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There was a brief feeling of disorientation. She blinked and she was suddenly inside of a small apartment decorated for Halloween. She inhaled and suddenly realized that she could smell. She closed her eyes to just enjoy the feeling. She could smell food and fruity drinks. She could smell the candles. She could smell cigars and chocolate and coffee beans.
She took a moment to just look around the apartment. She saw Spencer and people who she guessed were his team. They were talking and laughing but she couldn’t make out what they were saying. It was just background noise in her head and she just knew that she wouldn’t be able to touch them. “It’s like watching TV with bad audio,” she muttered and had no idea what she was doing there.
“You’re the newest one to join our circle. Welcome to Día de Muertos.”
She started and there was a young woman standing next to her. The woman appeared in black and white with a pink aura surrounding her. “I…” she stuttered. “Circle?”
“The spirits bound to these living people by blood, friendship, honor, or respect.” The woman answered solemnly. Her clothes looked to be from the late sixties or early seventies. She grinned. “Maeve, right?”
Maeve nodded. “Yeah. Who are you?”
“I’m Anna.” When Maeve just stared at her blankly, she grinned even wider. “Penny’s mother.”
Maeve gaped at her. “Oh, okay.
Anna pointed at a black and white man leaning against the wall, stroking a cat. They also had a pink aura. He smiled back at them. “And that’s Penny’s father, Carl, and her old cat Simba.”
“Why…” Maeve’s voice trailed off in confusion.
“Why what?”
“Why do you look like you’re from a black and white movie?” Maeve blurted out and would’ve blushed if she could.
Anna smiled gently. “My dear, so do you.”
Maeve looked down at herself. Except for her clothes, she looked like she could be straight out of a Charlie Chaplin film. She glanced from herself, to Anna, and then back again. “Why is my aura silver and yours pink?”
“You’re here because of Dr. Reid,” a new voice answered patiently. “Silver is his color. Anna and Carl are here for Miss Garcia and pink definitely suits her.”
Maeve stared at Nikola Tesla sitting in an armchair. He also had a silver aura. She would’ve squealed if she thought this was real. “You’re Nikola Tesla.”
Tesla smirked. “Yes, I am and, I assure you, this is real.”
“But how are you here? How am I here?”
A deep voice laughed and interrupted, “Didn’t you read your handbook?”
Maeve saw him standing behind the couch. He was tall. He had a boisterous smile. His police uniform was obvious even though he was in black and white. “Not all of it and I don’t remember a chapter on this.”
He laughed again, genuinely amused instead of mocking her. “Well, you do have all the time in the world.”
“Who are you?”
“Derek’s Pops.”
Maeve tilted her head to the side and studied him in return. “That’s why your aura’s green.”
Pops nodded. “Believe me. It’s a lot better now that he’s not that angry red.”
“Yeah, Dave’s used to be red, too. I’m so glad he’s mellowed to blue.”
Maeve blinked and there was a young soldier standing next to Pops. His aura was brilliant blue. “For Rossi,” she guessed.
The soldier came to attention and snapped a salute. “Private First Class Darryl Jensen” He slouched on the back of the couch. He gave a toothy grin. “And I grew up across the street from Davey.”
Pops mirrored Darryl’s position. He nudged him lightly. “Should we catch that game at Wrigley next spring?”
Darryl’s face lit up. “Sure. It would be a shame to waste the tickets.”
Maeve shook her head, slightly overwhelmed. She saw a blonde woman with a soft red aura standing next to Aaron, simply watching him with a bittersweet smile. “Who’s that?” Maeve whispered to Anna.
“That’s Aaron’s wife Haley,” Anna whispered back. “She was murdered a couple years ago and she’s finally coming to terms with what happened. Her aura used to be an angry red but I think she’s finally realized that she doesn’t want to spend eternity angry and she doesn’t want him to spend the rest of his life that way.”
Maeve nodded to the two spirits chatting by the window. One was an elderly lady with an orange aura. The other was a teenage girl with a gold aura. “What about them?”
“That’s Alex’s mother, Maureen, and JJ’s sister, Rosaline. I’m sure they’re talking about Paris,” Anna rambled. “That’s all the kid wants to talk about. She never got there in life and Maureen spent two years there.”
“But I don’t get it,” Maeve persisted. “What are we doing here? How is this possible?”
“It’s Día de Muertos,” Darryl said as if that answered everything.
“It’s a day where the living honor the dead and we can interact with them even in this limited way,” Tesla added.
Anna squeezed Maeve’s hand. “We can smell. We can taste.”
Maeve’s eyes got wide. “I noticed the smell, but taste.”
“Not much and not in front of them.”
“It’s a day where anything can happen,” Pops stated.
Anna giggled and pointed. “And we always get to see Derek get all handsy when he’s had a few drinks.”
Pops turned to see Derek pressed against Dave’s back and whispering into his ear. Pops rolled his eyes. “I’m glad my boy’s found someone who loves him but they need to just go home.” He turned away from the sight and grinned at Maeve again. “Anyway, read your handbook.”
Maeve laughed. “Okay, I will.”