"Believe me" Moriarty the patriot/Donten ni Warau

There is nothing more important in life than family.

Just in time for another seance. Everything is simple to the point of banality: a huge round table with four people sitting at it, six candles placed on its surface, a steaming pot with various mixtures of herbs, and someone's photo in the center of the table. Obviously, it's the same as always.

Mrs. Walter is meditating, trying to concentrate on the connection with the dead man, and a middle-aged woman is sobbing softly next to her, clutching a poor white lace handkerchief. This woman is supported on both sides by two young men, probably her sons. A little apart from them sits a young girl, I think the daughter of the deceased.

Mrs. Walter doesn't see or hear ghosts, and in a way, you might call her a quack, but... in these sessions, I do all the work, why... because her husband asked me to.

"Ethan Langford, can you hear me? Talk to me" - Mrs. Walter says.

"My God, when is this going to end?" - Mr. Langford, pale and visibly irritated, said painfully, running a nervous hand through his gray hair.

Poor Ghost, I can't imagine how long he's been here.

"I can feel it,...I can feel it..."

"Aha, she feels me, of course! You don't even see or feel people alive, and what about the dead?" - the Ghost snapped, and against my will I chuckled softly and looked at him placidly. Well, it's time to finish this circus, because I still have to go get a train ticket.

Mr. Langford stares at me for half a minute, then asks the stupidest question of his life:

"Can you see me?"

I nod slowly, push myself away from the wall, and walk softly up behind Mrs. Walter, placing my hand on Her shoulder. Mrs. Walter doesn't even flinch, but opens her eyes and sighs wearily. And I understand that it's time to help her out, or the wolves will bite, and even the bones will not leave.

The seance ended as always: bitter tears of the deceased's close relatives, their sincere thanks and a tidy sum for such a case. I don't take money once.

Mrs. Walter escorts her clients to the door, then returns to her Desk in the next room and sprawls on the couch in the far corner of the room.

"I got out of it this time" - Mrs. Walter breathes with some relief, and looks at me sideways.

"Yeah, thanks to me, I don't even know how you're going to work without me anymore"

"I did the same thing while you were gone for a year!" - Mrs. Walter said cheerfully.

"Everything's fine, Mrs. Walter, but the dead themselves aren't happy about it"

"I don't care about the dead, especially since it was your idea"

"Your husband's idea" – I ferried her, to which she sighed heavily.

"I decided to stop by for a while, check in, find out how you are doing here" - I smiled sweetly, and went to the kitchen to make tea.

***

"Mr. Langford, what are you doing here?" - I say very quietly. No sooner had I reached the station than I met today's Ghost on the way.

"So you really see me?"

"I think we found that out at the seance. You told your family everything you didn't have time to say in your lifetime. So why aren't you in heaven yet?"

"You see, my daughter... getting married soon"

"I congratulate you. What's that got to do with me?" - I look at the old man, surprised and questioning. He looked at me pleadingly.