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This town had promise.

While Elsabeth knew she had come here for the circus, it seemed that the town was beset by a significant population of the recently departed.  From the ones that simply walked through the newly constructed buildings, unaware of the change in the landscape, to the others whose eyes peaked through the windows with the longing for life.  A slight grin spread onto Elsabeth’s face as she used her peripheral vision to examine the ghosts in more detail.  There were some soldiers similar to the ones in the fields on the way into town, but there were also young children, elderly, and people who would have been the same age as she was.  Each one was dressed in a fashion that either denoted their position in life, or the era they died, and it was a mismatch of these differences across the town. There was no doubt that once word got out that she was here, and ready to help, she would be quite busy.

Elsabeth knew that there was only one place where she could quickly prove her merit.  It was the same central meeting point in every town where death was guaranteed to happen.  The Tavern.  Elsabeth quickly looked around from the town square before she spotted the aptly named ‘The Blue Door’ with its blue front door.  Elsabeth thanked the heavens that the coachman had dropped her off so close, as she did not fancy a long trek through the town before such a festive occasion such as the circus.  With a gentle first step, Elsabeth moved towards the front door, opened it, and stepped inside.

Elsabeth grinned as she saw her first mark sitting at the far end of the bar, trying to grab at a tankard of ale that was sitting right in front of him.  He had long hair, but it was well kept.  His clothes suggested he was a man of some means in life, and no doubt this foray into death was not doing well for him.  Elsabeth gave it another moment of watching before she moved forward.  She could see the tankard begin to shake ever so slowly as the spirit got increasingly frustrated at being unable to grab what it wanted until it suddenly, and ever so gently, moved towards the edge of the bartop before gravity took hold and pulled it down to the ground.  The metal tankard hit the ground with a noticeable thud.

The woman working just a bit further down the bar jumped in surprise, hand reaching and resting on top of her chest, as she turned to face the source of the noise.  “Good Heavens, what was..” She paused as her eyes scanned for a minute before she spotted the tankard on the ground and her expression quickly turned dour.  “Ah blast it, not another one.  Wind must’a caught it again,” she paused as she spotted Elsabeth looking on with a bemused expression.  Quickly, the woman’s expression changed with the change in fortune.  “Waste of a good ale, that’s what that is.  I am sorry for that disturbance, ma’am, name’s Agatha Bellwater. What can I do for you?”

Elsabeth moved towards the bar and slowly slid into a seat next to the apparition, careful to not look at it directly but keeping enough of it in her view to still view how it looked.  [Color=BA55D3]”I have arrived in town as I heard there was a circus performance to be held later on.  In the meanwhile, I come seeking both food and a room to nourish my soul and rest my weary bones.”[/color]

Agatha simply smirked.  The circus was many things, but she had hoped it would be easy money for her.  If this well dressed woman was any indication, her fortune may very well be on the way up.  “I do a basic meal at a sixpence, that will get you some bread, meat, a pickle, and a pint of ale.  Hot food is one shilling sixpence, and that will get you a stew, pie, or slab of mutton.  I do the cooking so you would just need to ask, and pay, and I will get right on cooking that up for you.  If you fancy an ale, or a porter, it will be threepence.  As for a room to rent, we have a shared room that is one shilling per night, and a private room available that is one shilling sixpence.”

[Color=BA55D3]”You have so many options, Agatha, most impressive,”[/color] she paused as she caught the ghost looking at the woman with a certain longing in his eyes. 

“My late husband knew that the people who visited this town deserved to have the option for a private rest, god bless his soul, and I haven’t had the heart to change anything since he has been gone,” she paused as she forced a smile across her face, “prices and all.”

[Color=BA55D3]”I don’t mean to pry, but how long has it been,”[/color] Agatha paused as she straightened her posture.

“A year tomorrow.”


Elsabeth let her eyes slide ever so to get a better look at the man's face.  While she was not as well versed in knowing how long it had been since someone had died, she could tell that he was not quite at the wailing stage, nor had he lost hope in interacting with the living world.  He was a recent death, and he could be around a year old.  Older ghosts tend to lose sight of what is in front of them as their grief consumes them.  Yet this ghost still had the sense to reach for an ale to dull the pain of their eternal damnation.   Elsabeth turned her head to the man, and let her eyes linger on him for a moment.  The man turned his head and locked eyes with Elsabeth, before he looked behind him to see if she was looking at something behind him, before he turned back and saw Elsabeth adjust her eyes ever so to remain locked on his.  Elsabeth allowed a small smile to cross her face.

“You, you can see me,” he asked, his voice coarse and rough as if there was something blocking his windpipe or damage that remained unseen.

Elsabeth gave the man a quick nod.  [Color=BA55D3]”What is your name,”[/color] she paused as she turned back towards Agatha and pulled out her coin purse, grabbing enough coinage to pay for a hot meal and a private room.  [Color=BA55D3]”The road here was long and I am afraid I must have left my memory out in the fields.  May I have a hot stew, with meat and potatoes if possible, and a private room.”[/color]

“Joseph, Joseph Bellwater” the man responded quickly as he scurried closer to Elsabeth phasing through the empty stools, causing them to shake ever so.

“Agatha, Agatha Bellwater, don’t you worry about a thing, miss.  Are you sure you only want to rent the room for the night?  Someone might get it before you do tomorrow.”

[Color=BA55D3]”I have a feeling we’ll be coming to an arrangement here soon for the nights that follow, Agatha,”[/color] Elsabeth paused as she passed the coinage to the woman, looking around to see if there was anyone else who could hear what she said next.  There was a man passed out in the corner, and besides that she had arrived sufficiently early to avoid a crowd.  Perfect.  [Color=BA55D3]”Have the tankards been falling off the shelves ever since your husband Joseph died right here at the bar?”[/color]

Agatha took a step back, face as if she was the one who saw the ghost.  “How did you…”

[Color=BA55D3]”As I said,”[/color] she paused as she looked at Joseph, before towards Agatha, smiling at them both, [Color=BA55D3]”we have much to discuss.”[/color]