Cricket & Honey-A Storytellah Novel The inside of Sylvia’s store was very creepy to Cricket. Scented candles were burning everywhere and dark gothic cloths draped throughout the place creating a maze like atmosphere for them to walk through. There had to be over a hundred different breeds cats purring inside the shop. Cricket wondered if the owner was violating some type of health code. She had seen that were Siamese, Calicos, and some breeds that the girls couldn’t begin to describe, prancing about rubbing each other. Cricket really wondered why Honey even wanted to stop at a place like this. She really hoped Honey didn’t believe in superstitious fairytales. “Honey, why are we here?” Cricket asked. “I just wanted to prove something to myself,” she replied. “This joint is giving me the creeps. You don’t have to prove nothing to me,” Cricket said as a funny looking cat with extra long whiskers rubbed in between her ankles. “Looks like you made a friend,” Honey joked. “We shouldn’t be long. This should only take a second. I just had a weird run in and I wanted to prove that these fortunetelling people are all scam artist and hustlers looking to scare people out of a dollar.” “I hope it doesn’t take long. Hell, I’m spooked just being here. This place is creepy with all these fur balls purring all over the place, I wanna take my gun out and shoot one of them.” There was a little silver bell on top of the glass counter next to some Forbes magazines. “See what I’m saying, what type of future teller reads Forbes.” Honey Said holding up one of the magazines. Honey noticed all the freaked out paraphernalia inside the case from New Orleans and different countries. Ivory frogs, and wishbones, some type of dust in a pouch that said Angel’s Dust on it, and small clear perfume shaped bottles that proclaimed to be Holy Water lay within. There was even jewelry made from different color beads with skulls and some with wings. Honey pushed the bell and the metal mechanism inside connected and made a chime throughout the place. She couldn’t believe the huge sound that came from such a small bell. It was like it was hooked up to a amplifier. The noise actually startled Cricket for a moment who didn’t expect the loud response. Cricket knew it was designed to let whoever was in back know there were customers on the premises. A small frail woman appeared from behind a red curtain in full gypsy garb. When Sylvia emerged from the back Honey’s eyes grew wide. Cricket stared at Honey thinking that maybe she’s just seen a ghost. Sylvia did look kind of scary with the paint on her face. “You alright?” Cricket asked. “Perfectly fine,” Honey replied, looking at Sylvia, knowing that Sylvia had been the same gypsy lady from the Greyhound. “So, Greyhound gypsy… you’re Sylvia, huh? Who would of figured? I wasn’t expecting to see you ever again.” Honey said sarcastically. Cricket looked surprised now. She really wasn’t expecting Honey and the painted faced lady to know each other, just as she wasn’t expecting the same cat to keep rubbing up against her leg. “Nikki, I’m not surprised to see you at all. In fact, I knew that fate would lead you here and bring us back together again.” Things were really getting spooky to Cricket now. Honey laughed. “Fate!, is that what it’s called in your world” Honey said. “So it was predestined for us to have a second meeting, huh?, I guess that was in those funny looking cards too” “Honey, what in the hell is going on girl?” “Well, I didn’t get a chance to tell you but I had one hell of an experience chatting with Ms. Sylvia, here, on my way to town. She happened to be my neighbor on the bus ride and frankly, the reason why I wanted to stop.” “So, you two do know each other?” Cricket asked. “You can say that,” Honey replied. “Come ladies. We have a lot to talk about,” the gypsy said. Sylvia turned around but not before reaching down and scooping up Mischief, the Blue Russian cat that had taken a liking to Cricket. “Mischief, you must be hungry. Run along now and go get some vittles from your bowl.” Sylvia spoke to the cat like she was speaking to another human. The broad-faced feline did as it was told, like it understood the gypsy woman’s command. “You have to excuse Mischief. She normally doesn’t take too well to company. She is a Russian Blue a breed that originated in England in the 1800’s. Their breed isn’t well-known for making a lot of contact with people,” Sylvia explained. “Ladies, take a seat, will you please?” Sylvia said, directing them toward the chairs. That sin front of her work table Cricket gave Honey a look like things were becoming too much for her and maybe it was time to go. Honey didn’t really disagree but figured they were there now and might as well go through the motions with this Sylvia again. Honey was still ready to prove that Sylvia was a fake and that she had just gotten lucky with the words she said on the bus, and that somehow she had just seen something in her luggage or when she had opened her Coach bag, maybe that allowed Sylvia to do a number on her. “So, how’s the first couple days on the job going, ladies?” They both looked at each other. Cricket touched her neck to make sure her badge wasn’t showing. It wasn’t. Honey looked at Cricket now. Sylvia began layering the cards on the little table they sat at. She was going in vertical rows of three and horizontal rows of seven. She did this until she used up twenty-one cards and then put the rest of them underneath in a slot. Mischief re-appeared and found her way to Cricket’s legs again. Sylvia didn’t wait to begin speaking. “There is something very dark hovering over both of you ladies. I see that you both have found a new love in your lives and a new reason for living, which might be a good thing.” Cricket figured she had heard enough. She didn’t believe in Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy and was definitely not about to start believing in little gypsy ladies with cards that looked like a Go Fish deck. It was really beginning to freak her out. The little old lady who looked like she came from the graveyard, which was probably in the back of her shop, was scary. Cricket stood up. If Honey wanted to hear what the woman had to say that was her choice. Cricket figured that she could just go wait in the car and save herself the nightmares. “I don’t think you want to do that, Synai. Please sit back down,” Sylvia instructed. “How do you know my name?” Cricket asked, spooked for sure. “You will soon find out that there isn’t much I don’t know,” Sylvia replied, flipping over two more cards. “Well, I asked you how do you know my name and why is the Mischief cat or whatever you call it all over me?” “Come, come Mischief. Like I stated, Mischief is a Blue Russian cat. She is also known as the feline of darkness. Even though it looks like her mouth is set in a permanent smile, she doesn’t take too much to humans because our species offer very little to smile about,” Sylvia exclaimed. “So, why does she like me?, I guess I’m going to find out next I’m a descendant of cat’s like Halle Berry” “Mischief senses that something bad is going to happen. Somebody close to you is most likely going to die or has died already, and it was the result of police work… yes your police work.” Sylvia had Cricket’s attention now for a second. She still wasn’t sold but she was at least listening. She began thinking about all the years she fought with herself about her religious belief. It took her inner self a long time to find favor in God again and now this. Cricket figured that Sylvia had to be the devil. Two more cats jumped on the table were their master was. “So, I guess now you’re going to tell me that more people are going to die?” Cricket said, figuring that the cards and the number of cat’s were speaking to Sylvia. “I suppose they’re going to be close to me, too?” she continued before giving the gypsy a chance to answer. “No, Toshiba and Tierny are different breeds. Death has already occurred, but there is a reason for their appearance. They are what you call Abyssinian. Abyssinians are regal animals… pampered pets. Their litters are usually in sevens. They have maintained that distinction throughout the ages and they are one of the oldest breed of cats on record,” Sylvia said, rubbing their wedge-shaped heads. Both cats looked at Honey. One had green eyes and the other had almond-shaped hazel eyes. “What do you mean by the seven thing? Is there any significant meaning to that?” Honey asked. “It has to do with the deadly sins. Are you familiar with the seven deadly sins?” “You mean like gluttony, lust, greed… those sins?” “Yes, precisely Nikki. You’re a smart young lady,” Sylvia said. “What does sins and cats have to do with us? I don’t get it.” “Toshiba is sloth and Tierny is gluttony. Their coming to you is very important. There is something directly in your path that relates to these two sins, but as I look at the cards I see five more deaths occurring which makes me believe that you might be working on a serial killer case.” Cricket stood up and tapped Honey on the shoulder. “Let’s roll before I haul her ass in for over listening to a police scanner.” Honey stood up she looked back at the gypsy devastated at what she was hearing, finally she walked out with Cricket. She kept looking back over her shoulder at Sylvia until she cleared the doorway. The gypsy woman’s face bore a smug smile and her eyes were low. Mischief followed both Cricket and Honey to the front door. They rode in silence for a moment both pondering what they had just heard. They rode past the Fun House to get a view of the place and what it looked like from the outside. The building had a glass front but the windows were tinted. The structure looked like it hadn’t been built that long ago. “Well, that will be our new job starting tomorrow, hopefully,” Honey said, finally breaking the silence trying to put Sylvia in the past. “Yeah I know. The shake-your-bootie cops,” Cricket replied. “Have you come up with a stage name?” Cricket continued attempting to do the same, not wanting to think about Sylvia and her predictions anymore. “I was thinking about something like Cheeks,” she replied. “Does it sound corny?” “Cheeks,” Cricket said as she laughed out loud. “I guess it’s as good a name as any,” she replied. “Well, what did you come up with for a name?” “I don’t know. I was thinking something like Strawberry. Something I figured was common.” Honey was about to make her comment but Cricket’s phone rang. She put a finger up asking Honey to give her a moment as she looked at the caller I.D and saw that it was Antwan. “Hey there,” she said, answering his call. Antwan told her that he had been sick and was at the hospital. He explained that it was some type of stomach virus and that his partner had dropped him off. He knew Cricket was worried somehow he sensed it in her voice. “You cool Hutch, you seem disturbed about something?” “No, no, really I’m good, just came from a strange assignment with my partner, but I’m all good.” She replied, not telling Antwan about seeing a gypsy tarot card person. “Honey trust me I’m going to be alright, don’t worry. So, how is the new city and new job coming along? Any big cases yet?” he asked. “Actually yes, but I can’t go into details, it’s T.S.” “T.S, huh, never heard of that detailed code before,” Antwan laughed. Antwan explained that the hospital was going to keep him overnight for observation since he was terribly dehydrated. He said the doctor just wanted to make sure all his vitals went back to normal. “I miss you, Synai,” Antwan stated. “I miss you too,” she replied, looking over at Honey. Honey smiled and slid her disc in and played her song, ‘All in the Name of Love’ on low volume. Cricket looked over and gave her new partner the middle finger playfully. Honey’s phone began to ring now. She didn’t have any idea who would be calling her since no one but the head of the department back home and a few others were the only people to have her new number. She’d gotten a new number not trusting Syaid’s people and made a point to only give it to people new boss Lloxx and her sister and currently the doctor from the morgue. She looked at her caller I.D. and didn’t recognize the number. She answered, “Milwaukee Undercover, Officer Booker speaking.” It was Doctor Gatson. “Hello doc, what’s the word?” Honey asked. “I think I need to see you and your partner right away.” “We are on our way,” Honey replied. Cricket took that as her cue. She told Antwan that she had an emergency and would have to call him back. He made her promise that she would call him back before she ended the call and Cricket promised. She ended the call with a big smile on her face. “What’s going on? Was that Lloxx?” Cricket asked. “No, that was Gatson at the morgue. He didn’t go into details but said that he needed to see us right away.” “Right away it is,” Cricket said, putting the petal to the metal and doing eighty through the city streets. Black Beauty responded to her every command like they two were sisters. They pulled up to the morgue ten minutes later. This time the front desk person was expecting them and happened to be a little friendlier as he paged for Dr. Gatson to come escort the officers.
Posted on: Tue, 22 Jul 2014 19:15:03 +0000
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