Blue Flame. Robert A. Webster

our world before his time. We returned the soul but he now has the gift and unprepared. We sent a Spirit Guide to make contact, but a mortal intervention’s needed, as the newly gifted one doesn’t seem to get on with the Guide we sent.”

      Church nodded at Pinky, who smiled.

      “Yeah, it sounds simple enough. No problem Gran, give me the details.”

      * * *

      People inundated the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital wanting to see the wonder patient. Journalists waited for the story from the man who had been clinically dead for almost 20 minutes and came back. The head of the hospital restricted the number of visitors, only allowing close friends and relatives.

      The boxer settled into a private ward. Although still attached to monitors, he was free of the tubes and drips, so he could move around the room.

      ‘I’m bored,’ he thought, ‘I hope I’m not here long, and the voices in my head stop annoying me.’ His thoughts interrupted by the odour of onions filling the room and he sighed, ‘Oh, not again’ he thought.

      “Hello, laddie,” said a Scottish voice.

      “Piss off, Hamish,” shouted the boxer.

      “Now laddie, dunae be like that,” said the voice. “I have something important to tell yee.”

      “Don’t you always…Spirits, Guides, the gift; always important, but only a load of bollocks. Anyway, you are only my imagination because I may have brain damage, the doctor told me,” said the fighter and yelled. “Now bugger off.”

      “Ach, jest listen to me fer one last time, and then I’ll be oot of your life forever,” said Hamish’s spirit.

      “Good, because I used to like onions until your stink turned up.”

      Hamish, the Spirit Guide, spoke to the boxer for several minutes and gave him some instructions. The boxer wanting to get rid of the annoying voice in his head and get back to enjoying onions.

      Twilight eased out the sun to take over its night shift. The boxer sat at the window of his private hospital room watching this daily cosmic battle unfold. He had never noticed before, the wonderful, simple things that happen daily on our little blue planet. Because of his near-death experience, he did not intend to let anything, however insignificant, pass unnoticed.

      A nurse came into his room to tell him that he had two visitors and asked if they could come in.

      “They said you were expecting them,” said the nurse.

      “Yes, I am,” he said, “Let them in please.”

      A middle-aged man and a young woman entered the room and went over to the fighter. Ryan felt confused; he had seen people bathed in white lights but put that down to his head injury. Now he wasn’t so sure and gaped as the pair approached. He saw the girl had a crimson aura radiating around her, while the man’s looked like a rainbow.

      “Hello, my name is Church, and this is Pinky. You must be Ryan… and a tad bit confused,” said Church.

      Ryan nodded his head and turning pale, said, “Am I going crazy, as all this sounds unbelievable,” He looked at the pair and mumbled, “but I suppose you two being here like Hamish said you would be made it credible. Although, a tad bit confused, was a bloody understatement.” He pointed at Pinky and continued, “You are the same colour as me. He then pointed at Church, “apart from me and you two, everyone else has a white glow.”

      Pinky looked gooey-eyed at Ryan’s muscular figure. ‘He’s a bit of alright.’ She thought as Church said, “We are special.” He smiled at Ryan and his tone soothed and reassured him as Church continued, “I’ll explain things to you and know you have a lot of questions.”

      Church explained about the spirit world, the gift, Guides, and Keepers, along with their role as Paranormal Assisted Treasure Hunters.

      The conversation went on for over an hour, with Church explaining and Ryan asking question after question. Ryan told him that Hamish had given him the same information, but it sounded ludicrous coming from a voice in his head called Hamish. Ryan now felt guilty about the times he had been rude to Hamish.

      “You’re bloody lucky,” Pinky told him, “We had to go through far worse. You had one spirit Guide; normally we have many voices trying to get through at the start, not to mention the blinding headaches. It felt like a flock of birds pecking my head until my guardian angel explained things and helped me.” She smiled at Church and told Ryan, “My Spirit Guide auntie sent Church to rescue me three years ago and he’s here to help you too, Ryan Clark.”

      Church felt Ryan’s emotion change from fear and confusion to comfort and reassurance. He sensed that he was still unconvinced, so said, “I know you’re still confused and have a lot more questions. I also know you are hungry and want a cheese sandwich, so we will continue this conversation tomorrow morning.”

      Ryan, although taken aback about the sandwich, it confirmed he was dealing with someone special but felt weary and ask them to come the next day.

      A nurse came into the room with Ryan’s medication and noticed Church and Pinky getting ready to leave.

      “We’ll see you in the morning Ryan” Said Church. Pinky mumbled under her breath about him being a sexy man, as she followed Church outside, closing the door behind her.

      Ryan felt contented as he swallowed his medication.

      “Any chance of a sandwich?” he asked.

      The nurse smiled. “I’m sure the kitchen will make an exception for the ‘wonder’ patient,” she chuckled and asked, “What would you like in it?”

      Ryan paused, smiled, and said, “Cheese and Hamish.”

      “What?”

      “Sorry, I meant cheese and onion,” said Ryan, grinning.

      * * *

      Church and Pinky stepped into the warm summer night and checked into a local bed and breakfast.

      The next morning, Church, Pinky, and Ryan reconvened in the hospital room.

      Church sensed Ryan’s anxiety.

      After a long discussion, Ryan fell silent. He’d had the answers to most of his concerns, except for one, so he asked,

      “What can I do with this power, and how do I use it to make a living? Do I work as some sort of fortune-teller at the local fair? What use is it? My boxing career is finished. I would never pass another medical.”

      There was silence as Church considered Ryan’s quandary. He was older than others who had received the gift, so Church wondered if he could accept this new power.

      Pinky broke the awkward silence,

      “Why doesn’t he come and work with us Church?” she asked.

      Church thought for a moment and decided that they could certainly use some muscle, as some of his initial contacts had not gone as expected.

      Church nodded, smiled, and said, “What do you think Ryan? Do you want to come and work with us at PATH, now that you know what we do?”

      Ryan rubbed his chin.

      “What’s the pay like?” he asked.

      Pinky chuckled and said, “What pay?”

      Church smiled and shrugged, “I have never considered pay.” He said, “We live well, and if either of us wanted anything, we went out and bought it.”

      “Live well, does that mean plenty of food?” he asked.

      “Oh yes,” said Pink, adding, “Church is a great cook.”

      Ryan smiled and Church sensed another emotion coming from him, as he chuckled and said, “It sounded more like a family.”

      Pinky and Church nodded as they smiled