Aunt Paige

My friends and I had spent forever trying to get everything ready for the ritual.

It was finally ready, though, and I was super excited.

I was finally going to meet the Aunt Paige of my dreams, the aunt I had never actually met in real life.

She had died before I was born, and of all the family stories I had heard my parents gossiping about, she sounded like the person I would relate to the most.

And, just my luck, she wasn't around to chat to.

When I found this book, though, my firm belief changed.

With the book, Raising the Dead, I could basically bring anyone back to life and do something with them.

But there was a catch. They could only come back for one hour, then would return to the world below.

So I wouldn't have much time to talk to Aunt Paige if I was going to go through with this. Which I was.

Charlotte looked over the completed chalk circle at me. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Kiki?"

I was having doubts about the summoning myself, but I swallowed my fear and nodded.

"Okay...ready."

My other friend, Heather, nodded.

I tried to hide the anxiety in my eyes. "Ready."

Charlotte stepped forward and lit the last candle in the circle.

The effect was instantaneous, the candles flashing and the scents of the herbs we'd placed floating up into the air.

Charlotte,  and I backed up a step, but kept our hands together, as the summoning spell decreed.

"For the record, I do not think this is a good idea," Charlotte said.

"Thanks, Lotty! Not helping my state of mind!" I called at her sarcastically.

"You're welcome!"

"Guys, this is not the way to help my anxiety!" Heather shouted.

Suddenly, a mist began to form at the far end of the attic by the window. 

There was only one thing it could be.

“Aunt Paige?” I asked tentatively. No answer. “Aunt Paige? It’s me. Kiki. I wanted to talk to you.”

The mist began to shape itself into a vaguely human figure. My Aunt Paige walked toward me, stretching out her wispy hands. 

“Kiki,” she murmured. “It’s lovely to meet you, my darling girl.” 

I beamed. “Nice to meet you too, Aunt Paige.” 

She was everything I had ever imagined and more. Paige seemed so kind, so gentle. It was easy to see how I was related to her. My dad always said I was like a bunny, sweet and soft, and my mom always said I was exactly like her sister. She was right.

Aunt Paige took a liking to me, too, and we spent at least thirty minutes chatting in the attic after Heather and Charlotte had left. 

I made myself comfortable on the floor planks, but Paige floated just above the wood, never quite touching the ground. 

“So, dear, how’s school? I’m so out of the loop,” Aunt Paige lamented. 

I smiled. It was hard to be in touch with your family when you were dead. “School’s great, auntie. My friends are super nice and I’m at the top of my class.” 

She smiled too. “That’s amazing, sweetheart.” She lowered her voice as if she was telling me a secret. “Are there any boys you like?” 

I blushed. That was always a topic that I tried to avoid, and one that made me uncomfortable. “Uh, no, auntie! Why would you think that?” 

Thankfully, Paige got the message and changed subjects rapidly. “How’s your mother?” she asked, then added almost as an afterthought, “And your father, of course.” 

“Yeah, they’re great,” I told her. “I can tell Mom still misses you a lot though. She even said so to me once.” 

Paige smiled sadly. “I’ve missed out on so much. If only I had lived to a ripe old age, and seen all my nieces and nephews grow up.” 

I nodded somberly. It was too depressing to think about the fact that nice people like Aunt Paige had to die young, but evil murderers lived to their nineties. This world was a cruel one.

Time was running out, but I still hadn’t asked Paige my most burning question, the most important question, the reason I had summoned her from beyond. 

“Auntie, how did you die? No one ever told me.” 

Aunt Paige grimaced. “It’s...not a story fit for children.” 

I rolled my eyes. “Auntie, I’m twelve and a half.” 

“Oh, alright. 

“It happened on a dismal rainy day, the kind of day that makes you want to curl up on the couch in front of a fire with a good book and some hot chocolate. 

“I was hurrying to work, because I was running late and was already on my second strike. You know the saying, Three strikes, you’re out? Well, that’s the rule my boss lived by. One more strike, and I was fired.

“So I was rushing along and I didn’t see a car speeding toward me. The driver obviously didn’t see me either, and they were probably in the same boat as me, running late for something.

“Their car ran me over, the paramedics came and took me to the hospital, and tried to fix me, but I never woke up. 

“I survived the initial crash, and the driver of the car did as well, but I died from my wounds in the hospital. I haven’t seen the driver yet, so I believe he lived. But still, a sad tale to tell. I don’t like telling it; it makes me upset and depressed all over again.”

I nodded sympathetically. “That’s really sad, Aunt Paige. Thanks for sharing your story with me. I feel better now, knowing what happened to you.” 

Paige smiled at me, a bittersweet smile. “I feel better telling you, too. This meet-and-greet helped both of us, Kiki.” 

Aunt Paige’s time was almost up, so we said our goodbyes. 

She kissed me on the cheek. “Take care of yourself, darling. Don’t end up like I did.” 

I nodded, holding back tears. I had just met my aunt and was letting her go. An hour was such a short amount of time, too short to get to know someone. I wish I could see more of Aunt Paige, but I knew I could only call her once. “I will. Goodbye, auntie.” 

Paige smiled, a real, sad smile this time. “Goodbye, my sweet, sweet Kiki. Give yourself the life I never had.” 

“I will. I promise.”