Cold blood (first Draft)

accepting responsibility

The door slammed shut behind us, and the room was dark. "Just a few steps forward, I will be able to find the light switch. I really need to dust this place, it's getting in my eyes." When he turned the lights on I saw a row of tables with one chair on each side. He clapped his hands twice, "I'm sorry this couldn't have been done sooner. I couldn't get them in the same room for long enough but they are here now, do what you wish." He turned to face all three of us, "all three of you have hurt someone in this room some more than others, this is your time to say sorry. I will be upstairs preparing some tea. Just pick where you want to start." He left walking up the stairs and locked the door behind him. Along the rows, the figures began to appear visible yet see through. We each split up. Mary talked to her dad he was closest and seemed to be the most visible. I watched as she pulled the chair out and sat down shaking, crying. "Hello....hello father." He looked at her, tilted his head, and rubbed his hand across her cheek removing a tear. "Why are you crying?" He asked.
"I'm crying because you're gone."
"Don't, because of the death of an old man like me, be happy because of the man..." Wilfred came back with the tea, "I would advise you make your way to the back of the room there are things he doesn't want you to hear." He placed the tea on a table near the front. "I would recommend you go to the back, someone asked for you specifically." At the back of the room, leaning on the shelves, that used to hold the blood, was Harry. As I expected, he spoke first. "Hello, Rory. Did Wilfred send you back here?"
"Yes, he said you wanted to tell me something. What is it you want to say." He looked uncomfortable, shifting his body weight back and forth, "The ghosts here have told me a lot about you and your wife. I finally understand why you did it. It wasn't a good reason not at all, but it was a reason none the less." We both walked to the front and got a cup of tea, but when Harry grabbed the cup it, slipped through fingers. "I wasn't thirsty anyway." I still poured mine, adding two spoonfuls of sugar. "So... is there anyone else you'd like to see?"
"There's just one thing a need to tell you."
"What is that?"
"You were right. Mary is the killer."
"Oh I know, she was the one who poisoned me, I remember it was just before you found out who the newest victim was. Do you remember?" He paused but I knew he wasn't expecting an answer. "Now go, I'm sure there was someone you said you want to talk to. Could you get Mary? I need to talk to her." I just silently nodded my head.

Slowly I walked to the front of the room to find Wilfred offering tea to only the living people so I went to talk to him he looked lonely, "Hi."
"You're supposed to be apologizing you can't do much of that over here."
"But there is one person I want to say sorry to, you." He seemed confused.
"What do you have to be sorry about with me?"
"I remember what you said upstairs. About how you were forced to work for my family. If you remember, you were working for my dad when I first met you, so I had no control over what happened to you."
"You have no reason to be sorry. I was angry at first, but as I grew up, I began to understand." He patted my back trying to comfort me.
"How did you set this up? Last time I was down here, I could barely get them to talk, but you managed to hold this."
"They asked me to do it. After months I finally managed to convince myself to clean the basement. I had been cleaning for about an hour when I saw them. At first, they didn't trust me, but when I told them who I was they were more trusting. It was Mary's dad who set the whole thing up, I just set the place up with some help. They need you to pass on, they were suffering so I offered to help." When he was younger he saw himself as a Beacon of justice, but as he grew he lost any sign of Faith in humanity. He was still fun to talk to if a bit depressing from time to time. We regrouped. "Now that was done do you want to head back upstairs?" We all nodded in agreement.