31 August 2009, Manchester, In the Land of the Dead.

Seances...oy.

The voice in the candlelit parlor said, "If you can hear us, Ralph, your wife is here and she wishes to speak with you." A long pause and a handful of incense smoked up the room nicely. "If you will, give us a sign that you hear us."

Unseen by anyone present, a flame-haloed hand reached out toward the coin on the table and with a flicker of concentration across the shroud, it moved slowly a toward the astonished old woman.

She nearly fainted.

The frog in her robe pocket croaked plaintively at its confinement and she shushed it. "Shush, Gumby. I know what I'm doing. I'm a Scientist."

It took a moment, but finally the old woman got her composure back. Madame Louisa had promised a lot, but apparently could deliver on a seance to talk to the dearly departed. "Ralph honey?" the little old lady uttered in a meek voice, "I need to know what to do about Tiger. He's been acting funny since you died. and he was your cat, Dear."

It was all a parlor trick really. Come to think of it, it was a cheap parlor trick. At least the pathos was plentiful and it was a nice, stable haunt. Too close to the airport, but hey, a tacky location was as important as a tacky outfit in the reader/advisor business. Hell, Madame Louisa even had a computer so that staying in touch was doable--and the things that woman did online....whoa.

A twisted smirk crossed dead lips and a little giggle. Louisa would still be shuffling cards for dollar bills, if it hadn't been for that night out in the back of the occult shop in Merrimack. Now she was a celebrity and had her own place on the south side of this annoying little city.

The flaming hand scratched lightly at a pointed ear as the apparition considered what to do next. Ouija Board...yeah....they always are a big hit with this crowd. The flames around the hand flared excitedly as it reached to begin pushing the little token around. First to the P, then to the U, then to the T, then the I, then the T, then the O, then the U.....

Then the huge white flash broke her concentration. Mad eyes turned south, toward the airport. The fires about the figure, already excited by the fun at hand, flared even more dangerously as the dead lips spoke one word....

"Fire..."

Without a further moment of consideration, the wraith got up from her spot at the table and walked through the nearest wall to see what was burning and why she wasn't invited to the bonfire.

Madame Louisa was on her own for coming up with an explanation.