The nature

Author's note: Hello. This is just what I decided to write as I embark on the long and hard journey of improving my writing. I could use the critique so it would be nice to hear from you. I do not intend to continue the story but I might. It's under probability. <p >
Please read and enjoy. <p >
Paula took out her items, crystal ball, two black candles and one white. She arranged them on the table while muttering the words she had memorized from the book. It was Latin and she had to congratulate herself mentally for getting better at pronouncing the words. <p >
Not many of her customers were Latin speakers but Paula feared the day she would meet one who was. If they learned that she didn't even know the exact meaning of the words they would have a lot to say to her. A lot. <p >
The couple looked nervous seated around the tea table she had turned into her summoning table. Of course, come morning it would return back into the tea table it really was. She would have bought another one separate for this job but it was such a waste, she only worked at night. Besides it worked well as both, she didn't have to change it. <p >
The couple held hands, fingers tightly clasped. They were so nervous and tense, the last one was mostly the Man. The woman, Mrs Charlene, had told Paula that her husband had been against this from the get go. He'd insisted there was no need to seek a medium to solve their problems, but obviously Mrs Charlene must have said something to persuade him. He looked tense but it didn't seem like he really wanted to be there, but he was ready to support his wife who had so desperately reached out to Paula for help. <p >
The couple were only seventeen years into marriage with one son, sixteen years old David, who died two months ago from a terrible accident at school. The kid had been shot by another kid, he was not the only one, but he was the only one that died from the accident. He'd tried to save everybody by talking to the dangerous youngster with a gun ready to shoot any or everybody. He had died a hero. <p >
But two weeks ago, Mrs Charlene started hearing things, feeling things. At home she would hear the sound of water and cup in the kitchen in the middle of the night. Apparently her son used to wake up at night to get water. Mrs Charlene even said when he was ten he would always ask her for water. She assumed that it was her son, his spirit at least, who has yet to move on to the after life. <p >
Being the predator that she was —she was not proud of herself, the economy was to blame of course —Paula tried to help her. Well, she tried to pretend to help. Her study of the human psychic, and also being a realist, she knew there was no such thing as ghost and that people like Mrs Charlene who had gone through such tragedy would try to find a hope to cling onto that their loved one was somehow still around trying to talk to them. All she had to do was make that happen, that is pretend to make it happen. Either way Mrs Charlene can finally return to her life and have closure. <p >
Paula slipped into the seat and said with practiced calm voice, "please let's form a circle, hold hands. "<p >
The couple held out their hands to her and she grabbed them. "Please close your eyes and think of the most happiest memory you have with David, let it be the most happiest. "<p >
The couple nodded and closed their eyes, she had expected some resistance from the man but he closed his eyes and looked very serious. Maybe the last event— where things started moving on their own in David's room—, which he had witnessed, must have convinced him. <p >
Paula let out a breath and started the string of Latin that followed this point. She kept her eyes open to make sure that the couples did not open theirs. She needed to be able to press the buttons that would cause the curtains to rise as though moved by an invincible force, and the area under their feet to shake. That had caused a small fortune to install and it was still earning back the cost. <p >
As the words started to come near the end she started to draw it out, make hissing sounds and turning her head left and right like something was burning her. She blew out air, raised her voice then lowered it. Raised it again then lowered a few more times then hit the button with her leg. The table started to rattle under them. She felt Mrs Charlene jump and was about to pull away, <p >
"Don't, you mustn't break the connection, ah! Ah! I can feel it. Yes! David, come to us. Your dad and mom are here! "<p >
Mrs Charlene didn't try to pull away again but she kept trembling and making small sob sounds. Her husband remained stiff but his hands had become clammy with sweat. He was just as nervous and scared. <p >
"Oh yes, come! Your mom and dad want to talk with you, comeee !! "she drew the word and let her shoulder slump and her head loll backwards. She remained like this for ten seconds. By this time Mrs Charlene and her husband had already opened their eyes and though they maintained contact with her, Paula could tell they were just a second from panicking. <p >
She raised her head and did not open her eyes. "Mom? "She heard herself speak and felt cold sip into her body. That —that had not been her. She opened her eyes and found that she was in a small dark room, the walls were gray and caked with fern and green stuff. <p >
The room was very tiny, her legs touched the wall when she stretched them. Paula started when she heard her voice a second time,"mom, dad, why are you not saying anything. I thought you wanted to talk to me?"<p >
Was this really happening? Paula stared with wide eyes unable to speak. She literally couldn't, she had opened her mouth to ask what's going on, to scream but nothing came out. It was as if a block was placed in her throat even though she couldn't feel it there when she touched her throat. What was happening? How did she get here. <p >
Paula shook her head and tried to snap out of her shock. First she needed to analyze the situation. One explanation was she had fallen asleep and was dreaming. Highly unlikely, she would never fall asleep when she had a customer. The next conclusion would be... <p >
"Son, "she heard the catchy breath of the man, he seemed to have realized that this was his son. Then, does that mean... no, there are no such thing as ghost. Non. This was not happening. That's right! It's a trick! A dream. Oh God, what was she going to do? How was she going to get out of this. <p >
The room had a door, black and almost invincible. Maybe opening it would send her back into her mind. Yes, she must be dreaming and opening that door was the key to waking up. <p >
"We missed you so much, "the mother started sobbing loudly. <p >
"Oh mom, don't. I can't deal with you crying as well as my being dead okay, please just —dad please make her Stop. "<p >
"I'm sorry but, I just, I, I "if Mrs Charlene was sobbing loudly before now she was bawling. Outright. <p >
"Aw mom, "she could hear the almost exasperated tone of the voice.
Ignoring what was happening, because seriously this couldn't possibly be real, Paula hurried to the door. It had no handle. She couldn't take anymore of this, she felt like she was slowly suffocating and trying too hard to breath and her nose felt raw. No more, she thought, she needed to wake up right now!<p >
She rushed at the door, prepared to kick it open. ' I wouldn't do that if I were you ' <p >
That had come from inside her own head. Paula froze. She got a feeling, like eyes, large eyes in the sky or on the ceiling looking at her. She looked up, slowly because she didn't want to believe that this was really happening. Big gray eyes on the ceiling, no not ceiling on the pinkish gray sky. <p >
Paula took two breaths, she needed them, and screamed her lungs out. <p >
She must have fallen asleep, when she woke her nightmare had not ended.