Chapter 1
Iza
Halloween night, Mikayla skipped up our front walkway with her black tutu blowing in the chilly breeze and her bright orange hair bouncing with it. She had way too much energy for someone who looked tired during the entirety of the frat party. “Wanna summon some demons?”
“Micky,” I yawned. “It’s late.”
“Oh come on!” she exclaimed, looking between Jada and me. “It’s Halloween night, the costume party was shit, and I want to actually be spooked. Plus it’s not even eleven o’clock yet and it’s Saturday tomorrow, so no classes.”
“John’s dick didn’t spook you enough?” Jada giggled.
Mikayla exaggerated an eye roll. “Maybe it would’ve if I could actually see it.”
I shoved my key into the front door lock and jiggled it like I usually did to get it to unlock.
She jumped up and down next to me. “Please! Please! Please! Please!”
“Only for a bit,” I said, opening the door. “I have to study.”
“Meet in your room in five!” she shouted, already halfway up the stairs to dig through her closet and find the ouija board that she bought on discount November 1st last year. She loved Halloween with a passion, obsessed over ghosts and ghouls, and had even memorized a plethora of spells from when we visited Salem, Massachusetts last year.
While I didn’t particularly believe in the mystical, I played along with her since she was my bestie of seven years. If she were anyone else, I would’ve laughed in their face for even suggesting that we play with a ouija board on Halloween.
And it definitely wasn’t because it kinda scared me.
Maybe…
What if something did happen, and we summoned a demon who haunted us for the rest of eternity?! I had to finish college and didn’t need to worry about some nasty, creepy creature living in my closet for the rest of the semester.
“Imma change out of this lingerie fit first,” Jada called from her bedroom.
After dumping my purse on my desk, I tore off my devil costume that I ended up feeling self-conscious in the entire night around all those skinnier sorority girls at the party and pulled on fuzzy pajama bottoms and a tank top, so much more comfortable in my own room.
“Coming in!” Mikayla shouted from outside the door. “Best be naked.”
My lips curled into a small smile, as the door swung open and she stepped in with a ouija board resting across her arm. Jada walked in a few minutes later with pimple cream all over her face, her coiled hair tied up in two knots on the top of her head, and a bowl of popcorn.
Don’t ask me what kind of sorcery she did to get ready for bed so quickly.
Mikayla shut the door and placed the ouija board on the fuzzy orange rug in the center of my bedroom, then plopped down onto her stomach in front of it. “What kind of demon do you wanna summon?”
“The ones that leave quickly, so we can get off to sleep,” Jada hummed, smirking at Mikayla because she knew it’d make her angry. “I’m tired as fuck and want to decorate for Christmas tomorrow.”
“Got it.” Mikayla winked. “I’ll summon the most annoying one just for you.”
I sat beside them and crossed my legs, staring down at the black painted board with white letters on it. I had only ever seen one of these things in the Halloween discount section at Michaels Craft store, but this one looked… different.
“Are you sure this is a ouija board?” I asked.
“Of course it is!”
Jada squinted at it, then arched a brow. “It doesn’t look–”
“Shush! There’s no trying to get out of it now. I’ve already started the summoning.”
Jada snorted. “All you’ve done is touch it.”
“And how do you think summoning works?”
“Do you even know what you’re doing?” Jada asked.
Mikayla tossed some red hair over her shoulder. “Of course I do.”
I leaned back on my hands and arched a brow at my best friend who stared down at the ouija board with the widest, most I don’t know what the fuck I’m doing eyes. Then she poked at it and smiled innocently at us.
“You know, I’m more of a witch-spell kinda girl. I haven’t had a chance to use this yet.”
“Well do your witch-shit then,” Jada said, popping a piece of popcorn into her mouth.
As if watching Mikayla was her entertainment.
And I mean, it was kinda silly. But I would never tell Micky that.
While Mikayla began muttering something in Latin, I glanced at Jada and hoped that whatever Mikayla was saying wasn’t actually going to summon a demon. I didn’t believe in it, but Mikayla did. Hardcore. And with what she was saying… she might just summon something.
Wind whistled outside, making the back screen door slam against the house repeatedly. I looked through the window across from my bed and chewed on the inside of my cheek, as Mikayla’s voice turned into a soft whisper of foreign words.
“Come out, come out wherever you are, Mr Demon,” Jada hummed.
“Jada, you know that’s not how it works,” I said. “He has to–”
Thunder boomed through the bedroom, and I jerked back, heart pounding.
Jada smirked and quickly moved the board to the right. “Scared?”
I cut my gaze to her. “No.”
Suddenly, Mikayla’s eyes rolled back into her head, so we could only see the whites. Jada and I shared a look as lightning flashed across her face, then I leaned closer to Jada and lowered my voice. “What did she drink at the party?”
“Apparently, the good shit.”
“I feel a presence,” Mikayla murmured.
Jada arched a brow. “Girl, you know there ain’t no presence in here right–”
Before she could finish the sentence, another pop of thunder rattled through the house, and the lights turned out. I clutched Jada’s hand, breath hitching. Maybe we really weren’t alone. It was Halloween night after all…
Anything could happen.
