Raven's Heir | ONC 2021 honourable mention

1 - Corbières Castle

"Hey San, check this out. You should apply for this job, as wacky as it sounds."

Celine's excitement ripped me out of my morose musings. I hadn't slept well since I lost my beloved job in the library months ago. Nothing like the aftermath of a pandemic to kill high spirits. Not to mention the breakup with Simon.

"Earth to Sandy, are you awake?"

"Huh?"

"They are looking for an expert on unusual manifestations. That's just a posh way to say they search a ghost hunter, right?" She waved her iPad in front of my face.

I snatched her shiny gadget and studied the site that fascinated my flatmate enough to forget about eating her chocolate cake. For good measure, I shovelled a spoonful of her dessert into my mouth before I checked out the news story amidst her protests.

The article, enriched with glaring pictures and ads for electric toothbrushes, holidays in Greece, and vitamin pills, was about a village suffering from ghost-like apparitions. It also mentioned a guy looking for help to solve the issue.

"I call this bad journalism." I scrolled back to the header. "No one searches for a GSI in a virtual tabloid."

"What's a GSI?"

"A ghost-sensitive individual. And no, I'm not going ghost hunting."

"Sandrine." I hated it when Celine used my full name. It announced her voice of reason. "You've been moping around for months. You need the job, need the money, and posses the skills. Why not give it a go?"

"Because I applied for a dozen jobs in the last fortnight and an additional five in the past twenty-four hours." I snorted, handing her the pad back. "And I'm talking proper jobs here, not an obvious hoax."

<> <> <>

Two days later, I rolled to a stop in front of the castle of Corbières. While I studied the historical building through the tinted glass of my helmet, I cut off my bike's engine. Within moments, the sun threatened to cook the remains of my brain, and I wriggled out of my protective gear, cursing under my breath. At least I didn't have to replace the helmet with a face mask in this scorching, post-pandemic summer.

The chalked facade looming over me sent a shiver down my spine despite the heat. I hated talking about my gift—or my curse, depending on the viewpoint. Why did I indulge Celine? Sure, I hadn't much to lose. Not a single invite for a job interview in a month. And no call from my unfaithful, runaway ex either. I shoved my leather jacket and helmet into the cargo box and straightened my navy blouse. Now I'm here, I might as well try my luck at ghost hunting. Beats mooning over Simon.

An arched gate led me into a courtyard. The raven in the coat of arms placed above the portal seemed to mock me with a sassy glint in his eye. I sneered and passed below it into the shadow of the high walls, where the tables of an outdoor café beckoned with the promise of an afternoon spent sipping on iced coffee and reading a good book. But I had more important stuff on my hands. I ignored the disinterested glances of a few guests and walked up to the main entrance.

According to Celine's internet sleuthing, the owner turned the castle into a hostel for backpackers the season before the pandemic. A wonder it was still in business. On the desk of the vacant reception sat a handwritten sign, telling me office hours started at four in the afternoon and asked customers to leave the rooms before ten in the morning. Not that my plans included renting a room. An ancient silver bell sat on a crocheted coaster. Should I?

With the courtyard café open, someone from staff had to be around. My interview was scheduled at two o'clock. A glimpse at my phone told me I was five minutes early. To kill the time, I checked out the stand with leaflets promoting local and not-so-local tourist attractions. From chocolate factories to adventure parks, dozens of enterprises wooed for the favour of the visitors.