Zak POV

"Dude, I love coming here. It has to be one of my top favourite places in America." Aaron says, pulling out his phone to snap more pictures for his Instagram.

"I feel you on that, this whole place is soaked with a supernatural background." I answer.

"Wanna check out some more stores? What is it that you're looking for anyway?"

"Voodoo dolls, authentic ones. As well as other pieces for my museum."

He nods absentmindedly as he zooms in on his phone before gasping "This place does wands!"

I frown. "I don't know about that.. It's a little too Harry Potter for me."

"I know but dude, we gotta check this place out." He gushes. I barely have a chance to reply before he's bundling through the purple painted door.

I follow behind, waving to Billy and Jay who have been straggling behind our little walk. They probably guessed Aaron was going to be hyped up, I should have known too.

As soon as I enter, the smell of sage hits my nose, my eyes immediately search for it, which is when I see that there's a small bundle being burnt in the corners of the store. Smoke slowly rising to the ceiling and disappearing whilst the scent falls around us.

The colour purple continues into the store, the brick wall covered in a deep purple, making the all natural wood floor stand out under its polish. Shelves occupied most of the wall space, with books, bottles, jewellery and yes, wands.

"Good Afternoon." A woman chirps behind the counter, flashing a smile. She instantly reminds me of someone, with her pale white skin and long black hair. Her lips are painted red and that's the only colour that is on her, the rest is all black, from her hair down to her long sleeved dress.

"Afternoon." I reply, giving her a quick smile before picking out Aaron's shiny head in the store.

I wander around, looking at the voodoo dolls, trying to decide which ones I should buy, as well as a chalice. The store has a balance of quirky, gimicky items and real authentic pieces. From the wands and broomsticks to the sage and Baphomet ornament with matching satanic daggers.

All welcoming items for my museum.

I eventually pull up beside Aaron who's been lost in the wands and plastic bags which hang underneath them.

"What's all this?" I ask him, frowning at the items in front of us.

"Spell kits. That's a binding one." He answers, noticing the one straight in front of me.

"Well I definitely don't need that."

"No you need the love spell kit." He jokes.

"Shut up bro. I don't need the love one, or the lust before you even suggest it."

"Wise choice." A woman speaks, making me jump and turn my head.

It's the same woman from the counter, the Morticia Addams wannabe. Her head quirks to the side when I met her eyes. It's a movement I almost copy.

"They say too much of a good thing is dangerous. Wouldn't you agree, Zak?" She asks.

My brows twitch.

"Is love ever a bad thing?" Aaron chirps, making me pull my eyes off the woman who had been staring at me.

"Tainted love..." She answers before wandering away.

"Marilyn Manson fan?" He guesses before shrugging and going back to the wands.

My eyes search the store until I find her back behind the counter, just as Billy and Jay come in. "She gives me the creeps." I mutter.

"Because she doesn't fancy you?" Aaron chuckles.

"Because she knew my name and I didn't tell her."

"We're on tv dude. People know our names."

"Whatever.." I mutter, glancing back to the counter and the woman.

She still gives me the creeps.

***

"There's a free tarot reading with every transaction over $100."

I gulp at the woman and look at my items sat on the counter. "I uh- it's okay. Aaron can have it."

"Dude I'm not having my future read. No offence, I just like to go with the flow." He says slapping me on the back before heading out the store with his bag.

"You almost seem afraid.." The woman says from behind the counter. "You have attachments, yet you're afraid of tarot cards?"

"I'm not afraid, I'm just a little like Aaron... Like to go with the flow." I lie.

She shakes her head "I don't believe that. He's carefree, has light aura and energy about him. You, you do not."

A light aura? It's probably coffee. It has to be.

"You know what? Fine. Deal them up." I answer, pushing my shoulders back. Determined not to be fazed by this woman and her weird vibe.

The cards are drawn quick and before I know it, we are in the reading. Every card she flips over, I look at it before looking at her for the interpretation.

"There's change coming... An unsettled stage."

My stomach twists with dread. "What causes it?"

"A person.. A woman." She frowns flipping over another card and examining it. "This interaction, it will make you reevaluate your life, it will cause change, within you."

"Good or bad?" I push.

"Could be deemed as both. Depending on how you look at it."

"What does that mean?"

"Shh!" She hushes me, before flipping over another card. "It's going to happen soon."

I look at the cards and back at the woman, leaning in for me, because now I want to know everything..

"It's a sudden. There's fire."

"What? You can see that from the cards?"

"I channel through psychic abilities too. It's part of the service. I like to entwine them." She says closing her eyes.

"Well can you tell me where the fire is going to be? Is it at the museum?!"

"Close.. It's close." She repeats.

I'm tempted to reach over and shake her when she gasps and her eyes fly open. "What? What happened? What did you see?"

"Fire, flames, a woman."

"Some woman is going to set something on fire? My museum on fire? My home? My car?" I ask getting a little more frantic with my questions.

"Not an object. It was just flames..." She says before hitting the total button on the till. "That's $125.65."

I leave the store in a daze, holding my bags and now slowly walking behind the crew, wondering if I should ring someone, anyone and tell them to keep an eye out for flames.

Shifting the bags into one hand, I pull out my phone and begin scrolling through my contacts to find the museum number when I'm almost knocked over.

"Owwwh!"

Hands grab my arms as nails dig into my skin slightly. The smell of perfume fills my nose and instantly heightens my senses. My chest rises as I take in the colour red.

Red...

"I am so so sorry!" The woman gasps, holding onto me. "I'm so clumsy, are you okay?"

Red. Red hair...

Red hair looks like

"Fire." I speak making her blink a set of beautiful green eyes at me.

"A fire? Oh you mean my hair. Yeah it's called fiery red. Looks like flames huh?"

Fire.

Flames.

The woman!

"I'm Zak." I tell her.

She smiles. "Harlow."

Harlow.

"Harlow." I repeat it, making her nose twitch as she smiles at me.

"Yes sir. Now are you okay? I went full speed into you."

I nod "I-uh- yeah, absolutely."

"That's good. I'm real sorry about that. Head in my phone." She waves it off before biting her lip. "Sorry again."

"Stop apologising." I smile back, feeling relief that there's no fire. Literally.

"Well, have a good day, Zak."

"You too, Harlow." I reply, watching the little cute nose twitch as she smiles.

We side step each other awkwardly, sharing a light laugh, before both nodding and walking away.

Sudden change. Fire, flames, a woman.

I'm two paces when I turn around to see her turning at the exact same time.

"Wanna get a coffee sometime?" She asks instantly.

"I don't drink coffee, but sure."

"Me either." She admits, tilting her head to the side, as a blush creeping up her cheeks.

The little flush of colour makes my heart do a little skip.

Oh no..

Harlow with the fiery red hair, you're gonna be trouble for me.