more pages of Rich and Ashley

As they scrambled to write the cheque, I’d bring in the personal item of their dearly departed. Ash would explain that I was there to act as his focal point. To bring him back from the other side if he got too deep into the spirit world. Let me tell you, there were a few times were Ash had a pretty close call but I was able to bring him back. And when you almost don’t come back from the spirit world, people tend to leave a nice tip.

                 

So while Ash faked a trance, I’d stand behind him. Then he’d say something like, “I call forth the spirit of such and such.” And I’d repeat it because it had to be me to call them up. And pretty soon the dearly departed would be in the room with us.

 

Those little reunions would make me uncomfortable. Especially if they were a young couple. There’d be an attempt at an embrace. And since I’m that good when I help the departed manifest there would be an embrace. An attempt at kissing and again, because I’m awesome, there’d be kissing. Then there’d be a disappearance. A cry of “Bring him or her back! Please bring him or her back! I’ll pay more!” And then there’d be more money brought out and their dearly departed would return for a few more minutes and then they’d disappear again. Probably forever. Unless someone could come up with five thousand dollars. If they could come up with five thousand dollars, there would always be another reunion. But that one was the last one.

 

We pulled this scam for over a year before my conscience got the better of me. We’d also made a lot of money which made it easier to quit. Some people might think it’s harder to quit when the money is rolling in, but I wanted to get out before I lost my soul. Oh yeah, we’ve all got one of those. Trust me.

 

The dead we brought forth never protested. They never said, “Hey, don’t give these assholes anymore money!” If they did, I would have just sent them back. They were usually pretty jacked that their loved ones could see them again and I think when you’re dead money isn’t really important anymore.

 

So Ash invested his money into various accounts and investments while I put my money into the shops. We both got richer and stayed in town. We enjoyed a quiet lifestyle, well, I enjoyed a quiet lifestyle, dated Linds, watched Linds die and Ash brought an assortment of women home, sexed them up in my house and watched them leave after breakfast. Practically the same life!

 

Then one day this lady comes into the store. She looks vaguely familiar. And I’m trying to place her face in different scenarios. Different outfits. Not like French maid or naughty nurse outfits, but coffee shop or grocery store outfits. Something that will cause me to understand why she looks familiar.

 

I can’t figure it out and suddenly she’s standing in front of me.

 

“Hello, are you a friend of Ashley Bancroft?”

“I might be.”