A Guide to the Other Side by Robert Imfeld Page B

“It was something I had no control over and believed to be justified.”
    â€œWell, I feel justified in killing spiders when they sneak up on me out of nowhere,” I said. “They have double the legs of most animals. It’s creepy. Why do they need that many legs? They’re clearly monstrous animals, and I treat them as such.”
    He raised his eyebrows at Kristina, who slowly shook her head, but I didn’t care because I felt like I had won the argument.
    After I was done whittling, they instructed me to crack an egg downstairs and bring the shell back to my room.
    â€œThis is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done,” I mumbled to myself, walking from the kitchen, eggshell in hand, and thinking of Fleetwood and his dumb accent. Why was Kristina even bothering to hang around him? There had to be better spirit guides in the Beyond besides that clown.
    â€œHere we go,” I said, presenting the shell to them. “One eggshell, at your service.”
    â€œWonderful,” Fleetwood said. “We’re nearly there!”
    â€œAll you have to do now,” Kristina said, “is put the stone inside the eggshell, close the shell up, and then place it in the center of the wooden bowl.”
    I furrowed my eyebrows. “Okay,” I said slowly as I did as they instructed.
    â€œAnd here we are,” Fleetwood whispered, admiring the talisman. “Excellent work, Baylor. Now, if you’ll kindly turn off your lights and light a candle for us.”
    I nodded, grabbing a fresh one from my nightstand and switching off the light before walking back. Illuminated by the glow of my computer’s screen saver, I struck a match and lit the wick, which crackled violently.
    â€œWe’re ready,” the colonel said. He and Kristina positioned themselves around me, forming a small circle. “Baylor, place the talisman on the ground and keep hold of your candle. Good. Now, what I need you to do is very simple: Imagine the light of your candle enveloping the talisman with positive energy, and all the while think the words, ‘With this tool I will only do good.’”
    I shut my eyes and imagined the flame spreading out from its home on the wick and encircling the talisman.
    With this tool I will only do good.
    With this tool I will only do good.
    With this tool I will only do good.
    I opened my eyes and nearly dropped the candle. A thin golden ribbon was slowly slicing through the air, like a river on fire, heading right for the talisman, where it began to shoot around the way an asteroid would orbit Earth, quickly, blindingly, securing the wooden bowl into its web of flames.
    I watched with awe, longing to touch it just to see what would happen.
    â€œUh, Kristina? You never told me I could do this.”
    â€œNot now, Baylor,” Kristina murmured. She extended her hands, palms down, over the talisman and calmly said, “Spread your light.” And from her hands emerged that same blue light that she had used to send away the meddlesome spirit at the hospital. It pulsed out of her in feeble waves, eventually joining the candlelight and turning the sphere electric blue.
    Colonel Fleetwood mimicked Kristina’s hand position and said, “Find your purpose.” The waves of light that emitted from his hands were shockingly white, hitting the blue and gold with a sharp hiss and causing the whole thing to swell and burn white, like a small supernova.
    After several seconds of staring at the inferno, both amazed by what was happening and worried that my retinas were burning, a fierce, powerful sensation boomed from within me, like I was made of fire, and I found myself saying, “Love conquers all,” in unison with Kristina and the colonel, both of whom seemed completely unsurprised.
    And then, as soon as the last word escaped our mouths, the ribbons of energy dissipated, the lights in my room turned themselves back on, and the wooden bowl on the