“I invoke all the spiritual guides and guardian angels looking over Rafael Morales. Please come forth so I may accurately foresee his future.” Misty said with her eyes shut tightly hoping that fate may turn its eye from Rafa and allow her earlier predictions of him to be rendered false.

  As Misty poured her hopes and the guidance of those she asked for she shuffled her tarot deck until a single card flung itself from the deck and landed on the table before her.

  “The tower...” Misty said looking down to the other side of the table where a framed picture of the star Rafa sat.

  The photo was from 20 or so years ago when he stared in the TV show ‘Guiding Light’. Misty felt almost sorry for this child who seemed to be frozen in time.

  The tarot reader reached over and grabbed the tower card and threw it on the ground to her side where a pile of eleven other Tower cards laid rejected. “How is this possible?” Misty said as she continued to shuffle her deck until all the cards seemed to be struck by a gust of wind. The cards flew out of her hands and landed on the table, all revealing the tower.

  Whimsical footsteps echoed outside the door alerting Misty she no longer had time to try and change this future. “Oh Misty the Great! I know I’m a touch late but I promise it was worth it! You see there was this child crying and I had to…” Rafa swung the door open as if he was revealing himself for the first time on a set. His flashy smile, his well kept brown hair, his dated but well taken care of pine green three piece suit all made his entrance that much more heart breaking for the tarot reader.

  Misty hurried as she swept all the cards from the table onto the floor and threw the picture of Rafa aimlessly behind her. “You’re actually early.” Misty lied and laughed nervously trying to change the subject.

  “I am? Didn’t we agree 7pm on the dot?” Rafa said looking a little confused at the clock on the wall that showed 7:28pm.

  “No no, don’t you remember? I had to do a remote reading and had to push yours back to well now.” Misty laughed as she stood up and gestured to the seat across from her for Rafa to sit. She then leaned over and began to pick up all the tarot cards.

  Rafa couldn’t help but refuse the seat and helped Misty pick the cards up. “You seemed stressed out, let me help. Why do you have so many of the same card?” Rafa asked as he carefully grabbed a handful of the cards and began to straighten them into a neat stack.

  “The tower can be overwhelming when it shows up in readings.” Misty tried to hide her true feelings as she grabbed more and more cards.

  “The tower? I haven’t seen that one yet. I’ve just seen the Five of Cups.” Rafa said grabbing the last card off the floor and gave a soft chuckle as he turned it around and showed the tarot reader.

  Misty wanted to argue that Rafa was seeing things but just as he said all of the cards had transformed into the five of cups now.

  Rafa sat at the empty spot across from Misty. “You seemed stressed Misty, did that reading mess with you? Who was it even for anyways?” The way he talked almost made Misty burst into tears but she gripped her dress and smiled blindly.

  “It was just for a child I knew… one that only wanted his dream to come true.” Misty said as her gaze drifted off. Rafa knew there was more she wasn’t telling him but he decided not to push it.

  “Well let’s hope that child the best, yeah?” Rafa’s voice softened as he tried to lock eyes with Misty’s.

  Misty wanted to argue that hopes and wishes won’t stop death but she knew her tears would overtake the conversation. “Yeah. I hope him the best.” She said with clenched fists while flashing Rafa a smile.

  “Annnnd let’s hope my future is good.” Rafa said with a smile that could make an audiences heart melt.

  “Yes, we should hurry and do your reading.” Misty said as she turned in her seat and pulled a new tarot deck out from a drawer in the decorative dresser.

  “I have a good feeling about this reading, I keep getting signs from the universe that something big is coming so I haven’t been able to contain my excitement at all. Like that kid I helped…” Rafa’s words trailed off when Misty gave one final check to her new deck just to make sure the cards were different this time.

  As Misty began to shuffle this tarot deck Rafa noticed all the cards were black and the words and pictures were engraved with silver trim that made it seem like the card was blank until the light hit it just right.

  “You’ve never busted out the fancy deck before, it really must be a good sign!” Rafa smiled as he slapped the table with excitement.

  “Rafa… You have spoken your wish to me before. A wish to be chosen, a wish to be a star again. I want to tell you this gently… Not all wishes…” Misty began talking until the deck she was shuffling exploded sending cards in all directions.

  Cards were launched as high as the roof and as far as the opposite side of the room. Wherever the cards struck they froze in place leaving black cards decorating every inch of the room.

  “Hey Misty the Great.” Rafa said as he held a card in his hand. Misty dreaded to know what the card was but she had a feeling. The spirits have never gotten this angry with Misty before, she wondered if it was from her withholding the truth from Rafa. She felt frustrated, she was trying so hard to just do a normal reading for her friend but at every turn something came up.

  “It says the wheel of fortune.” Rafa laughed as he twisted his wrists to make sure the light hit the card just right.

  “Hey this one too… they’re all wheel of fortune!” Rafa laughed as he collected all the cards on the table.

  Misty realized then that the spirits wouldn’t allow Rafa to be sheltered, they demanded Misty to tell the truth. “Rafa…” Her words were soft, soft enough to snap Rafa’s smile in half slowly as her gaze finally locked with his.

  The spirits told Misty that Rafa was going to be put through terrible trials and there was only one thing that could break this child disguised as a man even more, the draft.

  Rafa remained silent not wanting to know the truth anymore because he knew what words were hiding behind Misty’s lips. “You’re going to experience some big, hard changes soon. You’re being chosen for something big. You’re…” Misty had to pause for a moment because every time she looked at Rafa she just saw that kid who was a star, a kid who always had the biggest smile on his face.

  “Your quiet dream will become true very soon.” She said simply before collecting the cards from Rafa and from around the room.

  “What? I’m used to having to decode what you say but I’m sorry to say this time you’re giving me nothing. What does that mean?” Rafa said getting up from the table. He stood there for a moment, watching Misty collect her cards. But again Misty refused to even look in his direction.

  “The cards have spoken. I cannot say if their words are good or bad. The reading is up to interpretation.” Misty said grabbing the last card. She saw that Rafa was staring off through the wall of the room, thinking hard of what this meant. She knew the truth would hurt him more.

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  To give him one last glimpse of hope she placed her hand on his arm and flashed a big false smile when his eyes met hers which made his smile come back.

  “So it is good! You just can’t tell me! It’s how they say if you speak about a wish to others it won’t come true right? But I will finally be a star again!” Rafa said jumping up and down and laughing. He took the cards Misty collected and placed them on the table and pushed his chair back in.

  The fortune teller wanted to tell the man how wrong he was about both things but Misty could never break Rafa’s heart in such a way. So instead she matched Rafa’s energy and pretended to celebrate with him like this was the big reading he wanted it to be for she knew she never would be able to do so again.

  Then suddenly Rafa froze, the sparkle from his eye too bright to fade. “I must tell my parents!” Rafa exclaimed giving Misty one last embrace before skipping towards the front door.

  Rafa ripped the door open exposing a bustling city lit dimly by fairy lights strung between buildings. “Rafa…” Misty whispered softly. The naive man ran out taking with him all the light in joy that this room had to offer leaving Misty holding her own chest as her heart split in two knowing this would be the last time the two would see each other.

  As Rafa ran down the inclined street that hugged the hills the thought of how happy his parents would be was the only thing on his mind.

  The words began to spill from his mouth in the shape of a melody that knew no cage, his body had a mind of its own as it began to move in every direction that only Rafa could describe as dancing. Everyone who heard Rafa’s beautiful voice and saw his funny dance couldn’t help but have a smile creep across their face.

  As Rafa made it to his apartment complex he saw his friend Gabriela sitting on the curb, a faint trail danced out of her lips as she stared at the stars above.

  “Gab!” Rafa yelled. He went into a full sprint when Gab looked at him and smiled slightly while taking in more smoke into her lungs.

  Rafa couldn’t help but notice how gorgeous Gab’s purple hair was under the flickering street lights. Just last week Rafa’s favorite color was dark green but then Gab dyed her hair, her new hair color reminded him of the space between the constellations and now this was his favorite color.

  Gab stood up tossing her cigarette under her boot. “Hey Rafa. How was Misty’s? Is she doing well?” Gab asked while hugging Rafa briefly. The size of Rafa’s smile told Gab the answer before he could even speak.

  The way Gab’s brown eyes sparkled gave Rafa the confidence to not hold back. “Oh Gab, I have such wonderful news! I should be expecting a very important role very soon!” Rafa practically was yelling with excitement.

  “Hey! That’s really great news! Did Misty say what the role will be or the name of the project?” Gab’s question is what caused Rafa’s smile to crack for just a second before morphing back into his worn out smile.

  She noticed instantly that something was off but decided not to push it too much since Rafa was filled with so much joy. Before he could even respond she smiled and started walking towards the apartments. “Whatever it Is I know you’ll do great, super star.” Gab waved back at Rafa flashing him a false smile before Rafa caught up to her.

  “So do you have any plans for dinner? I can cook something up for us?” Rafa clawed desperately at any opportunity to spend more time with Gab while avoiding the one obvious question that would grab her attention fully.

  After seeing Rafa was masking his true feelings about Misty’s prediction Gab knew Rafa needed time alone to really think about this. “I’m not feeling too well, I think I’m going to head to bed early. I’m sorry.” Gab said leaving just the jingling of the decorative chains on her boots fill the air.

  Rafa seemed more upset about Gab’s health than the declined dinner invitation but Gab taught him that if she says ‘I’m not feeling well.’ it’s code for she just needs time alone. So he just kept his smile firmly in place. “That’s ok, maybe we can plan a dinner for tomorrow?” Rafa said as he turned and started to walk in the opposite direction towards his apartment which was just across the hall and two doors down.

  “I would like that Rafa.” Gab whispered just loud enough to where only the ghost of the moment could hear her before she closed the door to her dark apartment.

  “Mom! Dad! I have such wonderful news to share with you!” Rafa yelled as he swung open the door to his apartment that was already brightly lit.

  The overjoyed man was untying his shoes at the door and hung his coat up. “You’ll never believe it! I’ve been told I will be a star again!” Rafa danced and spun as he traveled through his two bedroom apartment but once he reached his parents closed bedroom door he stopped suddenly. He placed his palm firmly against the door and grabbed the door knob with his other hand but he couldn’t move.

  Rafa’s voice became a whisper as he rested his head against the thin wooden door. “I know you said you would always be so proud of me but won’t you be even more proud once you see my name in those lights?” Rafa said with tears that he could not acknowledge, streaming slowly down his cheeks.

  Two whispers talked in unison. “You will always be our shining star.” They said as the weight of the silence took the shape of a hug that gave Rafa the courage to open the door.

  The door swung open slowly revealing a room that was completely dark, only some neatly folded clothes could be seen on the floor at the opposite side of the room.

  The whispers came from Rafa’s head as he quietly laughed to himself. “Mom… Dad… You two look great as always.” Rafa’s voice was still full of cheer but you could tell it was being forced. His face did not match though as you could see his mask split straight down the middle.

  Rafa’s hand hesitated as it hovered over the light switch before one deep breath later and the room was light once more. Revealing a well taken care of room. The clothes that littered the room were kept in sets, the pants neatly folded on bottom and the shirt to match folded neatly on top. Pictures of Rafa with his parents covered every inch of the walls. All of it pointing to a pair of urns that sat on the shelf.

  As he stumbled into the room, Rafa’s body couldn’t decide if it should cry or laugh so it did a mix of both. “I’m sorry it took so long.” Rafa cried as he grabbed two sets of clothes and held them close to his chest as he made his way to the urns.

  His weak legs carried him to the urns before giving out forcing him to drop to his knees. His face was buried between the sets of clothes. These moments felt like a lifetime, each second held Rafa’s heart, each breath felt like a challenge.

  Then suddenly a quiet knock echoed throughout the room but Rafa couldn’t bear to leave his parents side. Then the knock came again forcing him out his dreams.

  The broken man gently put the clothes on the ground in front of the urns before making his way to the door leading out of the room. He gave the urns one last forced smile before he shut the lights off and closed the door.

  Rafa whipped his face clean of his tears before putting on his mask that was in the shape of his false smile. “I’m coming!” Rafa said cheerfully as he danced to the door and opened it up. He froze once he saw two men dressed in firmly pressed three piece suits with pistols strapped to their waists in view.

  “Hello! Sorry to disturb you at this moment but we were looking for…” One of the men cheerfully began saying before he stopped to pull out a piece of paper.

  “We’re looking for Rafael Morales, would you happen to be him?” The man finished before folding the paper up and smiling at Rafa.

  “That’s me! Before we continue, I have to ask! Which movie is this regarding?” Rafa smiled as he leaned on the doorframe. The two men looked at each other before one pulled out a different piece of paper.

  He began reading it out loud for Rafa like it was a script he wasn’t practicing. “Dear Rafael Morales, you have been chosen to participate in this week’s draft. As you know the red zone has grown at an alarming rate, nearly taking all of Russia. So to do something about it, god has called us to gather civilians from every country and city and guide them to the red zone so that way god can use one of you to help destroy the red moss. The church, with backing from your local government, will be sending you and four other randomly chosen people from this district into the red zone to help the church with its research and to find a way to combat the red moss.” The man reading the note folded it neatly before tucking it into his suit pocket and then began clapping while the other man pulled out a little confetti cannon and filled the air with shards of torn, brightly colored paper.

  For Rafa, the world had froze the second the church official started talking. “There must be some mistake. I know I have future roles coming up and well to cut to the chase, I know if I go with you lovely gentlemen I’ll never make it back. You must excuse me.” Rafa said as the water began to build in his eyes.

  It took everything Rafa had to force this smile for he knew his life was now over. He began to shut the door on the intruders slowly, quietly seeking approval for his actions. That’s when one of the church official caught the door with his foot. “Please don’t make this hard on yourself.” The church official said while resting his palm against his holstered pistol.

  Rafa ignored them both and left the door open slightly. He was heading for his bed hoping that once his face slammed against his soft bed sheets that he will wake from this nightmare. “Rafael Morales. I know this is hard for you to hear but the world needs you, the church needs you.” One of the officials said following Rafa through his apartment until he was standing at Rafa’s bedroom door.

  “When we collected two of your neighbors before coming here they didn’t argue with us at all, they accepted their call to duty and are waiting patiently for you to come with us.” The other official said which caused Rafa to roll slightly in his bed so he could look them in the eyes.

  Something in Rafa’s gut felt off so he had to ask. “Who were the other two?” He asked sitting at the edge of his bed now.

  “A miss Scarlet and Gabriela.” The official said with a smile strung across his face.

  Rafa’s stomach dropped as his whole world began to spin. He knew he had to go now, not for the church but to make sure Gab would be the first survivor to return from the red zone. “Ok, I’ll go…” He began to stand but before he could finish the thought another knock was at the door.

  “Expecting company?” One of the men said looking at the door that was still wide open. That was when Rafa and the two men saw two towering men standing at the door.

  “No…” Rafa said jumping from his bed and hurried to the door. The two towering men had let themselves in, they had to slightly bend over to fit through the doorframe.

  One of them had a bandage wrapped across his forehead and had blood drenched robes while the other carried a massive blade strapped to his back. “Rafael Morales?” The one with the blade asked pointing at Rafa and all Rafa could do in response was just nod his head.

  “Zadkiel. We found our target. Now what?” The one with the sword asked.

  “I don’t know Michael. God only gave us his name but not what to do with it. We will just have to follow him around until his purpose becomes clear.” Zadkiel said which caused Michael to become visibly upset.

  “I’m sorry to interrupt but the church will be taking Rafael with us so we can…” One church official said before Michael shot him a gaze that made him stop mid sentence.

  “What we are trying to get at is Rafael has a prior agreement and you two aren’t on the list to come with so…” The other official began to say but stopped when Michale looked at him next.

  The tension was so heavy in the room that Rafa couldn’t help but laugh out loud to try and shift the negative emotions but he couldn’t muster a single word.

  “You claim to be with the church? Then you must recognize us as archangels of the lord. Surely our needs oversee the churches.” Zadkiel said trying to reason with everyone while putting himself in between Michael and everyone else.

  “You must be joking. You two aren’t angels. The church has certain rules and protocols saying that only the ones chosen in the draft are the ones ready and they must enter the red zone. God has chosen them so if you’re really angels you must understand the church hierarchy right?” One official said while holding onto the handle of his gun as it was still holstered.

  “Why would the church need guns? As I think of it now, you two seem very well dressed and taken care of. And you even claim that you heard god speak to you about people to draft? He has been silent for years and not even we have heard anything but this man’s name so he is staying with us.” Michael said grabbing the hilt of his sword.

  The two had a stare off before the official realized his gun had disappeared and was now in Michael’s hands.

  Zadkiel grabbed the gun from Michael and gave it back to the church official. “If Rafael Morales must go with you then so be it but we are staying with him.” Zadkiel said calmly grabbing onto Rafa’s hand and holding it firmly.