Astrea Clark had spent her entire life living in the small blue beach-house, but she had never once been to the psychic across the street. That changed when her father got a job at the local hospital. When he left for work on a Sunday afternoon, Astrea was all alone. Hours passed by and she began to feel more and more alone. The green flip-phone sitting on the coffee table, was begging her to call her friends. "Hey, Haley," she said, after finally giving in.

"Hey, we're just heading out. What's up?" Haley answered. 

Astrea smiled, the feeling of claustrophobia finally starting to dissipate. She laid back on the old blue couch, the smell of it's age wafting up to her nose. "Could I come with you guys?" Astrea asked hesitantly. She stared up at the cracked white ceiling, dreading the answer.

"I thought you said you didn't want to," Haley said. 

This was the answer Astrea had been expecting, and she still didn't know how to reply. Astrea had never been one to believe in things like psychics, but she couldn't take sitting in the house much longer.

"I changed my mind," she said, though it came out more like a question than a statement. Astrea got up and walked through the cramped kitchen to get to the front door. The house had a kitchen, living room and dining room, but they were all one open space. Leading off of the main room was three doors, one to the bathroom, and the other two the bedrooms.

"If you say so. We're meeting outside in five minutes." Then Haley hung up the phone. 

Astrea grabbed her flower-print docs and quickly slipped them over her feet. Her father had said he wouldn't be home until after dinner, so she didn't bother with a note. She just grabbed her key chain and locked the door on her way out.

The mixed smell of salt-water and pine was strong in the air. She stopped to breath it in while waiting for her friends. Her house was right across from the psychics shop as well as the small sign that read: Oceanside Beach.

"Hey, I thought you weren't coming?" Her friend Izzy asked, crossing to her side of the street.

Astrea shrugged, giving her the same answer as Haley,"Changed my mind." Izzy had also lived in Oceanside her entire life, but she lived further away than Haley and Astrea. Izzy lived in a large house on the quiet side of the beach, whereas Haley lived on the busier side, her house a single block away from Astrea.

Izzy stared at her, not believing her answer, just as Haley had. "Oh, there's Haley," she pointed.

"Hey," Haley called. The two girls crossed the street to meet her in front of the shop. A grin covered her face, making it clear how excited she was to get her fortune told. "Lets go inside then," she said, opening the glass door. A bell chimed on their entrance, but no one else was inside. The room was dark, with its lights almost completely off. The walls were covered in signs, reading different things like: Palm readings, Tarot Cards and more!

The three girls stood in front of a small table covered in a velvet red cloth, the only thing on it being a bell. Haley looked to her friends for confirmation before pressing the bell twice. "Hold on, I'll be back," Astrea heard a hoarse voice say, before a woman stumbled out from behind the purple curtains that hung on the wall. She seemed to be of old age, but there was not a single wrinkle anywhere on her face. She held a carved wooden cane that appeared to be covered in markings. "Hello," She croaked.

"I'm Haley, we booked an appointment?"

The woman looked off behind Astrea, seemingly staring into space. "Do you remember that?" She asked, still staring at the empty space between Astrea and Izzy. None of the girls answered, not knowing who she was addressing. Astrea opened her mouth to speak, but the woman smiled and turned back to Haley. "Oh yes, we remember now."

She guided them over to a circular table in the centre of the room, that only had two chairs. There was a stack of cards with blue swirling designs on the back, but nothing else. She looked at Haley, then Izzy before her copper eyes landed on Astrea. "You will go first," she said.

Astrea looked to her friends, who pushed her into the chair across from the woman. The woman tilted her head, once again staring off behind the girls. "Please be quiet now," she said. Astrea nodded, confused at her behaviour. She pushed the deck of cards to Astrea, leaving them on the table in front of her. "Shuffle them," she said. Astrea nodded, carefully splitting the stack in half and moving them around until she felt it was enough. She looked up the the psychic for further instructions. "Now, split it into three piles," she said. Astrea followed through, splitting them as evenly as she could.

When she looked back up from the cards, the woman had closed her eyes and was leaning back in the chair. The woman didn't say anything for a long time and Astrea started to wonder if she was asleep. Astrea looked to her friends, but they both shrugged. "Now put them back together in any order you wish," she said, startling all three girls.

Astrea was glad to be out of the house, but she was very uncomfortable with this woman. Still, she did as asked. The woman then opened her eyes and took the cards back.

The woman flipped the first three cards over on the table, staring at each one after flipped. "Strange," she mumbled.

"What?" Haley asked with wide eyes. Astrea shook her head, thinking this was all a show, that her friend was too gullible.

"This is your past," she said, tapping the first card. On it was a dark forest with twisted trees and a girl standing in the middle.

"She looks like you," Izzy said. Astrea looked closer, seeing the light blonde hair of the girl and her dark blue dress.

"No she doesn't, her hair's just the same colour," Astrea replied.

"This card," The woman spoke up. "You have many past lives, it is clear now." Astrea shook her head, she didn't believe anything the woman said. "May I read your palm?" The woman persisted.

Astrea shrugged and held out her right hand, knowing her friends wouldn't be pleased if she didn't. The woman grabbed her hand and pulled it forward. Her hands were ice cold as she rubbed one calloused thumb up and down Astrea's hand. "Did you notice this?" The woman asked over her shoulder. Astrea looked to her friends again, wondering why this woman was talking to herself, or whatever she thought was behind her. They both shrugged simultaneously, watching her intently.

She turned back around, her eyes making contact with Astrea's for the first time. She stared into Astrea's eyes, not blinking once. Astrea squirmed in her chair, but still watched the woman's mysterious eyes. "Now," she whispered, almost inaudibly. Astrea's eyebrows furrowed, but then everything started to blur around her.

"What are you doing?" She called out. She felt herself getting dizzy as the world around her turned to darkness. "Haley? Izzy?" She called. No reply came, but a flash of light blinded her momentarily. Her vision slowly started to come back, until it was just slightly blurred. When she looked around, her friends were no longer with her, and she was no longer in the psychic's shop. She was on the beach in front of her house. Astrea jumped back as she saw the face of her older sister appear in front of her. But at a second glance, Astrea was alone.

Astrea looked around, trying to see past the fog that had appeared over the sand. She could faintly see the tall rocks pointing out from the water, and the large cliff at the end of the beach but nothing else. "Hello?" An anonymous voice called. Shocked, Astrea stumbled backwards watching as the dark figure stepped out of the mist. A boy appeared out of the fog and smiled at her. He smiled as if they had known each other for years. "There you are, Ivy," he said, his chocolate coloured curls blowing in the wind.

Astrea backed up, "My name's not-"

"Astrea?" A familiar voice interrupted. The boy still stood smiling down at her, but his face became blurry. "Are you okay?" The same voice called out.

Then, he disappeared from sight and in his place Haley stood above her. Astrea glanced around, seeing she was back in the shop with her friends. "What just happened?" She asked.

Izzy and Haley shrugged and looked to the woman who still sat in the chair at the table. She stared at Astrea, but didn't answer. Instead, she looked over her shoulder again and mumbled, "I did it."

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Thanks for reading! I've had this idea for a while and just got a chance to start it. Let me know what you think, if you liked it, what to improve etc.

And don't forget to vote and comment!