Every End of the Day

Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

“Come on, Quinn, just let me stay for a couple more days, hm?” his pleading voice annoys me. We have been debating for an hour now. I check the time, it is already 12:30 am. I still have work later. I fake a smile and walk closer to him.

“Look, I’m not the one who wanted you gone. It is your wife. You have been clinging onto her for years now, and she just wants to move on.” I tried to keep my tone as professional as I can. He sighs, “but I just want to look after my kid…” I nod, trying to look like I understand him, but in reality, I just want to get over this. “Maybe you can ask the heavens to let you look after her. I’m sure the angels will allow that.

He looks at me with his eyes full of hope. “You think so?” I nod and start preparing for the ritual. I open my bag to get my red string and start forming the symbol, which can help him transport to his final destination.

You see, I am not a normal human being. No, I am not a vampire or other supernatural beings if you are thinking about those. Rather, I can see dead people and my job is to help them go to the afterlife. As what I call myself, I am normal human by day and a shaman by night.

Once the preparation is done, I signal the man to stand in the center. He looks at his wife and daughter once last time and closes his eyes. I open my bag once again to get a small book that my grandmother, who was a shaman, gave me.

What people do not know about shamans like me is that reciting the “magic lines”, what I used to call them when I was young, is draining. For some reason, I can feel all the energy in my body leave as I speak each word written on the book. The ritual lasts for a couple of minutes but I feel like I have been working out for 2 hours. While I recite the words from the book, I burn my client’s things and some strands of my hair.

Just for the record, there is no amazing light that will appear before my eyes. What actually happens when I send a soul to the afterlife is his body starts to turn into ashes and vanishes. After I finish reading, he is already gone.

“Thank you, Miss Quinn. My husband did not know I was pregnant. But I knew that he never left my side. My daughter can see him too, but she always told me that her father scared her so I knew what I had to do.” The woman in her 40s explained the situation to me. I nod and receive the payment from her. “Thank you very much” she says. I just smile and start walking.

I open the envelope the moment I rode to the cab. Let me tell you a small secret: the money that I get from helping souls is thrice or maybe four times my day job. But of course, I cannot leave my job since I cannot and will never tell my mom about my shaman work. She will just get worried and I do not want that.

“Good morning, sunshine”

For some reason, my tired eyes receive energy after I hear this person in front of me. “Oh, there, there. You worked late again, did you?” Lucas asks as he gets my bag from me. “Thank you” I mumble and walk in front of him. Lucas and I have been best friends since we were kids. We both grew up in the province, moved to the city to study, and eventually stayed here.

Lucas was always there for me and I was for him. Since we are always together, I know him better than anyone else. He is my partner in crime, soulmate, and best friend. Maybe it was because we have gone through so much together that I did not realize that I already fell for him. But, do not worry, this is not a girl-confesses-to-her-bestfriend-kind of story. I do not plan on losing Lucas just because I have feelings for him.

“Here you go” he says and gives me my favorite: takoyaki. I smile widely as I start digging it. “Ops! Eat it later. Let’s have breakfast today!” I look at him dumbfounded. It’s been so long since we had breakfast together. He was always busy with work. While waiting for my reply, he starts to pout. “Fine, fine, fine. Where do you want to eat?” I ask while he laughs and does a small victory dance.

I trust Lucas with everything, even with my own life. But there is one little secret that I cannot and will never tell him. It is the fact that I can see souls and even help them. I know Lucas, he will never let me do these alone, and I do not want him to enter that world.

“Pst, Quinn! Who is this good looking guy?” I roll my eyes as another ghost appear beside me. She is the ghost in the train station who likes to flirt with young guys. She’s 40 years old, mind you. She brushes her hair and tries to act cute in front of Lucas who is busy telling me a story about his cat. She turns to me, “do you think he will like me back?” she then slowly reaches for his hand when I stop her halfway.

“Don’t you dare” I mumble in a harsh tone. The ghost smiles and chuckles, “He’s taken, I see” I raise an eyebrow and grabs Lucas’ arm. “Huh? Why?” he asks. I smile at him, “nothing, just move closer to me” The ghost moves to me, “If you do not want others to have him, why not step up your relationship?

I look at Lucas who is now busy playing with his phone. I have watched tons of dramas and read so many books about this kind of situation. The girl confesses to her first love and he rejects her just because he never saw her that way. So no, I am not falling for that kind of trap. I angrily turn to her, “none of your business”.

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