Just Be

A few days had passed since the courier had collected the package for Zeke, and there had been no word in return. Reuben was resigned to the fact that he had messed up, and the silence from Lab 305 only confirmed what he already knew: they wouldn’t be reaching out again. Why would they, after he had wasted a valuable soul bottle on something as insignificant as a toadstool? He had done enough sulking — now it was time to accept reality and move on.

Seeking some clarity, Reuben decided that a good tarot reading was in order. He got out of bed, brewed himself a cup of tea, and headed out to the gazebo. The cool morning breeze rustled the leaves as he lit a stick of dragon’s blood incense and retrieved his trusted Fountain Tarot deck from its chest.

After a few deep breaths to center himself, Reuben gave the deck a thorough shuffle, cut it, and drew a single card. As he flipped it over, he couldn’t help but let out a quiet chuckle. The Fountain card lay before him, upright and clear.

“Just be,” he murmured, a small smile forming on his lips. It was the card that symbolized presence and acceptance — a gentle nudge to let go of his anxieties and simply exist in the moment. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect.

Even though the message was obvious, Reuben decided to draw one more card, just to see if the deck had anything else to say. He turned over The Sun, also upright — a card representing joy, positivity, and new beginnings. A sense of relief washed over him, and he took a deep breath. The cards were always so reassuring, always there to pull him back to center when he needed it most.

So what if Lab 305 didn’t call back? Life would go on. If they reached out, that would be wonderful, but if not, it wasn’t the end of the world. Reuben leaned back in the gazebo, feeling the warmth of the morning sun filtering through the trees. A smirk played at the corner of his lips.

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“Just chill, relax, and ‘be,'” he muttered to himself, letting the peace of the moment settle over him.