“Is that bad?” Diane asked lightly. The gypsy fortune-teller did not answer. Diane watched as the old woman turned up the next card. She shook her head. Her voice was eerily hollow. “The Death card.”
Diane got to her feet. “I don’t believe in any of this!” She said angrily. The old woman looked up, and when she spoke, her voice was macabre. “It does not matter what you believe. Death is all around you..
---------------------------------------------
The wedding took place one month later. The ceremony was warm and wonderful, with friends and family congratulating the newlyweds. Diane looked over at Richard’s beaming face and thought of the fortune teller’s ridiculous prediction and smiled.
They had planned to leave for a honeymoon in France the week after the wedding but Richard had called her from work, “A new project has just come up and I can’t get away. Is it all right if we do it in a few months? Sorry, baby.”
She said, “Of course it’s all right.”
“Do you want to come out and have lunch with me today?”
“I’d love that!”
“You like French food. I know a great French restaurant. I’ll pick you up in half an hour.”
Thirty minutes later, Richard was outside, waiting for Diane. “Hi, honey. I have to see one of our clients off at the airport. He’s leaving for Europe. We’ll say goodbye and then go on to lunch.” She hugged him. “Fine.”
When they arrived at the airport, Richard said “He has a private plane. We’ll meet him on the tarmac.”
A guard passed them through to a restricted area, where a Challenger was parked. Richard looked around. “He’s not here yet. Let’s wait in the plane.”
They walked up the steps and entered the luxurious aircraft. The engines were running. The flight attendant walked in from the cockpit. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Richard said. Diane smiled, “Good morning.”
They watched the flight attendant close the cabin door. Diane looked at Richard. “How late do you think your client is going to be?”. “He shouldn’t be very long.”
The roar of the jets started getting louder. The plane began to taxi. Diane looked out the window, and her face paled. “Richard, we’re moving!”
Richard looked at Diane in surprise. “Are you sure?”.
“Look out the window. Tell—tell the pilot!”. She was panicking.
“What do you want me to tell him?”
“To stop!!”
“I can’t! He has already started.”
There was a moment of silence and Diane looked at Richard, her eyes wide. “Where are we going?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? We’re going to Paris. You said you like French food.”
She gasped. Then her expression changed. “Richard, I can’t go to Paris now! I have no clothes. I have no makeup. I have no—“
Richard said, “I heard they have stores in Paris.” She looked at him a moment, then flung her arms around him. “Oh, you fool, you. I love you.”
He grinned, “You wanted a honeymoon. You’ve got it.” She smiled.
--------------------------------------------
The detective walked into the apartment. She was looking at him, frowning. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
The words would not seem to come. “Yes, I’m sorry. I—I’m afraid I have some bad news. It’s about your husband.”
Taken from 'Are you afraid of the dark?' by Sidney Sheldon.
Diane got to her feet. “I don’t believe in any of this!” She said angrily. The old woman looked up, and when she spoke, her voice was macabre. “It does not matter what you believe. Death is all around you..
---------------------------------------------
The wedding took place one month later. The ceremony was warm and wonderful, with friends and family congratulating the newlyweds. Diane looked over at Richard’s beaming face and thought of the fortune teller’s ridiculous prediction and smiled.
They had planned to leave for a honeymoon in France the week after the wedding but Richard had called her from work, “A new project has just come up and I can’t get away. Is it all right if we do it in a few months? Sorry, baby.”
She said, “Of course it’s all right.”
“Do you want to come out and have lunch with me today?”
“I’d love that!”
“You like French food. I know a great French restaurant. I’ll pick you up in half an hour.”
Thirty minutes later, Richard was outside, waiting for Diane. “Hi, honey. I have to see one of our clients off at the airport. He’s leaving for Europe. We’ll say goodbye and then go on to lunch.” She hugged him. “Fine.”
When they arrived at the airport, Richard said “He has a private plane. We’ll meet him on the tarmac.”
A guard passed them through to a restricted area, where a Challenger was parked. Richard looked around. “He’s not here yet. Let’s wait in the plane.”
They walked up the steps and entered the luxurious aircraft. The engines were running. The flight attendant walked in from the cockpit. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” Richard said. Diane smiled, “Good morning.”
They watched the flight attendant close the cabin door. Diane looked at Richard. “How late do you think your client is going to be?”. “He shouldn’t be very long.”
The roar of the jets started getting louder. The plane began to taxi. Diane looked out the window, and her face paled. “Richard, we’re moving!”
Richard looked at Diane in surprise. “Are you sure?”.
“Look out the window. Tell—tell the pilot!”. She was panicking.
“What do you want me to tell him?”
“To stop!!”
“I can’t! He has already started.”
There was a moment of silence and Diane looked at Richard, her eyes wide. “Where are we going?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? We’re going to Paris. You said you like French food.”
She gasped. Then her expression changed. “Richard, I can’t go to Paris now! I have no clothes. I have no makeup. I have no—“
Richard said, “I heard they have stores in Paris.” She looked at him a moment, then flung her arms around him. “Oh, you fool, you. I love you.”
He grinned, “You wanted a honeymoon. You’ve got it.” She smiled.
--------------------------------------------
The detective walked into the apartment. She was looking at him, frowning. “What is it? Is something wrong?”
The words would not seem to come. “Yes, I’m sorry. I—I’m afraid I have some bad news. It’s about your husband.”
Taken from 'Are you afraid of the dark?' by Sidney Sheldon.
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