Willamina stared in wonder at the sight around her. Bright colors, large crowds, and unique animals milled through the park.

It had taken Elliot days of begging, but he had finally convinced Theodore to take the family to the carnival. It was only in town for a week out of every year as they were always on the move.

She had never seen anything like it before. There was so much going on, she didn't know what to look at first.

"Papa, I want to go to the freakshow," Elliot whined, tugging on his father's sleeve.

With a sigh, Theodore reached into his pocket and pulled out a few dollars. "Take you sister and your cousin with you," he instructed as he laid the money in the palm of Elliot's hand.

The young boy gleefully took the money and ran off towards the large tent. A short and stout man was standing on a box at the entrance announcing the attractions and freaks inside. Willamina moved quickly, not wanting to be separated from their little group, and she tugged Evangeline along with her.

She found her younger cousin outside the tent, handing the man the money to get inside.

Elliot turned to face the two girls. He had a wide grin on his face. "Come on!" He turned and darted into the tent.

Willie wondered what sort of freaks the show contained. By the way the carnival barker was speaking, the freaks were strange and unusual beasts. But when she and Eva stepped inside, she found it nothing like she expected.

The small white tent was crowded with people. They were all facing towards the center. Willie pushed her way through the crowd, glancing back behind her every now and then to make sure Evangeline was there.

Over the past couple of weeks, Willie had noticed that Eva seemed to tolerate her more. Eva had even taught her how to sew. Still, she could sense some resentment in the girl, but the feeling did not sway her determination to turn Eva into her friend.

Finally, there was a break in the crowd. She stopped and stared up at the small wooden stage that had been placed in the middle of the tent. Her eyes searched the crowd and she found Elliot standing not too far away. Evangeline was beside her, looking rather uncomfortable.

A figure stepped onto the stage and the crowd released a gasp.

At first, Willie assumed the figure was just a rather plump woman or a woman wearing some sort of costume. The woman stopped in the center of the stage and turned to face the crowd. Evangeline released yet another gasp.

Willamina corrected herself- it wasn't a woman, but rather two women. They shared a pair of legs and a torso, but where the torso branched out there were two arms on each of the twins.

She had read about conjoined twins before, but had never seen it in person. She knew it was common for twins born like this to join the circus for money. There weren't many jobs available for them to get.

On the stage, the conjoined twins spun around so the crowd could see. Suddenly, the crowd began to grow loud. It was a mix of cheers and taunts.

A frown formed on Willie's face. She glanced at her cousin who was staring at the woman with wide eyes, but not joining in on the crowd's taunts and cheers. She searched for Elliot and found him still standing where he had been a moment ago.

His hands were balled into fists and his boyish face was contorted as he shouted at the poor woman on the stage.

Her brow furrowed and she marched through the crowd, going towards him.

"Where are you going?" Evangeline called after her.

"I don't like this," Willie responded, not looking back.

Evangeline must have agreed because she didn;t protest and kept following.

People gave her annoyed glances as she weaved her way through the tent, but she didn't acknowledge them. When she reached Elliot, she grabbed him by the arm.

He looked at her as if she had hit him. "What is it?" His shocked expression turned into one of irritation.

"We are leaving," she stated as she tugged him in the direction of the exit.

He yanked his arm from her grip. "No, I want to stay and watch."

Willie released a huff of irritation. He may have been younger than her, but he was stronger.

However, she wasn't going to give up. She refused to let him be cruel to the woman. She hated the thought of anyone being cruel to her, but Elliot was the only one she could do anything about.

"Let's go," she replied firmly. "Eva and I want to leave."

He sent her a harsh glare, his blue eyes full of anger. "So leave. I'm staying until the end of the show. I will find you later." He turned back to face the stage.

She was about to respond when she felt a tug on her sleeve. She turned to see Evangeline looking at her with pleading eyes.

"We can leave without him," she said. "He will be fine."

Willamina knew he would be fine on his own. That wasn't the point, but she could see how upset the show was making Eva so she sighed and nodded. Together, the girls made their way out of the tent and back into the fresh air.

She was relieved to be away from the cruel nature of the freak show and the large crowd. It was extremely hot with the sun beating down and a tent full of people only made things worse.

Abigail and Theodore were nowhere to be seen, so she assumed they had left to find something to eat or drink.

"What should we do now?" Evangeline asked.

Willamina looked around. Her eyes eventually settled on a brightly colored carriage situated between two large tents. "How about that?" She suggested, pointing to it.

Eva wrinkled her nose. "Looks boring. I'm going to find Mama and ask for money for candy."

"But we should stick together," Willie replied, but her cousin was already walking away.

She sighed but walked towards the carriage in curiosity. The door was open and there were a couple of small, narrow steps to get inside. She placed her foot on the first one and hesitated. She glanced behind her, wondering if she should have gone with Evangeline instead.

"Don't be shy, darling. Why don't you come inside?" A soft voice said from within the carriage.

Willie stepped inside and looked around. It was larger than the average carriage and decorated with brightly colored curtains and sweet scented candles. The rug on the floor was a beautiful red and gold design. A small table was situated in the back of the carriage and around it were three chairs.

A woman sat in one of the chairs. She had dark hair and deep brown eyes. "Take a seat," she said with a bright smile.

Willie returned the smile. The woman seemed friendly enough and she no longer felt uneasy. The place was calming. She pulled out a chair and settled herself into it.

The woman wore several beaded necklaces in a variety of colors. Her dress was one of the most beautiful things Willamina had ever seen. It was blue and red and decorated in floral patterns.

"I assume you have come to ask about your future," the woman said.

Willamina was a little confused. "I guess so," she said. Although she wasn't superstitious, she had to admit that it would definitely be interesting to here what the woman had to say.

The woman reached out and motioned for Willamina to hold out her hand, so she did. The woman took her hand with gentle fingers and flipped it over, staring at her palm.

"You are curious." The woman spoke in a slow and soft tone. "But easily distracted." She looked up to meet Willie's eyes for a moment. "Always remember to stay focused on accomplishing your goals."

Willamina nodded hurriedly, taking note of the lady's words.

The woman continued. "This spot here means you are responsible, and this here means you're an optimist."

Willie smiled, feeling happy about those things. They were traits she was very proud to have. She listened as the fortune teller went on.

"You will have a long life, however," she paused a moment. "I see... violence in your future."

Willie felt the color drain from her face. Her palms grew sweaty, but she didn't move her hand from the woman's grip. She wanted to hear the rest.

The fortune-teller closed her eyes and her brow furrowed. "You will have hardships. It will affect your friends too, so keep them close." She was quiet for several more moments before she opened her eyes again. "However, all of you will make it through alive."

Slowly, Willie pulled her hand away. She wasn't quite sure what to think of what the woman had told her. She wasn't one to believe in palm reading or fortune telling, but something about the words struck her as true.

"Do you have any questions?" The woman asked.

Willie shook her head and rose from her chair, but before she left she reached into the pocket of her dress and pulled out a few coins, which she then left on the table.

She squinted when she stepped out of the carriage and into the blinding sunlight. The words played over and over again in her head and she silently promised herself to always remember them. Maybe one day it would come true. The idea of violence in her future terrified her to the core, so she hoped that it didn't.

"Willie!"

The voice interrupted her train of thoughts and she turned her head to see a very angry Abigail marching towards her with Evangeline in tow.

Abigail grabbed her by the hand and harshly led her away from the carriage. "Don't you dare fall for those silly gypsy superstitions," she scolded. "They're only trying to steal your money."

"Okay, Aunt Abigail," Willamina replied quietly. She spared one last glance at the carriage. She wasn't sure but it looked like the woman was watching her through one of the small windows.

~~~~
Word Count: 1745

Hello everyone and thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
What do you think of the gypsy's prediction?