by Kristin Cook
Cartomancy
By Kristin Cook
Copyright 2014 Kristin Cook
Smashwords Edition
Smashwords Edition License Notes
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook please purchase copies for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
Chapter 1
Astrid Shims flipped through all three-hundred-sixty-five cable channels for the tenth time that morning, and one thought kept recurring to her; Blacks Glenn was the most boring town in America, possibly worldwide. Nothing even remotely exciting had ever happened. It was the first hour of the first day of summer vacation and she didn’t know how long she could handle the boredom. She had been awake for an hour already. “Mom I’m bored!” she yelled into space. Her mother didn’t answer. She suspected that her mother was down in the basement doing laundry, and while she certainly wasn’t bored enough to go and help, she rolled off the couch managing to avoid her cereal bowl and walked to the top of the basement stairs. “Mo-THER! “ She yelled down. “I am seriously going to die from boredom…seriously!” After a minute her mother appeared at the bottom of the stairs with a basket of towels. “Then go read a book.” This was her mother’s standard response. Astrid rolled her eyes and shuffled off across the kitchen. “Why does no one understand my plight?” She thought about yelling this out loud as well, but really, who would listen? She even asked the cat as he walked across the floor and plopped down onto a sunny spot. He looked at her, but said nothing. “I can’t even get a meow? Thanks a lot.” Astrid went upstairs to her room. As she reached the top of the stairs she heard a faint but definite “meow” from the kitchen. “Everyone’s a jokester.” She said under her breath. A few minutes later, her mother appeared in her doorway as she was sprawled out across her bed. “I am sorry you are so bored my love, what can I do to help?” Astrid watched her mother meticulously hang all of her clean clothes up in her closet. “I don’t know I’m just bored” she put her hand across her forehead and pretended to faint. “Well, we could re-decorate your bedroom this summer that might be fun.” The idea of painting seemed cool, and Astrid did fancy herself as someone who would suffer for art. “Can I paint my room black?” she asked. Her mother thought about this for a minute. “I suppose so…but only an accent wall. The rest will have to be wallpaper, maybe a nice damask print.” She had envisioned more of a cave-like atmosphere, but she was open to compromise. “Mom, since I’m compromising on the paint and wallpaper, I do have another idea for my room, something more… gothic.” Astrid’s mother was imagining arched walls and flying buttresses. Her mother was literally always in the process of restoring their house, which is known to historians and architects as a “Queen Anne Victorian. “ To Astrid it looked like a haunted house with a really big porch, except that it had been painted all kinds of bright and crazy colors. It was like living in an Easter egg. Astrid called it the “QAV” for short. The constant upgrading of the house was slightly annoying to Astrid and as a result she knew more about architecture than any kid should. Their home was the love of her mother’s life. Astrid did not understand it at all, but as her mother loved to say “You can’t even begin to imagine the upkeep on a one hundred and sixty three year old house.” It was a source of pride for her and Astrid was sure that everyone in town knew the exact age of their house. Astrid sighed heavily at her mother for effect. “Well what did you have in mind? Gargoyles?” her mother chuckled. Astrid let out a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. “No” she grinned. “I want to sleep in a coffin.
”
Chapter 2
Astrid’s mother dumped a laundry basket of clothes onto the bed where her husband was sitting watching television. “Your daughter wants to sleep in a coffin.” She blurted out. Astrid’s dad pushed the mute button on the remote. “Please tell me you said okay.” He said sounding rather hopeful. Her mother let out a sigh, she would expect a little more of a reaction from her husband. “This isn’t my first day of parenting you know. I told her it was fine as long as she bought it herself.” Astrid’s father looked quite impressed with his wife’s notion, and realized for at least the tenth time that day that he really did marry quite a gal. “Good. Although, I think you may be underestimating our only child, she has a knack for getting what she wants.” Her mother thought about this for a minute and remembered the belly button piercing debate. “True enough dear, we will just have to keep an eye on her, and try to be supportive of her money making schemes.” Astrid’s father took his wife’s beautiful hand in his and kissed it. “Try not to call it a scheme dear. Anyway we don’t have to worry about that this weekend, I just spoke with your mother on the phone, and she wants to take Astrid for a few days.” He winked at his wife. In the same instant Astrid’s mother quickly had two simultaneous thoughts: “that’s good” and “oh no.”
Chapter 3
If there was one thing Astrid knew for sure it was this: her grandmother would give her anything she wanted. This was not false pride talking; her grandma pretty much said it to her on a daily basis. “You are the love of my life, precious girl, and I will give you whatever your heart desires.” This was her grandma’s response anytime Astrid asked for anything. It drove Astrid’s mother crazy, but somehow she got away with it. Astrid supposed there were special rules set aside just for grandparents. However, a coffin from one’s own grandmother was too ghoulish, even for Astrid, especially since her grandpa had just died the previous winter, plus she wasn’t trying to freak her grandma out. She dearly loved her grandma, and she felt sorry for her now that she was all alone. They spent lots of time together doing crafts and going to the library. Astrid’s grandma dearly loved to toy with Astrid’s parents and she supposed it was her grandma’s only form of entertainment besides going to bingo. “I was thinking about what to do for a summer job.” Astrid said to her grandma. “Oh exciting! Tell me what you’ve been thinking.” Her grandma put down her crochet needles and turned off the television. “Well, I was thinking about Fortune Telling, what do you think?” Astrid asked. “Well, my dear you do come from a long line of travelers.” She winked at Astrid. “Come on grandma, you always say that and I have no idea what it means. Every time I ask mom she says it isn’t true, and that we really come from a long line of accountants.” Her grandma scoffed at this idea. “Your mom says that because it’s what your grandpa always told her. Some people don’t like the truth Astrid my dear.” She said continuing her crocheting. “So, what do you think?” Astrid asked again. “Well I do have an old deck of cards in the attic. I haven’t used them in years. But, if you’re going to do this properly, we need to get some books on the subject. I can only teach you so much.” She got up and kissed Astrid on the forehead. “Teach me what?” Astrid asked rather confused by the entire conversation. “Fortune telling, haven’t you been paying attention?” She laughed. “Get your stuff together; we’re going to the library.” Her grandma said looking for her keys. “Grandma, I have my tablet, I can just search fortune telling online.” Astrid said reaching for her backpack. “Oh no ya don’t missy, computers make people lazy. We’re going to the library to check out actual books.” Astrid rolled her eyes “Come on grandma, computers aren’t as bad as you think.” She held up her tablet to her grandma. “It won’t hurt you I promise!” She laughed. “When I was your age all we had was the library. We looked for books in a card catalog and wrote things down… on real paper and with pencils!” Now her grandma was getting all worked up. “Ok, calm down grandma.” She said laughing. Astrid had no idea what a card catalog was. But, she could look up subjects on a computer and write things down. She found quite a few books on different kinds of fortune telling, but
nothing that really seemed feasible. However all of that changed when she ran across a book on the subject of Cartomancy. It had lots of cool pictures and diagrams for reading tarot cards and Astrid thought this seemed like the easiest form of fortune telling that she had seen so far. Astrid was sure that all she had to do was read the book, and the money would start rolling in. She ran to find her grandma in the library. “Are these the kind of cards you were talking about?” Astrid had never seen cards like this at her grandma’s house. “Yes, but we’ll get you your own deck.” Her grandma said in a way that seemed weird to Astrid, but she didn’t care. She was too excited. “This is going to be so easy grandma; I’ll have a great summer job in no time!” Astrid’s grandma moved her glasses down her nose and smiled. “Whatever you think dear. But a word to the wise: be careful what you wish for.”
Chapter 4
Astrid and her best friend Waverly sat on the railroad trellis and threw rocks into the creek below. They most definitely were not allowed on the railroad tracks whatsoever, but they figured that if a train ever came, they could just jump into the water. “So, your mom didn’t react at all?” Waverly asked. “Nope, and I had it planned out so perfectly, but she didn’t even care! I would have at least thought there would be a mention of therapy or something… but nothing.” Astrid let her shoe dangle off her foot over the water below. “Well, you’re lucky, my mom would have totally freaked.” Astrid knew this all too well. Waverly’s mom flipped out over everything she did. She seemed convinced that Waverly would die or be kidnapped on a daily basis. Astrid knew these things but didn’t comment. She felt sorry for Waverly because of this, but ONLY because of this. Otherwise Waverly was a beautiful girl with long dark hair and very blue eyes. All the boys wanted to talk to her, and they all seemed to drop their pencils around her. Not a lot to feel sorry about there. Also everyone knew that there weren’t any kidnappers in Black’s Glenn. “All she said was: “they’re too expensive.” Astrid said in her best mom sounding voice. “So I said, well what if I get a summer job and pay for it myself?” Waverly nodded in agreement. Then Astrid imitated her mom’s voice again “You can do whatever you want with your own money, dear.” Astrid used finger air quotes this time, which Waverly hated as they usually never applied to any situation in which they were used. Waverly laughed a little at this and wondered if maybe Astrid wasn’t taking the boredom thing a little too far. Coffins just seemed creepy and vampiric to her. “I swear all my mom cares about is restoring the Queen-Anne-Vic. SO, anyway, I walked over to the funeral home on Greenlawn Avenue to see the coffins. They cost like $3500 dollars! Can you believe that crap? Coffins go in the ground for cripe sakes! You just lay in it and rot for all of eternity; they could just put you in one of those long, plastic containers, like we keep our fake Christmas tree in.” Astrid was exasperated and Waverly was stunned. “Dude, I can’t even believe you went inside a funeral home. You’re gross.” Waverly said shaking her head back and forth.
“Hah! Judgmental much? You made out with Jordan in the cemetery in sixth grade.” Astrid reminded her for the hundredth time. Waverly blushed and seemed super flustered. “First of all we were in sixth grade like a year ago and second, we were playing Ghosts-In-The-Graveyard and it was dark, what else was I supposed to do?” Astrid laughed at her friend. “Yeah, I know, but Jordan? You’re the gross one.” Astrid just rolled her eyes and played with the two dimes that were in her pocket. “It’s really not that big of a deal Wave. I told them why I was there, and they didn’t seem to mind. They’re kind of like car salesman, when no one is actually dead.” Astrid said putting her shoe back on. “Yeah, seems legit.” Waverly said sarcastically. Astrid took the dimes out of her pocket and handed one to Waverly. “So what is your great plan for finding a summer job? You have no skills, unless taking selfies has suddenly become a profession.” Waverly poked Astrid in the ribs. “Oh ha- ha, I am laughing quite loudly at that one.” Astrid said standing up. “I don’t need to find anything, it’s already been found. Just stand up please and turn around.” Waverly knew the drill. The girls put their heels on the very edge of the trellis and stood on their tip-toes. They closed their eyes and threw the dimes over their shoulders and into the water. “What did you wish for?” Astrid asked as if she didn’t already know. “Duh, that the dentist will finally let me have braces this time, same as always.” In reality, Waverly had wished that Jordan would kiss her again. “What did you wish for?” Astrid usually just wished that something cool would happen, but not this time. “I wished for my summer job to make me rich and popular.” Astrid laughed and started running towards the end of the trellis and back to their bikes. Waverly began to run after her. “Are you gonna tell me what this freaking job is?” The girls stopped running and got on their bikes. “But of course” Astrid said. And in her best spooky sounding voice she added, “The ancient art of Cartomancy.” Waverly paused with one foot on a pedal. “How are maps going to help us make money? Hasn’t everything already been charted, like a long time ago?” Astrid closed her eyes and rubbed her temples like she had a headache. Then she got on her bike and started to ride past her friend. “That’s Cartography duh… what I’m talking about is much different, although we will be charting courses.”
Chapter 5
After a weekend at her grandmother’s house furiously doing crafts and reading books, Astrid was back at home at the QAV. Within seconds of being home, Astrid had already asked her mother if Waverly could spend the night. Her mother said sure, but the girls would have to stay inside while she and her father went to the movies. Astrid agreed, as she had no plans to go outside anyway. When Waverly arrived, the girls ran straight up to Astrid’s room and locked the door. “I have something to show you” she said as she took a brown paper bag from under her pillow. Inside was a purple velvety bag with gold ropes tied together, inside was a large deck of cards, Waverly had never seen such colorful, strange cards. She rolled her eyes at Astrid. “Are we playing a game? Lame…” Waverly had deemed herself far too old for games. “It’s not a game, this is our summer job!” Astrid said, very proud of herself, as this seemed like a very adult thing to be doing. “What do you mean “our” job?” Waverly was confused. “What do we do with them, and how did I get dragged into this?” Astrid had yet to mention to Waverly that she would need her help. ‘I’m not one hundred percent sure, I’m still reading the book…basically we lay the cards out in different patterns. Like there’s a cross, or just three cards, or a person can just draw one card. It depends on what the person wants to know, and then we tell them their future …or whatever.” Waverly was not impressed, this seemed exactly like the time they had tried a Spirit Board, and that thing never worked. “I don’t get it Astrid, what are these cards, what is the purpose?” Astrid stared at the ceiling, it all seemed perfectly obvy to her. “They’re TAROT CARDS! And the purpose is to make money. So here’s the plan; we set up a card table on the porch, make a cool sign that says: TAROT READINGS and we make money. This is our summer job. Like a more grown up version of a lemonade stand.” Now it was Waverly’s turn to roll her eyes again. “You’re missing one key element my dear” Waverly simply stated. “Oh man…heavy sigh…and what would that be my darling?” Astrid said sarcastically. The element known as “we have no idea what we’re doing.” Astrid just shrugged her shoulders, “so, we’ll only charge a dollar, people can’t expect 100% accuracy for a dollar.”
Chapter 6
The next morning after breakfast, the girls walked to the craft store for supplies. Fabric for the card table, they thought that black and purple would seem more “occult” not that they had any idea what that word meant, it just sounded cool and like something neither of their parents would approve of. They also bought paint and glitter. In the front yard of the QAV they got to work on their signs. When they were done, the signs read: TAROT READINGS: KNOWLEDGE OF THE UNKNOWN by Mistresses Astrid and Waverly. “Don’t you think we should actually learn something about tarot cards? I mean before we try to tell a
nyone anything? Waverly asked. Astrid was trying to decide where to place the card table on the porch. “Well, I have been reading about the possible meanings of the cards, and I think we should just start with the Minor Arcana.“What in the world are you even talking about?” Waverly asked as she continued to arrange and then re-arrange the fabric on the table. “Well, my grandma bought me The Hipster-Gypsy-Coffeehouse deck of cards and it has directions and meanings printed right on the cards , it’s a set for beginners. There are two “sets” of cards within the deck; The Major Arcana, and The Minor Arcana. There are four suits in the minor arcana and they correspond with the four elements.” Waverly was trying to understand what Astrid was saying, but to her it sounded a lot like Astrology. “Believe me, I’m confused too but I’m trying to explain it the way that it makes sense to me. Ok, there are four suits: cups, pentacles, swords, and wands. Each suit goes with a certain element. So, it goes like this: Cups with Water, that’s an easy one. Pentacles are with the Earth. Wands are paired with Fire. And last, Swords with Air.” Waverly was braiding her hair and trying to make sense of all of this. “I think I kinda get it, but what do they all mean?” Astrid wasn’t quite sure of the answer…yet. “I think that depends on who you ask.” Astrid opened the deck of cards and unfolded the instructions. “This is what it says on the instructions: Cups have to do with feelings, Pentacles are kind of like money/jobs, Swords have to do with thoughts or intelligence and Wands mean ideas.” Waverly was looking at all the cards in the deck. They had all kinds of weird images of people holding various items. Kings and Queens holding cups of coffee, an archer shooting locally sourced, reclaimed wooden arrows into the Air, and cruelty free Swords. Whatever that meant. Waverly was more confused than ever and had no idea how they were going to make heads or tails out of these cards, let alone read them, but she supposed they would cross that bridge when they came to it.
