Justice, the concept seemed out of our hands. What could we do as dead. As ghosts? But I had to believe, I needed that hope that somehow we could make wrong right again.
Anna voiced my doubts, "Do you really think that's possible? What can we do? We're stuck here." "I do not know. But together we must be able to come up with something. " I tried to sound convincing. "Like what? We can't even move the flames of the candle. How in God's name would we be able to get justice." Anna had a valid point and I had no answer. Some of my hope faded and I guess my expression was clear to those around.
"Certainly there must be a way," Carina said, "just look at all those ghost stories we have heard as children, the rattling chains, the slamming doors. Stories like that just don't happen on their own, there must be a reason for it." I paused, and so did Anna. I could see how this information sent her mind spinning. Silvia went to one of the candles. She crouched next to it and moved her hand through the flame. Nothing happened. She tried again.
"But how do they do it?" Anna paused gazing at the candles and Silvia. "Do we just touch things and they move? Or does it take more, something else?" I glanced at Silvia and Anna, uncertain of what to do.
"It doesn't seem to work." Silvia's voice was curious, "It must be possible, one way or another, somehow." Silvia tried again, but the flame remained unmoving. "Surely there's a way," she said, while trying again and again. "Perhaps if I focus enough on it." She sat there, gazing intently at the flame and kept moving her hand through it. The rest of us drifted closer, watching what she was trying.
"If the stories are true, that is." Anna straightened her back, "Do you really think you can do it?" Silvia glanced at Anna, "Sure I can, if only I try hard enough. Anything is possible." Silvia returned to her task, determined to succeed. Anna huffed, her unspoken skepticism clearly showed.
"But what difference is it gonna make if ya can make a flame move? That won't bring us justice ya know. Justice would be to kill him, to make him suffer like he did us." Helena again tried to take charge of the situation.
"How are you going to kill him if you can't touch him, Helena?", Anna said, "I don't think hurting him will bring any justice. Forgiveness is what God teaches us. We must forgive him to leave here, to go to Heaven. Why else are we not already with God? Why are we here in this room?"
That question made us all pause. "What are you saying, aren't we going to Heaven? Is this our punishment?" Sheila sounded very scared.
"Perhaps, perhaps it's because," Maria's quiet voice came as a surprise. She hesitated and I sent her a small encouraging smile. "Perhaps it's because we're meant to do something." She dropped her gaze and quickly mumbled, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything."
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