Chapter 10 -- "Sit-Down Séance For Six Plus Brooke Plus Three Popcorn Kernals"
Brooke woke up at after 11:00 pm, convinced there was somewhere she was supposed to be.
"Wildwind at midnight," the second torn piece of Edmund's photograph told her.
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Maddie flat-out refused to come out of her room.
"Maddie, I'm not kidding. We're going to talk, even if I need to kick down this damned door!"
"Kick away. Here's hoping you break your foot!"
Abandoning the kicking idea, Maria pounded on the door with her fists. "Maddie! Listen to me! Opal is on her way here! At midnight, she's going to help us contact your Father's spirit!"
Maddie's door opened. "So now not only are you a shameless adulteress, you're a flipped-out shameless adulteress. Is that supposed to make me stop hating you?"
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"Are Stuart and I invited to the séance, Opal?" Marian asked as they finished their late dinner. She had served macaroni and cheese, which was as close to gourmet eating as she and Stuart got these days.
"The more the merrier," Opal replied. "But Lily honey, won't Jack be worried about you? Midnight is awfully late and who knows when this wing-ding is gonna wind up?"
Lily shook her head with authority. "I disappear a lot. My Dad is used to it by now."
"Lily, I think you'd better call him," Edmund's ghost told her. "Dads worry."
"Are you worried about your kids, Edmund?" Lily asked as she fished out her cell phone.
"I was when they were little," he answered her, "but they grew up so fast. Overnight, actually."
"SORAS strikes again," Opal sighed, wondering how old Petey would be the next time she laid eyes on him.
"Soap Opera Rapid Aging Syndrome?" Lily asked, to make sure.
Opal nodded. "It's epidemic in this town."
Marian wiped away a tear. "I wonder how old Colby is."
Stuart hugged her. "I'm sure she's still a little girl"
"Maybe," Opal granted, "but for how long? You know she's gonna be back here and causing trouble before any of us turn around. Look at that Amanda!"
"Edmund, I hope they don't SORAS Sam," Lily said a bit fretfully. "I've seen him around school, and I like him just the way he is!"
"Sam's already been SORASED," Opal told her.
"Oh, good. Then I won't worry."
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Sam was worried. Although he had written off Maria, he wasn't comfortable thinking she had gone nuts.
"Tad, Maria wants me to go to a midnight séance at Wildwind."
Tad nodded. "Could only do you good. I'll keep the porch lights on."
"Um, have you ever gone to a séance?"
"Are you kidding? My Mama is Pine Valley's Miss Cleo!"
"So it's okay? If you were me, you'd go?"
Tad frowned. "Sam, if I were you, I wouldn't be sleeping on a sofa when I have a mansion to go home to."
"Wildwind isn't my home," Sam said sadly. "Not anymore."
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"How do I look?" Zetz asked.
"Like a kernal of popcorn," Zartz and Zift answered in unison. "Just like us."
"Good. That's the look I was going for!"
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Opal was meditating. It was half-past eleven, and they were all about to leave for Wildwind.
"Opal, you don't have to strain yourself," Edmund called to her. "We're already in contact."
"I wanna make sure I don't lose the connection," Opal called back.
"I don't think this connection can be lost," Lily said. "Until he wants to be."
"How'd you get so smart?" Edmund smiled.
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Maria sat alone at the large round table she had brought up from the Rec Room for this occasion. Surrounded by six empty chairs, she awaited her guests. "Opal, please do your stuff tonight. You're my only chance!"
"This is so lame!"" Maddie said, walking into the room.
"Thank you for coming down," Maria thanked her.
The doorbell rang.
It was Sam and he wasn't smiling.
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"I've read about a séance once," Lily told Opal on the drive over to Wildwind. "It was scary. I don't like scary very much."
"Tonight's séance will be completely non-scary," Edmund promised Lily.
He certainly meant that when he said it.
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Brooke rang the doorbell. She began apologizing the second Maria came to the door.
"Maria, forgive me! I don't know what I'm doing here!"
Neither did Maria.
"Brooke, the Estate Sale is tomorrow. Couldn't you wait until then to troop over here and gloat?"
Gloating was the furthest thing from Brooke's distracted mind.
"I'm not here to gloat," she was sure.
Maria was losing whatever patience she had left. "So why are you here? Brooke, it's nearly midnight!"
"Three minutes to," Opal amended. "Maria, I hope you won't mind but I brought some friends with me. A séance needs friendly people in order to make the dearly departed feel at home. Howdy, Brooke. What are you doing here?"
Brooke couldn't imagine.
Marian linked arms with her. "Well, since you are here, Darling why don't we all go in?"
So in they all went.
Will Edmund's spirit forgive Maria? Will things get better for Brooke? Is all material reality going to explode as matter collides into antimatter? Lots of chapters, lots of surprises still to come! Please read on! Your Review is welcome!