Just outside the bike rental shop, Mercuria stands by the roadside, watching the traffic.
A thin sheen of sweat covers her face. Her fingers tap a gentle rhythm on her thigh.
She is listening intently, focusing on the faint voice of the necklace amidst the symphony of the world.
Mercuria: Four steps back.
She watches the passing cars as she murmurs to herself.
Mercuria: Too bright.
A car passes by.
Mercuria: A bit much.
She turns her attention to the next vehicle.
Mercuria: Sounds like jazz, but not the kind I'm looking for.
She shakes her head as the light turns green, and she crosses the street.
Mercuria: Northeast, like it's floating on a wave.
Mercuria reaches out to feel the flow of energy, her steps quickening.
Mercuria: Hurry. Follow me.
On these bustling streets, everyone knows their path.
Mercuria: Hurry. Follow me.
But Mercuria simply waits to embrace whatever comes her way.
Suddenly, she stops.
Mercuria: Hitchhiking ...
She seems to have suddenly understood something. She hails a white sedan.
This is a crescendo. It clarifies the necklace's energy.
Now's the time for the first movement to meet the second.
Mercuria: Could you give us a ride? I can't pay.
Mercuria leans into the open car window, the tassels on her clothes catching the sunlight.
Driver I: Where you headed?
Mercuria: Fresno.
Driver I: Hop in, lucky girls. I'll take you to San Lucas.
Mercuria: Thank you.
But Mercuria doesn't hop in. She turns back, searching for something.
Mercuria: Bianca, come on, this is your only chance!
Mercuria calls out into the crowd.
A woman wrapped in a headscarf reluctantly emerges from behind a bus stop sign and enters the sedan.
The car's interior is much livelier—or rather, chaotic—than Bianca anticipated.
Three brown hens and two white roosters strut around in the back, occasionally taking flight and landing on Bianca and Mercuria's heads.
A white bulldog with a swollen head lies leisurely at the passenger window, enjoying the breeze.
After the white rooster's third aerial show, Bianca can contain her irritation no longer.
Bianca the Tarotist: Why aren't they in cages?
Driver I: Well, so they produce the finest eggs in the county.
Bianca the Tarotist: You mean your county judges eggs on whether the chickens can fasten a seatbelt?
Driver I: Hahaha! Of course not. It's just to keep them in a good mood.
Driver I: Feel free to hold him, Ms. Bianca. Alexander's a very obedient chicken.
Bianca the Tarotist: He even has a name ...
Bianca wails as Alexander lands on her head for the fourth time.
Mercuria gently picks him up and places him on Bianca's lap.
Alexander promptly settles down.
Bianca the Tarotist: Oh! That's pretty sweet. I forgot about your calming touch.
Mercuria: It had nothing to do with me. He likes you.
Driver I: Good for you, Bianca!
Bianca gives an awkward response, and the car quickly falls quiet.
Bianca the Tarotist: Umm ...
Bianca the Tarotist: Emm ...
Bianca decides to voice the question that's been lingering in her mind.
Bianca the Tarotist: How long did you know I was here?
Mercuria: Since last night. I saw you sitting on the roof of a car.
Bianca the Tarotist: That long, huh?
Mercuria: I sensed your energy.
Bianca the Tarotist: So, you rented a bike and rode all the way from San Francisco to Sausalito just to mess with me?
Mercuria: No, I was following the necklace's energy.
Bianca the Tarotist: The necklace's energy?
Mercuria nods.
Bianca the Tarotist: So, was it the necklace's energy that told you that the best way to get from San Francisco to Fresno was to ride a bike from San Francisco to Sausalito, then catch a ride from Sausalito to San Lucas?
Driver I: What'll you do once you get to San Lucas?
Mercuria: You'll see when we get there.
Driver I: Oh ...
Driver I: What about D.C.? Got any plans to go there?
Bianca the Tarotist: D.C.?
Bianca takes Mercuria's map and eventually finds Washington, D.C. on the other side of the continent.
Bianca the Tarotist: No, no, we can't go there.
She quickly rejects the idea.
Bianca the Tarotist: So, Mercuria, when we get to San Lucas, let's take a bus to Fresno. I'll buy the tickets, okay? It won't take more than a few hours.
Mercuria: Why?
Bianca the Tarotist: Why? Because it's better than wandering aimlessly.
Mercuria: What's your final destination?
Bianca the Tarotist: Fresno.
Mercuria: That's where I'm going.
Bianca the Tarotist: …
Bianca hesitates before rubbing her hair in frustration.
Bianca the Tarotist: Whatever. Have it your way.
Mercuria: Bianca.
Mercuria leans forward to come face-to-face with Bianca.
Mercuria: You've yearned for a journey like this, haven't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have followed me.
Mercuria's eyes show no emotion. They're like shiny glass beads reflecting Bianca back on herself.
Bianca the Tarotist: You read me like a book, as always.
Bianca waves her hand in resignation.
Bianca the Tarotist: Alright, alright, I'll give it a shot.
Bianca the Tarotist: I know this girl who lives as free as the wind.
Bianca the Tarotist: She lands wherever she pleases and can take off at any time.
Maich the Peddler: But we're missing someone—someone who's never spoken with Dexter.
Cooper the Healer: Who's that?
Maich the Peddler: Bianca!
The hand poised to pry open a bottle cap pauses, seemingly surprised at her name being mentioned.
Then she goes ahead and opens it.
Bianca the Tarotist: It's a gathering I'd never join. I'm content watching from afar, just like at the beginning.
Bianca casually flicks the cap into a nearby trash bucket.
Leah the Aromatherapist: You mean that guy who was banging on her trailer's gas tank, hollering for booze money?
Bianca the Tarotist: Yep, that's my dad.
Bianca takes a swig, still unsure of where to hide from him tomorrow.
If her father finds her, it'll be yet another round of begging and stealing.
Bianca the Tarotist: I should've just split with Soraya and saved myself the headache.
But why didn't I bail when I had the chance?
Mercuria: I'll set off first thing in the morning.
Bianca the Tarotist: Huh?
Bianca murmurs to herself.
Bianca the Tarotist: I'll set off first thing in the morning.
Bianca the Tarotist: Why does she get to be so free?
Bianca rests her chin on her hand. She watches as they finish chatting, extinguish the bonfire, and disperse.
The New Age Market falls silent.
Bianca the Tarotist: Could I also live a free life like she does?
Bianca the Tarotist: …
Mercuria: You're looking pretty down. Your energy's all wilted.
Bianca the Tarotist: An hour's walk on a rocky trail would wilt anyone. Don't you ever get tired?
But Mercuria's steps remain sprightly.
Bianca the Tarotist: Where are we?
Mercuria pulls out the map but hesitates to pinpoint their location.
Bianca the Tarotist: Mercuria?
Mercuria: I don't know. I'm following you.
Bianca stops and looks around.
The road winds upward through the mountains and disappears into the distance.
Bianca the Tarotist: So what do we do now? Go back the way we came and catch a ride in town, or keep going?
Mercuria: Hmm. It's up to you.
50 minutes ago.
Having arrived in San Lucas, Mercuria and Bianca exit the sedan, brushing feathers off their clothes.
Bianca the Tarotist: That guy gave me an egg.
Bianca holds the egg up against the sun to see if there's an embryo inside.
Bianca the Tarotist: What's our next move?
Mercuria: Where do you feel like going?
Bianca the Tarotist: Let's find a spot to check if this egg's got any life in it first.
Mercuria: That shop will work.
Mercuria points nonchalantly at a building with a rooster on the roof.
Bianca the Tarotist: No, I decide where we go.
Bianca, eager to fulfill the promise she made in the car, is ready to take the lead.
She closes her eyes and spins around, stopping just before she falls.
Bianca the Tarotist: That way!
She points to a dirt road.
Bianca cradles the egg in her palm once again as she declares her decision.
Bianca the Tarotist: We'll go that way, and the first shopkeeper we find will tell us what's up with the egg.
Bianca the Tarotist: I'm not good at this spur-of-the-moment stuff.
Bianca leans forward, placing her hands on her knees as she tries to stretch her legs.
Bianca the Tarotist: What would you do in this kind of situation?
Mercuria: Follow the energy.
Bianca the Tarotist: Energy this, energy that!
Bianca plunks herself down on the ground.
Bianca the Tarotist: Where's your energy taking you now?
Mercuria: It's following you.
Bianca the Tarotist: Great!
Bianca lies down by the roadside.
Mercuria: Good idea. A break will do some good.
Mercuria lies down next to Bianca and closes her eyes. Her silver hair blends into the grass.
A grasshopper lands on her nose. She gently rubs her nose, causing it to hop away again.
Bianca the Tarotist: You gonna sleep just like that?
Bianca's nose is filled with the smell of fresh grass.
Mercuria: Ready to go?
Bianca the Tarotist: No.
Mercuria: Then why not sleep?
Mercuria turns her body away from Bianca as she prepares to take a nap.
Bianca doesn't know what choice to make.
So she just closes her eyes ever so tightly.
Mercuria: Bianca.
Bianca the Tarotist: Huh?
Mercuria: What an anxious way to sleep.
Bianca the Tarotist: For crying out loud, you're not even facing me!
Bianca turns her back to Mercuria.
Bianca the Tarotist: I'm not sleeping. I'm thinking.
The two remain silent. After a while, Bianca struggles, as if trying to break free from something.
Bianca the Tarotist: Oh!
She sits up and pulls out her tarot cards, but after a moment, she puts them back.
Bianca the Tarotist: Is this really how we're gonna get to Fresno?
Mercuria: Yeah.
Bianca the Tarotist: You sure we're not lost?
Mercuria: We'll get there one way or another.
Bianca the Tarotist: Jeez.
This sentiment drives Bianca to the brink of frustration.
Seriously? How—or when—are we gonna get there, then? Huh?!
The vagueness of Mercuria's statement prompts too many questions.
Mercuria: You can also choose to go back. It doesn't mean you're not free.
Not free ...
Bianca the Tarotist: sigh
Bianca brushes the hair from her forehead.
Bianca the Tarotist: If it were up to you, would you keep going?
Mercuria opens her eyes to look at Bianca.
Mercuria: I wouldn't have chosen this path in the first place. It's your journey.
Mercuria: But if it were up to me, I'd keep going into the unknown until something compelled me to stop.
Bianca stares into the distance at the road disappearing into the mountain.
Bianca the Tarotist: What if there's nothing beyond the mountain?
Bianca points just past the furthest point of the path that she can see.
Bianca the Tarotist: If there's nothing there, we'll go back to town.
Mercuria: Alright.
Bianca pulls Mercuria to her feet, and together they return to the path.
After what feels like an eternity.
Bianca the Tarotist: Huff ... huff ...
Every step Bianca takes feels like wading through thick sludge.
She forces herself to keep walking, but she's hardly making any progress.
Bianca the Tarotist: Uh ...
Bianca raises her head, realizing how far she still is from the highest point of the road.
Mercuria, however, shows no signs of fatigue. She's already at the summit, looking out over the landscape.
Mercuria: Come on, Bianca.
Once she's close, Mercuria reaches out to Bianca and helps her up the final ledge.
Mercuria: Look.
At the foot of the hillside, by a dark road, sits a little red house.
Bianca the Tarotist: That's not just any house—look at the sign out front. Who'd have thought there'd be a shop out here?
Bianca the Tarotist: Can you see what that sign says?
Mercuria shakes her head.
Mercuria: But I guess we're about to find out whether you'll get a pet chicken or not.
Bianca the Tarotist: I'm hoping more for a place to rest our feet.
Bianca the Tarotist: Or else my feet will be bleeding all over the place.
