Major Detours

by Zachary Sergi

  But I know it’s time to answer the question for Door Four: Who are you?

  I open the door.

  Click here

  I open the door.

  Click here

  Walking into the next room, I actually find it’s much more of a hallway, curving into an unseen bend. I hope this is a good sign, considering I’m supposed to follow the path that leads me forward. Really, I chose this door because Grandma’s Major Arcana expression was The Lovers. How could I not honor her by choosing her doorway?

  As I make my way in the semidarkness around the curving hallway, I find it leads to another wall with doors. But I also spot something that freezes me in place: two figures standing on either side of the doors, elongated and misshapen. At first I’m convinced someone is standing there, some incorporeal form…

  Until I realize the figures are just painted, abstract outlines of two humans.

  Feeling somewhat haunted by these looming figures, I focus instead on the scroll question for Door Five: What matters more?

  I open the door.

  Click here

  I open the door.

  Click here

  Who am I? I am The Empress, of course.

  As I walk through the doorway of my expression, my only question is whether Perilli was just as taken with The Empress, or if he somehow intended for me to be the one walking these maze halls?

  Whatever the truth is, I do feel at home in this next twisting room. It’s full of fake plants, since theoretically no one would be allowed in to water real ones. Still, the point is taken. I’ve entered Mother Nature’s transformative doorway, walking through representations of her green grandeur.

  As I do walk though, the lights flicker violently once again, trying to come back on. I close my eyes, waiting for the flickering to pass. After a few moments it does, returning me to darkness. Using my flashlight, I find the next wall…

  Which has only one door set into it, painted blue.

  I walk through this singular blue door.

  Click here

  Who am I? Just like I felt at the start of this journey, I fancy myself The Fool. I am one who seeks the road less traveled, one who will ask the hard questions to find the answers I seek. Perilli’s own booklet quote on The Fool snaps into my brain, one of the few I committed to memory on our sleepless overnight drive: The Fool is dissatisfied with the superficial things that please most people, seeking something deeper.

  I find that, in this room, seeking something deeper will mean doing something I’d really rather not. Just ahead of me in this dark room is a plastic tube tunnel, the kind children play inside. It leads through a wall into the next room.

  Anxiety pings in my brain again as I think of how eerie and silent, how insulated and cramped that tunnel will be. I reach my hand up to play with my hair, but then force that feeling away again.

  After all, I chose this hard path, fool that I am.

  The crawl into the next room is indeed tight, but it’s also fast—and oddly freeing. Once through the tunnel, I examine this next room from the floor. Once I do, I find there’s only one door left for me to walk through, painted purple.

  I walk through this singular purple door.

  Click here

  What matters more? That answer is pretty simple—what matters more than anything, really? Justice.

  The decision to walk through this doorway was an easy one. The tarot’s Justice card calls for a careful examination and good judgment, not just of others, but also of ourselves. Appropriately, this entire room is painted half in pitch black and half in stark white, while the path through the middle remains gray.

  This feels especially fitting, as more gusts of wind bash against the walls outside. After all, the only path forward we usually have is the solitary gray one.

  Walking this path leads me to the next wall, where I find only one final door, painted blue.

  I walk through this singular blue door.

  Click here

  What matters more? That answer is pretty simple—what matters more than anything, really? Strength.

  The decision to walk through this doorway was an easy one. Especially because the tarot’s call for Strength doesn’t require brute force. Instead, it suggests that sometimes the truest strength comes from being gentle and kind. Which is probably why, in the center of this next room, a giant open palm is painted on the floor, covering a clenched fist.

  Since Strength stands for unexpected solutions to a problem, I figured this might be the cleverest path forward. However, crossing this particular room, the house seems to come alive all around me, banging and clanging louder than ever. It almost feels like I really have entered some kind of horror house, as if the walls themselves are cautioning me to turn back.

  Then again, perhaps this is just another sign that I require unique strength to continue forward.

  Coming to the next wall, I find only one final door, painted purple.

  I walk through this singular purple door.

  Click here

  I press my hand to the purple painted wood and see it also has an inscription printed in bronze. It’s not just one symbol, though, like the other doors. I recognize this writing as half of the quote for the Princess of Cups listed in Perilli’s booklet. It reads: Rise above jealousy, manipulation, and possession. Beside each emotion, the symbols for The Devil, The Fool, and Strength appear. Whatever else this means, it must mean I’m close.

  I walk through the door and I am faced with another room, one that has several other doors leading inside along the near wall. On the far wall, however, is another single purple door—which must make this some kind of funneled outlet. Approaching the final door, I wonder if I’m about to find treasure or ruin.

  I enter another darkened space and hear a metallic shift and a soft clunk. Shining my flashlight around, I see there’s no new door in here, just a set of stairs that must lead out of the maze and into the attic. Then I see something that makes my heart stop. Positioned in the center of the room…

  A fish tank filled with water. There’s a compartment above this tank, one that has a wire leading back to the door I just entered through. Then, shining the flashlight down, I see the Princess of Cups card floating in the water inside. Then I realize it can’t be just water, because the card disintegrates far faster than it should.

  I rush up to the tank, looking for some way to save the drowning Princess. But I realize the trigger-switch on the purple door I entered through not only dunked the card, it also locked the tank lid in place. Looking back, I see a second blue door also leads into this room—without any trigger. Somewhere, according to Carson Perilli, I must have chosen the wrong path. The Princess will now be destroyed in a matter of seconds, and there’s nothing I can do about it.

  I pore my eyes over the disappearing card while I still can. I find the Princess has been painted to resemble Lily, just like the rest of the Baxter Cups royals. Instead of her usual flowing femininity, this Princess has Lily’s simple style and short hair. She holds a cup on her stomach as she floats face up on the surface of the ocean. This is the last thing I see before the Princess of Cups vanishes, lost in the water forever.

  Part of me wants to linger beside the tank as an act of grief, or reverence, or maybe both. But a far larger part of me wants to get the hell out of this fraught maze.

  So I stride forward across the room and climb the stairs, feeling heavier with each step. Once I reach the top I find myself in a vaulted attic that smells of cedar and sawdust. Moonlight spills in through windows, making it slightly less dark, but I still shine my flashlight across the space. First I see another staircase at the opposite end, one that must lead back into the house. I let out a scream, however, when I see what waits between me and that exit.

  Lady Azure stands and stares at me, looking almost like a ghost herself.

  “Did you secure the Princess of Cups?” she asks, her voice low and steady.

  I shake my head, raising my hand to cover my mouth. T
hat’s when I hear a banging coming from across the attic, traveling up the second set of stairs. I also hear muffled voices and a doorknob rattling. Could that be Lily, Cleo, and Anwar?

  “Oh, thank the goddess,” Lady Azure then cries out. I shine my flashlight back on her and it’s only then I realize she seems to be crying tears of… joy?

  “Carson’s beloved Princess, the source of our powers. It’s ours forever.”

  My heart sinks. Suddenly I feel like the drowned Princess myself, plunged into unexpected waters against my will.

  “But the card,” I try, “it’s destroyed.”

  “Dead things don’t really die, little girl.” Lady Azure speaks almost in a chant, her head down. “Here in the Isle of Baxter, the energy resides.”

  My skin prickles cold. Suddenly I feel sick.

  “You… this is what you wanted all along?”

  “Our talents sharpened after Carson hid this card on our island. I would never disrespect Carson’s wishes. I never entered the maze below our feet, but I sat up here often, soaking in the presence of Carson’s hidden card. We did follow his instructions to the letter, but you are correct.”

  Lady Azure raises her face then, her tearful eyes connecting with mine.

  “This is indeed the outcome I desired.”

  A wave of realization crashes over me. Details soak into my skull, running through our time with Lady Azure. Her tarot readings. Our group’s separation. Her “herbal” tea. The flickering lights. Her presence here in this attic outlet, blocking the others. Where does the line between Carson Perilli and Lady Azure lie?

  I don’t know the answers to this question. All I do know, with a sudden surge, is that we have to get off of this tragic island as fast as possible. I clutch the scroll in my hand against the straps of Cleo’s backpack, because who knows what else Lady Azure wants to take from our visit.

  Just then, there’s a bang across the attic as the exit door flies open.

  “Amelia, are you all right?” Cleo asks, rushing to my side.

  “We came up here to try to meet you, but the door was locked,” Anwar adds. “It took me forever, but I picked the lock.”

  “We need to go,” I whisper back to them. “Now.”

  “Mom, what are you doing?” Lily asks. “Why did you lock us out?”

  “It’s done. The Princess of Cups is ours, floating in the flow of the Isle forever,” Lady Azure answers.

  “What?” Lily responds. “You’re not making sense.”

  “The card is destroyed. Which means it can never leave. Don’t you see what this signifies? These cards really belong to us, Lily.”

  Lily stares back at her mother, looking horrified.

  “No,” Lily says. “They don’t.”

  Lily’s eyes then flutter, like she is putting the pieces together. Or… listening? Either way, she turns to us next.

  “Take the stairs to the basement, then use the exit down there. I texted Seidon to meet you. He’ll take you and the others back.”

  “No!” Lady Azure cries. “We have to see the final deck! Now that—”

  “If you love me,” Lily interrupts, turning back to her mother with icy intensity, “you will let them go.”

  Lady Azure appears thunderstruck. In the same second, Cleo takes my hand and walks forward. She knows this is our window, while Lady Azure is uncertain.

  “You have to let this go now,” Lily adds. “It’s enough.”

  We make it to the stairs before we can hear Lady Azure’s response, or before we can say anything to Lily. As we rush down through the levels of Coupled Cottage, I can only hope that Lady Azure doesn’t try to follow us.

  Click here

  I press my hand to this blue door and see it also has an inscription printed in bronze. It’s not just one symbol, though, like the other doors. I recognize this writing as half of the quote for the Princess of Cups listed in Perilli’s booklet. It reads: It’s time to awaken to something new. Whatever else this means, it must mean I’m close.

  I walk through and am faced with another room, one that has several other doors leading inside along the near wall. On the far wall, however, is another single blue door—which makes this some kind of funneled outlet. Approaching the final door, I can’t help but wonder if I’m about to find treasure or ruin.

  I enter another darkened space and shine my flashlight. There’s not a door in here, just a set of stairs that must lead out of the maze and into the attic. Then I see something that makes my heart stop. Positioned in the center of the room…

  A fish tank filled with water. There’s a compartment above this tank, one that has a wire leading back to a second purple door that leads in here. Shining the light on that compartment, I see the Princess of Cups hanging above the tank.

  With a sigh of relief, I realize that I chose correctly, at least according to Carson Perilli. If I had somehow entered through that purple door, it would have dunked the Princess into the tank. Understanding how thin this line remains, I rush forward to grab the card before anything tragic can happen to it.

  Holding the lost Princess of Cups in my hands, I see she has been painted to resemble Lily, just like the rest of the Baxter Cups royals. Instead of her usual flowing femininity, this Princess has Lily’s simple style and short hair. She holds a cup on her stomach as she floats face up on the surface of the ocean. I then make out a symbol painted lightly on this cup: the Hebrew letter Mem.

  Part of me wants to linger beside the tank and soak in my success, but I know it’s time to leave. I stride forward and climb the stairs, feeling lighter with each step. At the top I find a vaulted attic that smells of cedar and sawdust. Moonlight spills in through the windows, making it slightly less dark, but still I shine my flashlight across the space. First I see another staircase at the opposite end, one that must lead back into the house. I gasp, however, when I see what waits between me and that exit.

  Lady Azure stands and stares at me, looking almost like a ghost herself.

  “Did you secure the Princess of Cups?” she asks, before her eyes travel down to see the card grasped in my hand. That’s when I hear a banging coming from across the attic, traveling up the second set of stairs. I also hear muffled voices and a doorknob rattling. Could that be Lily, Cleo, and Anwar? Why would Lady Azure block them from meeting me this way?

  “Carson’s Princess, the source of our powers. The heart of the Isle of Baxter,” Lady Azure begins, tears sliding down her cheeks. “You weren’t supposed to…”

  My skin prickles cold. Suddenly I feel sick.

  “You must understand, the Princess belongs here,” Lady Azure pleads, her watery eyes boring into me.

  “You… you never wanted me to find the card, did you?” I ask.

  “Our talents sharpened after Carson hid this card on our island. I would never disrespect Carson’s wishes. I never entered the maze below our feet, but I sat up here often, soaking in the presence of Carson’s hidden card.”

  Lady Azure looks away from me then, her eyes falling to the floor. “But I cannot let go of this final gift. I would have preferred it destroyed, its energy resonating here forever.”

  A wave of realization crashes over me. Details soak into my skull, running through our time with Lady Azure. Her tarot readings. Our group’s separation. Her “herbal” tea. The flickering lights. Her presence here in this attic outlet, blocking the others. Where do the plans of Carson Perilli end and the plans of Lady Azure begin?

  I don’t know the answer to this question. All I do know, with a sudden surge, is that I’m trapped in a dark attic, at the end of a locked maze, with a resourceful fraud, stranded on her desolate island. I flatten the card in my hand against the strap of Cleo’s backpack, because who knows if the Princess is the only thing Lady Azure wants to take from me.

  “You know what I expected in return for my guidance,” Lady Azure says, turning from flowing to icy as she creeps forward. “You trust I know what Carson would’ve wanted, don’t you? You know this wa
s his home, his final resting place.”

  I recoil backward, trying to get away from Lady Azure. Then, suddenly, there’s a loud bang from the exit door flying open.

  “Amelia, are you all right?” Cleo asks, running up and rushing to my side.

  “We came up here to try to meet you, but the door was locked,” Anwar follows. “It took me forever, but I picked the lock.”

  “We need to go,” I whisper back to them. “Now.”

  “Mom, what are you doing?” Lily asks, placing herself between us and Lady Azure. “Why did you lock us out?”

  “Lily, she has your card in her hands, the source of our gifts,” Lady Azure answers. “Amelia must understand that card belongs to you. To us.”

  Lily stares back at her mother, looking horrified.

  “No,” Lily says. “It doesn’t.”

  Lily’s eyes then flutter, like she is putting the pieces together. Or… listening? Either way, she turns to us next.

  “Take the stairs to the basement. Then use the exit down there. I texted Seidon to meet you. He’ll take you and the others back.”

  “No!” Lady Azure cries. “We have to see the final deck! Now that—”

  Lady Azure freezes, however, as Lily grabs her wrist. She sets her eyes on her mother with a glare so intense, it gives me a chill. “Uncle Carson would be ashamed.”

  Hearing these words, Lady Azure appears thunderstruck. In the same second, Cleo takes my hand and walks forward. She knows this is our window, while Lily has Lady Azure filled with doubt.

  “You have to let this go now,” Lily adds. “Not everything is yours to own.”

  We make it to the stairs before we can hear Lady Azure’s response, or before we can say anything to Lily. As we begin to rush down through Couple Cottage, I can only hope one thing: