Chip has presented a challenge to anyone who would like to write a short story. The only requirement of that challenge is to begin a story with the sentence: "Let it die," she said. The idea was too good to pass up. After a couple of false starts, this is what I came up with: The Reading "Let it die," she said. The seer tapped the card she had just turned face up on the table. "Death, upright." Kenji gasped. "Death?" "Upright," the seer repeated. "Yes. It means the end of something, and therefore a new beginning. There's no cause for alarm. The card rarely portends the end of life. It's only a symbol. The Death card lets you know it's time to let something old die so something new can take its place." "Something new?" Kenji was wary. She didn't like change very much. "Like what?" The seer didn't answer, but flipped over the next card. "Six of Swords. You are on a journey. Have you recently had a great sorrow in your life?" Kenji blanched. "Yes ... " she whispered. "How did you know?" "It's the card, my dear. The Six of Swords. I'm only telling you what they mean as I turn them over. This reading isn't meant to be fortune telling. It isn't even a standard Tarot reading. You and I are here to help you figure out what you need to know in order to get on with your life. You are at a crossroads, and you need information. You can tell me what's going on in your life or not, it's completely up to you." "No ... not yet," Kenji was here because Shanna had paid for the reading, picked her up, and escorted her through the door. When Shanna was in that sort of mood, it was best to go along with her. Kenji knew Shanna had her best interests at heart. "All right," the seer rolled her shoulders, then her neck, stretching the kinks out. These young ones were all the same. Terrified she could read their minds, but at the same time afraid she was a fake. "So you're dealing with sorrow. The Six of Swords says your journey will take you past it. Harmony will prevail. Your sorrow will end." She flipped over the third card. "The Tower. Well, that could mean the loss of a friend, or of money." She looked at Kenji, one eyebrow raised. "A friend," Kenji said. Next card. "Justice, Reversed," said the seer. "Well, it seems your friend was unfair, perhaps abusive, intolerant." She looked over her glasses at Kenji. "Or was that you?" "No! Oh gosh no ... it wasn't me! I don't even know what happened. One day she just turned ... " Kenji stopped. "It was she who was unfair." The seer looked at Kenji kindly and seemed about to say something, but changed her mind. "Ten of Wands. Oh child. You must be feeling like a complete failure, like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders." Kenji looked down at her hands, and the tears began to fall. She didn't answer. She didn't have to. "All right. So we understand the problem. Your friend betrayed you in some way, and you think it was somehow your fault. Is that right?" The seer's voice was compassionate and understanding. Kenji nodded. It was all she could do. "The next cards will help guide you toward a resolution. They will tell you how to proceed. May I continue, or would you like to wait a few minutes?" Kenji hiccuped. "Could we wait a minute please? Just let me ... " "I'll get you some tea. It will help." The seer got up and poured a mug of hot, smoky tea from a plain brown pot. She handed it to Kenji and waited while Kenji sipped, swallowed, took a few shaky breaths, sipped again. "Better?" Kenji nodded. "The next cards will tell me what to do?" "In a manner of speaking, yes," the seer said. "We already know something old has died and something new awaits you. This is just the pattern of life. Nature abhors a vacuum, and whenever some part of your life dies or changes, there will always be something else to take its place. The next cards should help you on your way." "Okay. That sounds good. I'm ready." "Good. Drink your tea while I talk, child. It will help calm your nerves." The seer turned over the next card. "Eight of Swords, Reversed. Your friend seems to have been a rather manipulative person. I wouldn't be surprised if you had felt like you were her emotional prisoner to some degree. However, this card reversed speaks again of new beginnings, and of freedom. The end of this friendship will turn out to have been a good thing for you, even though you might not feel that way now. Do you see how this refers back to the Death card?" Kenji nodded and took another sip of tea. "Three of Cups. You are a sympathetic soul, and you have talents of which you are currently unaware. It seems to me that what you learned from that friendship, which has now passed into history, will stand you in good stead in the future." Kenji was looking better by the minute. The color was back in her cheeks. "Ten of Cups. You are a true friend, and that quality will bring you lasting happiness in life. Is this making sense to you, my dear? Do you think you have the qualities the cards are showing you?" Kenji looked a little defensive. "Well ... yes! Yes I do. I AM a good friend! I DO care about people! She said ... she said I was ... " "She was no friend to you, child. Your assessment of your character is correct, and she said things to you in order to protect her own ego. You must learn from her behavior. It will assist you in choosing better friends in the future. "Last card. The Fool." Kenji's face fell. Ah, youth. So fragile. The seer was quick to explain the card. "New beginnings, new adventures, new opportunities, unlimited possibilities. Here we are, back where we started. You are on the verge of an exciting new time in your life. You've been feeling responsibe for what happened, but your friend made her own choices. You did not force her into her bad behavior, and what she said and did was not your fault. She is responsibile for her own actions." Kenji gripped the tea mug as if her life depended upon it. "That's right! You're right! I never thought of it that way before. She said it was my fault, and I believed her because I didn't understand what had happened." The seer continued. "You have the strength, the abilities, the knowledge, to become a powerful and compassionate woman, Kenji. This episode in your life will help you on your way. Learn from it, and let it go." Kenji stood up. "Thank you! Thank you so much! You know, my friend, Shanna, made me come here today, but she was right. I feel way better now than I did when I came in. I'll remember what you said!" The seer smiled. "I know you will, my dear. You'll be fabulous." Kenji walked out the door, closing it a bit recklessly. The small bells on the door clattered and fell silent. The seer turned back to the table. She picked up the cards, put them back in their wooden box, and picked up the tea mug. She walked through the beaded curtain that separated her work space from the kitchen, just as her partner of twenty-three years came through the back door. He opened his arms to her, and she put the cup down and went over to give him a hug. "And were you able to help today?" he asked gently. "Yes," she said. "I think I helped. She was young, and confused, and just needed a bit of direction. The cards were good to her." "You were good to her as well, I'm sure. You have a gift, my love. It isn't just the cards." "She'll be fine. I saw such strength in that young woman. She'll be just fine."