Foreshadow by Brea Essex Page A

were larger than regular playing cards and had a strange design on the back. “May I read your cards?” she asked.
    “Um…sure?” I didn’t understand what she meant.
    “What is your question?” she wanted to know.
    “I don’t understand,” I told her.
    “In order for me to read your cards, you must ask the cards a question. Remember to leave it open-ended, and stay away from yes/no questions. The cards cannot give definite answers, only possibilities and advice.”
    I thought about it for a moment. “Okay, um, what are some possible outcomes to this boyfriend situation?” I asked.
    “Shuffle them and spread out the cards on the table. Then draw ten cards that you feel drawn to,” she instructed. “But leave them face down.”
    I complied. As I pulled out cards, she placed them in some sort of pattern in the middle of the table. When I finished, I handed her the rest of the deck, which she set to the side. I stared at the arrangement of the cards. The pattern looked like a plus sign with an extra card set crossways over the center card. Four more cards lay in a vertical line placed to the right.
    Ismene picked up the card that lay across another and flipped the one underneath. “The High Priestess,” she informed me. “She sits between darkness and light. This card represents you and what is going on in your life right now. You need to pay close attention to your dreams. They are trying to tell you something.”
    I began to feel sick as she reached for the next card, the one lying on top of the High Priestess card. My dreams were trying to tell me something? That didn’t sound good.
    “This card, the Hanged Man, tells us what you need to overcome—what’s ‘crossing’ you. You may feel as though you are being punished unfairly, but you need to let go of something in order to attain something better. You must remain positive in the face of trouble and not give up.”
    She flipped over the card on the right hand part of the plus sign. “The distant past. Death.”
    I gasped, cutting her off. How did she know? “My mother died a few months ago. She had cancer.”
    She looked me in the eyes. “While the Death card could represent a literal death, it doesn’t usually. There is no need to fear it. It means many changes have taken place, and are going to continue to take place over the next several weeks or months. You need to let go of unhealthy attachments in your life.” She moved to the card at the bottom of the plus sign and turned it over. “The Eight of Cups. This tells us of your recent past. You’re withdrawing, seeking solitude. You’re disappointed. You shouldn’t be afraid to leave your past behind and do what you wish.”
    Next came the card at the top. “The Star represents the best outcome to this situation. You will heal and experience joy again.” She moved to the card at the far left. “This is your immediate future. It’s upside down, or reversed. The Lovers reversed often indicates a love triangle. There is an imbalance regarding your relationships. You may be at war with yourself, rather than outside forces.”
    Now she reached for the card at the bottom of the vertical line. She flipped it over and tapped it. “Factors affecting the situation. The Nine of Swords. This is the card of fear and nightmares. You’re worrying too much about something. You need to confront your fear, or it may lead to paranoia or physical illness. Do not be controlled by your fear of the future. You will only create a negative reality for yourself.”
    She moved up the line and flipped over the next card. “This card represents the external influences affecting your situation. This card is the Devil, which represents the negativity binding you. The Devil is adept at illusion and deception. Freedom is within your grasp if you do not give in to his temptations.”
    She continued with the next card up. “The Moon represents your hopes and fears. Things you have repressed are now causing