Page 23 of The Runner
‘Well, you know how I kept wishing I could time travel on demand, rather than be randomly transported to Tudorville at the whim of the vortex?’
Sylvia nodded encouragingly as she stared at Cara, who was her favourite client and had the most fascinating experiences of any with whom she’d consulted. ‘Yes,’ she said.
‘Well, I stumbled onto what looks like a Tudor priest hole, but on the two occasions I went into it, the vortex appeared and I’m pretty certain I time travelled.’
‘Goodness. And do you know what’s going on in Tudorville?’
‘That’s just it,’ said Cara, shaking her head. ‘I remember nothing in the way I usually would. Instead, I’m having these weird vivid dreams about a different timeline altogether!’
‘Which one?’ said Sylvia. ‘It crossed my mind that one day you may come in here and tell me you’ve been travelling to ancient Greece or Rome... I’m excited about the possibilities even if I only live the experience vicariously through your readings.’
Cara smiled. ‘You and Eddie are far more excited than me and George. All we want is a normal life…’
Sylvia covered Cara’s hand with her own and squeezed it gently. ‘I know it must be tough. Sorry, I interrupted you as you were about to tell me about another timeline.’
‘Ever since I went into this priest hole or wormhole… or whatever we want to call it, I’ve been dreaming about Georgiana.’
Sylvia’s eyes widened again, and she paused with her coffee cup mid-way to her mouth. ‘Georgiana… you mean the life where you were that young girl who went by a different name, and I spoke to her when I hypnotised you?’
‘That’s the one,’ said Cara, her shiny hair tumbling over her shoulders as she jerked her head.
‘Remind me of the name you used in that life,’ said Sylvia.
‘Caroline. Presumably named after Caroline of Ansbach, who was married to the future king, George II. Honestly, I don’t even know what my surname was, but I’m having regular run-ins with that awful Ralph Knight. Oh, and I’m, or should I say, Caroline, is now governess to George’s sister at Willow Manor.’
Sylvia shifted in her chair and gently rubbed her temples with her fingers. ‘So, doesn’t that mean things are unfolding as they should? We undid Ralph’s hypnotic suggestion so that you would accept the job at Willow Manor, and you and George would presumably fall in love like in the original timeline. Or am I missing something?’
‘I don’t have much experience in time travel, other than my forays into Tudorville, but I’m worried the reason I’m suddenly dreaming about that other life is because it’s a warning.’
‘Interesting, yes I suppose that could be the case,’ said Sylvia, resting her cup on the desk. ‘Give me your hands, let’s see if anything’s changed.’
Cara tentatively offered her palms upwards, and Sylvia moved them towards the light, squinted and then fumbled about for her glasses with her other hand. ‘Hold on, I’m as blind as a bat close up these days without my specs.’
Cara crossed and uncrossed her legs as she waited. On a previous visit, Sylvia examined her hands, and the psychic was amazed to see a splintered lifeline showing more than one life.
What will she see this time?
Cara gulped but tried to stay calm. There was no point in getting in a panic. That much she knew… but it was far easier said than done.
‘It’s as I suspected. Your lifeline has splintered again on both palms. Look.’ Sylvia steered Cara’s palms back towards her and pointed.
Cara followed Sylvia’s sparkly pink nail, which touched the edge of both lifelines, and she saw multiple little lines shooting off them both. She gasped and turned white, a chill shooting through her body. ‘How many lives must I live?’
Sylvia turned Cara’s hands back over before releasing them. ‘I don’t know. There are quite a few, but I doubt you will experience them all. There are many schools of thought in palmistry, but it doesn’t show what will happen, only what could happen.’
Cara sighed, clasped her hands together, and rested her elbows on the desk. ‘As usual, George and I are in a right jam. We were hoping it was all over and we could just get on with our lives. We’re due to open the Tudor Heritage Centre soon, you know.’
Sylvia pursed her lips. ‘Um, you will get on with your lives by the looks of it. The only question is, which ones! Sorry, it’s not the reading you were hoping for, but it’s better to know what you’re up against.’
Cara studied Sylvia’s face, seeking reassurance. ‘Eddie wants me to go into the priest hole again. He and George went in to test it yesterday, but the vortex didn’t appear. I think Eddie was a little disappointed. He says this is our chance to time travel on demand and he wants me to do some controlled experiments with him,’ said Cara.
‘I bet he does!’ said Sylvia, shaking her head. ‘He’s nothing if not zealous in his quantum research. So, are you going to go through with it?’
‘That’s why I came, really. I don’t know, but I thought a card reading might help to point me in the right direction. I feel rudderless on this one. My head is so noisy, I can’t seem to quiet down enough to hear my intuition.’
Sylvia nodded, opened the top drawer in her desk and extracted two sets of cards. Cara watched as she shuffled and arranged the cards in her own unique way, and the vibrant coloured images of the Tarot and the Angel cards flashed before her eyes.
‘Usually, I have no choice whether I time travel or not. This time, it seems like I may only travel when I enter the wormhole. Unless we count the dreams which I don’t understand at all. I mean, am I time travelling in my sleep or is it just some kind of karmic memory being activated?’
