I think you've missed something. I can't say too much for fear of spoiling it for someone else. Just remember that you're trying to resurrect two people, not one.
You can only write the correct spell on the parchment. Anything else fades away. Remember what it said in the spell book about the spell you're trying to use.
You can only TALK TO ESMERALDA or ASK HER ABOUT <something>. I think you meant the latter. There's currently no response for the crystal ball, but I can add that in a post-comp release. You can ask her about a lot of things. As an example, EXAMINE CRYSTAL BALL mentions the future, so ASK ESMERALDA ABOUT FUTURE is a good one to try.