Psy-chips

With the stress of classes, looming college applications and uncertain futures, we Blazers can always use a little help in learning what our lives will bring. As seniors, we were naturally tempted to get some advice from the paranormal by seeking a psychic. So, we, Samantha Lint and Tasnia Habib, your fearless entertainment editors, set out to test the murky waters of palm reading.

After calling numerous listed psychics in the Washington, D.C., area and having little luck, we finally found our connection to the paranormal, Crystal (aptly named, if we may add).
Of course, we first had to check if her seeing powers were within our budget. Some psychics had instantly been crossed of the list when they told us their price was $70, though we were assured it was an "in-depth reading." Crystal, however, fit the bill with a $10 single palm reading.

After venturing into Georgetown, we found ourselves standing outside a door with a wood sign reading "Crystal's, aura reading, fortune telling, palm reading and tarot." A curly haired girl opened the door. We looked at her and thought that there was no way we were paying 20 dollars for a sixth grader to tell us anything. We sighed with relief when she asked us to sit and stated that Crystal would be with us shortly.
She came out with a long, tan dress on and slightly crossed eyes. She asked us one of us to come inside. Samantha, who was feeling a little apprehensive, pushed Tasnia in, saying that she would love to go first.

Tasnia's session

Crystal led me into a closet-sized room. I sat across from the psychic at a table strewn with rainbow candles and multi-toned rocks. Crystal asked me to hold out my palm, and I obliged, hoping Crystal wouldn't notice how my hands were sweating. Her first declaration was that I was going to live a very long life, well into my 90s. As an avid Harry Potter fan, I relaxed as I realized this psychic was not Professor Trelawney and she wasn't about to predict my gruesome and untimely death. But suddenly, Crystal asked if I was a vegetarian. As a fervent meat lover, I was very confused. Crystal was insistent on me becoming a vegetarian because, according to her, my palms indicated that I had a "sensitive stomach." Meanwhile Samantha, who is a vegetarian, smirked outside when overhearing the psychic give me the same lecture as Samantha had given me an hour ago. Crystal proceeded to tell me that a medical career would be a good choice for me. Well, my parents would agree with Crystal's prediction. When Crystal concluded her reading and asked me if I had any questions. I had but one: Where would I go to college? The psychic predicted that I would go to college in the Northeastern part of the country (Harvard, here I come!) and go to medical school on the west coast (Stanford, watch out!).

Samantha's session

After overhearing all of Tasnia's reading, I felt confident as I followed Crystal into the cupboard-like room. I told myself that I would not crumble under Crystal's constant "Don't you know that about yourself?" prodding.

Crystal began with the basics: long life; many changes in the next year; stay away from spinning wheels - just kidding, that's Sleeping Beauty.

Then she got personal: "I see you in school, lots of education, you are interested in languages, what is it about France?" Hold up. I had given nothing away that indicated I just spent a second summer in France and planned on studying abroad there.

This was bizarre - maybe Crystal did have "the eye." There was no other explanation for how she would know about France. Though I tried to remain level-headed, it was useless, Crystal had drawn me in.
After being dazzled by Crystal, Tasnia and I stopped when we noticed another sign advertising a psychic along M Street.

Another opinion on our futures would certainly give us a better sense of our fortune, plus, it could validate or rebuke what Crystal said.

We rang the bell and waited for what seemed like an eternity. The door opened, the smoke cleared and we found ourselves staring into the dull, unsmiling face of the fortune teller, Jessica. She led us into a damp smelling parlor, clearly part of her home apartment.

As we sat down on a dirty, lumpy couch, we heard a television blaring in the background and a smell of something burning drifted in from the kitchen.

This time, I volunteered to go first as Tasnia waited.

Samantha's session, part deux

Between drags on her cigarette, Jessica re-iterated that I would live a long life, die naturally of old age and marry once.
But then she missed the mark when warning me not to be so shy. This clearly wasn't me. I had
at age 5 introduced myself to Bill Clinton at the Kennedy Center. Shy? Not really. Instant point reduction for Jessica.

After about another minute and a half of general "predictions," Jessica ended the session with a brusque "I wish you well." Too bad I couldn't return the wish - or my $10.

Tasnia's session, part deux

Like Samantha, Jessica also told me that I would have a long life and marry once. Interestingly, Jessica also believed that medicine would be a great career choice for me. Two psychics citing medicine as a career - maybe it's time to reconsider my planned underwater basket weaving college major? After bidding me good luck in my journey of life, Jessica ended her "in-depth" palm reading with no fanfare.

I concluded that despite her odd and completely irrational insistence that I should be a vegetarian, Crystal was a much better fortune teller than Jessica for sure.

Back to the real world

After this overwhelming mystical experience, we had to admit there was something inexplicably appealing about having our palms read. Although we knew that most of predictions were probably not true, it was entertaining to hear someone else's perception of our lives. It may not be the most accurate way to predict your future, but a psychic reading is a fun way to spend a Friday night.

Editor's note: The next day at school, while searching for a pencil in history class, Samantha found Crystal's calling card in her wallet — she didn't remember putting it there.