Smithy

Halloween should be the night the spirits are closest to the living. That's what young Amanda was counting on tonight. She'd entered the graveyard near midnight and set up her candles around a grave. The body in the ground beneath her belonged to a man that she had known as Smithy. He'd been her teacher and mentor for the past few years and had become a father figure. 

Her knees pressed into the still loose dirt of his grave. They'd only buried the old man a week ago. Amanda tried to keep her hands from shaking as she lit five candles. One by one, they gained their light, one for each year that she had known him. The lighter returned to her pocket before the teen cleared her throat. 

"Hey, old man," she started, her voice shakier than she would have cared for. "I can't say that I'm digging the new place." Amanda picked up a handful of the dirt and let it trickle between her fingers. "Well, I guess somebody had to dig it." 

Amanda knew that Smithy would have snorted at the bad joke. He'd always had a weak spot for puns, and she took advantage of that. She shivered as a cold gust of wind blew around her. A noise of irritation left her as two of the candles blew out. She pulled the lighter back out to start them up again.

"Alright, might as well get started. You should feel honored, Smithy. I actually went to the library and did some reading to learn how to do this," Amanda stated as she rubbed her hands together. She drew in the dirt with the tip of her finger, connecting the candles with a specific pattern. Then, she created a divot in the middle to place a lock of her hair, a crystal, and a photo of Smithy. 

"I call upon the dead to return this man to the living. I claim him for the land of mortals and those who still need him," Amanda said. The wind seemed to blow harder. She put her hands before the small flames to protect them from being snuffed out. She reached a bit too close to one, which burned her.

Amanda tried to soothe the minor burn as she watched the grave. Part of her expected absolutely nothing to happen. The other part thought that perhaps the grave would burst open to show Smithy. Would he even be able to get out if this worked? Would he be stuck inside the coffin? 

Just as she had given up hope, the fire of the candles grew much brighter. Red illuminated the area around her and the grave. Amanda jumped to her feet and backed away. Maybe this had been a bad idea.

"Who needs this man?" Came a booming voice. The flames grew higher. Still, a chill went down the young girl's spine. Her heart raced as her voice caught in her throat. "Why should we return this soul this soul from Hell?"

"H-Hell?" She stuttered. The man she knew was a saint. Was she at the wrong gravesite? Was there something about Smithy that she never knew? What could he have possibly done?

"Yes, Hell. Only the most bottomless pit can contain this foul fiend," the voice continued. Amanda considered running away. "For what torture is enough for the gruesome act of," the voice paused momentarily. "Cheating on his eighth-grade math test!"

"Huh?" Amanda's brow furrowed in confusion. She blinked a few times before her face relaxed into an unimpressed expression that was only achievable by a teenager. The voice laughed as she rolled her eyes. "Smithy," she said.

"I had to have a little fun," came a familiar voice. An apparition formed in a seated position on Smithy's gravestone. It was the same old man that she had been trying to resurrect. Instead, he was a translucent form of himself. Still, the smile he gave her was a warm one. The candles died down with her fear. 

"You had me freaked out. I thought I summoned something evil," Amanda stated with a frown. Smithy pointed a finger towards her.

"And that's why I don't want you to do any more stuff like this, kid. It isn't safe," he warned. Amanda shoved her hands in her pocket and dug the toe of her shoe in the dirt.

"Why didn't it work?" She asked before looking back up at him. Sure, she was getting to talk to him, but she wanted him to live again.

"It's not likely for something like that to work. Dead is dead, kid. I don't have a reason to come back," he explained. Amanda felt a tear prickling the corner of her eye. "Oh, don't get dewey-eyed over me. You don't need me, Amanda."

"Yes, I do. You're the only one who cares about me," she replied, the tears falling down her cheek. Smithy reached forward to wipe away her tears. It was a faint sensation, but she could still feel it. 

"You are cared for. Your parents love you," Smithy stated. Amanda sighed. "You got a few good friends that you see just about every day. You don't need an old man like me to stick around forever."

"But I miss you," she replied. Smithy nodded towards the ground. 

"Sit down," he instructed. Amanda did so and looked up at him. "Missing people is a part of life. There will be more and more people to miss as you get older. You don't get to bring them back from the dead."

"So, am I just supposed not to feel sad about it?"

"That's not what I said. You can be sad for now. Do what you need to do to grieve and remember that you have your own life to live," he said. "Trust me, the sadness will get less and less until you're completely fine again."

Amanda didn't look like she believed him. Fortunately, he didn't need her to. Time would show her that he was telling the truth. All she needed to do was take one day at a time and let time do the healing. He cleared his throat, seeing that she didn't want to respond. 

"I'm flattered that you went through all this trouble to get me back," he stated. "And I can stay here for as long as the candles burn. So, how about we have one more story session?" Amanda perked up at that. The two had always enjoyed sharing stories. 

"Okay, tell me what you've been up to on the other side?" Amanda questioned. Smithy chuckled.

"Living stories only, kid. Besides, you know the rules. You get one Smithy story for every Amanda story," he replied. Amanda groaned, seemingly out of her funk.

"Fine, I guess I can tell you what Eugene did in chemistry yesterday, but you better tell me a good one for it," she replied.

"I promise I'll give you my best story. Now, what happened in chemistry?"

"Well, it involves a Bunsen burner, a lab rat, and Ms. Gillian's panty-hoes," Amanda responded, cracking a grin. Smithy gave a concerned expression.

"God, you kids worry me."

The candles lasted a few hours before they finally burned out. Amanda was still saddened as they faded away. However, she felt lighter this time. The feeling that the world had robbed her of her best friend had faded. As she packed up to go home, she thought that her last conversation with Smithy had been exactly what she needed.