Having to Work

            I braved a trip to the library after speaking with Dr. Allison. The job she offered recommended having high logic skills, of which I had none. Even though I didn’t want to start working some weird job that would demean me, I didn’t want to be terrible at it either.

            Logic was not my forte. I stared at the pages of the book for hours and didn’t feel as if I learned a thing. When my stomach started complaining, I put the text back with a sigh and headed out.

            I had a rainbow snow cone as a treat to distract myself from having to enter the general workforce.

            I followed up my icy meal by picking some flowers. I was building quite the collection.

            That evening I zipped my smelly body up in dirty coveralls. I had accepted the position of Tarot Card Reader, which for some reason meant I had to hunt ghosts. The only ghosts I had ever seen were the peaceful kind visiting with loved ones in the cemetery at night. I had no qualifications whatsoever. The only reasons I could think Dr. Allison would give the job to me was because of its late hours and my unconventional (and temporary) appearance.

            I had to take a cab to get to my first job. The driver would barely look at me, scoffing when I tried to tell him what I would be doing.

            My first official haunting was at a pretty nice house. I mean, it wasn’t nearly as large or impressive as my old homes. It was good for being in a hick town though.

           Sure there was a ghost in front of me, but all I could think about was how the people there must have really loved their animals.

            Their horse got in the way of my Banshee Banisher. Hopefully that wouldn’t result in any kind of long-lasting damage; the last thing I needed was a lawsuit without my team of lawyers.

            I captured all four spirits easy-peasy. Perhaps any buffoon could have done well at my job… or maybe I simply had incredible natural talent.

            I slipped out for my next gig as the lady of the house came home. I didn’t really want anymore stares.

            I was called to a single woman’s house. She sounded quite alarmed, so I quickly zapped the airy spirits in the yard.

            That was not all of them though. I had to go into the house and suck up one more.

            I was starving after that last one! I wanted to run back home and get to the snow cone machine, but the woman was braving my smell to come thank me.

            She was kind enough to indulge me in some town gossip, and I figured this was her way of being nice. I appreciated a friendly face, although it wasn’t as good as one full of admiration.

            Since she had kept me, I rooted around in her fridge and got some ice-cream. Orange flavored, not my favorite but you know the beggar’s saying. She scolded me for being rude, yet allowed me to stay and eat.

            She even invited me to watch some television with her for a while. It was obvious that my stench bothered her though, so I went home fairly quick. She really had been lovely. Too bad I didn’t catch her name—a skill I never needed to pick up in the past.