I sing of you in my demented songs

The Dollhouse, for all it was pretty--and disturbing--put me into an odd mood. Being riven from my statue for so many days--and so many days yet to come--sunk me just a bit lower. To cheer the mood, I went to the Halloween Horror Village in Antiqua Paradise.



Obviously, I wasn't thinking clearly here, either. The natives are surprisingly vicious.



Something dark moved in the Myers House. I was drawn forward to see for myself.



I didn't know whether I was more appalled at the wallpaper or the sign. Someone had actually decided to keep pods? They couldn't be serious.



They were! I nearly got bodysnatched in the Pod Garden! I didn't think I was sleepy!

Or that porcelain and wires were that tasty...



Yes, the board said, but yes to what? I couldn't remember asking a question...

I edged past the zombies on the dance floor and found a table with floating cards.

It asked if I wished a full layout, or a three-card spread. I chose the three-card. Of course I thought of the statue come to life, and the pale rose, and me standing between them.



The cards whirled, shifted, and appeared. My past: the Six of Cups, reversed. It's true, I live much in the past, I choke on nostalgia. Outworn friendships? Acrimonious partings? Oh, yes. And disappointment?

Enough disappointment to fill the cups and drown, yes.

I looked at my present and sighed. The Hanged Man. Life in suspension, standing in the crossroads, waiting, always waiting. A time of rebirth, yes, and reinvention, and what is my life now but that? Reinventing myself after love's loss. Reinventing myself after the loss of my main means of employment here, and learning who that makes me now.

The cards spoke too clearly. I looked to the future card and saw the Queen of Wands, reversed. My heart quailed.

While the Court cards traditionally represent people, and this one in particular, a strict woman, dark-haired, domineering and vengeful, deceitful and jealous...capable of great bitterness and great infidelity...I'm reflecting on an earlier conversation and cringing.

Though my demoness and I have parted, still, I can tie to her now and again. And she does so want to return, to walk the world...

I couldn't leave without asking for clarification, as dangerous as that might be.

I touched the card of my past. Of course, the Wheel of Fortune, reversed. Everything that the Wheel of Fortune righted is not--failure of enterprises, bad luck, unexpected happenings. Outside influences. That's been true, too.

I turned to my present. The High Priestess, also reversed. Lack of understanding, selfishness, shallowness, refusal to see the truth--oh, yes. That's been true, too.

Finally, I touched the card of my future. Also reversed, and the Ace of Wands. Setbacks for new things? Selfishness for chosen goals. Lack of determination.

The future wasn't looking so good, if the cards spoke truth, and if they were simply toying with me, that didn't bear much thinking on, either.

I left the house and the natives again grabbed me when I wasn't paying attention.



*sighs* Now I have to get scorch marks off porcelain. This is no good, I'll have to come back later. At least flesh is more ready to heal....