"Sold, to the gentleman with the grey beard!" Harold said as he tapped the table with his small wooden gavel.

Ariana stepped forward from the side of the makeshift stage and took the young blonde's hand for the last time. "Good bye, my darling." She whispered softly as she walked the girl through the departing customers, but if Patricia heard her, there was no sign of it in her glassy eyed stare.

The tall, elderly man reached Harold's table at the same time as Ariana and his purchase. "Does she get to keep the costume?" he asked, admiring the way the young woman's body was displayed by the gossamer thin top and harem pants, the sheer veil hiding nothing of her pretty features.

"For fifty, more." Harold said and watched as another crisp note was added to the sizable stack he was just about to count.

Ariana hated this part, where her beautifully trained girls were sold to the highest bidder, and she had been especially fond of Patricia, saving her till last in the hope that all the bidders would have finished before she was presented. But her plan came to nought, too many had seen Ariana's favourite as she danced with the others each night around the campfire to the sounds of guitars and tambourines. She had obviously taken the eye of her eventual owner, for he had only made low bids on the others, keeping his powder dry for what he truly desired.

As Harold nodded that the purchase price had been paid, Ariana put Patricia's hand on the arm of her new owner and told her, "This is your new master. You will obey him now, just as you obeyed me before."

And that was it, the crowd had departed and now Patricia was being led away to whatever fate her master decided would be hers.

"That was the best yet." Harold said, waving the stack of crisp bills.

At times like these Ariana hated her father, whose only interest seemed to be in money, he didn't care that his only daughter's bed would be empty until they could, as he so inappropriately put it, restock.

But at least Ariana would be spared that cold bed tonight, for before dawn the travelling show would be dismantled, the stalls, rides and authentic gypsy caravans stowed on flat bed trucks, the only evidence of their presence the whitened grass squares and circles in an empty field.

"You got any plans for this weekend, Karen?" Emily asked as she walked in to the sitting room of their shared apartment, rubbing her wet, jet-black hair with a towel that matched the one that was only just tied around her.

Karen twirled a lock of her curly red hair around her finger as she replied. "Not as yet, why?"

Karen tried really hard to keep looking at her magazine rather than the hem of Emily's makeshift robe that only just managed to hide the diminutive girls dignity, especially when she threw herself onto the sofa and then tucked her legs up beneath her.

At times like these, Karen sometimes wished things would go back to the way they had been when she had first 'come out' to her fellow students. What a night that had been, all suspicious looks and talk of betrayal! And for a couple of weeks after Emily and Janet had been very cagey around her, locking their bedroom doors each night and never appearing in the living room unless fully dressed, and certainly not as almost undressed as Emily was now.

However the tense atmosphere had gradually eased as the two young women finally realised that Karen wasn't going to 'jump them' at the first opportunity, and life in the house returned to normality. But now it was Karen who sometimes found herself a little uneasy, for despite what she had assured the other two, she certainly wouldn't throw either of them out of her bed if the opportunity arose, and singly and together they had featured regularly in her erotic fantasies, almost to the exclusion of all others from the day they had moved in, in short she was in lust with both of them.

"There's a fair setting up on the field near the campus, I passed it on the bus this morning." Emily said enthusiastically. "The Poster says the tonight is the first night and all rides are half price."

"What do you think, Janet?" Karen called out.

As the young blonde entered, removing a pair of rubber gloves she always wore whilst washing up, she asked. "Think about what?"

"Do you fancy going to the fair this evening?" Emily butted in.

"Never really been into all that waltzer and big dipper stuff." Janet said as she sat next to Emily on the sofa and took the towel from her and started to dry Emily's glossy black locks.

"Oh, but it's not just the rides!" Exclaimed a now excited Emily, "It's the side shows and all those muscle-bound hunks that man the booths and rides."

"Well, that's fine for you two, I'm sure." Karen said, a smile now lighting her slightly freckled face.

"Ah, sweetie." Janet said in mock sympathy. "I'm sure there will be some muscle-bound women as well."

Karen wrinkled her nose, her 'rabbit face' Emily called it. "No thanks," She replied, but added wistfully. "But I suppose there might be some sultry gypsy girl with long black hair, dusky skin and deep, dark eyes. Now that I could go for."

"I didn't know I was your type." Emily said, for she certainly had the dark hair, although her bob cut would hardly be described as long and her skin was far too pale to be termed dusky, and her eyes, as beautiful as they were, like milk chocolate Karen thought, were no where near dark enough to match the image Karen was seeing in her mind.

"I said sultry, not slutty" Karen said and then deftly caught the cushion that winged its way from the sofa.

"Then it's a date! Hunks for us and a sultry gypsy maiden for Karen" Emily said before the other two could change their minds, for although Emily was the youngest, and smallest of the three, she was certainly the most bossy, and also the one most likely to go for a bath when the washing up needed doing.

"Alright," Janet agreed with a sigh, "but lets stay together, okay, I get nervous on my own in places like that."

"Sister's honour!" Emily said with a mock salute. "Meet here at eight?" The other two housemates, as usual, acquiesced to Emily's plan.

Karen didn't spend long getting ready, she didn't feel it was one of those nights where she might get lucky, 'like most nights' she'd sighed to herself as she pulled on her favourite white jeans teamed with a tight fitting purple T-shirt and a pair of well worn sneakers. She slumped in her chair in the lounge at seven thirty and read her book while she waited for the others.

"Wow!" Karen exclaimed as Janet arrived, a mere five minutes late. "You sure are intent on grabbing yourself a hunk tonight aren't you!"

"You don't think it's too much do you?" Janet asked as she looked down at her clothes, a very tight white vest and matching shorts that together showed off her best attributes, which, if asked, Karen would have said were her legs, her arse and most definitely her wonderfully firm breasts. The whole 'young athletic blonde' image was certainly not hindered by the white cowboy boots and wearing her long golden hair in a magnificent pony tail that sprouted almost from her crown.

Smiling, Karen replied. "I don't think too much is the phrase anyone would use looking at you."

"You'll catch your death of cold!" Emily said as she finally joined the other two. Karen raised her eyes to the roof, for it was a constant battle to control the temperature in the house between the southern blonde and the northern brunette with Karen trying to keep out of with an 'I'm okay' whenever one of the others tried to get her to agree that it was boiling hot or freezing cold.

Janet glanced at Emily who, like Karen, had gone for white trousers but with a pink silk camisole top and matching cardigan, and said. "I'll go and get changed."

As if following a script, Karen and Emily chorused. "Oh no you don't!"

"We're late as it is." Karen continued as she stood up. "And if we have to wait for you to not only decide what to wear but then actually get dressed, restyle your hair and redo your makeup the fair will have packed up and gone!"

The crestfallen look on Janet's face was enough to break Karen's heart. To soften her words she looped Janet's arm through hers and said. "And anyway if I looked like you I think I'd dress like that."

"But you're gorgeous." Emily retorted.

"Yeah, right." Karen scoffed. "Every woman's dream, that's why I get to spend so much time here alone, while you two are out nearly every night."

As they left the house, Emily linked her arm with Karen's free one and they decided that they would walk the mile and a half to the fairground, for despite what Emily had said, the evening was quite balmy, a warm breeze blowing softly and carrying with it the scent of scorched sand from the dessert.

They could hear and smell the fair before they could see it, loud music seasoned with screams of delight or fear and the heavenly aroma of burning sugar, frying onions and barbecued meat that set their taste buds watering.

When they finally turned into the field it took a little while for their eyes to adjust to the glaring neon and coloured bulbs that flashed and spun with rides.

"Yeah!" Emily cried. "They have got a waltzer. Come on."

Emily pulled Karen along with her but Janet let her arm fall from the redhead's as she said. "Look I said I can't cope with rides like that, especially with all these foody smells around."

Nodding to a bench she said. "You go, I'll wait here for you."

"You sure?" Karen asked, stopping and forcing Emily to hold up.

With a smile Janet said. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'll be fine, and anyway my feet are killing me, I knew I should have changed these boots."

Janet sat and watched her two friends climb into one of the swinging carriages until the ride started, at which point she found that just watching was enough to turn her stomach. She glanced up a couple of times, certain she was being watched and caught a quick glimpse of Karen's fiery red hair as a young well muscled man sent the car her friends were in spinning, but she couldn't see anyone spying on her.

After what seemed like an hour to Janet, and two to Karen and Emily, but was in reality only ten minutes, the ride finally slowed to a halt. The young man who had been spinning their car helped the two young women out and tried to make a pass at Karen, much to Emily's disgust. But they were laughing about it by the time they reached Janet, their legs still wobbling as they held on to each other for support like a couple of drunks.

"You should have come with us." Emily said as she slumped down beside the blonde. "If you had been there, no way would that Adonis have wasted his time hitting on someone who bats for the other side."

"Emily!" Janet said in mock shock. "Anyway, I doubt he'd have been very impressed as I'd more than likely have puked up all over his six pack."

After allowing her friends a few minutes to get their land legs back, Janet said "My turn to choose now," as she stood and hauled her still dizzy friends to their feet. "How about some hot dogs, with lashings of red sauce and onions." She added, grinning at the yellowing faces before her.

"Okay," she conceded. "Lets just have a look at the booths."

They pushed their way through the crowded stalls, attracting several whistles as they went and not a few lurid suggestions until Karen was fed up of it and said. "Lets find somewhere a bit quieter."

Finally they worked their way to the edge of the fairground where the booths were further apart, the music much softer and the light dimmer. "Ahhh." Karen breathed a sigh of relief. "That's better. I wonder where all these people have come from!"

Away from the booths, under a large chestnut tree stood a huge wooden Romany caravan, complete with poles for attaching a shire horse, although from the size of the vehicle it would have required a giant of an animal to pull it. It rested on two wooden cartwheels about two thirds of the way down and on poles at the front. As the girls approached, they saw a large poster propped up on an easel at its side that looked like an advert for a 1940's film. Emblazoned across the top in gilt theatrical script the sign pronounced that this was the caravan of 'The Great Ariana. Seer and Sorceress' When they saw the picture beneath the words all three girls gasped in unison.

"Is that dark eyed and dusky enough for you?" Emily enquired, playfully banging her shoulder into Karen's upper arm.

They were looking at an image of an olive skinned woman who appeared to be a few years older than they were. She was dressed in typical 'gypsy' fashion with a white chiffon, cropped top, which was worn off the shoulder and displayed a perfect midriff. Her long, jet-black, wavy hair flowed out from beneath a kerchief tied tightly at the back of her head, and around her bare shoulders and wide hips she wore matching shawls. A long tiered skirt looked as if it would spin out in a full circle if she danced, and she looked like she would be a very good dancer.

Great golden hoops hung from her ears, but above all else, what held their attention, especially Karen's, was the pair of coal-black eyes that stared out from the poster.

"If she really looks like that you must be psychic!" Janet said to Karen with the slightest hint of awe in her voice as all three remembered their earlier conversation.

"Most redheads are." A soft, low voice with a hint of an east European accent said from behind them.

The three friends jumped as one, spinning around to see the woman in the poster made flesh and blood, and what beautiful flesh it was! Her dark eyes glinted as a smile touched her wine dark lips. Karen thought her heart would burst out of her chest and she felt her cheeks redden under the gypsy's steady gaze.

"So who will be first to have their futures shown to them?" The gypsy asked in a lyrical voice that hinted at a beautiful singing voice.

"I thought you would have known that." Emily giggled, pleased with her own wit.

Ariana's smile touched her lips, if not her eyes as she stared at the young brunette, who, despite her stubborn nature, found herself unable to hold the exotic woman's stare.

Apparently satisfied with her little victory Ariana laughed, a sound that to Karen's ear at least, seemed to come from heaven, for only angels should have such clarity to their timbre she thought to herself.

"You are right, my northern friend. This young lady will be first." The fortuneteller said as she nodded towards Janet.

"Ariana will reveal the future to this one, while you two go and enjoy your ride on the 'magic carpet'." Without waiting for a reply she had taken Janet's elbow in her hand and was leading her towards the rear of the caravan where a small flight of wooden steps allowed entry.

Karen and Emily stood motionless, watching the pair of them walk off into the deepening gloom. "Run along girls," Ariana said just before she followed Janet into her wooden mobile home. "Come back in half of one hour and we shall see what we shall have seen."

"Looks like we get to ride the magic carpet after all." Emily said as she turned and headed back towards the music and lights. They had suggested it as they walked along, but Janet had once again demurred and, as they had agreed to stay together, that meant no flying through the air for the two adrenalin junkies.

"She was way weird!" Karen said. "Sexy as hell, but weird, I mean how did she know we liked rides and Janet didn't, and that you were from the north?"

"I'll take your word for the sexy as hell, but the weird bit is just part of the act." Emily commented. "She could have seen us arrive, me and you waltzing and Janet sitting it out, and as for the northerner bit, have you listened to my accent lately."

"Okay, okay I get the idea. But what about the magic carpet, go on, explain that one away."

Emily could only shrug her shoulders and offer a feeble. "Good guess?" whilst thinking 'She could have heard us talking, but I'm damn sure Karen would have seen her if she had been close enough to overhear our conversation!' and a tiny seed of doubt was sown.

Janet dipped her head to pass through the thick velvet curtains that were swagged back with twisted silk cords across the caravan's entrance and, as she straightened, her hair brushed against something that tinkled, she turned just as Ariana followed her through the door and saw a wind chime made from crystals of varying size, shape and colour. Janet was about to speak but was silenced as Ariana lifted a long slender finger with a long red nail to her lips.

The gypsy stood motionless, her head cocked to one side as if listening intently. Then she reached out and took hold of a clear crystal, holding it by the thin wire from which it hung. "This is the one." She announced as she flicked it with her varnished nail, bringing forth a wonderfully clear tone.

"Did you not hear? This one sang much longer than the others, this one is tuned to resonate to the same frequency as your own energy, you know of resonance of course being a physics major." The seeress informed the now dumb founded girl, who had indeed noticed that the crystal that Ariana was now detaching from the others had continued to sound long after the others had died away. Not that she gave any credence to the gypsy's explanation.

"Crystals are very special, they hold great power, and this is your crystal, you will wear it always to resonate and refresh you." Ariana said as she threaded a fine gold chain through the small golden hoop at the top of the quartz

'Here we go, the sales pitch' Janet thought as she turned and looked more closely at the inside of the caravan.

Even though the caravan had seemed large from the outside, Janet was still amazed at how roomy it felt inside, in spite of the fact that half the interior was screened off with heavy velvet curtains that Janet assumed, quite correctly, was to shield the sleeping quarters from Ariana's 'office'.

The only light was provided by a pair of large scented candles that flickered softly atop tall, black, wrought iron stands that were positioned on either side of the van, just in front of the dividing curtain and cast shadows that danced on the walls and the polished oak floor. The major reason for its apparent spaciousness was the design. The need for chairs was reduced by having hinged benches along each side beneath the small quarter paned windows that were covered by café curtain nets, and above which ran a row of small cupboards.

For the sake of her art, Ariana had placed a small circular table in the centre of the room that was covered to the floor with a white linen cloth and on top of the table sat a large crystal ball on a golden tripod and a deck of tarot cards spread out in fan shape. On either side of the table were two large box seats with upholstered lids that acted as both chairs and extra storage space.

"Look, as you seem to know, I'm a student." Janet stated as Ariana pushed passed her to stand beside the table. "I don't have much money." She added feebly.

"Has Ariana mentioned money?" The gypsy asked; sounding offended. "My gift to see the future belongs freely to the world, if my subjects care to leave me a small token of their appreciation then I will not resist, for even a great seeress needs to put food on her table."

"How much is a small token?" Janet asked, still sceptical.

"I leave that to you, but the crystal I give as a gift, it is a long time since I heard one resonate so hard to its owner, it would be a crime to deny you the crystal, and it, you." Ariana explained in her lilting way, her hips swivelling slightly, causing her voluminous skirt to flow out slightly, revealing a shapely ankle above what looked like red dancing pumps.

"It's very warm in here." Janet said, suddenly aware of the closeness of the room and the gypsy, whose heady perfume was filling the small space.

"Turn around and let me introduce you to the crystal." The seeress sang softly, at least it sounded to Janet like singing. Without thinking the young student turned her back on the predator and missed Ariana's leer of success.

Janet expected the gypsy to hang the bauble around her neck, but she didn't. She sidled up close, her mouth next to Janet's ear, her left arm snaked around pinning Janet's to her side, Ariana's hand resting on the young blonde's shoulder, her forearm brushing against firm breast flesh so inadequately covered by the tight cotton vest.

With the chain weaved through the fingers of her right hand, Ariana held the jewel in front of Janet's face and whispered. "See how the crystal shines for you, Janet. If you listen you can hear it sing to you."

Janet was all too aware of the gypsy's close presence, her breasts squashing against Janet's back, her heady, sweet perfume filling Janet's mind, even her breath seemed scented. With small movements of her fingers, like the puppeteer she was, Ariana made the crystal swing and swirl in front of the young girl's eyes.

'Karen will love this!' Janet thought to herself. It was only a fleeting thought, but she missed what Ariana was saying, at least her conscious mind did, her subconscious heard and understood and the war, let alone the battle, was over. Her eyelids fluttered, like a butterfly taking to the wing, and then closed. She would have fallen to the floor had Ariana not put her right arm around her waist, the cheap crystal, its purpose served, falling unheeded to the wooden floor.

"I thought you would be more of a challenge." Ariana said with a hint of regret, and no trace of an accent. But she didn't let the disappointment affect her as she dragged the unconscious girl through the curtains to lie on Ariana's huge bed that just about filled the other half of the caravan, the heels of Janet's sexy leather cowboy boots squeaking against the oaken floor.

She propped the unconscious girl up on pillows and settled herself at her side and started to tell the pretty blonde exactly what her future would hold as she let her expert fingers explore the girl's nubile body. Eventually she allowed her captive to open her vacant eyes and stand so that Ariana could dress her for the next act of her night's performance.

As soon as Ariana had seen Janet sitting all alone on the bench while her two friends enjoyed a spin on the waltzer, she had known that Janet would become her Golden Jeanie, her honeyed skin and ice blue eyes like sapphires from Ceylon, just cried out to be transformed, and that is exactly what Ariana started to do.

With the blonde's skimpy clothes removed, the gypsy wiped away the green eyeshadow and replaced it with a yellow flecked with gold, her eyelashes too were teased and filled with glistening mascara. Layer upon layer of deep red was applied to her full kissable lips and her cheeks were lightly rouged. Whilst she worked, the enchantress kept talking softly to her enraptured victim, taking her ever deeper into her mistress's desire. More gold flecks were showered over Jeanie's naked flesh and hair, which was still in a ponytail, although now a golden ribbon secured it.

Ariana knew that time was not on her side, even allowing for her brother extending the length of each ride on the magic carpet as she had asked, and there almost being a guarantee that the girls would have to queue to get on it, they would be back in less than an hour. So with her rapid painting complete, Ariana started to dress her brand new Jeanie.

Adriana took a narrow, sheer chiffon scarf with golden threads running through it and laid it over the top of Jeanie's head, she tied it beneath her sprouting ponytail and teased out her fringe so that it exploded over her forehead. Her wonderful breasts, that Ariana had so enjoyed fondling when she had the young blonde on her bed being told her future, were encased in a gold lace bra, trimmed along the band with small gilded bells that tinkled softly as they brushed against her soft skin.

Little gilt bells, hanging from thin threads, also adorned the gold leather armlet she wore on her right upper arm, mirroring the band around her left ankle. Her perfectly flat midriff was bare save for a light blue stone in her navel that matched her sparkling eyes.

The gold leather waistband of her full length chiffon silk skirt that hung in deep folds when she was still was hung low on hips that were made for swaying, and when they did the skirt came alive and flowed in soft whispering waves, the sheer fabric offering enticing glimpses of her long naked legs and her moist, bare pussy.

"Perfect." Ariana said out loud as she admired her latest creation before leading the docile creature to the bed, laying her down to sleep until she was needed.

"I think Janet had the right idea." Karen said as she let her feet find terra firma once more, although it didn't at that moment feel that firm, and the hint of terror was still in her chest.

"That was awesome!" Emily said, although she too had feared she would see her dinner once again as the big dipper had lurched and thrown them this way and that

"I'm not surprised there was such a queue!" She added as she glanced at her watch and exclaiming. "Oh crikey! We've been gone the best part of an hour!"

"Janet won't be pleased." Karen said as they headed off as fast as they could across the fairground to Ariana's home on wheels.

When they arrived, a little breathless, Ariana was leaning nonchalantly against the side of the caravan. "Did your friend not find you?" She asked in a voice that made Karen's recovering legs feel less than stable again.

"That, I must admit, young miss, I did not see." She allowed, nodding towards a slightly smiling Emily

"Has she been gone long?" Karen asked, a hint of apprehension colouring her tone.

"No more than five minutes. She said she would get something to eat and return here if she didn't find you at the magic carpet. Do not worry, I have seen her future and know she is safe." Ariana informed them with such conviction that Janet's friends actually believed her.

"Now I foresee." Ariana intoned as her dark eyes met Karen's soft green ones, sending a shiver of desire or fear or both down the pretty redhead's spine and a rosy glow to her cheeks. "I will show our dark haired sister her fate, whilst you, my psychic friend, will go and satisfy that secret sweet tooth of yours, candy floss I believe is your favourite."

"Look, lady." Emily said putting her hands on her hips and her feet apart in classic 'I'm the boss around here' pose. "Why do you think I would want to have my fortune told? Why don't you do Karen instead."

Without any sign of tension or annoyance, Ariana stared down the stroppy student in no time flat. "Oh I will, as you put it, do you're redheaded friend, but not just yet.

"How," Ariana enquired. "Will you be able to debunk all I have told your friends if you have not experienced my, shall we say for your benefit, act?"

The argument was compelling and as Karen encouraged. "Go on, Em. I really would like some cotton candy before I hear what the future will hold for me."

"Oh alright." Emily surrendered. "But you know I don't believe a word of this hocus-pocus, it's just like she says I want to prove she's a fake."

"All I ask." The gypsy said as she guided a still reluctant Emily towards her lair. "Is that you have an open mind." Whilst she added to herself "Open and empty."

Like an action replay but with a different subject, Emily's hair brushed the crystal wind chime as she entered. But this time, Ariana ignored it, even as the sound triggered a response in the slumbering Jeanie behind the velvet curtains that now were partially drawn; but as the candelabra had been moved nearer to the door, the space behind the curtain was like a black void.

With a flourish of her arm, the fortune maker guided the still sulky brunette to the box seat that faced away from the door whilst she seated herself opposite.

"Let me see." Ariana mused as she regarded her client come victim. "Should I read your palm or have you shuffle and deal the tarot cards?"

A smile lifted the corner of the gypsy's bee stung lips as she explained why neither was appropriate. "No, not those, they are too open to my interpretation, I could say I had seen anything in them. For you, my little cynic, I think I need to ask my genie to let you see your future for yourself."

"You're genie!" Emily laughed.

"Be careful at what you scoff, if you doubt my powers, so be it, but I warn you not to question those of my genie."

"Ohhh, I'm scared. Beware the genie, what will he do enchant me?" Emily said in a mocking tone.

The gypsy ignored the young woman's sarcasm. "She may well do just that."

With flourish she whipped the gold cloth off the crystal ball and said. "Yes, you shall see it for yourself."