Welcome back, Heidi! Please tell us more about The Truthseeker...
Do you believe in fortune tellers? Over the
years I’ve seen many psychics and had numerous tarot card readings. I’ve even
had my past lives read. And I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve had readings
that have been completely off the mark and others that have been so
spine-tingling accurate that they’ve left me stunned.
I’ve often wondered why I have such a
fascination with wanting to know to unknowable. But at least I’m not alone.
People have been trying to read fortunes since the beginning of time, in almost
every culture. Gypsies have travelled the land with crystal balls, kings have
consulted sorcerers, messages have been slipped into cookies, tealeaves have
been carefully examined, stars have been gazed at and palms have been read.
Humans have always been curious creatures and I’m guessing we always will be.
I had a lot of fun creating one particular
character for my new book, The Truthseeker. In fact, I named the whole book
after her! The Truthseeker isn’t your regular fortune teller though. She’s an
old woman who lives on the bottom of the ocean. People visit her in the murky
depths to ask her questions about their lives. She’s quite a frightening character
and certainly not someone I’d be lining up to visit, no matter how accurate she
is.
Here’s an excerpt where one of the main
characters, Nax, accompanies his girlfriend, Maari, to the Truthseeker’s house.
Maari has questions she desperately needs to ask, but Nax isn’t so sure that
seeing the Truthseeker is the answer…
A bony hand grabbed him on the arm and he jumped,
tightening his grip on Maari.
‘Do you seek the truth?’ croaked the voice of an old
woman.
The room filled with soft light and the Truthseeker
began to take shape. She was small, maybe only five feet in height. Her back
was crooked and her grey hair was wild. She wore a black cloak that wrapped
around her shoulders and fell to the floor.
‘No,’ he said, trying to pull away. He wanted to get as
far away from here as possible. But the Truthseeker’s grip was firm.
‘I seek the truth,’ said Maari, fire burning in her
eyes.
The Truthseeker let go of Nax’s arm and
turned away, sliding herself through the interior door.
‘Are you sure?’ Nax whispered. Maybe the others who’d
come before them were right. Sometimes the truth is better left undisturbed.
‘Let’s get out of here.’
Maari looked at him, her eyes filled with tears. She
turned and slid through the door behind the Truthseeker.
He went to follow her, but the door was sealed. He
pulled at the rubber flaps, but they were sealed tight. He couldn’t get
through.
‘Maari,’ he cried.
What was going on in there?
The room plunged into darkness and he sank to the
floor, shaking with rage, fear and cold.
He hugged his knees to his chest and waited. He
wouldn’t leave without her. He’d die here if he had to. Was this why the woman
in his dreams had warned him to stay away from her? Had she known Maari would
lead him into danger? Still, he didn’t care. He couldn’t leave her. His spirit
was bound to hers.
The seconds ticked by as minutes. The minutes passed as
hours. He waited. Would he ever see Maari again?
He kept his eyes focused in the direction of the door,
waiting for her to emerge. It didn’t matter. His eyes may as well have been
closed for all they could see.
A noise startled him and he stood, feeling the seal of
the door with his fingertips. The cold rubber became soft skin. It was Maari.
‘Are you okay?’ he said, pulling her into his arms.
She didn’t wrap herself into his embrace as he
expected. She felt stiff. Uncomfortable.
‘What happened?’ he asked, wishing for a sliver of
light so he could see her face.
Have
you ever visited a psychic? Why do you think we’re so fascinated with finding
out our future before it has a chance to unfold?
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