Morion Necklace. Yuliya Alpagut

her, – You slept for a long time. Sleep well?

      – Oddly but yes.

      – Did you not go to work? – she asked.

      – Of course not. I can’t leave you alone after what happened.

      – Thank you.

      – Sit down You need to eat and… I found a couple of psychics. Look here. – he said and turned the laptop towards her. – Choose someone. If you want, we can invite them all.

      ***

      In the evening the doorbell rang. Miranda opened the door and invited the guest to enter the living room. Aiden was waiting there. When he saw the woman entering the room, he could barely restrain his laugh. It was a fat lady of about fifty with short black hair and a “stone” face. She was wearing some kind of mourning black dress. On her neck is a thick silver chain with some kind of huge amulet. Almost every finger she wore silver rings with large gems. Black eyes, bright red lips and the same bright red long nails. In her hands she held a big black bag.

      – Good evening, – with some kind of afterlife voice uttered a woman.

      – Good evening, – Aiden answered her barely holding back his smile.

      Miranda noticed this and walked over to the man.

      – Stop it, – quietly, through clenched teeth, she hissed and turned to the guest. – Do you need anything for work? – she asked.

      – No, Miss Morton, – said the woman in the same afterlife voice, – All i need i carry with me.

      – No doubt, – whispered Aiden.

      Miranda looked at him disapprovingly. Guest began to look around. With a stone look, she touched, it seemed, everything she could touch in the room. Miranda watched her curiously. And Aiden could not hold back his laughter.

      – Where did you find her? In the circus? – he whispered softly.

      – Aiden, please stop, – the girl whispered back to him.

      – There’s someone here, – suddenly said a strange woman.

      – Of course there is someone here, – Aiden could not resist to himself anymore. – And these “someone” here are three!

      – Young man, – the woman was indignant, – If you thought of teasing me, I can leave now! I’m here to help Miss Morton! Not to entertain you!

      – Aidan, please, stop it! – Miranda told him reproachfully.

      – Okay okay i’m silent, – he answered and, looking at the funny woman, said:

      – Sorry. Sorry, I will not interfere with your work. Honestly.

      Miranda gently shoved him with her elbow.

      – I need a table for my work, – said woman.

      – Is a coffee table suitable? – Miranda asked, pointing to a small coffee table next to the sofa.

      The woman looked at the table, and then looked disapprovingly at Miranda.

      – Too low, – she said.

      – Then maybe we can go to the kitchen? – suggested Miranda.

      – There is a great table! – Aiden said loudly.

      – In the kitchen? – the woman asked in surprise. – Not. You have been cooking something recently. Foreign smells can interfere with my work, – she declared and began to look around the room again.

      – Foreign smells? – he quietly asked Miranda and after a moment added: – That is why from her so strongly stinks disgusting spirits. To kill all other smells!

      – Stop it, – Miranda hissed again.

      – Maybe you will transfer the table from the kitchen here? – suggested woman.

      Miranda and Aiden looked at each other. “Is she kidding?” The man thought.

      – I know! – suddenly Miranda said loudly.

      Aiden and a strange woman looked at Miranda, in the expectation that she was going to say.

      – A small, folding plastic table in the pantry, – she told Aiden.

      – The one we take on a picnic? – he asked.

      – Yes that, – answered Miranda, – Will you bring it? – she asked Aiden.

      – I’ll bring it. But I will need your help.

      – Help?

      – Yes, let’s go, – Aiden said, and headed for the door to leave the room.

      – Madame Josephine, – Miranda turned to the woman, – Will you wait a bit? We will bring you a table now.

      – Sure, I will wait, – replied the woman sitting down on the sofa.

      ***

      – Josephine? Madame Josephine? – Aiden asked Miranda when they were alone.

      – Well yes. What?

      – Oh God, Miranda, seriously, where did you find her?!

      – In the Internet.

      – But I showed you completely different people. I would never call such a clown here.

      – I read reviews on her site. Everyone is happy with her work. And I opted for it. And enough about that. Like her or not, she is already here. Let’s get the table, – she commanded.

      – Are you sure that this Madame Josephine will be satisfied with your plastic folding table? – pulling a small white square out of the closet, Aiden asked.

      – She will be satisfied, do not worry, – Miranda answered him.

      ***

      Aiden set the table in the center of the living room. Madame Josephine looked at him with a sort of dislike.

      – I am so sorry, – putting his right hand to his chest and stooping a little, Aiden said to her. – We have nothing worthy of your majesty.

      A strange woman opened her mouth and wanted to say something to Aiden at his rudeness, but Miranda suddenly shouted:

      – Wait, wait!

      The girl rushed to the dresser and quickly pulled out of it a large multi-colored tablecloth and set the table for her.

      – That’s good, – she said smoothing the tablecloth with her hands.

      – I need two chairs, – said Madame Josephine.

      Taking a deep breath, Aiden left the room and after a minute came back with two chairs from the kitchen.

      – Put them near the table opposite each other, – madame said in an commanding voice.

      Aiden really wanted to say something to her, but noticing Miranda’s gaze on himself said nothing.

      When the chairs were in their seats, Madame Josephine took her bag and put it on one of them. A couple of minutes on the table was already a crystal ball, several candlesticks with candles, some figurines, a pack of fortunetelling cards and some other trifle.

      – Close the curtains and turn off the lights, – Madame commanded.

      Miranda quickly went to the window and closed the curtains. She was already impatient to begin a seance as soon as possible. Then she looked at Aiden. He nodded back and turned off the light. In the room in an instant it was pitch dark.

      Madame Josephine lit a big matchstick about an equally large matchbox and lit the candles. There was a kind of mystical atmosphere in the room.

      Madame sat at the