“This is stupid!” the blond-haired, blue-eyed boy whined at his parents.
Great, Paige thought. Another spoiled brat.
“I wanna go back to the hotel!” Blond Boy demanded.
“Now Billy, we told you we’d go back once the tour finished,” his mother said in a calming tone. Her gaze darted around at the crowd of people. The herd moved past them as they continued their way through the tour. A few disapproving glares touched the pair, but no one said anything.
“It’ll be just a bit longer, then we’ll go,” Billy’s mother continued. The boy’s father moved away with the rest of the crowd, completely uninterested in the little tantrum his son had started.
What a dick!
As the group’s tour guide, Paige couldn’t leave anyone behind. It was against policy because of the potential liability issues and all that other crap. Times like this she really didn’t like her job, which sucked, because most of the time, she really liked her job. Especially this time of year. October brought out all the weirdos and fun people that she loved to meet; from vampire worshipers to Cthulhu enthusiasts, these folks embodied freak sauce by the truckload. She felt as if she actually fit in.
Every now and then one person spoiled the fun for the rest. This time, it happened to be little Billy. He couldn’t help it. He was like six years old or something; definitely too young to be left alone and not old enough to appreciate the historical spookiness around him. Unfortunately, that fact didn’t make the situation any less annoying.
Billy stomped his feet. “I wanna go, now!”
Paige rolled her eyes. Oh, hell.
This promised to turn into a full-on whine-fest she didn’t have time for. The rest of the group continued trekking down the block toward the cemetery without them.
She scanned the cobblestone streets. People from all over the country littered the sidewalks in their Halloween costumes. Salem became a popular place this time of year, so there was no lack of variety or number. The shop owners decked their storefronts to the nines in fear-gear and creepy decorations. Life-sized witches greeted customers at every storefront with screeching cackles, while black cats arched their backs in wide-eyed stances of fright. Classical creepy songs blared from every shop, adding to the dark atmosphere. October belonged to Salem, and shop owners did their best to capitalize on the short window of opportunity and popularity.
Halloween ambiance wasn’t what Paige searched for. She needed to find incentive for little Billy to get a move on. Thankfully, she found it across the worn cobbled street next to Faust and Fun.
An old spirit by the name of Maggie Narwee hopped in place next one of the streetlights. Giddy with excitement, she watched the flocks of children waddle by. Pink rollers hung askew around her shoulders, tangled within her disheveled gray hair. The hairstyle matched her patchworked sweater and faded black skirt, as well as the old, wingtip pumps on her feet. She’d always been a pleasant and cheerful ghost; a kind grandmotherly type that reminded Paige of her own.
Her grandmother had helped her through some rough times, and taken care of her when her parents wouldn’t. Her heart still ached, knowing that her caretaker was gone, and she knew it always would.
Billy, job, potential lawsuit. Remember? Paige snapped back to the present, and focused her thoughts on the ghost. Her hand subconsciously ran across the coolness of her blue-flash moonstone necklace; a gift from her grandmother. The stone was a large oval encased in many tangling strands of silver. One of a kind—like her. She whispered to the wispy, old spirit, “Hello, Maggie.”
Maggie looked up and spun around in a circle. “The pretty blond girl speaks to me, so I will listen.” Her clunky shoes left the ground to hover a few inches off of the sidewalk, and then she floated across the street, coming to a stop next to Paige.
“I need your help, Maggie.” She glanced at Billy and his flustered mother. “Billy needs to keep up with the group. Do you think you can help him?” She had learned that when talking with spirits it was best to ask, not demand. They tended to get a little obstinate when too much force was used.
“What an adorable little boy,” Maggie said. She drifted over to him, clasping her hands together in delight. She settled next to Billy, opposite his mother.
“I hate this place!” the blond boy screamed. His mother continued her attempts to calm him, to no avail. Promises of ice cream, toys, and a movie did nothing. The woman was doomed.
“Why so upset?” Maggie pouted. She tapped the end of Billy’s nose with the tip of her finger. A powdery cloud of greenish mist encased the boy’s face and head. He blinked away the fairy dust, and then opened his eyes wide in surprise at seeing the old ghost floating next to him. Maggie signaled for him to follow as she drifted away in the direction of the tour.
Paige breathed a sigh of relief. You’re a lifesaver, Maggie.
She quickly walked up to Billy’s mother. The woman stood, mouth agape, staring at her child as he skipped happily toward the rest of the group. “Ma’am, are you okay?”
The woman snapped out of her stunned silence, and looked at Paige with a touch of disbelief still in her eyes. “I’m fine, thank you.” She hurried after her son.
Paige followed close behind the lagging pair. She smiled. Being a medium came in handy on occasion. After she’d gotten use to the initial shock of being able to see and talk with spirits, she had put the ability to good use, and honed her skill over the years. Necropolis by Night had made it all possible. For the most part anyway. The company gave tours at night; walking the significant historical areas of the witch trials Salem was famous for. The exposure to such a strong spiritual presence had opened the door to her learning and experimentation with the denizens of the afterlife. Even in the off season at the museum where she worked, spirits would linger, giving her plenty of ghosts to converse with.
The more hours she spent on the job, the more powerful her “ability” became. One activity fed into the other, which in turn, gave her an edge over the other tour guides. Most of them dressed up like old-time Quakers, and even went as far as to act out some of the witch trials, with actresses hired to play the role of the condemned. A lot of the tourists got into that sort of thing, but deep down, they all hoped to experience something that would be impossible to explain. They wanted to see or feel something Paige could provide. They all wanted a taste of the supernatural, and most of the spirits on her tour were more than happy to whip up a little wind or lightly poke the customers, providing that thrill of the unexplainable.
The Burying Point Cemetery her group had gathered near was the finale of her tour. Spirits always hovered among the maze of tombstones and twisted trees, and most of them tended to be on the grouchy side. Paige never wanted any of her clients getting hurt, so she avoided angry spirits, but the pranksters and the obnoxious ones did the trick every time.
Paige made her way to the front of the group, stepping over the low, stone wall that ran along the property’s entire perimeter. She was pleased to see that a healthy fog had settled on the grass, giving the place that traditional eerie ambiance.
“This is the last part of our tour, and definitely the best. If you’ll look over my shoulder...” Paige continued her rehearsed dialogue, as she scanned the cemetery for her spectral friends. There were quite a few of them out and about this evening, which was good, but she was looking for one in particular. He was a tall drip of a guy that called himself “The Duck”. She could only assume he chose the nickname because of the sweeping hairdo he sported, reminiscent of the fifties. Regardless of his choices, his easy manner and mischievous nature were the perfect fit for tonight’s climax. His outward appearance was like any average twenty-something. The dark suit and tie he’d been buried in didn’t really match his easy-going personality. It was as if his parents had been trying to make a good last impression. Jeans and a t-shirt would have been more fitting.
She finally found him slinking around the Carpenter family headstones. It wasn’t his standard hangout, but there were a lot of ghosts out tonight, so the place was pretty crowded. Spirits generally gravitated to one or two physical locations, any more than that and their presence tended to fade. Not that they couldn’t move from place to place, it just took a lot of effort for them to maintain themselves in unfamiliar territory, or so she’d been told.
“Duck,” Paige reached out with her mind to the lanky ghost. “I need ya, man. I’ve got a special guest that requires a good scare.”
The Duck perked up at her summons. He blinked out of sight, and then popped up right in front of her. “Hey, Baby! What’s cookin’?”
Paige stuttered part of her monologue. I hate it when he does that. Recovering, she said, “You’re all welcome to walk the perimeter, but please, not on the grass.”
Duck snickered in her ear. “You’re too easy.”
“And you’re a jerk,” Paige whispered out of the side of her mouth. She smiled at the tourists. “I’m not the one who needs scaring.”
“Still fun though.” Duck sighed. “So, who’s the lucky victim?”
“See the boy with Maggie?” She nodded in the pair’s direction.
Duck rubbed his hands together. “I just love making children cry.”
“Not the kid,” Paige corrected. “The douche bag just in front of them, the kid’s father.”
“Dark-rimmed glasses?”
“That’s the one.”
“On it,” Duck said, as he disappeared.
The tour group spread out along the various cobblestone paths, studying the many headstones, none-the-wiser that ghosts surrounded them. Paige kept her eyes on the little family. Maggie continued to whisper in Billy’s ear, and even held his hand as they moseyed through the low-hanging fog. Paige was surprised to see Maggie expend such effort to comfort the boy. Being seen by the living was no small feat for the dead, let alone actually making physical contact. Spirits with a lot of focus generally possessed the kind of power it took to pull off the kinds of things Maggie was doing. Anger, unfortunately, was the most dominant emotion that provided fuel for the focus needed to breach the barriers between the living and the dead. That’s why most of the spirits lingering in this graveyard couldn’t or wouldn’t communicate with those of flesh and blood; it took too much effort, and they weren’t pissed off enough to care anyway.
Maggie and Duck were some of the few spirits that hadn’t turned into malicious apparitions, using hatred and rage to make their presence known. They drew their power from a different source. They used love; the love of what they do. For Maggie it was all about the children, for Duck it was about being the eternal prankster. Regardless, whether a spirit used love or anger, it still cost them. Paige knew she wouldn’t see either Maggie or Duck for a couple of weeks after tonight. The effort would rob them of their power to manifest.
The Duck’s hand came out of the ground near Billy’s father. The ghostly finger tapped the man’s black shoe, releasing tendrils of greenish mist that coiled around his foot and up his pant leg. The mist continued upward until finally reaching the man’s nostrils. He sucked in the green gas unawares, and moved on to the next headstone. Several others were given the gas treatment as well, before the Duck disappeared.
“I liked your tour,” a young woman said from behind Paige. “It was very informative, and fun.”
Paige turned away from the graveyard, and The Duck’s antics to face her admirer. “Thank you so much.”
The woman was a tall, striking Native American. Her high cheekbones complimented the oval shape of her dark eyes, while jet black hair framed her face neatly in an A-frame cut. “Do you by chance offer your services to people with ‘supernatural’ problems?”
Paige blinked. “I’m not sure what you mean?”
The Native American woman smiled. “You can talk with spirits, and see them too. I require the assistance of someone with your skills.”
“I think you may have the wrong person. I can’t see spirits, lady,” Paige lied. Experience had taught her that revealing her power was generally a bad idea. Most people didn’t handle it well. How this woman knew what she could do was a little disturbing to say the least, and her flight response kicked into high gear. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to finish my tour.”
“I’ll wait.”
Paige pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Look, I can’t help you with whatever it is you’re dealing with. I can’t talk to, or see, ghosts.”
A scream of terror filled the cemetery, stealing everyone’s attention. Billy’s father sprinted past the tombstones as if he were on fire. The reason for his high-pitched screeching stemmed from the assortment of giant, insect-like apparitions clinging to his head, shoulders and torso.
The others Duck had “touched” yelled and pointed, as the terror-stricken man galloped past Paige and the Native American beauty without a second glance. The rest of her patrons looked on in shock as Billy’s father continued down the street, flailing at creatures that they couldn’t see.
Paige snickered. “Never seen him use those before.”
“Crater mites,” the Native American woman said. “Nasty beasts if they cross over.”
“Really? I haven’t seen one cross—” Paige slapped a hand over her mouth. The woman had totally tricked her into blabbing about her ability. “You did that on purpose.”
The smile that spread across the tall woman’s face spoke more of her deception than any words could have. “Can we talk?”
“Maybe,” Paige drawled. “How did you see those phantoms, when no one else can?”
“I could ask the same of you,” she retorted. “You know that isn’t an easy question to answer.”
Paige frowned. She knew full well how difficult it was to explain her power. It was easier to just keep a lid on it. “Are you a medium, like me?”
“Sadly no, but I can see the spirit world.”
Paige’s curiosity was piqued, but she had a tour to finish. “We can talk when I retrieve Billy’s dad, and wrap up this tour.”
The Native American woman nodded. “Sounds good to me. I’m Nova Walker by the way.”
“Paige Eastick,” she replied. “See you at the shop, Necropolis by Night.”
She didn’t wait for a response, as she turned away from Nova toward her tour group. “I hope you all enjoyed the tour. If you’ll follow me back to the shop, I have gift cards for everyone, and a survey if you have time.”
Most of the tour group followed her back, and hung around the gift shop for a few minutes. When Paige arrived, Maggie said her goodbyes to the little boy, while his mother comforted the distraught father.
“They were all over me...” the man’s voice trembled, as Paige entered the front door. She couldn’t stifle the smile that crept across her face. No long-term good might come from The Duck’s little scare, but it sure did wonders for her mood. Always good to see a douchebag get a fright.
Paige went about tidying up the store as the last few patrons meandered out the door. She hoped Nova actually showed. After getting over the initial shock of being found by another person who could see spirits, she was actually looking forward to the meeting. There were so many questions that needed answering. She hoped the Native American woman could fill in some of the blanks that had been plaguing her over the past six years. More than that, it would be nice to have someone to talk to about the things she’d experienced. There had been only one other person Paige had found that possessed the ability to interact with the spirit world, and that poor man had been driven insane because of it. Nothing good had come from that meeting, and had actually put her off from communicating with spirits for half a year. A shiver went down her spine from the memory of seeing Joseph Conner huddled in the corner, drooling on himself. That won’t be me.
She locked up the shop and headed to her car to wait for Nova, only to find the tall woman leaning against the front fender.
“Glad you made it,” Paige said, barely able to contain her excitement. “Do you wanna get some coffee or something?”
Nova hesitated. “I can’t, sorry. But if you have a few minutes to talk...”
Oh, hell. I’ve already crossed the awkwardness line, she thought. “Sure.” She took a spot next to Nova, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Like I said before, I need your help,” the Native American woman said without skipping a beat. Her calm demeanor faltered a little as she continued, “Actually, my brother needs your help.”
“I’m not sure I can help,” Paige replied with a shrug. “I mean, I interact with spirits, sure, but otherwise I’m just a tour guide.”
Nova came away from the car. “You’re so much more than that. You possess real power.”
Paige frowned and shook her head. “How do you even know that?”
The tall woman bit her lip. “I just do.”
“Ya see, this is the kinda thing I’ve been hoping to find; a person that has the same issues I have.” Excitement tickled the back of Paige’s neck, and she began pacing. “We could learn from each other, or help each other learn stuff—”
“I can’t,” Nova interrupted.
Paige stopped in her tracks. “Why? Do I smell bad or something.” She sniffed her underarm, adding to the snark, and then drained the humor from her face entirely. “Or am I just not good enough?”
Nova raised her hands. “It’s not like that. It’s me. I can’t help you the way you’re hoping I can.”
“Well that makes two of us then.” Paige crossed her arms. It was a shitty thing to say, but she was frustrated, and wasn’t in the mood to play nice.
Nova dropped her hands with a look of despair. “Please. We need your help.”
Paige sighed, she hated being the asshole. “Maybe, but you gotta give me something in return.”
“I can, and I will,” Nova promised, life coming back into her eyes.
“I’m not talking just money either,” Paige said hastily. “I want some information about what we can do.”
“I’ll do what I can.”
That’s all Paige really wanted from her. Even though they didn’t know each other, the effort was appreciated. She reached out to pat Nova on the shoulder. “Thanks, I hope—”
Nova shied away from her touch, but didn’t move quickly enough. Paige’s hand passed right through her.
What the hell? Paige stumbled back. “You’re dead!”
“Let me explain...”
“Screw that!” Paige snatched her keys out of her purse and got in the car.
“Please, don’t go!”
Paige ignored her pleas and slammed the door shut. She’d had experience with and exposure to the dead, sure, but she’d never been fooled by one like this before. She’d never had one appear so...alive.
“Back off lady. You’ve got issues I can’t help with.” She started the car.
Nova’s head popped through the window. “I’m so sorry, please—”
Paige put the car in reverse and hit the gas. The ghost’s head and shoulders slid through glass and steel to be left behind in the dust. Once out of the parking lot, she peeled out and took off down the street. She’d driven a ways down the road before she noticed her hands trembling on the steering wheel. Damn, that was messed up.
More than just the actual encounter had shaken her so badly. The loss of a potential comrade-in-arms, after so long of finding no one, had hit hard. The loneliness she’d been coping with, on a personal level as well as on a supernatural one, suddenly became an insurmountable weight that crushed down on her. Tears welled in her eyes as she pulled into her apartment complex.
She wiped her face with the back of her hand before she got out of the car and went inside. After tossing her purse on the couch, she crossed the small living area, and headed straight for the bathroom. Her hands still trembled as she drew a bath, stripped out of her work clothes, and stepped into the water. Blessedly hot, it provided little comfort as she wept.