It’s dark enough, let’s hope I can draw attention away if needed. Zebulund is facing toward the door. The power seat. I blow out a few candles around the outer edge of the table and decide to figure it out as I go. I’m on my own for this.
“I’ve got nothing else. Let’s try the board.” I sit back down.
The men all shift in their chairs and mumble different version of okay.
“Place two fingers of your right hand on the planchette.”
“What the fuck is a planchette?” Craig asks.
“It’s the heart-shaped piece of wood,” Kyle says.
I raise an eyebrow at him.
“I assumed from context.” He points to the board
Before this morning I didn’t know what it was called, but Maggie and I did a cram session on all things dark arts.
“Do you want to ask the questions?” I ask Zebulund.
“Better you do it. You’re the one who sees dead people.” His tone is flat and his patience is worn very thin.
“Okay.” I clear my throat and put my pointer and middle finger on the planchette. It moves easier than I thought it would. The others each add their fingers and it wiggles with each addition. It’s obvious why these are so creepy. It’s as if they have a life of their own. “If anybody is here and would like to be heard, now’s your chance.”
The game piece hovers in the middle of the board, jostling slightly. Honestly, at this point in the game, I’d probably have a heart attack if it started moving. All jokes aside, this shit is getting heavy.
Nothing happens, though.
“Please speak,” I ask again. “We’re here to listen. Don’t be afraid.”
The piece jerks under my hand. I gasp. It was a very manly gasp, of course. The others are wide-eyed as it jumps from the letter “D” to the letter “I” and then to “E.”
It stops.
“What the actual fuck?” Kyle says.
The toothpick falls out of Craig’s mouth.
Zebulund has a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Then Viktor, the bastard, starts laughing. Like a fourteen-year-old that just farted.
“The look… on all your faces.” He slaps the table and the board jumps. “You’re such little girls.”
None of us laugh. Not even a little. We gawk from one another back to Zebulund. I don’t know Zebulund very well but from the way his hands clench the side of the table, I’m genuinely afraid for Viktor.
“Listen, it’s not too late—”
But Kyle’s eyes are wide and horrified. The muscles in his neck are straining from holding himself so rigid. I follow his gaze to the Ouija board, where the small piece of wood moves around the alphabet. By itself.
“What the f—”
23
Maggie
I’m late,I’m late for a very important date! I jog down the hall toward the room where the séance is happening without me. I didn’t mean to be gone so long. Thankfully, in the grand scheme of things, Nancy got drunk crazy fast. Let’s hope Roe has been able to keep the situation contained. And doesn’t murder me for being so late.
I race to the bathroom off the main room and strip out of my clothes. I’m about to run next door when I’m struck with an idea.
