were the chances of a
paranormal hypnotist living in DeLand?
She flipped through the “P” section while I
voiced my concern on the remote possibility of finding anyone who
was a paranormal hypnotist.
“You never know. Florida attracts all kinds
of crazies,” Annie replied.
I laughed. She was right. Even here, we had
our fair share of freaks. I stopped laughing when I realized I was
in definite danger of becoming one of them.
“Here it is!” Annie said enthusiastically. I
knew then why I’d told her. Not only was she my best friend, she
was easily excitable. I guessed then that what I’d really wanted
was someone to tell me to go for it all along, to see some kook who
could unravel what was becoming an all-consuming mystery to me.
“Ramona Reynaldo, Psychic and Paranormal
Hypnotist,” Annie read out in triumph, copying the address on a
napkin.
“It says that walk-ins are welcome,” Annie
said, pointing to the ad. Why hadn’t I ever heard of her?
“You have got to be kidding,” I said, “Let me
see.”
Annie handed the phone book over to me.
There she was, only a few blocks away. I
looked at my watch. Two p.m. Her ad said she was open until three
on Saturdays. I didn’t have much time.
Annie looked at me, a grin on her face.
“What are we waiting for?” she asked.
Chapter Four
"Darkness Falls"
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark
come upon you
Which shall be the darkness of God. As, in a theatre,
The lights are extinguished, for the scene to
be changed. With a hollow rumble of wings, with a movement of
darkness on darkness,
And we know that the hills and the trees, the
distant panorama
And the bold imposing facade are all being
rolled away—
T. S. Eliot, “East Coker”
The sign out front had the picture of an open
palm and read: Ramona Reynaldo, Psychic and Paranormal Hypnotist.
The neon red “open” sign flashed at us as we walked in, and I
nearly turned around to leave the moment we crossed the threshold.
She had crystals of every sort hanging from the ceiling, what
looked like strange witch costumes tacked to the walls, and books
with titles like Finding Your Inner Demon on display shelves.
The woman I took to be Ramona came out
through a beaded doorway when we entered the store. She had long,
dark hair, a black, low-cut dress, and a massive amount of
eyeliner. Altogether, not exactly the picture of a professional,
but then, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting.
I looked over at Annie, who picked up a
crystal and held it in the light.
“That’s the earth spirit, Arian, whose
vibrant spirit finds release in the prism of shining light,” Ramona
said, coming forward.
Annie stifled a laugh.
That was it. I turned to leave, despite a
strange sensation that had come over me.
Ramona stopped me with an intent look on her
face.
“I can help you,” she told me quietly.
I really looked at her then. Behind the black
eye makeup and all that hair, I believed her. She had a kind face,
and while I’d never given any credence to psychics, I felt drawn to
her, the same way I was lured to the white dress we’d found in the
mall.
She had penetrating blue eyes that seemed to
see into my soul. I looked at my sneakers, hoping to avoid her
intense gaze.
“Come back without your friend,” she told me
in a low voice so that Annie wouldn’t overhear.
I nodded my head and turned to walk out,
Annie following me.
“Did you see that?” Annie began,
laughing.
“Yeah,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about
it. I’d felt the strangest tingling when I saw Ramona—not danger or
fear, precisely, but definitely something.
Annie poked fun at her in the car, but I
wasn’t really listening. Before I dropped her off at Zack’s, I
asked her not to tell anyone about our visit this afternoon. She
looked at me, laughing.
“Chill out, Em. You’re so uptight lately. Who
cares if we went to see some crazy person anyway? We should’ve
stayed to have our fortunes
paranormal hypnotist living in DeLand?
She flipped through the “P” section while I
voiced my concern on the remote possibility of finding anyone who
was a paranormal hypnotist.
“You never know. Florida attracts all kinds
of crazies,” Annie replied.
I laughed. She was right. Even here, we had
our fair share of freaks. I stopped laughing when I realized I was
in definite danger of becoming one of them.
“Here it is!” Annie said enthusiastically. I
knew then why I’d told her. Not only was she my best friend, she
was easily excitable. I guessed then that what I’d really wanted
was someone to tell me to go for it all along, to see some kook who
could unravel what was becoming an all-consuming mystery to me.
“Ramona Reynaldo, Psychic and Paranormal
Hypnotist,” Annie read out in triumph, copying the address on a
napkin.
“It says that walk-ins are welcome,” Annie
said, pointing to the ad. Why hadn’t I ever heard of her?
“You have got to be kidding,” I said, “Let me
see.”
Annie handed the phone book over to me.
There she was, only a few blocks away. I
looked at my watch. Two p.m. Her ad said she was open until three
on Saturdays. I didn’t have much time.
Annie looked at me, a grin on her face.
“What are we waiting for?” she asked.
Chapter Four
"Darkness Falls"
I said to my soul, be still, and let the dark
come upon you
Which shall be the darkness of God. As, in a theatre,
The lights are extinguished, for the scene to
be changed. With a hollow rumble of wings, with a movement of
darkness on darkness,
And we know that the hills and the trees, the
distant panorama
And the bold imposing facade are all being
rolled away—
T. S. Eliot, “East Coker”
The sign out front had the picture of an open
palm and read: Ramona Reynaldo, Psychic and Paranormal Hypnotist.
The neon red “open” sign flashed at us as we walked in, and I
nearly turned around to leave the moment we crossed the threshold.
She had crystals of every sort hanging from the ceiling, what
looked like strange witch costumes tacked to the walls, and books
with titles like Finding Your Inner Demon on display shelves.
The woman I took to be Ramona came out
through a beaded doorway when we entered the store. She had long,
dark hair, a black, low-cut dress, and a massive amount of
eyeliner. Altogether, not exactly the picture of a professional,
but then, I wasn’t sure what I was expecting.
I looked over at Annie, who picked up a
crystal and held it in the light.
“That’s the earth spirit, Arian, whose
vibrant spirit finds release in the prism of shining light,” Ramona
said, coming forward.
Annie stifled a laugh.
That was it. I turned to leave, despite a
strange sensation that had come over me.
Ramona stopped me with an intent look on her
face.
“I can help you,” she told me quietly.
I really looked at her then. Behind the black
eye makeup and all that hair, I believed her. She had a kind face,
and while I’d never given any credence to psychics, I felt drawn to
her, the same way I was lured to the white dress we’d found in the
mall.
She had penetrating blue eyes that seemed to
see into my soul. I looked at my sneakers, hoping to avoid her
intense gaze.
“Come back without your friend,” she told me
in a low voice so that Annie wouldn’t overhear.
I nodded my head and turned to walk out,
Annie following me.
“Did you see that?” Annie began,
laughing.
“Yeah,” I said. I didn’t want to talk about
it. I’d felt the strangest tingling when I saw Ramona—not danger or
fear, precisely, but definitely something.
Annie poked fun at her in the car, but I
wasn’t really listening. Before I dropped her off at Zack’s, I
asked her not to tell anyone about our visit this afternoon. She
looked at me, laughing.
“Chill out, Em. You’re so uptight lately. Who
cares if we went to see some crazy person anyway? We should’ve
stayed to have our fortunes
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