“Get off!” she shrieked, trying to swat them away.
But they wouldn’t leave. In fact, it seemed that as she fought to get rid of them, more of the horrible green-eyed bugs appeared.
“This can’t be happening!” Kelsey cried, reaching up to touch her magic amulet. But the amulet was coated with buzzing horseflies. Horseflies that started stinging her hands the moment she touched the charm.
Kelsey began to feel tiny pinpricks all over her body. Hundreds of horseflies flew at her. Hundreds. Stinging her. Over and over again.
She kicked her legs. Waved her arms.
She ran in circles, trying to dodge the ugly insects. But they followed her. They dived at her.
If she didn’t get rid of them, every inch of her body would be bitten and bloody.
Their bulging eyes burned brightly as they buzzed around her head. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz.
The black cloud of insects circled her face. Closer and closer.
She couldn’t breathe.
“I’m going to choke!” Kelsey screamed. “I’m going to choke!”
11
She swung her head wildly. Her sweat-drenched body heaved in terror.
The flies still surrounded her. Biting deeper and deeper. Burning her flesh.
She tried to shake off the flies, but there were too many of them now. And she fell to the ground, exhausted.
She gasped for breath. She inhaled deeply. Inhaled a mouthful of sand.
Sputtering, gagging, she headed for the ocean. “I’ll drown them! I’ll drown them!” she screamed.
She raced to the shore, blinded by the horseflies smothering her face.
“Hey! Watch it!” some little kids yelled as she stumbled over their pails and shovels.
Finally she felt the ocean splash beneath her feet. She was about to dive in. Dive under the cool water to soothe her raw, stinging skin.
But someone grabbed her.
“Let go!” she screamed, squirming to break free.
“Where are you going?” Drew asked, holding fast.
“Into the water,” she shrieked. “I have to get these horseflies off me.”
Drew didn’t reply. He didn’t have to. His expression told Kelsey everything she needed to know.
There were no horseflies on her.
Not a single one.
Kelsey collapsed into the sand.
The burning and stinging stopped.
“This stupid amulet didn’t work,” she uttered hopelessly. “Now what am I going to do?”
“Let’s go back to the sand castle. We’ll think of something,” Drew suggested.
He helped her up, and they headed back to their spot on the beach.
“Oh, no!” Kelsey gasped as their sand castle came into view. She pointed a shaky finger at the top of one of its towers.
Drew followed her gaze. And moaned.
“How could this be?” she wailed.
Sticking out of the very top, fluttering in the breeze, was the Fool card – with a bright red X drawn on its face.
12
“The curse isn’t broken!” Kelsey screamed. “It’s driving me crazy!” Then she snatched up the card and stomped off.
“Hey! Wait up!” Drew yelled. “Where are you going?”
“Back to the Amazing Zandra,” she hollered.
Kelsey broke into a run. Drew chased after her. But she didn’t stop until she burst through the door of the Amazing Zandra’s shack.
Zandra was sitting behind the table with her feet propped up, nipping through a fashion magazine.
She wore a gypsy dress. But it was hiked up so high that Kelsey could see her cutoff jeans underneath it.
And she didn’t have long, dark hair anymore. It was short and blond. The long, dark hair was a wig – and without it, Zandra looked even younger. She didn’t look much older than Kelsey.
“You’re a fake!” Kelsey shouted at her.
“We’ve got the card to prove it,” Drew added.
Kelsey flung the card down in front of the Amazing Zandra. “Look,” she said. “It even has the red X you drew on it. How do you explain that?”
Zandra stared at the card. “Where did you get this?” she asked suspiciously.
“It just appeared,” Kelsey told her. “Right after I was attacked by a swarm of horseflies.”
“What kind of trick are you two trying to pull on me?” she asked.
“Us?” Kelsey shot back. “You’re the one who ripped me off. You said you removed the curse. But you didn’t. I was nearly eaten alive by those horseflies! You didn’t remove that stupid curse – and this card proves it!”
“That,” Zandra declared, “is a different card. The one you brought to me is safely locked inside this box.” Then she reached for the metal box and placed it on the table.
“Really?” Kelsey smirked. “Then show it to me.”
“No problem,” Zandra replied. “I will.” She dipped her hand into the pocket of her dress and pulled out the key. She slipped it into the lock and turned it.
Zandra hesitated only for a moment before she lifted the lid.
“Oh, no!” She gasped, staring down into the box. “How can this be?”
Kelsey’s eyes were glued to the box. She knew exactly what they would find inside.
Nothing.
Zandra tilted it so that Kelsey and Drew could take a look.
But the box wasn’t empty.
And Kelsey shrieked when she spotted what was inside.
13
“Oh, no!” Kelsey cried. “I don’t believe this!”
Inside the box was a picture of Kelsey. And there, scrawled across the front, was a big, red X. A big red X right through Kelsey’s face.
The Amazing Zandra studied the Fool card that Kelsey had returned. Then she peered into the box at Kelsey’s picture. Then back at the card.
“How did you do this?” Zandra demanded.
“How many times do I have to tell you?” Kelsey shouted. “I didn’t do anything. The card keeps coming back all by itself. Because I’m under a curse! That’s why I paid you ten dollars in the first place. Remember? To take the curse off!”
“Whoa! This is totally freaky,” Zandra said. “It sounds to me like you really are under a curse.”
“That’s what we’ve been telling you all along!” Drew yelled. “Now, can you do anything to help, or not?”
“I don’t know,” Zandra shrugged. “I think you probably ought to talk to the gypsy who put the curse on you and ask her to remove it.”
“But – but,” Kelsey sputtered, “I tried that already. The only time I ever saw her was in here. And you told me that was impossible – that there was no other gypsy!”
“I am the only gypsy here,” Zandra stated. “What was this other gypsy’s name? Did she tell you?”
“Yes,” Kelsey answered. “But I don’t remember what it was. It was something weird.”
“Madame something,” Drew reminded her. “Madame… Madame…”
“Valda!” Kelsey blurted out.
“That’s it!” Drew agreed. “Madame Valda!”
Zandra’s jaw dropped.
“What’s wrong?” Kelsey asked.
“That can’t be,” Zandra said, shaking her head. “Madame Valda. Here? No,” she answered her own question. “That just can’t be.”
“You know who Madame Valda is?” Drew asked.
“Of course,” Zandra answered. “Every gypsy in the world knows who Madame Valda is.”
“Well, who is she?” Kelsey asked, planting her hands on her hips.
Zandra took a deep breath. “Madame Valda is the most powerful gypsy who ever lived. And the most evil. But you could not possibly have seen Madame Valda,” Zandra assured them.