Amy turned to Ruth Anne, who had her eyes closed.

“I want … to speak … to your manager … ” Ruth Anne moaned.

They all burst out laughing again—all except Trinity.

“Come on,” she said. “Basil will be back any minute. Get serious.”

“Okay, okay,” Ruth Anne said. “I’m sorry. I’ll be good.”

There were a few more giggles, moans, and strange noises, but eventually the group settled down. Trinity closed her eyes, and Ruth Anne and Carl followed her example, but Amy glanced around the room. The candles flickered in the gloom, throwing shifting light over the Orsk wall posters. “Our home is forever,” read one. “A place for the everyone for always,” read another. Matt caught Amy’s eye and she glanced away, pointlessly embarrassed. She felt like she’d been caught with her eyes open during Thanksgiving grace.

The overpowering scent of the candles was starting to give Amy a headache. The enormity of the store stretched out around them, and the silence pressed down like pressure on the ocean floor.

“Spirits?” Trinity called.

Her voice shattered the silence, and Amy flinched.

“Are you there, spirits? Can you hear me?”

Ruth Anne stretched out her hand and patted Amy’s wrist reassuringly.

“Spirits,” Trinity repeated. “Are any of you present tonight? If you hear my voice, give us a sign.”

There was no noise. Not a sound. Amy realized she was listening as if she expected an answer. They were all listening. The cloying chemical stink of vanilla seemed to be crowding all the oxygen out of the room.

“Spirits,” Trinity continued. “We come in peace, to let you communicate with us and tell us what you want. We know that you were imprisoned here unfairly so long ago, and we want you to know that we wish to hear your stories. You were forbidden to speak then, but you’re free to speak now. Speak, O spirits. Speak.”

Trinity had never sounded so sincere, not in all the time Amy had known her. Trinity really, truly believed this stuff. And only then did it occur to Amy that this séance could in fact be dangerous. Who knows what they might be opening themselves up to? But it was too late. It had started and now it had to run its course.