Chapter 42 The seer
VICTORIA
I trailed behind the woman, swerving my head around as we pushed through the crowd that surrounded us.
We were on our way to the seer’s place to seek the so-called future and solution. I began to regret agreeing to this the moment we climbed into her truck, but I still tried to take it up with good fate.
I wiped the sweat beading on my forehead as we walked deeper into the rowdy area. It seemed really out of place compared to the city and had no meaningful name aside from Hillside Town.
I scrunched up my face in disgust when the rotten smell of tomatoes wafted past my nose.
I cursed silently, seeing more reasons why I should have never agreed to this.
“We're getting closer, walk faster," the woman said, and I increased my pace. Even though she was older than I, she still walked faster than I had ever walked in my life.
With those long legs and amazing pace, she would have made a good athlete.
“Ah! We're right here!" The woman said and pointed at a building at the far end of the busy road.
“The seer is in there?" I asked, and she nodded her head, grinning.
“Yes, he is in there," she muttered.
I sighed in relief, impatient to get done with this and head home.
As we neared the small house, my phone buzzed in my pocket, forcing me to stop in my tracks.
The woman also stopped walking and looked back, my brows raised in question.
I took out my phone, and my heart skipped a beat when Mr Thompson's name flashed across the screen.
I looked up at the woman and flashed her a false smile.
“I'm sorry, but let me take this," I said and shifted away before answering the call.
I could hear the woman grunt in anger and impatience as I walked off to answer Mr Thompson's call.
“Hello, Mr Thompson," I murmured when the lines connected.
"Where are you? I’ve been waiting for you!” He sounds like someone who just survived a panic attack.
I placed my hand over my mouth, smiling at the thought of him pacing around with a loose tie hanging around his neck and his face covered in sweat.
“I'm sorry I couldn't come to work today, something came up,” I muttered.
“What came up? Is your dad hurt? Did the bastard attack again–"
"No, no, it's nothing like that,” I muttered, smiling at how concerned he was.
“Oh," I heard him mumble and sigh in relief.
“I'm fine, I just went out with someone, I'll be back to work tomorrow," I said and made to end the call, but he stopped me.
“Where exactly are you at? You need to let someone know of your whereabouts in case something bad happens,” he said, filled with concern.
I sighed and glanced back at the woman. She had instructed me not to tell anyone of my whereabouts.
“You don't have to worry, I'll be fine, and if anything happens, I'll let you know,” I replied.
A sigh of relief escaped my mouth when the call ended. I turned and headed towards the woman.
“I'm done. I didn't keep you waiting for so long, did I?” I asked as I approached her.
The woman sent a glare my way and turned around, then walked off in anger. I trailed after her until we got to the entrance of the house.
“Come inside!" A guttural voice answered before she knocked.
I swung my head around in surprise, wondering if anyone had given him information that we were standing in front of the door.
The woman opened the door and walked, and I followed. My face scrunched up when the scent of belly-churning incense hit my face. I tried my best to remain calm and hide the disgust bubbling in me.
The man sitting down before was old and looked like he was going to clock eighty soon. He had a long white beard, which he always touched whenever he was done chanting a paragraph. Beaded long necklaces were around his neck and to his belly. He wore a white dress, and his legs were pulled together and crossed.
In one hand was a coral or whatever that was, and in the other hand was a small incense holder, which he waved around as he chanted.
He suddenly paused and pulled his eyes open.
His head jerked up in our direction, and goosebumps spread over my skin. I gulped hard and tried to avoid his piercing, dead eyes, but the woman gripped my arm, forcing me to keep my eyes on him.
“I can see it!" The man spat, and my eyes dimmed in confusion.
“Death! Death! Hovering around her head!"
My heart skipped a beat as my jaw dropped at the man's words.
“Yes, yes," the woman nodded in agreement. The man leaned in our direction, his eyes still fixed on me.
“I see hesitation, my child," he muttered, and my toes curled into the ground.
The man chuckled and waved his hand towards the mat before him.
“Sit! I will find a solution,” he ordered.
The woman and I exchanged glances before slumping down on the mat.
The man's eyes slammed shut, and he began to mutter out words that I couldn't understand.
I rubbed my arm, trying so hard to stop myself from choking on the incense and smoke that filled the room. In the end, I couldn't help it. My trembling lips parted and let out a sneeze, then I began to cough.
The woman gripped my arm, and the man suddenly stopped. He looked up at me again, anger and a feeling I couldn't decipher lurked in his eyes.
“Your life is intertwined with that of the dead. She calls for it, she begs that you return to her," he said.
My throat knotted, and I gripped my fist when my mom's face flashed before my eyes.
“She wants you back to her. They will keep chasing you, they will keep blaming you, they won't leave you alone until you join them all," he said, swinging his head from one side to another.
“Who are you talking about?" I asked.
"Your mother is calling for you!” He said.
My heart clenched, and I couldn't help but scoff.
“Why will my mother want me dead? That doesn't make sense," I blurted out.
The old woman gripped my hand again, glaring at me to keep shut and not challenge him.
“Your lives are intertwined. You will suffer the way she suffered, you will be haunted in that house until the day they come upon you and take your life away," he said.
My lips parted and slammed shut, and my eyes dimmed in suspicion.
“Who told you my mom suffered?"
The woman gripped my arm again, glaring as she leaned closer.
“Shut up, will you? He is a seer!" She snapped.
I looked at the man and narrowed my eyes before looking away.
“What should we do to save her?" The woman asked.
"Find them!” He snapped, and my head snapped up.
He glared at me and mumbled incomprehensible words before throwing the coral on the ground.
“Find them before they find you!" He repeated.
My heart tightened at the instruction. He was right, he was damn right. That was the only thing he got right.
“There is nothing she can do aside from that? It might be impossible–”
“I will find them. I will kill them," I blurted out, and the woman's jaw dropped.
I looked up at him and forced a smile on my face before getting up.
The woman quickly reached into her bag and brought out a bundle of notes. From the corner of my eyes, I watched her drop the wraps close to the seer, then get up.
“Let's go," she whispered when she reached where I stood.
“Remember!" The man called, and we stopped on our tracks.
I craned my head back, my brows raising in question.
“You're your own enemy.”
My body paled, and I sank my nails into my palm.
I didn't say a word to him. Instead, I turned around and walked out of the building.
“I told you he'll be of help," the woman muttered as we stepped into the crowded area again.
“Why do I feel like someone told him that?" I blurted out. The woman looked at me and shook her head.
“Children of this generation don't believe in supernatural gifts and beings anymore,” she sighed.
I shrugged, still torn between accepting the man's gift and the possibility of someone telling him to say that to me.
I didn't argue about it again as we walked down the road, pushing through people, while the man's words haunted me.
“Anita!" A voice called from behind, and the woman's feet froze.
I stopped walking as well and looked back when she did.
A man with glasses on pushed through the crowd and rushed towards us, his eyes fixed on the woman.
The woman gasped in horror, her eyes widening.
“Elliott!" She gasped.
"Who is that?” I asked out of curiosity.
I saw her fist clench as she glared hatefully at the man as he got closer to where we stood.
“That's my… ex-husband,” she whispered, and my jaw dropped.