If one looked back at the relationship between Marilyn and Brent had been nothing more than
chance remaining within the realm of acquaintances. She would look back when they were
younger up until their recent interaction. If she hadn’t persistently sought for him, then they
wouldn’t speak. The realization made a bitter taste sit on her tongue. And the memories would
surge in her mind over and over. The earliest came when she was ten, shy and eyes full of
youthful hope with childishness reflected on her appearance. However, his gaze was never
directed to her.

 
“HYAH BRENBREN! WANNA PLAY TODAY?!” Her voice had pitched high as she extended
a hand to him. But he wasn’t looking at her, and she wasn’t sure where he was gazing at,
considering he was alone.

 
“No” The answer was cold and concise.

 
She remembered that day, Marilyn cried, and her face flushed red. The embarrassment of
rejection evident to her even at that age. Fast forward three years, and she remained the same,
but she toned down her excitement by a fraction. Marlyn kept her expression neutral but the
blush on her cheek was an obvious indicator of her affection for him.

 
“HE-HEY BREN, Wanna come play today?” She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked
down, not wanting to see his face if Brent decided to act cold.

 
“Nah.” The same passive answer as he remained on his seat, writing something in the journal he
kept with him.

 
The pain stung less; she expected as much. And then another three years later, a few months
before the trip, she was once again asking for his time.

 
“Brent, I have tickets for an observation show later. An asteroid is coming into orbit ton—” But
she couldn’t finish her sentence, he wouldn’t let her.

 
“Cya” He raised his hand, walking away and leaving her behind. He always did.

 
Any of her expectations from the age of ten and leading up to their last interaction only months
prior remained hopeless. Marilyn let out a sigh of exhaustion as the thoughts worsened her
mood. But she didn’t let her expression become apparent since she was walking alongside Becky
below an underbrush passageway of tree branches. Marilyn glanced at the shadows playing along
the ground.

 

The thorny shadows reminded Marilyn of her most significant rejection yet. A
masked pain she hadn’t told Becky of because of her relationship with Brent. After all, he would
only pay attention to her, and Marilyn was part of the background.

 
Becky sighed, delightfully enjoying the shade offered. The sweat was beginning to appear, and
so she fanned herself, hoping the harsh sun wouldn’t be too harsh. So, Becky started to think to
herself: Note to self, I have to get my lime green scented lotion for tomorrow if we go to the
beach. As the thoughts consumed her mind, she remembered when she told Marilyn to bring the
cream she wanted. She smoothed back her hair, hoping to keep the strands from sticking to her
face as she began to speak, expecting Marilyn to be trailing behind her.

 
“Marilyn, did you pack that Nephora lotion? The lime-scented one?” For a few seconds, only
silence remained between the two.

 
Not hearing a response from Marilyn, Becky turned around in time to see Marilyn mumbling to
herself in contemplation. She noticed a small frown appearing on her face, and Becky scrutinized
her. Marilyn had the tip of her finger between her parched lips. Seemingly deeply in thought over
something, meaning she wasn’t paying attention to her. Marilyn remained like this until she
nearly walked right into a limestone wall, almost knocking her glasses in the process of being
startled.

 

 Unknowingly, she grunted in surprise as she realized the situation. Snapping out of it,
Marilyn caught her glasses and looked over to Becky, who went over to help her up from her
knees. Once she was on her feet, she fixed her clothes and tried to remain calm about the
situation. Becky, on the other hand, couldn’t help but worry over the odd behavior that her friend
was expressing.

 
“You okay? You’ve been spacing out like that for a while now.” Becky commented, her lips
pressing into a pout.

 
Marilyn offered her a reassuring smile as she readjusted the glasses onto her face. There wasn’t
any need for her to tell Becky the thoughts that were weighing on her mind. Instead, she stepped
closer and allowed herself to stand a bit straighter. Her posture seemed confident and not at all
reminiscent of how she was a minute ago.

 
“I am! What did you say?” She tilted her head by a fraction, waiting for the question. Becky
couldn’t help but squint at her, assessing the situation before shrugging off the fact Marilyn
decided not to explain why she acted weird.

 
“I asked if you packed any Nephora lotion,” Becky repeated the statement, placing a hand on her
hip as she waited. But then Marilyn’s confidence seemed to deflate in a matter of seconds. She
shrunk, biting her lip briefly before she answered.

 
“I did, only mint-scented, though,” Marilyn replied, avoiding eye contact with Becky. She
couldn’t help but gulp the lump growing in her throat. Becky wasn’t as stupid as people might
think her to be, and she felt anxious she might figure out why she chose the scent.

 
“Mint…” Becky blinked once, not able to comprehend why Marilyn didn’t go for lemon. Her
favorite scent and then something came to mind. “That’s Brent’s favorite,” Becky said, eyeing
Marilyn with suspicion reflected in her gaze. “He really loves mint-flavored gum,” Becky added
in thought as her lips pressed into a thin line.

 
“I know,” Is all Marilyn said, in an agitated voice that Becky picked up on. She decided to drop
the topic for now. She knew there was no point in trying to get an answer out of her. Marilyn, on
the other hand, frowned, finding herself irritated. She knew Brent too, despite the lack of depth in
their friendship.

 
Walking on ahead, Marilyn thought over Brent. From age 10 to 15, he never wanted to hang out
with her alone. Every single school day and get together. Each attempt, met with the same
answer: rejection.

 
Often Becky was always there to witness her failed attempts at going off with Brent. After all,
they were both united whenever together. Now that she thought about it, she realized something
that hadn’t occurred to her until now. Every single time, Becky supported her but never helped
Marilyn get closer to Brent. The words of encouragement felt hollow as Becky continued her
friendship with Brent but made no aims in trying to set the two up. Funny enough, just as
Marilyn thought so, Becky said, “You know, I’d imagine you would have used this time to go
after Brent, Mari . . .”

 

Internally Mari almost flopped over, but outwardly she kept her cool as she expressed her mock
amusement towards the accusation. “Perceptive as usual—” Yes, she was. She paused, trying to
get herself together, and then Marilyn gave Becky an uneasy laugh. “That can wait for tonight,
right now I’m hanging out with you.”

 

 “If you say so,” Becky replied with raised eyebrows, clearly not believing her. However, her
attention began to shift, directing her sights to a sizable red tube. “Ay, there’s the candy tunnel!
Let’s go!” She giggled in excitement as she rushed towards them; Marilyn watched her head
inside without the same amount of enthusiasm since she felt herself begin to question the
possible what-ifs of her situation. 

 
“I’ve always wondered . . . If Becky weren’t around, would Brent have noticed me more? Would
he have been hopelessly in love with me?” Marilyn clenched her hand into a fist once; then, she
began to head for the tunnel. She imagined her child-self standing at Brent’s side with no Becky
around and his gaze only on her. Though, the thought made her sad since she enjoyed Becky’s
company. The choice was heart-wrenching. Still, there wasn’t anything she could do now. She
sighed only to hear Becky shriek from further inside. 

 
Marilyn took off out of concern as she followed the sound of Becky’s voice. Then, she noticed
the colors of the inner tunnel changing from red to orange and then an assortment of other colors
that soon faded to black. For a second, Marilyn again, deep down, wished something happened
to Becky, but another side worried. The complexity of her feelings made her feel guilty as she
wanted Becky to remain out of the way but be there at the same time. Marilyn bit at her lip,
trying not to think for too long. Instead, she looked around for the familiar face of her friend.
Another step, she found herself tripping over face first. Marilyn yelped out of reflex, but she
seized up with fear as she didn’t know what would happen to her.

 

With her hands extended outward, Marilyn slid down a long slope, terrified as she felt a gust of air against her face. After
what felt like eons, the rush of air stopped. Once at the bottom, she crashed into someone else.
That someone being Becky, who had her attention elsewhere. Up ahead, there was an assortment
of candy stations— a ball pit filled with giant bunny gummies, chocolate fountains, and so much
more. Balloons floated around everywhere, making it hard to see any path.

 
“Guess we found the place.” Marilyn softly said as she let out a sigh of relief, being helped up by
Becky, who gave her a hand. The pair went about searching for anyone else in the area, though
they found no one. They proceeded to get onto a gondola beside a river of chocolate. Hoping in
at first, Marilyn reconsidered and remembered, jumping back off as she realized the cons of
entering. “Remember, I’m allergic to chocolate! I almost forgot myself,” she told Becky with a
snort, she shook her head at her actions.

 
Becky gave her a nod with her eyes widening as the memories of the past came to mind. And
then amusement reflected in her mind as she pressed her hand against her mouth. “That’s right,
Ms.Beakers fifth grade class. The one time we mixed up our lunches!” She imagined herself
turning around and seeing Marilyn slurping her box of chocolate milk. Marilyn did so happily,
but then her face turned blue, and she flopped back on the classroom mat. All the other students
freaked, calling for the teacher.

 
“Exactly. That was the worst.” Marylin shuddered while she waited for Becky to grab her hand.
With that reminder, Becky jumped off of the boat, taking hold of the hand Marilyn held out to
her. She was able to keep her balance with the help, no need for her to say thanks. Marilyn led
the way to a cotton candy field that had an assortment of scarecrows. They were all either pink or
green, bright colors that would draw anyone’s gaze towards them.

 
“We shouldn’t go all out on the sweets, save space for later.” Becky reminded her, only plucking
a small piece of the cotton candy. She licked her lips with excitement, her stomach grumbled
longingly. Becky slipped it into her mouth, only for it to strangely not dissolve right away. A
frown was appearing on her face as she felt the small lump in her mouth. Usually, cotton candy
evaporated. A shock soon came to her; she jumped up, turning over and pressing her hands up to
her cheeks.

 
“You’re right, I’m thinking of grilled steak,” Marilyn said, plucking one too. She rubbed the soft
piece of cotton candy between her fingertips for a second before she noticed the silence. Right as
she turned around, she saw Becky taking more of the cotton candy, confusing her. “Are you
okay? You just told me to s—”

 
“They dissolve into strawberry milk! IT’S SO GOOD!!” Becky loudly shouted once she
swallowed the rest. Then, she began fitting three more into her mouth. She squirmed while on
her knees, delightfully as her cheeks filled up. Becky gulped the developed sweet milk, leading
Marilyn to laugh at how Becky’s puffed out cheeks made her think of a cartoon chipmunk they
often watched together during their childhood days.

 
“Tahaha! You’re crazy about that strawberry milk. Meanwhile, I can’t try any of that stuff.”
Marilyn looked down at the cotton candy in her palm with a frown and tossed it over to Becky,
who caught it with her mouth. She giggled, standing up as she gulped down the milk forming in
her mouth.

 
“This place is more than some private hotel, who would have thought they’d have all this
stuff…” Becky looked around in awe; she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand since she
didn’t want to look odd.

 
“It is opening up as a resort, you know,” Marilyn decided to inform her as she crossed her arms
over her chest. She couldn’t help but find the place vast and amazing too. But then she heard
Becky sigh, causing her to look towards her.

 
“I sure hope that stuff is tested and that we aren’t genuine pigs, I’d hate to get a stomach ache.”
Becky pressed her hand against her stomach; she shifted her weight from foot to foot.
See with me, that milk would make me gassy, I’m not risking it. Marilyn internally told herself,
thankful that Becky couldn’t hear her thoughts as she began thinking of her chance with Brent
the whole night.

 
Meanwhile, Becky worried. “I really do hope that the milk cotton thing doesn’t give me toots...
Anyway, or better yet! I should trick that dolt Bark into eating a ton—” She fixed her attention to
all the other empty booths they passed by until they both spotted one that had someone.
Becky stopped talking for a moment, studying the tent. Marilyn spotted a really small person
within an odd-looking purple booth once she noticed what grabbed Becky’s attention. The black
curtains remained littered with sparkles and little stars. The appearance deviated from its bright,
colorful surroundings, shocking out like a sore thumb. It was paired with the individual there,
hunched over and waiting.

 
When the pair arrived at the front, Becky greeted first by extending her hand with a polite smile
on her face. Her kind gesture of reaching out for the person’s hand went unanswered. That is,
until the person springs up with a called laugh, taking hold of her hand tightly— the hand of the
being, a wrinkly white with claws that clenched on Becky’s wrist.

 
Becky let out a scream along with Marilyn, both of them terrified by the sudden action and the
wrinkled figure. She fell back, finding that the arm of the person detached. At such a sight,
Marilyn nearly fainted as her body froze and found herself forgetting to breathe. Becky began to
flail around in panic until the hand lost its grip on her. She watched as it dropped down in front
of her and Marilyn. The person before them continued laughing in a mocking matter, almost
panting from amusement. When they turned their attention to that person, they found it was a
short stubby fellow snickering as someone approached him from behind and whacked him.
SLAP!

 
“I told you to stop scaring visitors, look at the state of this place . . . We’ll never pay it off if you
continue to do that, Finster.” Said an elderly woman, her voice grave and weak. From
appearance alone, she could easily be in her 80s, both girls could agree.
“That lady looks like that old witch from that one Ghibli movie!” Whispered Marilyn in both
awe and humor, nudging Becky for a second to grab her attention.

 
“Pfft, be nice now! She's more like the one from dorthy.” Becky almost giggled as she scolded her half-heartedly. She cleared her throat
and fixed her appearance, knowing both of them looked ridiculous now since they received the
prank.

 
She approached the pair slowly, almost painfully so. At a pace that made even snails seem agile.
The older woman trembled as she walked, her body frail, but neither of the girls could wait for
too long. Instead, Becky and Marilyn decided to go up to her since the sight was hard to watch.
She stopped, turning her chittering head up to the girls who were much taller in comparison to
the elderly woman. Her eyes narrowed into a squint to look at them, trying to get a clear look at
them.

 
“Uh, hello, Miss,” Marilyn spoke for both of them, feeling awkward as she didn’t know what
else to say. Both of them looked at her, waiting for an answer from her. A second passed by, and
Marilyn opened her mouth to say something, but the old lady finally spoke.

 
“Sorry about Finster here; he has the mind of a three-year-old still it seems...” The old lady cut
in, not bothering to hear whatever Marilyn had to say. Her apology was dull, and she shrugged as
if that made up for the prank.

 
The girls looked at one another; a brief look exchanged before their attention went back to the
older woman. On closer inspection, she had wide eyes and strange makeup patterns that stretched
across the cheekbones of her face concerning the two girls.

 
“It seems?” Becky reiterated in an almost whisper, although her tone could be passed off as a
question Marilyn knew better. Becky was mocking them.

 
“Ah...heh.” Marilyn took a peek at the black curtains again; she spotted a sign she hadn’t noticed
before. She began to whisper it under her breath as she couldn’t help but be entranced.
The sign swirled over the booth, reading:
Hamra’s reading booth, find out your fortune today.

 
“Find out your fortune today.” Said the elderly lady at the same time as Marilyn read it out loud,
she finished reading slowly, startling the two. She gave them a thin smile, the wrinkles near her
eyes more pronounced now as she did. She motioned towards the tent, extending an offer to
them. “How about givin’ a reading for you, young girls.”

 
“I wouldn’t know about...” Marilyn looked at Becky with uncertainty, the other girl looking at
her with a shrug. Neither of them seemed opposed nor wanted something that could be more or
less lies.

 
On the other hand, the old lady puffed out her chest, ready to give them a sermon. She raised her
hand, shaking away anything else Marilyn wanted to say as she inched closer to them. Marilyn
instinctively wanted to take a step back, but Becky held her arm, not wanting either of them to
appear rude.

 
“Of course you wouldn’t, allow me to reassure you of any uncertainties, I can tell you right now
one of you remains destined to achieve true love here... the other is dealing with unrequited
love.” The last part had pity etched into each word as she tutted at them, her eyes reflecting
sympathy.

 
“Only one of us?” Marilyn couldn’t help but repeat the phrase, her body tensing at the thought of
Brent and Becky getting together. She gulped nervously and focused on the more critical aspect.
“True love?” Both Becky and Marilyn looked at each other, then back to the elderly woman, who
already had her back turned to them. They noticed her frail form was already making her way
back into her booth.

 
“I know... we shouldn’t bother with this.” Marilyn shook her head, her fight or flight response
was telling her to run. She wasn’t sure why, but as much as she wanted to know who ended up
with their love, Marilyn felt an odd atmosphere surrounding them.

 
Like they were being lured into the tent, slowly, step by step. Marilyn wiped her sweaty hands on
the side of her shorts before turning towards Becky, expecting her to feel the same. However, the
expression on her face said otherwise as she nervously smiled towards Marilyn.

 
“I’m no sucker for any of that sort of stuff either, but I have to admit, I am curious.” Becky
glanced back and forth between Marilyn and the tent, in many ways, signaling for her friend to
feel the same. Yet she couldn’t get on board with it, especially in a place they knew nothing
about considering they were guests with no one else around.

 
“Same, but maybe it’s best we don’t know that sort of stuff,” Marilyn told her with a more firm
tone. Suddenly, her tummy hurt. Deep inside, she felt her stomach boiling in warning despite her
not eating anything terrible— the intuition urging her to leave with Becky. Marilyn tried one
more time, placing her hand on Becky’s arm. “I think we should go; I have a bad feeling about
going in there…”

 
Despite her refusal, Becky kept trying to convince her. She could see her friend’s eyes shining
brightly and knew why. If there was a chance where she could end up with the guy, she had a
crush on; then she would strike, no matter how small or ridiculous the prospect sounded.
“Aren’t you curious, though? About what she has to say, it can be about Brent for you,” Becky
put the thought in her head, stressing the name to weaken Marilyn’s resolve. And then when she
saw Marilyn chew her lower lip in thought, she decided to sway her with logic. “Readings here
aren’t that expensive; we’re the only ones on the island.”

 
And despite Marilyn’s earlier decision, she cast aside her judgment and allowed herself to follow
Becky. Her friend glowed with glee as she grabbed hold of Marilyn’s wrist, pulling her along as
they went into the tent. The bright sun no longer around, and instead, the dim room appeared
before them. They looked around until the older woman decided to bestow them with their last
chance to leave.

 
“My readings always come true, so if you don’t wish to know, I recommend leaving now
hegheghegheghege.”

 
They heard the elderly woman say, her laughter filling up the room and echoing in their ears as
they ventured into the booth. They soon found themselves sitting on two rocking chairs,
surrounded by dolls hung against the surrounding small room. They all had soft flowing dresses
and would be adorable if it weren’t for the tormented frowns they had on their faces and eyes
that seemed to speak untold stories. Marilyn once again felt the odd feeling in her stomach, but
she chose to ignore it.

 
An assortment of candles provided the two girls with visibility to the old woman’s long boney
hands. A red ruby shined at the end of her middle finger, piquing Marilyn’s interest the most.
She found the ruby itself pretty, wondering if Brent would find it beautiful on her. The elderly
woman’s voice forced her to focus on the situation at hand.

 
“I should warn you, sharing your readings with others is—” She coughed for a bit, pressing her
fist against her lips before she continued. “dangerous. But that is a small price to pay for my
readings to work. That is, if you don’t inform others, not even to each other. You hear me?”
Both girls nodded, glancing at one another, wondering if her words held any truth to them. The
older woman frowned, noticing their stare, so she continued, trying to hammer in the other rules.
“I will do a reading for both of you but in one on one sessions. One of you will wait outside till
it’s done...” She trailed off, letting the words settle into their minds.

 
Both felt skeptic and uneasy about this but wanted answers of their own. Becky brought her hand
over her mouth, holding in the tingling urge in her throat. The desire to cough due to the smoke
that filled the room, up to her ribs. She refrained from making a noise, instead, clearing her
throat.

 
Even if it seemed cool, It’s still a bit much . . . Can she read my mind? I better not say something
mean! Think of nothing, think of nothing. Marilyn thought to herself, panicking in her mind as
she repeated the mantra. She began to think of random things, from trees to the cotton candy
field, but at the back of her mind, she had lingering opinions. Meanwhile, Becky went on to
speak in disappointment when the itch in her throat subsided.

 
“Aw, that’s no fun … I’d want her to talk about it.” Becky’s lips puckered out into a pout; she
slumped on her chair as she no longer found the prospect of the reading as exciting. However, no
matter how much she sulked, the older woman didn’t relent as she reminded Becky of the rules.
“Doing so would change the outcome of your reading, so if you wish to... you may, but you’ve
been warned.” The voice sounded grave as she remained still, not swaying at all. There remained
a sense of finality. And the darkness with the dim lights in the tent added to the grim atmosphere.
The girls should have felt afraid, but they shrugged, and Becky continued talking as if she wasn’t
disappointed. Curiosity pulled her along and allowed any lurking suspicion to fade away.
“So how much will it be?” Becky asked as she reached into her pocket, fingers wiggling around
and felt the slip of money.

 
“The love reading is twenty-five each.” The elderly woman told them with a calm face. They
both stared at her for a second and knew she wouldn’t relent to either of them trying to lower the
price.

 
“I slid a twenty into my pocket earlier,” Marilyn muttered to herself as she dug her hand in
deeper and curled her fingers.

 
“Save it; I have fifty, do you have change?” The girls mumbled between each other; Becky
wanted to make sure both of them would remain fine financially after they left the tent. Now a
part of her began to second guess whether or not they could afford the session and still have fun
for the remainder of the day. She began to slump and pulled out her money, looking at Marilyn
with some expectation.

 
“Two tens, no five,” Marilyn confirmed when she pulled out the two bills, looking at her with a
grim expression.

 
“Wow, these aren’t cheap.” Becky frowned, not enjoying the steep prices, and remembered when
she told Marilyn the assumption of everything being cheap. But clearly, that wasn’t the case.

 

“We’re talking about your lives here, after all.” Before the two could continue, Hamra interjected as
the two girls nodded in agreement.

 

“We’ll just give her sixty then,” Marilyn handed Becky her twenty bucks. Becky handed the
elderly woman the sixty, and she gratefully accepted the tip. The pair watched her slide it into a
small wooden box before safely being tucked away to the side.

 
“The reading is done one at a time; one of you has to go outside.” The older woman told them,
waiting patiently with her hands folded on her lap.

 
Marilyn stood up, sliding between the two rocking chairs with a stretch. She wanted to grab
some air since the place felt stuffy. As she neared the entrance, she turned her head back towards
her friend for a brief moment. “Becky can go first; I’ll be getting some fresh air outside.”
Becky gave Marilyn a concerned look expressing how uneasy she felt despite not verbally saying
so. Despite her earlier enthusiasm, she no longer felt confident when Marilyn was going to leave
her. Becky felt her palms begin to get clammy, and clenched them into a fist, not wanting her
apprehension to become noticeable. And then she had the impulse to grab hold of Marilyn, but
she held herself back, nodding at her to leave.

 
“I’ll be right outside, let me know when it’s my turn.” Marilyn waved at her as a form of
goodbye. Once outside, she took a deep breath, rapidly complaining about the annoying smoke
of the room. “Any longer, and I think my lungs could have gotten lung cancer... I don’t know
how any person could work in such a small place!”

 
Thankfully, her words remained unheard since the older lady and Becky remained in the room,
focused on one another. The gleaming eyes were training on Becky, who fidgeted in her seat.
This place is tiny— a distracting thought repeating in Becky’s mind; however, the anxiety faded
away. Her feelings changed when she saw the ceiling shifted into stars, and her mouth dropped
open. It felt as if she were staring up at the milky way. “Scratch that!” she gasped out loud in
wonder as her eyes widened, and the old lady seemed to fade into the smoke, leaving her alone.
“Relax into your seat; I’ll now do your reading. Calm your mind, close your eyes.” The old
lady’s voice rang in the tent, the direction untraceable.

 
Thought against the very urge to run, Becky did as she was told. A cold sensation rushed along
her thighs, only for her to feel a warmth that relaxed her. She sighed in contentment, the muscles
which usually remained knotted slowly ebbed away. She found herself feeling calmer by the
second as her eyes fluttered shut.

 
“Take easy breaths, inhale deeply, fill your stomach, five seconds, and then exhale.” The
mantra-like voice instructed her, and Becky found herself listening.

 
She inhaled deeply; the air sucked inside of her as she paused. She felt her heart flutter, and then
she exhaled. Hamra's words were carried out as she wanted. But Becky heard low mumbling and the
anxiety which disappeared cropped up for a split moment. But, she didn’t worry for much longer
when her reading finally came.

 

“This is what I’ve gathered. Below a falcon’s eye view, lays a sizable catch. Above the falcon’s
sweep, thrashes a rampant wave for the falcon lacks foresight of the natural laws that surround
it.” Becky nodded slowly, not at all comprehending the woman’s words. The wrinkles deepened
as she stared at Becky, making a note of the atmosphere around her before nodding her head in
confirmation. “Your reason for coming to this island has been to grow closer to someone. But
your three chakra points are unbalanced.”

 
Becky leaned close, giving her some useless information about herself in hopes for the reading to
become clearer. However, Hamra merely grunted and then her eyes widened.
“You said you were born on, March 13th; you’re a pisces.”

 
“So, like, what does that mean,” Becky questioned her, she needed a more summed up version of
the reading. Some of the words she said caught her interest, and she leaned closer.

 
“As I said earlier, you’re dealing with unrequited love. There’s something big approaching. A
duet of three different hues, to pay one large lump sum of dues. Oh?” The voice stopped, a hint
of amusement noticed when she laughed lowly. Not out of mockery or rudeness, but genuine
entertainment from reading Becky’s future. “I love riddles. You have a marvelous life ahead of
you. There you have a forever bond to your true love. But some difficulties will pass tonight. By
the morrow, you will have your answer.”

 
“There is someone who has been eyeing you. Someone who doesn’t have the best intentions in
mind for you.” The old lady’s tone shifted, the warning heard, and Becky felt a chill go down her
spine. She stiffened in her seat and scooted a bit back as if to keep herself safe.

 
“Who is that? What do they look like?” The questions came out quickly, her concerns out in the
open. Becky couldn’t deny her genuine interest; after all, that could mean anything. 

 
“I cannot tell you, as you must figure that out on your own. You have an idea although you may
not outwardly say so.”

 

“That’s pretty straight forward . . . and convenient,” Becky couldn’t help but feel puzzled at
everything told to her. And she looked around, wondering if there would be any help from her
surroundings, but she drew up blanks. However, as she figured there wasn’t any more to tell her,
she rose from her chair but then felt a chill in the air.

 
“We’re not done. I’m going into depth now through these cards. Take them from the table and
shuffle. Close your eyes and put two desires in your head and say the third out loud. Then spread
them apart across the table.” 

 
Becky listened to her instructions, carefully reaching out for the cars on the table. They felt
smooth to the touch, but the edges felt weathered down. She felt flustered as she wasn’t
expecting to handle the cards, but for now, there wasn’t any other choice but to follow along.
Then her eyelids fluttered shut as she shuffled them in her hand, and the desire to be with Bozz
came to mind. She wanted him to love her the same way, but for some reason, she couldn’t say
any of this out loud. Instead, she waited for the older woman to continue.

 
“First you have the world in reverse, there is something major coming as I told you before…
Something that you must complete alongside this person— Who has been swimming in
unrequited love for a very, very long time.” The older woman paused, waiting to hear the third
desire she held inside of her. “Poor soul . . .” Hamra lamented in pity.

 
Becky remained silent; her lips parted almost slipping out a name. Could it be that Bozz still had
feelings for her dead sister? She listened on as the noise of the cards was heard as she placed
them on the table.

 

“The second card here is judgment. An awakening will soon take place. One that’s meant to
bring about an almost cataclysmic shift, events played out at a quadraphonic-” Then there
was another pause, a noise similar to humming as the older woman reviewed everything. “This
moon card is explaining that you will eventually have to trust your intuition. You’ve held back
from doing so, and even if you don’t understand the grand reasoning behind that, you must
search within yourself.”

 
And that is when Becky broke her silence.

 
“Searching? Intuition? I— I wouldn’t know what you’re talking about.” Becky brought her
attention to her clasped hands that she had on her lap. The ticklish feeling of her thumb running
along her palm. Yes. The sensation was similar to the kind she’d felt whenever she ran her palm
along her sister’s neck. One that Becky deeply missed.

 
“Would you like me to continue?” said Hamra. The old woman’s voice returned to the center table.
On it, the card swayed about, and Becky blinked in confusion and mild fear since she didn’t
answer. She wasn’t sure what she expected, but nothing else appeared, and then Hamra appeared
before her once more. The smoke had disappeared, and Becky breathed a sigh of relief. “That
will be all then, no other fortunes left to tell.” 

 
The elderly lady began to collect her cards, fixing them from their positions. Becky trembled for
a second, a wave of emotions making her feel unsure until she gathered herself together and
stood up. She smoothed away the wrinkles on her clothes before answering.
“O— Okay...”

 

“You may go out, go ahead and call your friend.” Hamra told her and dismissed her with a wave of
her dainty hand, not intending to speak to her any longer. There were skull rings along the elderly woman's fingers, Becky took note. She hadn't noticed it before. The silence between them louder than she
expected, but she turned around.

 
Becky began to walk towards the exit, not before setting the chair aside. She felt bewildered and
allowed herself to wallow deep in thought. Once Becky pushed aside the cloth flap, the rays of
the sun shined on her, making her squint. The fresh air made her feel revitalized as if everything
remained a dream in her mind. Becky stepped further outside to Marilyn, who seemed to be
staring up at something in the sky. Her gaze narrowed into a glare as she had a hand pressed
against her forehead, trying to look at something far away.

 
“Marilyn, I’m done; you can go in now...” Becky’s voice trailed off, her face indicating the
unspoken question: what are you looking at over there?

 
“Oh, you are? That was fast...” Marilyn didn’t look at her, still focused on staring at whatever
she was trying to see. So, Becky decided to follow her gaze, and both of them ended up looking
at nothing in particular. “I thought I saw a camera up there, but it’s probably what a coconut crab
seems like from a distance.”

 
Marilyn confessed to her as she pointed over to a lone palm tree. The explanation more or less
sounded paranoid, but she felt like someone was watching her. And in her paranoia, she waited
for a long time, trying to see if the supposed ‘crab coconut’ would move. Becky, on the other
hand, squinted her eyes to see what Marylin was talking about to her. However, she didn’t notice
what her friend suggested.

 
“It’s probably nothing anyway, go inside.” Becky comforted her, nudging her towards the tent’s
entrance. Marilyn started to walk but then paused, looking back with a narrowed stare.
“Will you wait for me?” The question indicated her fear; despite distracting herself, she
reminded herself of the initial apprehension from earlier.

 
“Sure, I’ll wait.” Becky shrugged, relaxing outside as she looked around curiously. She was
paying attention half-heartedly to their conversation until Marilyn grew curious.
“Did she tell you anything juicy?”

 
“I— I’ll have to tell you about that later, maybe.” Becky avoided her stare, the words that the
elderly lady told her began to replay in her mind like a curse.
“Oh, okay, I’ll head inside.”

 

Marilyn found her reaction odd but not enough for her to wait outside with her. She tried to let
go of all the tension building up inside her; there was nothing for her to fear. Marilyn believed
Becky would wait; she said she would, so she moved the flap aside.

 
She fell on smoke brush up against her ankles, making it feel as if someone were touching her it
made her extremely uncomfortable again, but she pushed to the back of her head and quickly
found her seat. She sat down but began looking around as she noted that the old lady wasn’t
around. Marilyn couldn’t help but frown, confused since she didn’t see her leave the tent.
“Hello...?” Marilyn slowly spoke out, but there wasn’t any direct response, and she looked
around. After inspecting the tent, her attention went back to what was in front of her.

 
And then without warning, the strange assistant of the old woman crept out without notice. The
sudden appearance freaked Marilyn out, enough for her to jump back into her seat. She let out a
soft yelp, her hands reaching to cover her mouth as her eyes widened in terror. The old woman
soon appeared hitting the side of Spencer’s head, a standard warning from her. And without
looking at him, she took a seat on her chair as if she didn’t just use violence in front of Marilyn.

 
The older woman noticed Marilyn’s shock and decided to reassure her with empty words.
“He loves doing that I had to teach him manners.” The reasoning behind the slap before she gave
a sharp glare towards her assistant, her lips curled up at the man who had the appearance of a
humpback whale in human for. “Go outside, Spencer.”

 
The man whimpered, shuffling out of the tent as he listened. Marilyn heard wobbling footsteps
and noticed that the old lady had walked over to her. She pressed a deck of cards onto her hand
before drifting back to her seat. Each step slower than the last before the elderly woman finally
reached her spot. Then she readjusted herself before she looked at Marilyn; her steady gaze made
her uncomfortable for a moment. Marilyn decided to glance down; she’d rather pay attention to
cards for the time being.

 
“So, take these cards and we will begin your reading session. Again I am Baja Hamra, and I would like
you to close your eyes. Good, good.” The words of affirmation reaching Marilyn once her eyes
fluttered shut. Hamra began to give her more instructions, “Take the card, shuffle them, have two
wishes and only tell me one.”

 

Marilyn did as she was told, wanting to focus. The feeling of anxiety at the pit of her stomach
momentarily ignored. She took the cards in one hand and went on to shuffle them in the other;
this went on for 2 minutes she closed her eyes. And Marilyn began to think of what she wished
for since she figured there wasn’t any harm. For a while, she remained silent as she flipped
through several things in her head. She was already smart enough and would easily get into
Sunny University, a prestigious college back home. Then Marilyn thought harder, although she
wanted some money that alone wasn’t a good enough wish for her, nor does she desire anything
financially. The reason was simple: her family was wealthy enough to support her. Marilyn had
to consider what it was she wanted aside from Brent. And once she put her mind to it, a profound
thought began to resurface.

 
If she could, she’d want Becky gone or anyone who got in her way in ending up with Brent.
Again those thoughts seeped in unknowingly, sinister intentions making themselves known only
to her. No one else knew, no one ever did. Marilyn typically kept to herself, after all. Even
Becky didn’t know the depths of her feelings. The feelings made her tremble for a second; she
couldn’t believe herself to be genuinely sinister since she never acted on her thoughts. “Everyone
has an evil side right? Anyone has the potential …”

 
"I mean, I’ve never done anything harmful to anyone" she thought to herself, tepid words to
convince herself she wasn’t a terrible person. She reassured over and over in her mind since she
never acted on the ill-will, then she wasn’t evil.

 
“Are you done making your three wishes?” The older woman asked her, the voice breaking her
out of the darkness swirling around her momentarily. And then she began to panic since she felt
pressured to think harder for what she wanted. That turned into fear that jumbled with her wish.
“What if Brent never notices me?”

 
The thoughts feel jumbled in her mind, and she couldn’t help but rock back and forth slowly, a
way for her to calm down. Marilyn didn’t know what she wanted, but everything always led back
to Brent.

 
“Three wishes… three wishes… three wishes.” She repeated the two words like a mantra,
finding herself compelled by them until Marilyn came to a decision. She nodded her head,
feeling more confident in her rushed choice. “Okay, I think I have them I— I wish I could be
with him— with Brent.”

 
And when her wish tumbled out of her mouth, the affection she felt for him began to cloud with
hatred. Not because of Brent, but the image of Becky overlapped her feelings. Marilyn felt
annoyed by how Becky, her friend, and the person Brent only looked at disregarded his feelings.
Hatred for Becky grew thinking of all the times she’d overlooked his feelings. Marilyn fussed
about Brent, subconsciously a habit she learned from Becky.

 
“She’s only ever hurt him. It’s not fair… Sometimes I wish she’d just disappear.” She spat out
her inner thoughts without remorse, her eyebrows furrowing together. And then her features
expressed her surprise, Marilyn couldn’t believe the bold statement she said out loud. And then
she began to grow anxious, biting her lower lip. “Oh no … I wish I didn’t say that…”
Marilyn found herself spiraling in her heavy thoughts as more and more wishes began to pile up
in her head. Like a dam that broke, they began to spill out of her since she was never able to say
them out loud. She didn’t think anything of it since she remained lost in the moment of
confessing her innermost feelings for Brent.

 
“I wish to be something Brent would like so he would look at my way. I wish to make him smile.
I wish that anything that gets in my way will disappear,” Marilyn added beyond three wishes, her
selfish desires sprung up without thought or consequence.

 
With that, she was sent out on her way into her memories. There, the darkness in her heart and a
clouded mind. All she could worry about— the possibility of Becky changing her mind and
wanting Brent. She gulped at the thought since she knew she couldn’t stand a chance. Brent
wanted Becky at the end of the day, not her. If she switched her feelings, while disregarding her
feelings, Marilyn would remain with nothing as usual.  

 

That’s what her friend did on many occasions, Becky, at the core of herself was selfish. Marilyn
imagined the time when she had a red monkey toy she called Pierre. Becky turned down the toy
when a boy offered her one since she had eyed it for a second. So, when the boy gave it to
Marilyn, she accepted it. How could Marilyn say no to a gift? And then she began to grow fond
of Pierre as she played with it in a sandbox, Becky came in and snatched it without remorse. Not at
all thinking of her feelings, simply claiming what was hers since Marilyn accepted it. It only lead
to Becky guilt tripping Marilyn into allowing her to borrow the toy. When Marilyn eventually
asked for it back that same year, Becky’s only response was that she’d lost it.

 

 That’s right. Becky was pretty rude, growing up in their childhood days. The memory alone
made her frown as Marilyn recalled the worst part of the incident, aside from giving her the
monkey. There Becky stood with a group of girls standing behind her. Marilyn was never as
well-known as her, merely following her at times. But Becky? Becky always had others near her
as they listened to her.

 

So Marilyn remembered the feeling of feeling so small as she sat in the sandbox. At the same
time, Becky looked down at her, her hand out with a demanding tone echoing out of her, “I
won’t invite you to my birthday party if you don’t give me the toy monkey.”
That moment always left a bitter taste in Marilyn’s mouth. Sometimes Marilyn wonders if that
crude nature ever left Becky at all. Or if she found more masterful ways to hide it while using it
secretly.

 
But then there was a change in the air, and Marilyn snapped out of her thoughts. Her eyes
fluttered open to the sight of the older woman looking at her. She had a small smile on her
wrinkled face as she stared straight at Marilyn. The glint reflecting from her gaze caused a shiver
to run down the girl’s spine as Marilyn wondered what the older woman wanted. Her face
expressed the question she hadn’t said since Hamra leaned close to whisper her a deal. One far too
dangerous for her to accept willingly.  

 

“Work for me and I'll make sure you get your chance with that boy.” 

 
“W-What do you mean?! No, thank you—” Marilyn leaned back as far as she could, not wanting to get any closer. She
believed in her efforts. If Becky, the one closest to Brent, couldn’t help her out, then how would
the old lady? The promise seemed to have too many flaws, and so she denied her. “I’ll do it on
my own.”

 

 "There's nothing she could possibly do … is there?" Marilyn wondered, a slight curiosity glimmering in her widened eyes. 

 

Her answer, however, wasn’t well received. The older woman expressed her disappointment by
exhaling out a sigh. Then she pressed her hands on the table but being mindful of the cards
around her. Hamra leaned closer, closing the distance between them.
“I’m telling you now, that will not work, young lady.” Rather than a warning, her words sounded
like a promise. But Marilyn wouldn’t budge, she felt firm in her decision even if she began to
tremble out of fear.

 
“Even so, I’m okay with that, I’ll be going now, and I’m not coming back.” Marilyn stood from
her seat in a hurry, the chair almost falling back. She didn’t have any time to fix her clothes since
she looked disoriented. Instead, Marilyn quickly shuffled out of the tent, reaching over to grab
the flap of cloth, blocking the exit to push it away as she mumbled to herself. The whisper was
so low she didn’t expect Hamra to hear. “I have to get out of here before this hag changes my
mind.”

 

 "Who knows what she wants me to do …" Marilyn slipped her hand to her upper arm nervously. 

 
“This body is the old hag; there is nothing wrong with looking old and being old.” The shrill
voice of the older woman shouted towards her, causing Marilyn to jump. She felt both surprised
and scared. But Hamra didn’t stop there; she began to demand Marilyn to turn around. “Return to
me! I’ll hold onto your body until you can use it!”

 

The demands made her stumble as she almost fell onto her knees, but she grasped tightly onto
the cloth of the tent. Thankfully, it proved to be the perfect leverage for her to hold so she could
steady herself. She released a sigh of relief, but Marilyn remembered, she couldn’t stay for too
long, especially with the older woman still raving behind her.

 
“Only when the one you love proves he loves you for you, will you attain what you desire.” The
resounding words didn’t sound like advice, but a curse and Marilyn didn’t want to listen any
longer.

 
“Bye!” Marilyn bolted out, trying her best to stop the last word the older woman said, from
echoing in her head. She pressed her hands against her ears, not bothering to listen to her
anymore. Once outside, Marilyn dove as if she were running a race, mere seconds away from the
finish line. Now sweating as beads of perspiration appeared on her face, she complained about
having to encounter someone like that. “Next time, let’s not approach creepy looking people,
Becky.”

 
Marilyn continued to catch her breath; she leaned over with her hands on her knees. Her sight
narrowed to a pebble between her feet, and then she leaned back up properly. Marilyn felt
relieved since the burning sensation in her lungs from panicking faded away. But she noticed
something: there wasn’t any response from Becky, she wasn’t around.

 
“Becky? Becky! Hey, Beck?!”Marilyn called out for her a few more times, drawing air in each
time she did. But her shouts remained unanswered; in the end, they only scared a flock of birds
that she approached. Her fear and panic began escalated; Marilyn didn’t feel safe about being
near the tent alone, so she hurried off. Becky wasn’t nearby, so her staying was useless as her
heart raced against her chest. Occasionally, she looked behind her to make sure no one was
following her.

 
After running for a while, she came to a stop. The reason behind her pause was because of what
she saw from the corner of her eyes. To her surprise, she caught sight of Brent passing a pool
area with a girl following him. At first, she felt jealous that he was hanging out with someone,
but then Marilyn noticed something odd. He wasn’t talking to her much less aware of her
presence; in fact, the girl a few steps behind him appeared more suspicious than ever due to her
sneaky behavior. Out of concern for him, she wanted to warn him.

 
“BRENT!” Marilyn shouted his name, but her actions were pointless.

 
She remembered that Brent was mildly deaf, the drowning incident leaving him impaired, among
other things. And so, Brent wasn’t able to hear her shout of panic. Marilyn grew concerned,
spotting what resembled a kitchen knife in the girl’s hand. The shining glint and sharp edge
made her feel scared for him. With each second, the girl made her way closer to him without
Marilyn’s efforts helping at all.

 
Brent! She shouted in her head, looking around, she was on a ledge. Unknowingly, Marilyn had
tried to get as close as possible before coming to a stop. Her hands gripped the edge, and she
began to shake, unsure of what to do. The height from where Marilyn crouched, and Brent’s
location was too far apart. She couldn’t just jump off without hurting herself in the process.
But how would she warn him?!

 
Marilyn glanced down to the ground, in search of something to throw. But then the feeling of
sharp pain throbbed at her head before everything faded to black. The vision of dirt and the
sound of someone’s footsteps burned into her memory until she passed out. Unknown to her, she
had been slugged over the head, a swift blow. The one who struck her was none other than
Finster as he snickered with a satisfied expression. From his hand, he tossed the bloodied rock
aside and reached out to pick up Marilyn’s collapsed body.

 
And now everything was falling into place, piece by piece. 

 

 “Something doesn’t seem right about this island” Stephen thought to himself, checking the pamphlet he had. His desired place to visit was the library. 

 When he gets there, he goes through the different shelves and at the far end, where a small window is open to view outside, he spots an altar with small candles and a skull that’s in front of what seems to be a book. Stephen approaches it, seeing a map opened on a second alter beside the first one. He observes it, in shock. Takes it and goes to a nearby table. He observes it confused as he recognizes the map was similar to the one he had in his phone but there’s a pyramid like image where their boat had passed through. The front of the book he took and placed on the table has alphabetical letters he doesn’t understand. He can’t read the letters at the front of the cover. He gets a really bad feeling, looking back to the altar. From the small skull a light flickered out of where eye’s would be. Stephen stood up as the light shined brighter. 

 

 Such an intense light forced him to look away. He then glanced down to the book, noticing he understood the front cover now. It read “Ballad Of An Underseas Soulja”