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EARTH ANGELS & MAGIC MOMENTS
“Julia?” I asked, my voice low. This whole thing
felt off. Like a scene from a movie I’d accidentally
walked into. “I don’t believe this.” I still had that after-
speech buzz, the good kind. Now it was getting mixed
with a serious dose of what-the-hell?
Then she spoke again.
“You’re an expert at helping people. You’re good at
it.” Her voice trembled, just a little. Sadness seemed to
weigh her down. But if you looked close, real close?
There was a tiny flicker. A spark of hope in all that
mess.
“Is it possible,” she said, her voice firm but laced
with a hint of desperation, “that I can buy an hour of
your time?” She glanced around the lobby, her eyes
flicking towards an old couple nearby.
“I need some help right now,” she said. Her hand
slipped into the string bag, and she pulled out a plain
white envelope. She pushed it towards me, her fingers
hesitating for a moment before releasing it.
The envelope was thick, and I could tell it
contained a serious amount of cash. My eyes met hers,
and I raised an eyebrow.
“One thousand dollars. One hour.” Her voice
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