The Medium

The popping sound shot through Louis’ eardrums, made its way into his brain, and then bounced around in his head like a boulder-sized ping-pong ball. Pain screeched through his entire body. All of this happened in less than a second.

Then the sound and pain were gone instantly, his body feeling normal as if it had never happened.

The shock made Louis cry out and jump.

He was standing in his shop behind the cashier's counter, next to a small safe in the wall. The door of the safe was open and inside was a cell phone.

The small shop looked just like the set of a fortune teller's store in a movie. Including a magic ball propped up by the cash register.

He heard the front door jingle and turned to see a customer come in. He was still stunned by what had just happened and looked around the store uneasily.

Finally, he calmed down and turned his attention to the customer. “Did you hear that?” He asked. His throat felt dry, the words coming out raspy.

“Hear what?” Asked the customer.

Louis shook his head. “Nothing sir, how can I help you today?” Louis slipped back into his role, he would worry about what that sound was later. While the customer answered, he typed a message on his wristwatch. Running late, a customer just walked in, love you JamJam. Then he clicked send.

“Hi, I’m here to talk to my wife, I heard you can, um, talk to the other side.” The customer said the last part like a whisper.

“Yes I can, I am the absolute best at it, please come in, have a seat.” Louis walked around the counter and gestured to the small table in the middle of the store. He walked over to the customer on the other side of the table and pulled out a chair for him.

“Would you like some refreshments?” Louis asked as the customer sat down.

“No, thank you.” The customer said.

Louis went back to the counter, opened the mini-fridge and got a water. “I think I’ll have one myself.” His throat was still extremely dry. With the water bottle in his hand, he walked around the counter back to the safe where the cell phone was, reached in and took it. He closed the safe, walked back to the customer and set both items down on the table, then sat himself down.

“May I have your name, sir, I’m Louis.” He extended his hand for a shake.

“I’m Jeff.” Replied the customer, reaching out to shake Louis’ hand.

Louis could sense from the handshake that the customer was a little nervous. “Reaching out to the other side for the first time can be a little nerve-wracking, but I assure you that you are in good hands.” Louis put on his best smile.

The customer smiled back anxiously, “so how does this work?”

Louis reached for the cell phone he had retrieved from the safe and slid it into the center of the table. “I’m going to call your wife on this phone here.” He tapped it with his finger.

Jeff looked at him bewildered, “what?”

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s simple. I’m going to click call on this phone and ask for your wife, and if she’s available, I’ll be able to talk to her.”

“You just call her, with a cell phone. No Ouija board, no candles and stuff?”

“Nope, that’s movie stuff, this here,” he tapped the phone again, “is the real deal. I know you’re skeptical, everyone is, so my policy is to only collect payment afterwards. If we don’t make contact with your wife, then nothing is owed. Sounds like a good deal.” Louis took the moment to open his water and take a sip.

“Sure.” Said Jeff.

“All right, can I get your wife’s name?”

“Her name is Clara Patterson.”

“Okay, Clara Patterson. We’re going to reach out to Clara. So here’s what we are going to do. We’re going to call Clara, but let me do the introduction. People from the other side are usually confused, and if I don’t help them understand what’s going on, we lose the connection. Once she understands, I will gesture for you to speak. Does that sound good?”

“Yes.” Said Jeff, still sounding unsure.

Louis picked up the cell phone and tapped the screen. It lit up, showing the time and date. He slid his finger up and entered the passcode to unlock it. There was only one button in the middle of the screen that said "Call." He set the phone down in the middle of the table.

“Are you ready?” Louis asked.

Jeff closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes again, “I’m ready.”

Louis spoke into the phone, “Call Clara Patterson.” Then he pressed the call button.

A lot of static sounds came out of the phone, like from a record player. Then a phone rang. They sat there for almost a minute, Jeff shuffling impatiently in his chair. Louis held up a hand to reassure him.

And then there was a voice. “Hello.” The voice sounded distant, as if they were far from the phone.

“Hello, my name is Louis, is this Clara?” Asked Louis.

“No, this is Julie, my mother is Clara. Who is this again?”

Louis face was shocked. He saw Jeff was about to say something, but he held up both hands to stop him. “Hi Julie, I’m here with your dad, we were hoping to talk to your mom.”

A long silent pause, the sound of static, then the voice sounding more distant.

“I don’t know who you are or who put you up to this, but this shit ain’t funny. Don’t call back!”

The static stopped and the connection was broken.

Louis leaned back in his seat, stunned. “I’m sorry, this has never happened before. We can try again if you like. And I’m sorry for your loss, the death of a wife and daughter is something no one should have to go through.” Louis' expression softened.

Jeff’s face contorted. “My loss, what are you talking about? My wife and daughter aren’t dead?”

Louis’ expression turned sad. “Sir, if we are talking to someone over this phone, they’re..." he broke off, not wanting to say it.

Jeff slapped his forehead like someone coming to a realization. “When I saw your shop, I thought you were open for business. A constable hasn’t talked to you yet. I’m so sorry, let me get one for you. And I’ll even pay for this one, we’ll try again when you’re ready.” Jeff stood up, pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and placed it on the table. “For you.” He said, then turned and walked to the front door.

Louis shot up from his seat, confused. “Sir, are you all right? I can get you some help if you need some, I have a number you can call that will help you with your grief.”

But Jeff was already out the door.

“What the hell was that?” Louis asked aloud, sitting back down at the table.

Just a few seconds later, another man walked in, dressed like a cop from the fifties.

“Uh, hello, can I help you?” Louis asked, confused.

“Hello, you’re Louis, right? Jeff was just telling me about you. May I come in and sit down?”

“Sure,” Louis pointed to the chair. “Jeff told you about me, what’s going on here? Who are you?”

The constable sat down across from him. “My name is Bobby, I’m the officer for this precinct. My job is to keep the peace here and also, well, um...” He paused for a moment. “It’s also my job to let people like you know that - there’s no easy way to say this - you’re dead.” He spread his hands like a magician finishing a trick.

Louis chuckled, “What?” He glanced at his wristwatch. “I really don’t have time for this, I have to get home to my wife.” The message on his watch was from Jamjam, okay, see you soon Loulou, I love you.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

“If it’s true, then explain all this.” He waved his hand around his shop. “I am still in my store trying to lock up so I can go home.”

“Well, here people are allowed to keep their jobs if they want to. Most people don’t like change, so we don’t change them. It’s not a continuation of the previous life, but sometimes it’s comforting for people to continue their work. Can I ask what you did?”

“You mean what I still do, because I’m not buying this, you're dead routine. I am a medium, I reach out to the other side so people can talk to their loved ones. I’m a real medium, you can check my reviews online.”

Constable Bobby snapped his fingers. “That makes sense, Jeff told me you talked to his daughter. Sir, it seems you’re still a medium, but now you are talking to the living. They are the other side now!”

Louis laughed, he was amused now. “And what about this?” He picked up the handkerchief Jeff had left behind. “He left this as payment, there’s no money for the dead?” He did air quotes for the dead part.

“No, currency is… it’s a little different here. Listen, I know you may not believe me, but here’s an address.” Bobby pulled out a card and laid it on the table. “I don’t have the authority to tell you about your death, I’m just here to inform you about it. But if you want to know the details, you can contact the archives and they can help you.”

Bobby stood up. “I’m sorry you transitioned this way, usually we find you on the street and help you. But you brought a whole shop with you, you must have done some important work. If you’re a medium like you claim, you’ll have a line around the corner come morning.”

Louis looked at him angrily. “The time for your jokes is over, can you please leave now?” He pointed to the door.

The constable tipped his hat, stood up and left.

Louis sat there digesting everything Bobby had told him. “I don’t believe it,” he said to himself. He thought about the loud bang he had heard a few minutes ago and the excruciating pain he felt.

He tapped his finger on the table and looked at the cell phone.

He hesitated at first, but then picked it up. Quickly, he unlocked the screen. “Call Jamila Cunningham.” He pressed the call button and placed the phone on the table.

Static echoed from the phone, ringing only twice before someone picked up.

“Hello.” Said the distant voice.

“Jam… Jam?”