THE MOMENT
"A normal life: you live, you die," the fortune teller said. If her expression matched her bored tone, Larry might have believed her. He didn't know what he hoped for when he sat down on the other side of her crystal ball; but, he did not expect her to tell him something he already knew. His life was boring with nothing to show for it after 39 years. Though, a part of him was still hopeful for something else. Despite what she said and how she said it, Madame Astonisha could not hide an amused smirk as she stared into the magic sphere.
"That's it? I'm not one to complain; but, I can't help but feel a little cheated here," Larry tried to be as polite as possible. "I mean, I know it's not real and this is just entertainment; but, this hasn't been a $25 fortune-telling experience."
"Oh, goodness," Madam Astonisha met his eyes as she giggled. "You're absolutely right about that. Please, take your money back," she placed the two bills he gave her back on the table in front of him." The moment he reached for them, her eyes went back to the crystal ball as she continued to smile uncontrollably. He changed his mind at the last moment and left the money on the table.
"What's so funny?" he asked her. "Are you laughing at my future?" He knew it was an act; but, he didn't have a better way to phrase the question. He was there for the experience and if she was trying to engage him in a different way he wanted to go along with it.
"Oh no, there's nothing funny about your future," she replied quickly with a shake of her head. "I apologize for being unprofessional; but, I'm actually distracted watching a new show," she nodded at the crystal ball.
"What?" Larry tilted his head at her. He was torn between being offended and being curious. On the one hand, she was supposed to be providing a service; but, on the other... was she really watching T.V. in the crystal ball? Luckily, after a lifetime of lessons, Larry knew that choosing to be offended was rarely the right choice. "... can I see?" he asked.
"Uhhhhh, sure," she nodded. "It's kind of a secret; but, I know you won't tell anyone," she waved him around to her side of the table. Larry eagerly stood from his seat with a slight spring in his step. He always tried to be a good and honest man, and it was a nice boost for his ego that she noticed. Her job was to read people and either she thought he really was a good guy, or she knew that's what he wanted to hear. Either way, she was right.
Larry was astounded when he looked into the orb from her side. From his end of the table, it looked like any glass ball that could be bought at any esoteric boutique shop as a decoration. On the other side, he found himself staring at a surprisingly vivid flat screen somehow slightly bigger than the orb should have been. He even took time to walk back and forth a couple of times to make sure.
"Trade secrets...," Madam Astonisha winked at him and pointed at a red line along the floor and wall. It blended in with the decor that he would describe as 'gypsy-chic' and he hadn't noticed it. But, after she pointed it out, he followed it up the wall and across the canvas ceiling to the other side. The tent was essentially divided in half and he accepted her answer. Then, he focused on the screen to see the show that kept her amused. He didn't recognize any of the characters or the setting; but, it was obviously some sort of sitcom complete with a laugh track that he could hear clearly. He had no idea how the sound didn't reach his ears on the other side; but, there was already so much unusualness happening that it seemed like a minor detail. Larry stared at the show long enough to catch one good joke between the characters and he chuckled.
"Seems like a funny show," he said. "What's it called?"
"Oh," Madam Astonisha replied suddenly as if caught off guard. "You know, naming it hadn't even crossed my mind; I guess I should name it something...," she said.
"YOU should...?" Larry asked. "You're saying that's your show...?"
"Yes; but, it's not as impressive as you might imagine...," she replied as she pulled her smartphone out from under the table. "It's actually a streaming service from a company named Sharp Development," she said. "Watch...," she began tapping and swiping on her phone for a brief second, then stopped when she reached a white screen. "Helios, make it a horror show instead," she spoke to the phone. Larry watched as the laughter faded out and sinister background music began to play. The scene was initially three family members in the living room with a bright sunny day visible through the windows. As he watched, a crack of lightning seemed to dispel the sunlight leaving only a dark night outside. The lights in the house flickered as the family members huddled closer together and a heavy pounding knock came from the front door.
"You made that happen..?" Larry asked.
"It's an A.I. that's like my own personal network. I tell Helios what I want and he makes the show for me. Or movie, or cartoon, anything," she grinned. "It's really kind of amazing; I can watch full-on seasons of shows that exist only for me."
"That...," Larry had some doubts; but, the fact was he was watching the proof. A clawed abomination tore through the door on the screen and the family fled. "...that is amazing! How do I sign up!?" he asked. Madam Astonisha shook her head at him.
"Unfortunately, you can't," she said. "At the moment, it's invite-only and, really, no offense," she met his eyes. "But, I'm not going to waste an invite on you." It was an unexpected comment that stung quite a bit. But, Larry always tried to be understanding; and, she did say, 'no offense'.
"Okay...," he nodded. "I understand, you probably only have a limited number of invites."
"Oh no," Madam Astonisha shook her head. "Sharp Development is a pretty generous company, technically I have an unlimited number of invites. They want people to use the service," she said. "But...," she looked at him. "There's also a kind of a recruiting system in place. I get some bonuses if the people I invite use it often."
"I definitely plan to use it!" Larry nodded eagerly.
"Well, I'm sure you do," she nodded. "Unfortunately, I already saw your future. I told you, you're going to die."
"Yeah, a normal life like everyone else. I know it'll end sometime." Larry nodded.
"Oh, no wait," she shook her head. "Sorry, I was distracted with my show. I gave you your money back because I felt bad; but, I didn't even tell you...," She glanced at her phone. "You've got like an hour."