Gifted: Finders Keepers by Marilyn Kaye

continued, ‘we need to establish a connection among ourselves. Each of you will introduce yourself, and explain what you hope to accomplish here.’ She turned to Amanda. ‘You may begin. What is your name?’
    ‘I’m Amanda.’ She hesitated. ‘Do I have to give my last name too?’
    ‘No, that won’t be necessary – not if you don’t want to,’ the medium said smoothly. ‘We respect each other’s privacy here. Why have you come to the seance, Amanda? What do you hope to accomplish?’
    Ken looked at his classmate worriedly. Had she guessed she would have to say something? What would happen if she told them she just came to keep him company? Would she be thrown out?
    But Amanda was cool. ‘I’ve been thinking about my great-grandmother lately. I’d like to talk to her.’
    ‘For any particular reason?’ the medium asked.
    ‘Well, I never knew her – she died before I was born – and I just want to say “hi”.’
    Ken gave his name. ‘Um, there’s no one in particular I’m trying to reach. I was just wondering if any of my ancestors wanted to contact me.’
    The medium appeared to accept that. ‘All right.’ She turned to the woman who was sitting next to Amanda. ‘And you are . . . ?’
    ‘Margaret.’ She spoke barely above a whisper. ‘I want to talk to my mother.’ There was a catch in her voice.
    Ken looked at her. She wasn’t very old – just in her twenties, he’d guess. Which meant her mother must have died young. She certainly looked depressed. She had long, limp brown hair, with a fringe that hung over the thick brown-framed glasses that covered her eyes. She was pasty-pale.
    The medium must have picked up on the sadness in her tone. She responded gently.
    ‘Did you lose your mother recently, Margaret?’
    ‘Yes. She died only two weeks ago. I – I miss her so much!’
    ‘I understand,’ the medium said. ‘I hope we’ll be able to reach her. Next?’
    The woman sitting by Margaret looked completely different. First of all, she didn’t seem miserable at all. Her heavily made-up green eyes sparkled, and her face was framed by carefully styled silver-grey curls. Long dangly loops hung from her ears, and she wore an orange shawl over a purple dress.
    ‘I’m Dahlia,’ she said brightly. ‘At least, that’s my name now . I believe this is my fourth life, but it may be my fifth. In my previous reincarnations I’ve been called Maria, Constance, Genevieve—’
    The medium interrupted her. ‘Yes, well, we’ll call you by your current name. Why are you here, Dahlia?’
    ‘Well, my memory isn’t what it used to be,’ the woman said. ‘And I don’t want to forget all the friends I’ve made in my other lives. I ’d like to make contact with them and reminisce about old times.’
    ‘But how do you know they’re in the spirit world?’ the medium asked. ‘Perhaps, like you, they’ve been reincarnated too.’
    Dahlia shook her head. ‘No, very few people are like me. Oh, I’m not the only person in the world who has lived many times, but there aren’t many of us who have been regularly reincarnated. And if any of my old friends were alive in another shape or form, I’d know it. I’d feel it.’
    Ken wished he could see the medium’s expression. This woman sounded like a real nut. He glanced at Amanda, and then quickly looked away. He had to avoid making eye contact with her or they’d both start laughing out loud.
    Cassandra turned to the boy sitting next to Ken. ‘Would you like to introduce yourself?’
    ‘I’m Stevie Fisher.’ The boy sounded nervous. He was thin and fair-haired, and looked a couple of years younger than Ken.
    ‘Who would you like to contact, Stevie?’
    ‘My dad.’
    ‘When did your father die?’ the medium asked.
    ‘A couple of months ago. It was a car accident.’
    ‘And is there a particular reason you want to contact him?’
    Stevie nodded. ‘I have to ask him something.’
    ‘Yes?’ the medium prompted him.
    The boy brushed a