Gravity - By Abigail Boyd Page 0,51

had modern architecture, with high ceilings and bowed archways. Windows lined the entire front side of the building, with vertical, mood-setting tan blinds. I had been there numerous times, accompanying Hugh when Claire was working since he didn't trust me to function by myself. There was now a permanent collection of snacks in my honor sitting in the back room.

Gwen, my dad's assistant, greeted us by the front counter. "Hi, Ariel. Who's your friend?"

Gwen was from Louisiana, with a deep southern drawl. She always wore bright jewel tones that complimented her dark skin. She smiled warmly at Theo, and extended her hand to shake.

"This is Theo," I informed her. "She's my next door neighbor. She just moved here this past spring."

"Don't worry, I'm pretty new myself," Gwen said with a wink to Theo.

Gwen had been working for my dad since she moved to Hell last fall. She'd been an integral part at the very start of the business. Hugh didn't have a great grasp on things like taxes and bills, so the gallery would never run without her. Not to mention she brought so much life to the building it was hard to imagine Erasmus without her.

"Well, feel free to have a look at anything you like," she said, as she and Hugh started talking shop behind the counter.

Theo and I wandered slowly from room to room. Painted benches sat in the center of each open space, to admire the treasures on the walls. Not only did Erasmus house paintings and sketches, but also sculptures, painted tiles and more unusual fare for collectors. A gray, squat potter in the shape of a medieval beast lurked in the corner. High windows along the front let in streams of sunlight.

Theo regarded everything with reverence as she took it in. The thought of how much everything probably cost made me wince. But I knew there were many people in Hell who could obviously afford fine art, as the gallery did steady business.

My thoughts kept going impatiently to the orphanage. Now that I was so sure that something was haunting me, I had to admit I was apprehensive about ignoring it.

"Alright, you're going to think I'm weird," I said.

I wanted Theo to know what my plans were. I didn't just want to foist them on her at the last minute; I wanted to make sure she was willing to go along with them, or at least tell me if I was crazy.

"Don't worry, I already think you're weird," she teased. When she saw my serious look, her face became solemn. "What's up?"

We sat down on one of the benches, painted with orange tropical flowers.

"I was thinking of maybe having a s茅ance," I said carefully. I had listened many times when Corinne told people about her beliefs, and watched their faces become skeptical and mocking. But I didn't see that look in Theo's watchful eyes. "Warwick was telling me about the orphanage, the one that was advertising on the radio. That it used to be a hotbed of spiritual energy or something. I thought maybe it would be interesting to try to, I don't know," I shrugged, unable to find the explanation I was looking for, "Call it up?"

Theo's eyes went to the tall sculpture made of crushed cans in front of us. "For sure," she said after a second. "I would love to be a part of that. Consider me in."

We ended up spending the remaining afternoon in Erasmus, drinking strong coffee diluted with creamers as Gwen and Hugh walked around and planned where they were going to fit Deborah Strait's work. By the time we got home, it was deep into dark, and Theo was chatting excitedly about her plans for her sketches.

"Thanks," she said genuinely, putting her hand on my arm.

"You deserve for people to know how talented you are," I replied. "You can't keep that to yourself. You'd regret it forever."

I watched her skip back to her house, leaning on the same fence that had separated us a month ago. It was funny how fast things could completely change.

I went into research mode in the following days. I visited every site I could find on s茅ances that didn't require me to sign up with a credit card. The most legitimate of what I found required four to six people. There were all kinds of different methods, all touted by the people who provided them to be the best. Some involved holding hands, some just touching fingers, some standing, some sitting. I