10 Minute Tales, Part 2

Sep 20 - Urban Magician

She sighed as she drummed her fingers on the counter. She stared at the door, waiting for it to open.

"Come on, you dumb cat, you've got to bring somebody in..." she huffed, flicking over the ledger she kept. "I awoke you for a reason." she grunted as she closed the ledger, pushing it away. It flopped onto the floor. She growled and stood up, rounding the desk to pick it up again. Just as she was bending over, she heard the door open.

"Oh!" a voice echoed from the now-open doorway. "Sorry, I, uh..." she quickly snatched the ledger and stood up, clutching it to her chest as she turned around. It was a young man with dirty-blonde, short hair, wearing a business suit. "This is the right building, isn't it?"

"Depends what you're after." she replied, frowning slightly. This lech had been staring at her butt... she could tell.

"Oh, well, uh, I heard... well, it seems kinda stupid to say it out loud, but... I..." he kept glancing around, seemingly uncertain of where to look. She just rolled her eyes.

"Spit it out already."

"I-I hear this is somewhere to go for curses?" She froze briefly, her curiosity piqued. So this perv had heard of her powers?

"Depends." she put the ledger down on the desk. "What are you after?"

"I, uh... well, y'see..." he stammered. She resisted the temptation to roll her eyes again. "I need a bit of... um... revenge, I suppose."

"Okay, what's the effect you're after?"

-----

"Wait, you... you don't want to know more?" he asked, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Why should I? Probably won't affect the spell."

"O-okay, yes, uh..." he sighed, gathering himself. "May I come in?"

"Careful with the door, it might hit you." she turned her back and walked deeper into her apartment, subtly kicking a pile of unwashed laundry out of sight. The man entered nervously, glancing around.

"It seems so... normal..." he muttered to himself. She tutted.

"What, expect me to be creepy all the time?" she asked sarcastically.

"W-well, no, I... okay, I did..." he chuckled sheepishly, sitting down on a folding chair near the door.

"That's the problem with humans, they're all so... gullible." she huffed, bringing a large, leatherbound tome over to the front desk. "Anyway, I'll ask again. I don't usually do so. What do you want to do?"

"Well... jeez, you're pretty..." he mumbled, distracted. She sighed.

"Yes, I'm very pretty. You're not the first to tell me that, I doubt you'll be the last. I'm not going to ask a third time."

"Oh, right, sorry, um... I'm hoping to get a curse of bad luck."

"On?"

"The... the person that killed me." this made her pause and look up.

"The person that killed you? Look, I don't usually help the dead, that isn't my job."

"It has to be you." he muttered, staring at the floor. "Nobody else can even see me."

"... fine, what's your poison? And this had best be good." she grinned. If her powers attracted vengeful spirits, maybe she could use their power to further her own. If only her familiar was still here...