We Are

I stepped into the palm reader’s store, in order to have my palm read.

I was only doing it because of a dare, and didn’t actually believe that palm reading was for real.

I paid the lady, and she began examining my palm.

“Get out of my store…” she whispered, and I looked up to see that she had a frightened expression on her face.

“Money back, please.” I retorted, “Seeing as you didn’t read my palm.”

She returned the money, and I left the store and told my friends about what’d happened.

They were all pretty bummed out, and even went into the store to see if I was telling the truth.

But, when they returned outside, they said that she was gone; and, a few days later, I noticed that there was a “for rent” sign on the door of the building where she’d been reading palms until her strange encounter with me.

I wasn’t superstitious, but the whole thing did trouble me a bit.

What about me could possibly have caused her to get so distressed?

But maybe it wasn’t about me, and she’d just been doing a bit too many weird drugs or something.

Ha! She’d probably been hallucinating during our encounter, and I’d looked like a goblin or something!

Yeah, that had to be it. She was just a few cans short of a six-pack, especially when she’d been taking the wrong drugs.

I had nothing to worry about, there’d been nothing about me that she’d actually sensed, and I had nothing to worry about!

Wait… Why had I just repeated myself? What was wrong with me!?!

Ahhhhhhh!

The palm reader was correct!, but I didn’t even know what she was correct about!

There was only one way to proceed, now that I knew that there was indeed something terribly off about me. I had to find that palm reader and convince her to tell me what she’d seen!

Together, the two of us could figure out how to get me back to normal.

It was the only way!

And, within the next day; I’d let my apartment manager know that I was leaving, packed my things up into my car, and was heading off to find the palm reader lady!, come hell or high water…

As I drove, I began to realize that it was a big world and that finding the palm reader lady would be like finding a needle in a haystack.

Was my mission doomed to fail?

But I had to find her! I just had to!

Hmmm… If I were a palm reader lady who was trying to lie low, where would I go?

Aha! The North Pole!

But my car wouldn’t be able to make it to the North Pole…

Ummm…

I supposed that I’d have to sell my car and use that money and all of my savings to buy a plane that could get me to the North Pole!

A great idea!

My mission was saved!

After about a week, I had gotten my plane, and was headed off to the North Pole!

I only had enough gas to get me there, but it wouldn’t matter because once I found her then everything would be ok.

When I finally arrived at the North Pole, I stepped out of the plane, and there was immediately a cracking sound underneath the plane and I saw it sink into the water. Wow! Good thing that I’d gotten out when I had.

I set off to find the palm reader lady!, but quickly realized that I should’ve worn more coats because the many coats that I was wearing weren’t keeping me warm enough.

Oh no! I was doomed!

Suddenly, I saw the ground near me rise up, and then saw two people driving out of a little underground garage.

They noticed me, and (with very surprised looks on their faces) quickly escorted me into the garage.

“I’m Isana,” the woman said, “and my husband Shoma and I really must be leaving to go on our mission, but Arelis can show you around our humble abode. She should be just a couple of rooms in past the garage. You can’t miss her!” and she and Shoma had soon left the garage.

Was Arelis perhaps the palm reader lady??? Was my mission complete???

I dashed through the garage door, and soon ran into a woman who said that her name was Arelis and asked me what mine was.

I told her that I was named Benji, and asked if she’d seen a palm reader anywhere.

She answered that she hadn’t, and asked why I was looking for a palm reader on the North Pole.

I explained to her about how she’d been unwilling to tell me what about me had concerned her and how I was now searching for her in hopes of finding out.

“I’ve never been much of a believer in palm readers,” Arelis said, thoughtfully, “but it is incredible that you happened to find where we are on the North Pole. No one has ever just stumbled across our location before!”

“About that…” I asked, “Since y’all aren’t associated with the palm reader lady, what exactly are you doing here?” to which she answered, “We’re putting together a crew to colonize a planet right now. You interested? I can’t promise that you’ll be allowed to go, but there’s a good chance that you can if you want to.”

Colonizing another planet??? Wait… That planet must be where the palm reader lady went to! She was so scared of me that she’d fled to another planet! Silly me!, the North Pole hadn’t been far enough away for her. She’d gone off to infinity and beyond!

“I sure do wanna go to another planet!” I replied, to which Arelis said, “Very good! If you get approved to head up there, then you should be able to be up, up, and away! within the next few days…”