“I guess this could be fun,” said Oliver.

The three friends stood outside a small, old, beaten building. They were wandering around the historic district in downtown Salem, Massachusetts.

None of them had med school classes that day, so they decided to visit Salem and tour the city. Since it was October, they thought visiting Salem and seeing all the Halloween decorations would be fun.

“Ok, so I know it's not real, guys, but I thought it might be fun, you know? It might get us into the Halloween mood,” said Ben.

Orange and red leaves covered the ground, leaving the trees barren. It was cold. Cool fall air blew on Ben's neck. He wore just shorts and a t-shirt while Annie and Oliver wore sweaters. 

“How are you not freezing right now?” asked Oliver.

“I don't know. How are you not hot right now?” asked Ben.

The old building in front of them looked beaten down, and its wooden front peeled. It was a part of a decent-sized group of small shops. This store stood at the very end of the group. The glass showed several small objects that looked like they would sell at a pawn shop for a few bucks.

The sign read Mr. Proctor’s Magic Shop. It was also worn down. One of the Os had fallen off and an R was missing. One could still make out what it said due to the remaining outline of the missing letters. Another sign hanging down said Open.

“Let's go in, but I don't really wanna get my fortune told,” said Annie. “I don't wanna give my money to some fake who plays with people’s feelings.” 

Ben, Annie, and Oliver stepped into the store. At once, they smelled the musty air. The whole store felt old. No one was at the front desk, so they decided to check out the products until the owner or whoever worked there showed up.

“I gotta say, Ben, you were right about Salem,” said Oliver. “They really do go all out for Halloween.”

“This place looks so old that I think it could've been here during the actual Salem witch trials,” said Annie.

“Damn, some of this stuff is pretty creepy. I bet this guy tries to make the most money he can over the spooky season,” said Oliver.

He picked up a book from the shelf. It was covered in dust, which he quickly blew off.

“This book says Practical Kabbalah. It has a bunch of Hebrew on it. I think it's some kind of book about Jewish magic.” He held it up for Ben and Annie to see and then put it back down. “I definitely don't remember learning about this stuff in Hebrew school,” he laughed.

As Ben walked around the store, he looked at the figurines. Some were pretty antique-looking. They looked like they might break the second he touched them.

“How do these things last so long without breaking?” he whispered to himself.

He walked around a little more until he saw a figure that caught his eye. A man sat playing the violin, wearing clothing from three or four hundred years ago. The face was as white as the wig above it.

What really made Ben interested were its eyes. Ben had always heard how people said that the Mona Lisa’s eyes looked like they followed you, but he could never see it.

This figurine, however . . . Ben could’ve sworn that its eyes were following him. And not just following, but deeper. Almost like something was behind those eyes. Watching him.

Ben looked around the room at all the other figurines. He noticed they all had the same effect. No matter where he stood in the room, it looked like each one was staring at him. Like he was an intruder in a play.

“Hello! I'll be with you in just a second!” yelled a man from the back room. He had what Ben thought was an English accent, but not one he had ever really heard before. It sounded like a mix between an English and Southern accent.

Annie, Oliver, and Ben walked up to the front desk. Behind it sat an older man, probably in his late fifties or sixties. He had light gray hair kept somewhat short, along with a gray mustache and goatee. His eyes were glassy and cloudy. He had a wide grin and perfect, shiny, white teeth.

His most notable feature was a mark going around his neck. It looked like he had been cut there or something. Ben thought it best not to stare. Although with the man being blind, he probably wouldn't even notice.

“What can I do for you today?” asked the older man.

“We heard you do tarot card readings?” asked Ben. “I wanted to see if you could do one for me.”

“Why, of course! That will be thirty-five dollars.”

“Sure, I'll pay that.”

“All right. Let me get my cards from the back. It may take me a bit to find them, so why don't you all look around? Maybe something might catch your eye.”