It was trying to open a portal and come through.
“We asked if anyone was there, and it said yes.” She glanced at me. “We thought it was a parlor trick.” Her voice cracks, and she begins to sob. “God, it wasn’t, Lou. The board went silent. We were so stupid. I remember being excited. We’d made some sort of contact, and we wanted more. It became a tradition. At least once a week, we’d get together and do the board, recording our results. There were spirits who came and went, but never the same ones twice, and nothing serious ever happened.” I can hear her trying to justify what she’d done to herself. Her breathing quickens, and her pupils dilate.
“Then it did?”
“Yes.” Her voice shakes.
“What happened?”
“We made contact with a spirit who insisted he was a guardian angel trying to keep us safe. It warned us that a dangerous spirit was near. We ignored it, knowing they were trying to get us to stay on the board longer. We should’ve listened. Next, he came.”
“Who?”
“Seth. He kicked the others off repeatedly. He knew more than any of the other spirits. He spelled out family names and told us things about our lives. It was exhilarating, and scary, exactly what we were looking for when we started playing with the board. He was funny. He cracked jokes and told us helpful things about the future. We didn’t realize he dominated the board. After we made our first contact with him, he never allowed anyone else on. Then Seth started to single me out. He always wanted to talk to me, and if I wasn’t there, he didn’t want to interact. He started to say I was his. It freaked us all out, so we stopped playing.”
“It wasn’t enough, was it?” I ask gently.
“No.” She sniffs and tucks a strand of stringy hair behind her ear. “Things started to happen in the house. Knocks, whispers, and lights flickering. I started to have nightmares about black shadowy figures.” She rubs a hand over her face. “We knew it was connected to the board. But we weren’t sure what to do. We did some research, and we decided to burn it.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. It was a mistake. The minute it went up and rainbow-colored flames shot out, we all knew it. Everything escalated after that. Knocks turned to booms. Whispers grew louder, and then the footsteps started outside of my room. I woke to see dark figures hovering, and the nightmares intensified. They’re so real now. They’re more like night terrors than anything.” She shivers.
“What about your friends? Do they help?”
“They’re the ones who found out about you.”
“I won’t lie to you, Jenny. You’re in a bad way. I can help you if you’re willing to follow my directions and fight. This entity wants you to think you’re weak, but you’re not. Look at how long you’ve been fighting him. They try to isolate, wear you down, and drain your energy. He’s a parasite.”
“You can see him?”
“I can see the attachment. It’s got a strong foothold. I need to cleanse you and your home, and shut the portal you opened. I think there’s an access point in your home now after all the Ouija usage and the burning of the board. You ended your way of closing the gate when you did that, and let this spirit free.”
“What happens next?”
“I get everything together, and we act. Now.” Because you don’t have any time to spare.
She hesitates.
“Remember what I said to you earlier, Jenny? When you first came in about what would happen if you left. The spirit’s hold on you is strong. This is your last chance before it takes total control. Once that happens, it’s a hell of a lot harder to separate the two of you.”
“Why me?”
“Why anyone? You had a moment of weakness. You were going through a tough time. Your guard was down. These things have nothing to do but wait for the right opportunities to strike. Once I complete this, you can’t look back. No dabbling in the paranormal in any way, or you’ll end up right back here. You understand?”
She nods her head. Convinced of her sincerity, I stand and walk over to the shelves, gathering what I need. I pull my phone from my back pocket and dial Sacha.
“Hey, Lou. Aren’t you at work?”
“I need you right now. We have a nine-one-one situation at the shop.”
“Shit. What’s happening? Did you kill Tante?”
I snicker. “You wish. I came upon an attachment, a bad one to an inhuman spirit.”
“Shit.”
“I’m preparing now.”