R. Stine - Eye Of The Fortuneteller

Kelsey wasn’t so sure she wanted to follow him. But time was running out.

The old man led them under the boardwalk.

Kelsey had never been under the boardwalk. She felt as if she were in a huge cove. It was damp and dark – very dark. She could barely see the wooden planks high above her head.

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Her stomach lurched as the stench of dead fish filled her nostrils.

She wanted to turn back. But then she caught sight of a blazing fire up ahead.

As the three moved toward it, she could see gypsies – a crowd of gypsies – sitting in a circle around the crackling flames.

Their colorful clothing and golden jewelry glowed in the fire’s light.

Inside the circle stood Gregor. His face flushed from the heat of the flames.

“So, you are here,” he said as Kelsey and Drew approached. “Just in time.”

All the gypsies rose and turned to stare at Kelsey and Drew. Kelsey didn’t like the feeling of all those eyes on her.

“Did you bring everything I commanded?” Gregor asked.

“Yes,” Kelsey told him. “I’ve got them right here.”

“Good,” Gregor said. “Very good. Come then.” He extended his hand. The gypsies parted, allowing Kelsey and Drew to step inside the circle.

Then Gregor clapped his hands together twice – and all the gypsies began to dance.

They danced around the fire, singing an eerie tune – in a language that Kelsey did not understand.

Kelsey didn’t know what she was supposed to do. So she stood there and watched. Watched the gypsies whirl around her.

Kelsey recognized Zandra. She was dressed in her gypsy costume, wearing her long, dark wig. And as she danced with the others in the circle, she looked every bit as serious as the rest of them.

When Gregor clapped his hands again, the dancing and singing came to an abrupt stop. And everyone sat.

Gregor reached for an old leather-bound book lying close to the edge of the fire. “May I have all the items, please,” he addressed Kelsey.

Kelsey reached into her backpack. First she pulled out the jar with the horseflies. She handed it to Gregor.

He took it without saying a word.

Then she gave him the jar that held the sand crab. He took that, too.

Kelsey had put the jellyfish in a plastic bag. But she still hated touching it. She tossed it over to Gregor quickly.

The last thing Kelsey pulled out of her backpack was the map.

Gregor spread all the items before him.

He turned the tattered pages of his book, searching for the proper chant.

Then he began, chanting in the same strange language Kelsey had heard before. And he rocked back and forth – in a deep, deep trance.

Kelsey wondered what Gregor was saying. But she didn’t dare interrupt him.

“Is it over?” she whispered hopefully when Gregor finally stopped his strange song.

“Not yet,” he answered. “For the curse to be broken, you must swallow your fears.”

“What do you mean?” Kelsey asked.

Gregor nodded at the items on the ground in front of him. “You must swallow your fears,” he repeated.

“Are you telling me that I have to eat those things?” Kelsey shrieked.

“Yes,” Gregor told her. “It is the only way to break the curse.”

“No way!” Kelsey said.

Touching sand crabs and jellyfish was disgusting enough. Eating them was out of the question!

“We do not have to go on,” Gregor declared.

“Yes, yes, we do,” Kelsey moaned.

Gregor smiled. “Very well.” Then he reached for the jar with the horsefly.

“You’re going to do it?” Drew cried.

“I – I have to do it,” Kelsey stammered. “I’m not letting that witch beat me .”

“Are you ready to begin?” Gregor asked.

A hush fell over the bonfire.

Kelsey could hear the sounds of crashing waves in the distance. The crackling of the flames before her. And the pounding of her heart.

“Yes,” Kelsey forced herself to reply. “Only – couldn’t we maybe start with the map first?”

Gregor nodded as he placed the jar down and picked up the map.

He tore a piece out of the map, right where Kelsey had circled her street. “Open your mouth.”

Kelsey did, and Gregor placed the tiny piece of paper on her tongue. Then he began to chant.

Swallowing the map was really easy. It clung to the back of her throat for a only second. Then she managed to choke it down.

But as Gregor reached for the jar of horseflies, Kelsey’s stomach heaved.

When he opened the jar, two of the horseflies escaped. Gregor plucked one of the wings from the horsefly lying in the bottom of the jar and held it out in front of Kelsey.

At least I don’t have to swallow the whole thing. She sighed.

She stared at the wing, trying to convince herself that it wasn’t going to be as terrible as she thought.

It’s just a wing. A tiny, little wing. As harmless as a piece of cellophane.

Kelsey closed her eyes and opened her mouth. And she told herself that that’s exactly what it was – a little piece of cellophane.

The moment the wing hit her tongue, she pushed it back toward her throat. Then she swallowed quickly.

She didn’t taste a thing. It almost felt like swallowing the skin of a peanut.

Only it wasn’t the skin of a peanut. It was the wing of a horsefly. And Kelsey could feel it sticking in her throat. She swallowed and swallowed. But she couldn’t make it go down.

She started to choke.

Just as she was about to ask for a glass of water, she saw Gregor reach for the sand crab.

She quickly gathered saliva in her mouth and forced the wing down in one big gulp.

Gregor lifted the crab and removed one of its legs. He dangled it in front of her.

Kelsey shut her lids tightly and tried not to think about it. Then she opened her mouth.

As soon as Gregor placed it on her tongue, she swallowed – hard and fast.

The crab leg scratched her throat as it went down.

Kelsey imagined that it was still alive.

Alive and wriggling back up into her mouth.

Kelsey slammed her hand over her mouth – so she wouldn’t throw up.

“You have just one fear left,” Gregor stated. Then he pulled out a jeweled knife and sliced off a chunk of the slimy, foul-smelling jellyfish.

The gypsies stared. Silently.

It seemed as if everyone stopped breathing.

Kelsey broke out into a sweat. She wiped her clammy palms on her jeans.

She tried to open her mouth. But she gagged.

“I can’t,” she cried as she turned her face away from Gregor.

“You must,” Gregor told her. “Or the curse will always be with you.”

“You can do it, Kelsey,” Drew pleaded. “I know you can!”

She shook her head. “No,” she told Drew. “I can’t.”

“Kelsey,” Drew replied, “you have to.”

Kelsey knew Drew was right. She had to try. “Okay,” she said, inhaling deeply. “I’m ready.”

Kelsey closed her eyes and held her nose. She opened her mouth. She told herself that if she swallowed it quickly, everything would be okay.

Gregor placed the quivering gunk in her mouth.

It oozed on her tongue.

She forced herself not to think about it. She closed her mouth around the bitter slime.

It tasted salty and fishy. Like eating rotten bait.

But the taste wasn’t the worst part.

The worst part was how it felt in her mouth.

Slimy – like mucous.

Ooozing and sliding around on her tongue.

Swallow! Kelsey ordered herself. But she gagged again.

Swallow! This time the glob slipped down her throat. Slowly. Kelsey felt her stomach lurch.

She was sure she was going to vomit.