Tonight

by Jennifer Jackson
(Wisconsin)

Regina's breathing returned to normal as she felt her body slowly melt out of the trance. She wiped the sweat off her forehead, pen still clutched in her left hand and looked from her clients, a husband and wife, to the table where the notepad should have been. It wasn't in front of her.

"Could I have that back?" Regina asked.

"You most certainly can't!" George said.

"I have been doing automatic writing for years, sir. Let the person who received the message, deliver it."

Outside, the sounds of children laughing, feet running, and rides grinding were the only things to dimly suggest they were mere yards from a carnival in full swing. Regina Anders gave tarot readings at a gypsy tent on the fairgrounds and only used her camper as a meeting place for private business, like now.

"Please," Regina said.

"You're sayin' we're gonna die tonight."

"Madam Anders didn't say it, George, the spirits did," Jenna said.

The notepad landed in Regina's lap as Jenna slid it across the table. Regina picked it up and began to read through the squiggles.

"Yes, there is the word tonight here but also the word tea," Regina said.

"But he didn't ask when we were going to die until the very end. And that's when tonight showed up," Jenna said, biting her lip.

Regina put the notepad on the table where they could see it.

"I am brewing some tea. Maybe they were telling you that you were having tea with me tonight," Regina said, smiling.

Jenna managed to get George to stay for tea.
They drank in silence, the couple casting nervous glances at the paper. Regina pretended to drink but didn't. If George and Jenna had known spirits often answer questions before being asked they wouldn't have, either.