, and when it's time to pay, you pull out a chip reader, he pays and also gives you a (text-style:"shadow")[20-dollar tip]!
[[Settle back down]]You try your best to console him, but he is sobbing uncontrollably, and there’s not too much you can say about old middle-school bullies.
When it's time to pay, you pull out a chip reader, and as he can barely insert the card, he is crying so much. You dont dare ask for a tip.
[[Settle back down]]You take your seat right as the next customer rushes in.
She runs in frantically, wild eyes looking left and right. The woman seems frightened. She kneels down in front of the crystal ball and doesn't speak a word; she just stares at you.
You both stay like that, just looking at each other.
She is wearing a huge cloak that almost swallows her whole. The woman reaches up, and as her sleeve falls you can see her arms, which are coated in rough patches of… glitter? They speckle her arm like stickers on a sheet. She rubs her eyes roughly. She still has not spoken to you.
[[“Do you want a reading”]]
[[Don't say anything]]The woman's head pops up. She nods her head frantically,(text-style:"rumble")[ up and down], so eagerly that it frightens you.
[[“The ball says…”]]You dont say anything to her. You just stare. The woman keeps rubbing her eyes, and you stare at the patches of glitter on her arms and wonder how much of her is covered in them.
Her hands drop, and her eyes bore into your soul. She must have been wearing makeup; however, her aggressive rubs made it wear off. All around her eyes and across the bridge of her nose is covered in glitter. The glitter is a mix of pink, brown, and gold. It sparkles beautifully on her face, and you can't take your eyes off it.
Her eyes start to water, and she begins to cry. She leaps up, sweeps her cloak around in one fluid motion, and vanishes out the door. You close your mouth and realize you were gawking at her the entire time.
You will never see her in your life again.
[[Have seat]]You sit down and twiddle your thumbs. No one is coming in, and it's been quite a while.
Finally, another person shows up, entering into the welcoming shack.
A man waltzes in. He is of towering stature, which is only emphasized by your position on the floor. He hunches over, but even in his hunched state, he brushes the swooping fabric hanging from the ceiling. He takes a seat across from you, his long limbs folding up in weird angles just to fit in the allotted spot. It takes a while, but eventually, he settles in. Like a limber cat, he is eerily quiet, each of his moves not making any sound.
When he speaks, his voice seems to fill the room.
“Could you do my reading please?”
It seems to take your breath away. He is very unnerving but also very cute.
[[CHARM HIM]]
[[Start your intro]]You stare deep into the ball, just as before. You move around its contents with only your hands. The ball changes to a bright white, illuminating everything in the room, and you can see a scene play out.
(text-style:"smear")[It's the woman covered in mounds of grey fabric. She is leaning over a pond, looking at her reflection. She reaches in, rippling the water and clouding her reflection. She starts to scrub her arms. Glitter falls off like fresh snow. The scrubbing gets more aggressive, and you can see her nails digging into her skin and scraping the glitter off. The mix of pink, brown, and gold glitter falls off in chunks. It contrasts against the blue of the water but mixes well with the red of her blood.]
You look up.
(click: "You look up.")[
[[“The glitter looks nice on you”]]
[[“You are trying to fix yourself but end up hurting even more”]]
[[“You can't scrub the glitter off”]]
]She stares at you, her deep-set eyes bore into yours. Unwavering, she doesn't blink. She doesn't move. Is she even breathing?
"No"
She lets out a sigh and shakes her head. Her eyes look sad as she studies you.
“It's not the answer I was looking for”
You open your mouth.
“-and its not the answer you were supposed to give.”
You close your mouth.
[[“Huh?”]]She straightens up and looks right at you. Her eyes are wide with curiosity and surprise.
She speaks so softly you have to squint and lean in to hear.
“No one has been able to read me before. You have an astonishing gift, child.”
Your eyes widen, and you blink at her.
“You are correct in your reading. According to the persona I gave you, your advice is suitable.”
You blink again.
“I am very pleased. You are one reader I will be watching closely.”
[[“Ok?”]]Her eyebrows furrow. Her expression has no malice or hate behind it—not even a sense of anger. She just looks disappointed. You look at each other for a longer while. You start to sweat under your garments, and suddenly they feel extremely heavy.
She tilts her head to the side (text-style:"italic")[probably seeing you for the fraud you are].
It feels like she is pressing you. Is she? Maybe she knows. Maybe she is an undercover cop and is about to arrest you for impersonation or worse, fraud. You'll be in jail for the rest of your life over a favor you didn't want to do. All because of your lazy aunt.
Whether she is pressing you, or not, you are cracking under the pressure.
[[“Huh?”]]
She stands up, not breaking eye contact with you, and backs up. Step by step she slowly backs up to the entrance. She still hasn't broken eye contact, which is starting to get creepy. Before you can say anything in one clean swoop, she turns around and leaves. The only remnant left of her presence is the swaying glass beads and fabric. Great.
[[Have seat]]You open your hand as she pays the exact amount in cash (you never told her the price) and gives you a tip. The tip comes in the form of a (text-style:"shadow")[gold medallion necklace], which you happily clasp on your neck. It looks very cute! You dont know what this is for, but you know readers are drawn to one another like stand users. You feel like she has the same mystic sight that you have.
You hope to meet the lady again.
[[Have seat]]You perform your introduction. “Greetings handsome, and welcome to the shack of mystery! Where my intuition can tell you your greatest fortune or grave mistake. I will tell you your fate if you dare to hear it. But, like everything in life, it comes at a price. One that I could discount if you give me your phone number.”
He laughs a joyous laugh. It booms and shakes your core, warming your heart. (text-style:"italic")[and cheeks].
“Ahhhh, trying to sweet talk me I see. Dont worry. I do want to know my future and I am willing to pay. There's no need to butter me up.”
Damn, he definitely was not picking up on the vibes.
“I dont really have a phone anyway.”
Oh, he’s weird FOR SURE. But isn't that kinda cute?
“Pardon the interruption. Please. Give me my reading.”
[[“Your future…”]]You shakily start your introduction.
“Greetings, and welcome to the shack of mystery! Where my intuition can tell you your greatest fortune or grave mistake. I will tell you your fate if you dare to hear it. But like everything in life, it comes at a price.”
He listens and waits patiently, eyeing you with his sultry eyes. You are a little flustered, but finish your routine.
He nods in agreement, ready to begin.
[[“Your future…”]]You stare deep into the ball, just as before. You move around its contents with only your hands. The ball changes to a bright white, illuminating everything in the room, and you can see a scene play out.
(text-style:"smear")[The ball stays cloudy for a short while before showing a third-person view of you in the room with him. It's like it's in real-time, as you can see the back of your head, over your shoulder, and into the man's face. His eyes search the ball below, which is still clouded with nothing.]
You look up.
(click: "You look up.")[
[[“It is unclear”]]
[[“... you are meant to be with me”]]
[[“You will die... sometime today”]]
]He smiles, and it makes your heart jump.
“Thank you, thank you for telling me the truth. Thank you for not giving me false hope. I knew deep down that was the answer. It makes perfect sense.”
You have no clue what he is talking about, but he is oddly pretty, so you try your best to be supportive.
“I am so grateful. My soul can rest at peace knowing that my journey is over, and has been for quite a while.”
You start to get a little suspicious of what he's saying.
“Thank you again, for not lying to me as all the other readers have done for so long. I am forever in your debt.”
[[“ummm ok cash or card?”]]
He looks at you with disappointment in his face. Both of you sit in an uncomfortable silence. He finally speaks to break the tension. Freeing you from any more embarrassment.
“Are you hitting on me? You dont want me! You dont even know me!”
Oh goodness, you messed up big time. He starts to huff and puff.
“I dont know why you keep attempting to pursue me, but you must get over yourself!”
“My heart belongs to someone already.”
He looks down shyly and flashes a huge smile, his teeth are so white.
“I’ll never forget her. She meant and still means everything to me. I wish I could see my love again. I miss her dearly.”
He has to stop talking. This is just pathetic and sad on your end.
[["Ok I get it, please"]]His eyes grow wide.
“Are you serious?”
You might have just scared him off. Maybe you should have said it with more cushion.
He frantically stands up his knoby limbs seeming to catch on every item.
Oh no.
“I knew it, I just knew it!”
Crap.
“You are just like the rest of them!”
What?
“That is not the answer, that’s not the answer, that’s-”
You tune him out after a while and think about how you won't get payed.
[[Oh great]]He keeps thanking you, even when he’s paying on his way out. He keeps talking your ear off, and it starts to annoy you until he (text-style:"shadow")[tips you $100].
With a huge grin on your face, you wish him well and promptly kick him out. He said something about owing you for the rest of your life, and he would be watching over you or something like that, but you couldn't hear him over all the things $100 dollars could get you.
[[Surprise!]]You feel ashamed and also slightly aroused. Such a push and pull of the heartstrings over a beautiful man you dont even know. Maybe you need therapy. You kick him out, too embarrassed to ask him to pay. He leaves, and it feels like he is taking a piece of your heart with him.
You absolutely need therapy.
[[Surprise!]]You shove the gangly man out of the shack. His long limbs hit every bead and almost tore down your aunt's tapestries, (text-style:"italic")[it could do with a makeover anyway]. No tip and no pay. Your aunt is gonna be so pissed.
[[Surprise!]]On your way to sit back down, the door/bookshelf swings open.
(after:2s)[Your aunt emerges looking like a new woman. She looks so refreshed! With a smile on her face, she greets you.]
“(text-style:"bold")[THANK YOU], my niece. I feel so well rested, and the headache has gone away! I hope it wasn't too much trouble while I was gone how did you fare?
(text-style:"bold","double-underline")[HOW MANY TIPS DID YOU GET]
[[0 out of 3]]
[[2 out of 3]]
[[3 out of 3]]“(text-style:"bold")[WHATTTTTTTT!]”
She looks really mad.
“I asked you to cover for me one time, and not only did I lose money, but you also lost me customers! You can’t do anything right, can you? This is what I get for asking you instead of your sister, but no, she does ‘so many readings’ and can't make ‘time out of her schedule’ anymore. BAH!”
She shuffles to you, rips off your garment, and with an angry face, slaps a dollar in your hands. Before you can protest, she pulls you face to face with her.
“I said I'd pay you well if you did a (text-style:"bold")[GOOD] job, which you obviously did not so this is all you get. Now (text-style:"bold")[GET OUT]!”
She kicks you out of her shack. You leave with your head hanging low, not looking forward to the next time you'll see her, probably at Thanksgiving.
[[Shaman Shack]] “Humph… I expected better from you, child, but no matter. It was a last-minute thing, and at least you could come through (text-style:"italic")[unlike that hotty-totty sister of yours].”
She shuffles to you, grabs your garment, and with a disappointed but accepting face, slaps a wad of cash in your hands. Before you can say anything, she pulls you face to face with her.
“I know you have it in you child. I'll ask you again soon, and maybe we can work on that reading of yours.”
She kicks you out of her shack. You leave, looking forward to the next time you'll see her, hopefully soon.
[[Shaman Shack]] “Ohhhh my favorite niece I just knew you were special! What a great job you have done! I knew I could sense the mystic inside you. You're so much better than that hotshot of a sister you have she’ll get what's coming to her for forgetting about me.”
She shuffles to you, straightening out your garment. With a pleased and also slightly lustful look on her face, she slaps a wad of cash in your hands and pats you on the shoulder. Before you can say anything, she pulls you face to face.
“We’ll beat that sister of yours and become the best readers! Huh?!? What do you say we team up!”
You open your mouth.
“No, dont answer now. Before you do, you like(text-style:"smear")[ ice cream]?”
You and your aunt leave, her taking you out for ice cream, prophesizing your future as a professional crystal ball reader.
[[Shaman Shack]] He stares at you for a long while, his already-plastered frown etching deeper into his face.
“I'm a joke? To everyone around me?”
He stiffens, and his eye starts to twitch (text-style:"italic")[He looks like he's gonna tweak out].
“Are you telling me that I'm a joke?!? I get nothing but respect from my colleagues! I’m making more money than you will see in your pathetic lifetime! Are you getting off on calling me a joke!? Is this what you do? Sell lies and insults to people!?”
He stands up, throwing a pillow against the wall.
“What a waste of time (text-style:"bold")[I SHOULD HAVE NEVER CAME HERE]!”
[[“Damn”]]
He stiffens up. You obviously struck a nerve inside him.
“Is that what my future says, truly?”
He looks on the verge of tears.
“(text-style:"bold")[I HATE CLOWNS]!”
He breaks out into a heaving sob.
“I'm deathly afraid even at the sight of them! That's how I was bullied back in middle school. Th-they would pin me do-down and put clown makeup on m-me. I could never be a clown. Please dont m-make me be a clownnnn! ”
[[“Oops”]]
He breaks down into tears. His shoulders heave and shake as he covers his face with his hands.
You are taken aback by his outburst.
He looks up. A small smile is plastered on his face.
“Sorry, you are the only one to ever tell me that. I have been so cold and calculated for so long, and after the life I have lived, it has been hard for me to be happy at all. I feel like I (text-style:"bold")[DO] have joy still within me, I’m just so scared to open up again. But I trust your judgment, and I don't want to be afraid to live and be happy. I want it so badly it keeps me up at night, wondering if it will be worth it.”
He stands up with passion and determination on his face.
“It will all be worth it. I at least want to try.”
Now you're holding back tears.
[[“Hell yea”]]