A New Beginning

Warning

Scott POV

It's about one in the morning in Tokyo and Mitch, Kirstie, Avi, Kevin, Esther and I are wandering the streets back to our hotel after leaving the Robot Bar. It's here where Mitch pulls me to the side and stops me by what appears to be a fortune telling machine.

"Scooteerrrr," he says, hand pulling me back.

"What is it now?" I say.

"Look!" He points to the machine, a wild grin expressed on his face.

"What?"

"Don't you see it?"

I ruffle my hair. "Yes, I do." He smiles wide again and I stare at him.

"What? It'll be fun," he enchants, and I hesitantly pull out my wallet and hand him some coins.

"Here," I say, handing him a few.

"Yay!" He chirps, and looks like a little boy receiving his first Christmas present. My heart warms at the sight of his immediate happiness at such a small thing.

He places some coins in the machine and waits as the figure, an older woman, in the machine lights up and begins to move, traditional music playing in the background. I am surprised when I hear English come out of the thing.

"Beware! Beware your travels, young one. I see red, fire in your near future. Someone that is near and dear to you will soon be dead. You do not belong here, my child, go home, quickly! Go back to your birthplace, young one."

Mitch is no longer bursting with happiness. Did he actually believe in this stuff?

"Come on, Mitch," I say, and a card pops out of the machine. Mitch is reading it, and I get closer to him so that I can read it as well.

***
Beware! Someone near and dear to you shall soon perish. Get home as soon as possible.
***

Mitch looks up at me, anxiety in his eyes.

"Come on, they're not real. It's just a gimmick to take your money and see how much they can coax you in. See? Watch. Mine will be fine." I open Mitch's hand to receive some coins and place them in the machine, one by one. The machine lights up once again, brilliantly, and the old woman begins to speak once more.

"Beware! I see something in your near future. Someone of your blood that you care deeply for, shall perish alongside you, but you will remain unharmed. Go home, young one. Go back home, and quickly. You do not have much time."

Mitch is shaking at my side, and I intertwine my arm and hand with his.

"It's fine," I reassure him. "It's probably just broken." I take the small card out out of the machine and place it in my pocket, not looking at what it said.

"Are you done?" I hear a small voice say from behind me. It's a little girl, holding a stuffed animal in her left hand and the hand of her mother in the right. Her mother says something to me that I don't understand. I move Mitch and I beside, and I smile to both of them. She places three coins into the machine and it turns on.

"Hello, little girl! Your future looks bright, like your mother's eyes. Your parents love you, and you will be awarded a prize soon for your achievements."

The little girl happily lets go of her hand to reach up and grab the small card out of the machine, takes her mothers hand again, and walks away with her. Mitch looks up at me, eyes glossy.

"Don't worry, really, it's fine." I try to reassure him, but his demeanor doesn't really change. He nods and looks away.

"Okay. We should head back."

"Okay." I notice the gang looking in the window of a store close nearby, and we walk over to rejoin them. I feel a bit uneasy, but try to place this feeling out of my mind.