Free Timeless by Amanda Paris

told,” she said, examining her nails. I
laughed in spite of the weird feeling that I belonged in that
store, that it would be the key to unlocking whatever mystery lay
behind my dream.
    Zack greeted us at the front door of his
parents’ small bungalow on the outskirts of town, his seven small
brothers and sisters yelling loudly behind him.
    “Are you ready for the intense experience of
Zombie Zoo?” he said, sounding like a sports announcer telling us
to prepare for the match of the century. Dylan, his one-year-old
brother, came to the door and pelted us with a mix of pureed
carrots and oatmeal.
    Annie rolled her eyes.
    “I should have brought my homework,” she
complained.
    “And some wipes,” I added, laughing as I
scraped the mashed food off my shoes. But my mind was back in
Ramona’s store.
    I didn’t linger to watch the movie with them.
I was anxious to find out more about Ramona’s offer and,
truthfully, too eager to see if she really could tell me what was
becoming an all-consuming mystery. Maybe she could settle the past
life question once and for all.
    I made my way back to town, but by the time I
returned to the store, her “open” sign was no longer blinking at
me. I took a chance and tried the front door.
    Ramona was standing in exactly the same spot
as she had been when I left.
    “I knew you’d return,” she began.
    Of course. She was psychic.
    “Let’s get started,” she said, waving her
hand for me to follow her.
    “But you don’t know why I’m here,” I
said.
    She raised a painted eyebrow and gave me a
look that said need you ask?
    I followed her through the multi-hued,
psychedelic beads hanging from the door that led to the back of the
store. She directed me into a sitting room that looked remarkably
clinical. It had only a small settee and chair, with none of the
crystals or other junk that decorated the front room.
    “Please have a seat,” she said politely,
indicating the chair opposite to her.
    She sat across from me, her intense eyes
staring into mine. I became uncomfortable again. It was as if she
stared straight into my soul.
    “Now tell me,” she began, breaking the
silence.
    “I thought you already knew,” I retorted,
cringing inwardly at the sarcasm I heard in my voice. Ramona
ignored it, focusing instead on reading my face.
    “I know generally why people come to seek me,
but the details are often not, shall we say, crystal clear,” she
finished, breaking out into laughter at her own joke.
    I stared at her, not knowing where to begin.
A few uncomfortable moments passed.
    “I’ve been having these dreams,” I finally
began.
    “What kinds of dreams?” she asked, leaning
closer to me. I was beginning to feel more than a little
uncomfortable and inched back.
    But I knew it was now or never. I took a deep
breath and began, soon finding a rhythm. I told her everything I
could remember, not just the brief sketch I’d told Annie but also
my suspicions about a past life. It was actually a huge relief to
tell someone about my fears. I had told Annie a basic outline of my
dream, but not the way it affected me. With Ramona, I held nothing
back.
    When I’d finished, she continued to stare at
me, not saying anything.
    After another few uncomfortable minutes, I
cleared my throat.
    “Um. I don’t exactly know the protocol here,
but…”
    “I’m just trying to read you,” she
interrupted.
    “Read me?” I asked.
    “Yes. It’s always easier if I can read your
future.”
    “No, wait. I’m not here for a psychic session
or whatever. I want to understand my dreams, which seem to be about
the past,” I explained.
    She smiled then, an eerie, half smile.
    “The past, the present, the future—they’re
all connected. By seeing your future, I may be able to help you
solve the riddle of your past.”
    I hadn’t thought of that.
    “Do you need my palm or anything?” I asked.
Who knew what kind of etiquette was required with psychics?
    She laughed loudly at this.
    “I