The Crystal Ball
by Donna L Martin
A nervous giggle escaped Mattie's lips as she glanced around the tent once more. Her friends had come with her to the gypsy camp outside of town, had even dared her to seek her future with the fortune teller. Now that she was actually standing in front of the old woman dressed in rich colors and sparkling jewels, Mattie was beginning to think it was a bit foolish to have agreed to her friends' dare.
"Sit down."
The voice was surprisingly strong, even though it was a mere whisper hanging in the air around them. Mattie sat on low stool in front of a velvet covered table where a lone crystal ball balanced on a small pedestal in the middle of it. She could have sworn there was something flickering in the middle of it but before Mattie could peer closer the old gypsy covered it with her blue-veined hands and began to chant in a low singsong voice. Mattie gazed at the woman, mesmerized as a small band of smoke began to swirl inside the ball, twirling faster and growing larger until it completely filled the inside. The fortune teller's eyes seem to bore into Mattie's as that voice filled the tent once more.
"Why are you here?"
Another nervous giggle escaped as Mattie attempted to make a joke of her reasons for entering the tent in the first place.
"Uh, my friends dared me to come in here and I thought it would be funny to see my future."
The old gypsy stared into the smoke for a long moment before gazing back at the girl sitting opposite the now glowing orb.
"Ahhh, but I bet you would love to find out about the treasure, now wouldn't you?"
***Okay, it's your turn! What happens next? Is the old gypsy woman for real? What is the treasure she is talking about? And what does she really see in Mattie's future? Put your creative cap on and add a sentence or add a paragraph. Continue my story or start one of your own. Join the fun and see where this picture prompt takes us!***
