Forecast Calls for Badness

Story Note: This chapter will make more sense if you’ve read the story Actualization, although it isn't necessary.

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The Carriage of Corruption pulled to a stop. A thin brunette gracefully stepped from the vehicle into the moonlit night. She gazed at the horse standing in front of the stable.

“You will tell my future,” said the horse.

“Straight from the horse’s mouth,” the pale woman said with an English accent. “Miss Edith says you’re a naughty pony.”

“That’s Bad Horse,” corrected the Stallion of Satan.

Four shoddily dressed humans leapt out from hiding places near the horse. They began to sing,

“Bad Horse, Bad Horse;
Bad Horse, Bad Horse:
He is an evil thoroughbred
and he wants his fortune read.
You’d be wise to do it quick
or you’ll meet up with a pointy stick!
He’s Bad Horse.”

Drusilla waited until the minions stopped singing. “Won’t be a proper reading; you haven’t a real deck.”

“The cards are just a prop,” said the Horse of Hell. “A seer like you can use a normal pack of Bicycles just as well.”

Dru followed the supervillain into his lair. She sat at the table he showed her and shuffled the cards left from the last poker game. The vampire placed the stack in front of Bad Horse. After he cut the deck Drusilla drew three cards and placed them face down in front of her.

She flipped over the first card. “The past,” she said. “The jack of spades; one-eyed jack. The one who saw the potential of the future.”

The vampire flipped the second card. “The present. The red queen. Ooh, red like blood. Her strength is her heart. She wants to come for a tea party.”

Finally Dru turned over the third card. “The future. The ace of spades: death is in the cards for you.”

“No,” roared the Thoroughbred of Sin as he knocked the table over.

“Bad horsie, no oats for you,” Dru said as she stood and swept out of the room.

“Crazy vampire,” Bad Horse grumbled. “Maybe I should’ve gotten her a real Tarot deck.”