“What are you doing here?” She growled as soon as madame Jane bowed and left the both of them alone.
“Calm down, Sandy. Is that the first thing you say to your brother whom you haven’t seen in a long time? Didn’t you even so much as care? I wrote you so many letters. Did you even bother to read or reply to any of them?”
“I am sorry if I didn’t. I’ve been busy.”
“Busy, huh? So, that’s the best excuse you could give?”
“What do you want, Walden? I am finally finding my place in a different setting, why do you have to come and ruin things for me?”
“I am sorry if I had to come to ruin things for you, but I need you, Sandy. I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t. Please, don’t turn your brother away.”
“You need me?” She rolled her eyes, “of course, that’s the reason you came. Thank you for reminding me. I’d almost forgotten the reason why I left such a selfish and arrogant wolf of a brother.”
“Sandy…”
“What do you need me for, Walden? Why did you come here?”
He took a deep breath. It’s been a long time since he saw his sister, and the last thing he wanted to do was to come here to start an argument, even though it was what she was literally asking for.
“I need your help, Sandy. I’ve been having nightmares, not just nightmares, but ever since around the time you left, I’ve been seeing things… There’s a ghost that’s been haunting me.”
She rose a brow, “ghost? What ghost?”
Sighs, “it’s the ghost of your former lover, Sandy. Conor’s ghost.”
After hearing those words, Sandy burst into uncontrollable laughter.
“It’s not funny, Sandy.”
“How is it not? Now I know how it is when you look at me all those times I told you about the man I loved. You thought I was mad! That’s the same way I’m looking at you right now.”
“You can say whatever you want to me, Sandy. Insult me! Call me names or whatever! I don’t care as long as I get what I came here for.”
“You still haven’t told me what it is you need me for, Walden. So, let’s just “assume” that Conor’s ghost is haunting you every night like you said. How am I supposed to help you with that? Do you want me to tell him to leave you alone or what?”
“A friend of mine is willing to help me perform a Goni ritual to banish the spirt from the physical. For that, we need to first summon the spirit to the square, and only you can help us with that.”
“I don’t believe in any of these things you’re saying, Walden.”
“I didn’t either, Sandy! I never believed in ghosts, or spirits, visions or whatever you may call those things, not until the first night my sleep was taken away from me. I have not been the same man ever since. I am begging you, Sandy. You have to help me get rid of it.”
She shook her head. “That’s enough! Please, leave my room, Walden.”
“Sandy, please…”
“I SAID… GET OUT!!!”
**********
Maggie was waiting in the balcony of the siltus court when Walden returned with a disappointed look on his face. She didn’t need him to tell her the outcome of the talk he had with his sister. The look on his face said everything, but still she asked.
“How did it go with Sandy?”
He sighed frustratedly, “not good at all. She didn’t even believe a word of what I said. She thinks I’m crazy.”
“How come? Didn’t you try explaining things to her? You should have tried to convince her further.”
“No amount of convincing will change Sandy’s mind on what she’s already decided or chosen to believe. She’s just as stubborn as I am.”
“No matter how stubborn, we still have to keep trying. She is the only one who can help you summon that spirit, Walden.”
“I don’t know what to do, Maggie, believe me, I tried talking to her. She said so many hurtful things but I still tried to beg her, she wouldn’t listen, sending me out of her room in the end. I wish there was some other way to get to her.”
“How about I give it a try? I can help you talk to her just as I promised. That’s why I followed you here, after all.”
“I’m not sure that giving more persuasion will do anything. If she’s refused to help me once, she’ll only do it again.”
“There’s no harm in trying, Walden. We cannot leave this place until we get what we want, even if it takes forever for us to keep begging her to follow you back home, we will keep at it.”
**********
Alpha Damian had let Walden and his guest spend the night since it was already late in the day when they’d arrived. He might have guessed that the talk with his sister didn’t go very well, he might have expected it, but chose not to say anything about it, letting Walden carry on as he pleased.
Maggie chose that same night to go to Sandy’s bedroom to give it a try of her own, reasoning that things might have a different outcome when its woman to woman.
Knock-knock
Sandy heard the knocking sounds from her door again then. She wondered if it’s just another visitor, or her brother who has come to disturb her again. Rather than telling the person to come in straight like she did before, she decided to ask first.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me… Maggie.”
Maggie? Sandy thought strangely. She’d never heard of any “Maggie” around this packhouse before, but she didn’t think too much on that. Since it was a feminine voice that answered and not her brother’s, she was fine with whoever was behind that door.
“Come in,” she answered.
“Hello, Sandy,” Maggie greeted with a smile upon entering.