The fortune teller

The fortune teller’s tent was located several kilometers outside the outskirts of town. She had been telling the fortunes of the town’s citizens for years. No one really knew where she came from; when asked about her past she always skillfully avoided the question. There were people that had been coming to her for years; her fortunes had the reputation of being very accurate and she had earned the trust of a lot of people. But, as always, there were also people that feared her, and suspected that she was in reality, a witch.

The mayor of the town, Rusty Nedstroff was 45 years old and had lived in the town for his entire life. As a child he had always been fascinated with the political process and had studied it for years. When he was 18, he enrolled in the Towns College where he studied politics and the process of ‘getting into it’. Upon graduation a few years later, he had studied under the then current mayor for nearly 10 years eventually gained the position by working his way up. He had now been mayor for nearly 12 years. He had never personally been to the fortuneteller, as he was always suspicious of her. He had wanted to have her arrested, but could never find a reason to legally do so.

The Chief of police of the town, Jerry was just beginning his 15th year as the chief of police. Crime was fairly low in the town, but whenever someone did commit a crime, he as always known for quickly solving it. He had actually solved a crime on more then one occasion by going to the fortuneteller as he was good friends with her. He knew that the mayor wanted her arrested, but he was not about to arrest someone without cause, especially someone who had been so useful and good to him in the past.

One of the chief’s deputies, Carl had worked under Jerry for 2 years. He never believed in fortune telling though. He had always suspected that the reason the fortuneteller solved those crimes was because she had committed them herself and had framed the people found guilty of them. At 25 years old, he was afraid that if he told Jerry his opinion that Jerry would just use the

“inexperience excuse” to brush him off. He often felt that is only he could somehow prove his theory that the fortune teller was responsible for those crimes that he would be able to kick Jerry out and take over the position himself.

Abigail and Monty Loosecheck were husband and wife and owned a small newspaper in the center of town. They too did not trust the fortuneteller and had on more then one occasion published stories criticizing Jerry for using her to solve crimes when he had. They too had often thought that the reason she always solved those crimes was because she in actuality committed them, and had framed innocent people. They had tried to get a petition to have her run out of the area but it had been rejected on the basis that

“she’s not hurting anyone” and that

“suspicion of committing crimes is not proof and you cant take action against someone without some proof”.

Abigail and Monty’s son David also believed what his parents said about the fortuneteller, he had often spied on her in the woods. He always though there was no way he could get caught. David was a 13-year-old kind that a lot of people didn’t like; he bullied other kids and often skipped school. He’s been known to spend days in the woods spying on the fortune teller, he was a filthy child that often went weeks without bathing or changing his clothes. He didn’t care that it made him smell bad or look bad.

One of David’s teachers Debbie Mucosy taught at the local school. She often worried about him. She had tried repeatedly to set him straight but to no avail. Because his curiosity over the fortune teller was what caused him to miss class so much, she blamed the fortune teller, she thought that she had placed a spell over him, forcing him to act like this. But like the others, she new she needed proof to act against her and was biding her time until she got it.

One of Debbie’s students, Kyle had always loved nature. He had wanted to meet the fortuneteller, but everyone had always told him to stay away from her. He had tried to discourage the people that didn’t like her, but they always told him that he was ignorant. Kyle was 12 years old.

Fall was approaching. Kyle had gotten out of school and had decided that today was the day we was going to go to see the fortune teller Walking down the beaten path through the woods, he made his way to the fortune tellers tent. Along the way the stopped to watch and to talk to several wild animals.

The fortuneteller’s tent was a classic looking one, something right out of the movies.

“Welcome Kyle”, she said as he entered it.

Taken aback, he asked her

“How’d you know my name?”

“I can see a person’s future, their name is easy”.

Not sure what to think, he thought that maybe she was had just gotten lucky or had seen him before or something. He wasn’t yet convinced she was truly the real thing. Approaching her, he asked

“So, you can really see my future?”

“Oh yes” she responded as she directed his attention to her crystal ball.

Moving her hands over it, she chanted several phrases in a language he couldn’t understand an image began to form in the ball. Looking into it, a smile came over her, and she began to speak.

“You have an interesting future, but it won’t be in this form.” She said.

“Not in this form? What do you mean?” he responded.

Looking at the image in the ball, he saw a raccoon standing on a tree branch, looking down at something on the ground.

“That’s me?” he asked, sounding excited.

How did she know? He wondered. He had always wanted to become a raccoon, but never told anyone.

“Oh yes” she responded. He still wasn’t convinced that what she was seeing was real. Perhaps her knowing his name and his desire were just coincidences.

As his she could sense his thoughts, she spoke

“I know you have your doubt’s, it’s hard to believe what I say. Here, I will prove it to you.”

Getting up out of her chair she approached him. Pulling something out of her pocket, she put some dust on her hand and blew it towards his face. Sneezing as he inhaled the dust, he asked her

“What was that for?”

“You’ll see very soon”, she responded.

Kyle felt a bit dizzy for a second then seemed to be shrinking. Looking into a mirror, he saw his facial hair retreat into his body then disappear. Reaching up to his face, he felt his chin. It felt smooth. Looking at his arm’s he saw the hair on his arms disappearing in much the same way his facial hair had. He continued to shrink, and his clothes were getting very loose. Before long,he had shrunk so much that his shorts covered his entire legs, he saw the hair on his legs had almost vanished. Looking up at the fortuneteller, who was getting taller and taller from his point of view, he saw her smiling gently.

He continued to shrink for several more seconds, before stopping. His clothes were hanging off of him. Looking up at her, he asked

“What did you do to me?” he couldn’t believe the sound of his voice, he sounded 5 years old.

“Oops! I forgot one thing” she said, as she again blew dust onto him.

This time, he didn’t change, but his clothes shrunk until they fit him perfectly.

“I could sense your desire to be a kid again. It was the perfect chance to show you I’m the real thing”, she said to him.

Smiling at her and looking in a mirror, he said,

“This is so cool!” Remembering the image of the raccoon, he asked her about it. Answering she said,

“I’m about to get to that” she said, now talking nicely.

As she looked though a bag she had in the back of the tent, Kyle found himself looking around the tent. It seemed that turning him into a kid had renewed his sense of curiosity to child like levels. He began to explore the contents of the tent, the fortuneteller apparently not noticing. Opening a small drawer, he saw what looked like a piece of chocolate in it. Picking it up, he said,

“Cool! Chocolate!” and ate it.

Suddenly turning around, the fortuneteller looked shocked

“Don’t eat that!” she said, but it was too late, he was already finished.

“Why shouldn’t I have eaten it?” he asked.

As she was about to speak, she saw fur sprout on his face.

“Actually, it seems you’ve fulfilled your fortune,” she said as she pointed to the mirror.

Looking into the mirror, Kyle saw the fur growing on his face. Black fur was growing around his eyes; white fur was growing around the black fur. His nose and mouth started growing out into a muzzle, and whiskers sprouted from his nose. As he watched himself change, his arms began to itch. Looking down at them he saw fur beginning to grow and cover them. Fascinated, he felt the fur, as he felt his ears moving to the top of his head. The growth of the fur on his arms continued, and it quickly had covered them completely, such that he couldn’t see his skin. Looking at his hands, fur began to grow on the tops of both of them, and his nails began to grow out into claws. Looking down at the skin on the bottom of his hands, he saw that it was turning black and its texture was changing. His chest began to itch severely, and he pulled his shirt off to see fur growing onto it.

It was easier to see the changes in the mirror so he looked back into it. His face looked just like a raccoon, he smiled, as it looked quite cute. Looking at his chest, he saw that fur was continuing to grow on it at a quick rate. It was thick, and very soft. As he felt it, his legs began to itch, and his feet felt very strange. Taking off his shorts and his shoes, he saw fur was growing on his legs just like it had grown on his arms and was growing on his chest. Fur was growing on the tops of his feet, and pads were going on the bottoms of them. He toes became thinner, and longer relative to the size of his feet, and a small claw grew on the tip of each one. He began to shrink again, as his fur growth completed. His entire body was now covered in a pelt of fur. It felt very warm. Feeling a pushing sensation just over his rear end, he heard a tearing sound. Looking into the mirror, he saw a long and furry ringed tail pushing itself out.

Pulling the remains of his underwear off he figured there was little reason in keeping them on in their current condition. He didn’t know if it was caused by being a kid or by the fact that he was becoming an animal, but standing there wearing nothing but his fur felt almost good, as if it were natural. Continuing to shirk, his bone structure started to rearrange itself, he found himself changing his stance and standing on all fours. His arms and legs had re-adjusted themselves such that their lengths were perfect for standing on all fours. As his bone and muscle structure completed its change, he felt very comfortable standing this way. He could still stand on his hind legs if he wanted to, but standing on all fours felt more comfortable and more

“right”. He stopped shrinking. Looking at himself in the mirror, his reflection was that of a raccoon kit. Picking him up and petting him, the fortuneteller smiled. Sitting down she put him in her lap and he instinctively curled up in a ball, and went to sleep.

Kyle’s parents were worried. He didn’t come home after school. He had last been seen walking towards the fortune tellers tent. They had heard the rumors about her and feared she had harmed him somehow. They decided to confront her.

Looking though her crystal ball, the fortuneteller saw them approaching. She could sense that they blamed her for Kyle’s disappearance, and that they were very mad at her. Petting the baby raccoon that was now waking up in her lap, she pondered how to deal with this situation.

Finding her tent, his parents entered. Walking towards the entrance, she gently placed the raccoon in the basket, he was waking up and was watching what was going on.

“What did you do with our son?” his father asked angrily.

“He didn’t come home last night, and he was last seen entering your tent.” his mother said.

“I see that young David Loosecheck has been spying on me again. It’s so sad that people often mistrust what they don’t understand. Kyle did indeed enter this tent, but he is perfectly fine.” the fortuneteller said.

Walking up to her Kyle’s father grabbed her and held her in the air, now getting very angry he yelled,

“Where is he?”

“There is no need for violence. He’s right over here.” The fortuneteller said she pointed towards the basket Kyle, now fully awake was standing in.

Kyle’s father released her, and she walked over to the basket, and lifted the young raccoon out of it, gently petting him on the head. Looking at his parents, Kyle reached for them and said

“Hi Mom, hi Dad, it’s me Kyle.”

Jumping back they were even angrier.

“You did this to him? What gives you the right?”

“I gave him what he always wanted, and what was his destiny. It is not my place to question a persons destiny.” The fortuneteller responded.

Storming out of the tent, Kyle parents said,

“You’ll pay for this! We’ll see to it!”

Carl had heard the news of what the fortuneteller had done. He was going to meet with Kyle’s parents to decide what would be an appropriate response to what had happened. He had already called Abigail, Monty as well as their son, Debbie and the mayor (Jerry). They had decided to meet in secret at Carl’s house. He did not want Jerry to know he was planning on acting against the fortuneteller. Sitting down, each with a cup of tea they planned on the course of action.

“I don’t care what she says, she has no right to go turning people into animals”, Carl started with.

“I always knew she was a witch, but could never prove it until now” Jerry commented. Taking a sip of tea, David spoke,

“I have been watching her for months now. She uses a lot of strange thing in there. We could set her tent on fire, and simply say she caused it by being careless”.

David’s parents both offered their opinions;

“She would of course protest such an action, but it would be hard for her to protest if she were dead.” His father said, responding his mother spoke

“We would have to make it look like an accident, so we can’t shoot her. Perhaps something a bit more primitive would be in order. We have a pair of pitchforks. It would only take one shot. We could claim that something fell on her and impaled her.”

Debbie had a look of concern on her face, but felt that there was no other option.

“When do we attack?” she asked.

Jerry stood up, and stepped forward. The glow from the candles was illuminating his face. He looked like a demon from hell. In a dark voice he spoke.

“We attack tomorrow at sundown”.

The image of the conversation went dark. The fortuneteller looked up from her crystal ball. Picking up Kyle, who was now standing beside the ball, she petted him. Calling for a friend of hers,

“Rusty, I need to you take care of Kyle.”

The young man looked at her in concern.

“But they want to hurt you, I can’t leave you alone. They want to kill you!”

“I know, please believe me when I say that I will be okay, but you need to go. I can’t risk them harming you or Kyle. Please; let them attack. I will deal with it.”

Picking Kyle up, gentling petting him, he looked towards the fortuneteller, and wished her luck.

Dark had come, watching in her crystal ball, the fortuneteller could see the group approaching her tent. There were 8 of them. 6 carried torches, while 2 carried pitchforks. They were screaming and it was clear they fully intended to ‘spill blood’. She knew she had to act quickly. Grabbing several small vials, and small bags, she exited the tent and made her way through the forest.

Carrying a torch, David looked forward to seeing the tent burn. He was finally going to get a chance to take the fortuneteller out, and it pleased him greatly. Taking up the rear of the group, he didn’t notice the movement in the bushes behind him. Seeing a dust cloud suddenly kick up, apparently from nowhere he sneezed violently for several seconds. The sneezing stopped, and the cloud dissipated, so he continued.

David’s parents lead the group, carrying torches. They didn’t something moving in the tree’s above them. Both felt several drops of something hit their heads, looking up at the sky they thought it was started to rain. Shaking it off to their imaginations, they continued towards the tent, determined to destroy it, regardless of any distraction.

Both carrying pitchforks, the looks on the faces of Carl and Jerry were of hatred. They knew full well what they were planning on doing. Stepping on something, Carl heard the sound of breaking glass, he was so distracted with his homicidal thoughts that he didn’t notice the small amount of smoke that raised from it, touching his legs. Jerry felt something hit his arm, and looking at it he saw what looked like a fly.

“Stupid insects”, he said as he brushed it off.

Kyle’s parents, both carrying torches stepped on something on the ground that sent dust flying everywhere. So enraged at the fortuneteller, they didn’t even notice.

Debbie saw something fall from a tree and land on her hand. Looking it at, she saw a blue splotch. Brushing it off, she didn’t even think of what it could be. At the moment all she cared about was destroying the fortune teller’s tent. She wasn’t about to let a little dirt stop her.

It started with David. He noticed a very odd smell; he was quickly able to identify it as skunk. He couldn’t understand where it was coming from. Continuing the smell the air, he noticed that it seemed to be coming from him. He started to become aware that his entire body was beginning to itch severely to the point where he dropped his torch, which somehow instantly went out and he began to itch severely. His parents, seeing his distress ran to his side, and asked him what was wrong. They immediately became aware of the smell, but could also see fur growing on his arms, legs and face. The fur on his face was quickly becoming a familiar pattern, they could it was all black, except for a white stripe going straight down his nose, which along with his mouth was starting to lengthen into a muzzle.

They too found themselves becoming incredibly itchy, also dropping their torches (which also went out). Looking at their hands, they saw their nails becoming claws. David, seeing what was happening to them, saw black fur growing around their eyes, and white fur growing around the black. His itching had gotten so bad that he ripped his clothes off. His parents could see just how much fur had grown on him, and could see a definite white stripe going down his back; he was turning into a skunk. Just as they saw a tail starting to grow out from his butt they both felt their noses and mouths lengthening into muzzles and could hear each other’s pants rip. They too were growing tails, but their tails were long, with rings around them, much like raccoons. They were getting smaller, and they could see that their son has shrunk considerably.

Carl and Jerry, wondering why the three of them were falling behind looked behind in horror to see what was going on. Standing on top of David’s clothes was a huge skunk, which seemed to be getting smaller. Abigail and Monty’s faces look like a raccoons and their bodies were quickly getting covered in grayish brown fur.

“She did this!” Carl said.

Jerry was about to agree when he started to feel itchy, looking at his hands, he saw his fingernails turning into claws. Carl also began to feel itchy, looking at his arms; he saw golden colored fur quickly emerging from them.

“Nooo!” he said, noticing his voice sounded very unusual. Grey fur was growing all over Jerry’s body, and he was rapidly shrinking, as he opened his mouth, Carl could see that he teeth now looked like a rodent.

Looking at his now furry arms, Jerry saw a membrane of skin quickly growing from each of them. Pulling his clothes (which were now far too big for him) off in a panic, Jerry saw that a similar membrane was growing from his legs. He was becoming a flying squirrel. The fur continued to grow on Carl’s body, and Jerry could see fangs inside his mouth, whatever he as becoming, it was definitely a carnivore. A long a furring tails, ripped though Carl’s pants, it was golden brown on top and beige on the bottom, he body has quickly becoming long, but very slender and his legs and arms much shorter. He almost looked was a weasel.

Hearing the commotion, Kyle’s parents looked back and couldn’t believe that they were seeing. A skunk stood on top of what were David’s clothes. It sniffed the ground and began digging into it. A pair of raccoons emerged from what had been his parents clothes, chattering and terrified. Looking towards Carl and Jerry they saw that Carl had shrunk considerable, his body now fully covered in golden brown fur on the top, and beige on the bottom. He was making odd chattering noises, and was about half his normal size. They couldn’t even see Jerry, as he had shrunk so much that his clothes completely covered him. They saw a lot of squirming under his clothes and were about to move them when they began to feel itchy.

Looking at their arms, they saw gray fur growing on them, a lot of gray fur. Their hands started to feel odd, they watched as their thumbs disappeared into their hands and fur grew all over the tops of their hands and fingers. Their fingernails began to grow long became claws. Their faces started to change shape, their ears moving to the tops of their heads, their faces becoming muzzles, and their eyes turning black and moving to the sides of their faces. The itching spread all over their bodies and they began to shrink. Feeling a pushing in their rear ends, they saw long bushy tails emerge. Looking at each other they saw that they were each becoming squirrels.

Debbie was now the only one left. She could no longer hear anyone behind her, so she turned around and was terrified by what she saw. A skunk was standing ahead of David’s clothes digging in the ground, and eating bugs it found, 2 raccoons stood above his parent’s clothes looking very confused and terrified. From under Jerry’s clothes, a flying squirrel quickly crawled out then climbed up the nearest tree as fast as it could. Beside it, a weasel tore away what remained of clothing off of its back. Smelling the air for food, it quickly dashed off into the forest, warbling happily. Looking towards Kyle’s parents, see saw what looked like 2 huge gray squirrels scratching themselves madly while growing fur and shrinking.

“No! This is impossible! This is crazy! It can’t end like this!”

Suddenly feeling itchy herself, she panicked and ran back through the woods towards the town. As she ran, she felt her hands begin to change. Looking down at them, she saw that they were now webbed! Feeling incredibly itchy now, she saw fur growing all over her arms. Unable to continue, she stopped to itch, but it seemed like nothing she did could relieve the itching. Felling warmer and warmer, she ripped her clothes off, hoping to get some relief. Seeing that her entire body was now covered in beige fur on her chest and dark brown fur everywhere else, she cried for help, but no one could hear her. She tried again.

“Help! Help! Helllllp warble warble warble”, her voice has changed and she could do longer speak. She was getting smaller, and her arms and legs appeared to be getting much stubbier. Tears rolling down her cheeks she felt her nose and mouth growing into a muzzle. Feeling a pulling sensation in her rear end, she looked around to see a long and tapering tail growing out. It was the tail of an otter.

The two squirrels that Kyle’s parents had become chattered amongst themselves. Looking around they smelled the air with there now much more powerful senses. Suddenly

“getting” the fortuneteller didn’t seem important; they had to get up the nearest tree so predators wouldn’t get them. Climbing up a tree, they got to a branch, and found some fruit and began munching on it, while enjoying the view.

The 2 raccoons that used to be David’s parents looked at the skunk their son had become. It smelled terrible, and had become filthy from digging in the dirt. Looking at each other, they suddenly felt much more playful. The fortuneteller didn’t matter to them anymore and all they wanted to do was to play. Running up a tree, Abigail made playful noises which caused Monty to give chase, warbling happily they ran and played all over the place.

David loved the taste of the insects he was eating; he could tell digging in the dirt was getting his covered in it, yet it didn’t bother him. Breathing in the air, he could smell the unique scent his new body generated, while he seemed to be able to control it, he had no desire to. Walking away, he went in search of food.

Jerry climbed to the top of the nearest tree, spread his limbs, and glided towards another tree that was close by. It felt very exhilarating. As he landed on a branch, he picked up an apple that grew from it and began eating it, it tasted incredibly good. Squeaking happily, he no longer cared about ‘getting’ the fortuneteller, he was content to glide around, and eat.

Carl slicked slowly along the ground in search of food. His sense of smell was now much stronger as was his hearing. He could hear his prey moving close by, eventually coming to a lake; he saw an otter getting into the water. He hadn’t of remembered seeing any otters around before. His sense of smell allowed to somehow being able to recognize the otter as Debbie, chattering at her, she sawn towards him.

The water felt great against Debbie’s new waterproof fur, her new body was built for swimming. Hearing a chattering sound, she saw a weasel standing close to the water. Sniffing the air, she immediately recognized it as Carl. Getting out of the water, she wasn’t sure how’d he react to her now. Otters and weasels may both be in the same family, but that doesn’t mean they’d get along. Happy to see her, he pawed her and squealed some more before running into the woods, suddenly feeling very playful, Debbie gave chase.

Watching the two mustelieds run into the woods in her crystal ball, the fortuneteller smiled as the image faded the smoke and then went dark.

“Such a shame they couldn’t solve their problems without violence, but at least they’ll be happy this way”. Again waving her hands over the crystal ball, she brought up an image of her friend Rusty.

She saw him playing with Kyle, and decided to watch for a while.

Rusty was laying on his stomach in the den, Kyle ran up to him playfully. Handing him a piece of food, Rusty rubbed Kyle behind the ears as he ate the food. After finishing the food, he jumped onto Rusty’s shoulders and looked around the room, eventually jumping off onto the couch. Running around the house for several minutes, he soon tried himself out. Rusty sat down, and Kyle jumped onto his lap, curled up into a little ball and fell asleep.

As the image faded away, the fortune teller smiled.

“It’s always nice when everyone gets a happy ending”.