Chapter 54
It has been one week since Jason and Caroline took the positions as the paranormal consultants to the movie set of “The Haunting Crescent”, and everything has been fine and dandy, other than the fact that though they have tried multiple calls to Erika, Detective Raymond Marcus and Monica Jamerson, even Thomas and Aimee, they heard nothing about the whereabouts of Dr. Nguyen.
And since their late night visit to the set that got them the positions, the movie set has been running smoothly. So smoothly that the Reaper has been quite happy and much less yelly for the past three days, which also made all the set staff much happier and more productive. Well, ALMOST all the set staff.
“Lin! Baker! You are needed here! Come in right now!” the main makeup artist on the set just yelled at them from afar, in a tone that was almost as angering and upsetting as that of the Reaper’s when he’s angry.
Both Caroline and Jason sighed, and headed to the makeup room, at first neither of them knew why Madison, the main makeup artist, held such unfriendliness or even grudges against them. But later as they got to know some of the staff better, they found out that apparently she had a friend that was a self proclaimed medium/psychic and she had been trying for a few weeks to get this friend on set as a paranormal consultant. Now that they became the paranormal consultants instead, there wouldn’t be any chance for her friend, if there was any before.
When they got into the makeup room, they saw that the main actress of the movie, by the stage name of Madeline Bennette, was holding a strangely shaped purple crystal vase and two flowers with long stems.
“Hi, what can we help you with?” Jason asked with a smile.
“Yes. I heard that you are the paranormal consultants on the set. So I guess that you are psychics?” Madeline Bennette asked in her typical soft and mildly ethereal voice: “I could use your help here. This is my special aura cleansing vase, made from a whole crystal. I usually use Lily and Rose to cleanse my aura before the shoot. But I am having a hard time making a decision between these two wonderful pieces - this beautiful rose in full bloom? Or this lily touched by morning dew?”
“Umm… we’re not that kind of paranormal consultant.” Caroline shook her head, displaying some impatience.
“What she meant was...” not wanting to piss off one of the main stars of the movie and losing their position, Jason stepped in with an explanation: “We’re more of the… investigation and nuisance prevention kind of paranormal consultant. Aura cleansing and brightening is not really our specialty.”
“Really? That’s disappointing.” Madeline Bennet put down both the flowers and her vase.
“Don’t worry Ms. Bennette, I have a friend, she’s a brilliant and knowledgeable psychic. If I can get her on set, she can help you everyday with all things concerning your aura, and your chakra...”
“What about just a hunch? What do your guts tell you?” before Madison could finish, Madeline asked: “It might not be your specialty, but if you guys are the real deal, you can still tap into the aura around here and enlighten me on my choice.”
“My guts said, you are more in-tuned with the aura than we are.” after thinking for a short while, Jason said: “I think you should go with your instincts.”
“Flattering. But I am not there yet.” Madeline Bennette smiled and said: “Please, just tell me what your gut feelings are, I insist.”
“Go with the lily.” Caroline said: “Morning dew is pure and full of life. Full bloom is beautiful but it signals the start of aging and decay.”
“Nice, lily it is.” Madeline Bennette was just about to throw the rose away, yet Jason stopped her.
“The start of decay is also a part of the circle of life. Let me have it if you so will.” Jason smiled as he took the rose from Madeline Bennette: “My colleague and I will try to make the best of it.”
“Sure you can have it. But don’t you dare put it online for sale.”
“I sure am tempted. But I definitely will not.” Jason laughed as he put the rose into his pocket, and left the makeup room with Caroline.
“What was that? You a fan?” as they went to the outer parts of the set, Caroline asked.
“No. Actually I just had a hunch.” Jason took out the rose and said: “I just feel this rose should not be in that vase.”
“Hmm… how so? Do you know why?”
“I don’t know. I just felt like it would be a bad idea.” Jason picked up an empty water bottle from one of the recyclable garbage bins, gently put the rose inside and tried to find a spot to place it.
“Hmmm, trust your guts. Maybe it’ll just work out.” Caroline smiled, “What I said about the lily was also just my guts - I honestly don’t care either way. ”
“You think this aura cleansing thing is real?” Jason held the bottle and the rose in hand while they were heading to the outside of the set - that is what they usually do onset, they walk around the set to ensure that nothing is haunting the set, “I mean, we know that superpowers are real, ghosts and monsters are real, cultivation is very real. What if the hipsters do have a point about chakra and aura?”
“Another question for Boss for the next session. If you asked me aura does exist but probably just not in the way the hipsters describe it.”
Just this moment, Jason’s phone rang, it was a text from Tim, a buddy of his and a member of the video channel of which Jason was a part of. The text read: “Dude! Where are you? Call me right now!”
Since their job as paranormal consultants have been pretty boring and uneventful so far, Jason decided to call Tim right away.
“Hey, Tim, what’s up?”
“Finally, Jason, I have good news for you.” Tim on the other side sounded really excited: “Did you know who just called us? Branston! The host of the Branston Show!”
“What?!”
“Yeah, I know right! They are huge! They want to collaborate with us!”
“Mothefu - ”