JACKLYN’s POV
A few friends came over today. Finneas, Billie, and their friends Zoe and her brother Garry. Everyone was downstairs. Billie dragged me into my room almost immediately and pushed me onto the bed. We hadn’t seen each other in about a week, so she’s been extra clingy.
I feel her hand slip between my sweats during our makeout session.
“Billie!” I gasp. She smirks. “Not now, everyone’s downstairs,” I say.
“Please, baby?” She gives me her pout.
The last time we did this, my roommate, Elle, was home. Let’s just say we were a little too loud and someone complained.
“We shouldn’t,” I whisper. I was so focused on her eyes, I hadn’t noticed her hands had slipped into my waistband again.
“Billie.” I meant to scold her, but I moaned, and she laughs.
“Stop laughing at me,” I whine.
“Sorry.” She laughs even harder, then flops down beside me.
I bury my face in the pillow, embarrassed. I feel her sit back on top of my lap and pull the pillow away.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” she kisses my nose. “It was hot.”
At that, I pull her body closer and wrap my legs around her waist.
“It lets me know I make you feel good,” she whispers.
The door opens, and Elle laughs, her boyfriend Max trailing behind her, along with Finneas.
“Oh shit.” Elle closes the door. “Sorry!” she yells through the wood.
I push Billie’s chest lightly, signaling her to get off me, then call Elle in.
“We weren’t doing anything. It’s fine,” I say.
“You’re gonna play the Ouija board,” Elle says.
“You couldn’t have texted me to tell me that?” I say, feigning annoyance.
“You weren’t responding.” She defends.
Billie laughs and shakes her head.
“Let’s go, Jackie,” Billie says.
We set up the board in the middle of the living room on top of the coffee table. Billie and Elle help me light the candles—six in total. Elle carries two from the kitchen. I feel Billie grab my arm before I start to follow her.
“Baby, I don’t know if it’s a good idea to play.”
“Why? It’s fun, come on.” I start walking out, but she pulls me back.
“No, Jackie, I’m scared.” Billie admits.
I smile and deliver a sarcastic comment.
“Out of all people, *you’re* scared?”
Billie usually delivers a witty comeback, but she doesn’t. She’s genuinely scared.
“Oh, you’re dead serious.”
She nods her head. I place my candles down on the island.
“Everything is freaking me out. I can’t even watch one fucking horror movie anymore without getting nightmares.”
Finneas told me fans have been showing up at their house. It’s more controlled now, but they still have a guard sleep over.
I guess that’s what put her on edge. I open my arms to offer a hug, and she accepts.
“If you don’t want to play, we can go back into my room and watch a movie,” I say softly into her ear.
“Nah, everyone’s already here. Never mind.” She grabs her candles.
“Are you sure? We can watch *The Office*.”
“Yeah.” She says.
“Okay, look, don’t worry, this shit is fake. It’s just adrenaline, right?”
“Yeah, like the adrenaline you had when you tried to get me to stop fucking around upstairs but moaned instead.” She laughs.
I kiss her cheek and roll my eyes.
“Exactly.”
I follow her outside with the rest of the candles. We join the circle, and Max switches off the overhead lights. I sit next to Elle and Finneas. We all put our hands on the planchette. At first, nothing happens, but Garry points out a candle flickering wildly. It usually means a spirit is trying to communicate.
“Is someone there?” I ask.
The planchette moves.
Z O Z O
My eyes widen. Elle and I freak out.
“What the fuck. Elle, what do we do?” I ask, fear creeping into my voice.
“I… I don’t know.”
“You know everything about this game. How do you not know?” I yell.
“Woah, what’s going on?” Max intervenes.
“Zozo is the most dangerous demon you can summon. Whenever you get him on the board, you’re supposed to stop playing immediately,” I explain.
“What if we just talk to him?” Max suggests.
Everyone starts talking at once, disagreeing.
“GUYS! We have no bad intentions here. It’s okay,” Max says.
Eventually, we settle down and start playing. “Who are you?” Garry asks.
D E M O N
We all silently exchange looks.
“Are you a good spirit?” Zoe questions.
It moves to *no*.
“What do you want?” Elle asks.
“Dude, why would you ask that?” Zoe says.
“That’s such a freaky question,” I add.
It moves faster than before.
B I L L I E
“Fuck no.” Billie removes her fingers from the planchette.
“Put your hands back on! You know the rules!” Max points out.
“Y’all are fucking with me. Who the fuck did that?” Billie says. Nobody replies. “I’m being dead serious, stop.” She says sternly.
“I don’t think anyone did it, Bil.” Finneas says. I want to reassure her, but I know she’s fine, she’s got it. Plus I’m across the table, so I can’t really do anything. Billie sits back down.
“Show us a sign that you’re here?” Elle questions.
“Elle, what the fuck.” I say. Her questions are getting out of hand.
“Calm down.” Elle replies.
We all silently wait. We hear music from upstairs. It’s my graduation present from Finneas. It’s the graduation song, *Pomp and Circumstance*, but played on a miniature piano. You have to wind it up to make noise.
“Fuck.” I whisper.
Elle explains what the noise is to everyone.
“Are you angry?” Finneas asks.
Y E S
“Why?”
B I L L I E
I look at her. She’s definitely going to have nightmares. I should’ve just watched *The Office* with her.
“What did she do?”
B I L L I E B I L L I E B I L L I E
It spelled her name six times, moving at a rapid pace.
“Guys, let’s end the game. We shouldn’t have asked anything in the first place,” I say.
“What? We need to find out why it wants Billie.” Max says.
“It doesn’t want anything! It’s just a game, okay? Let’s end it.” I yell.
We circle the board three times and chant “goodbye.” Right as we reach the end of “goodbye,” the candles blow out.
“Who the fuck did that?” Billie sounds furious.
“One person can’t blow out all these candles at once. They’re each like, five feet apart,” Zoe says.
Elle turns on the overhead lights.
“That was fucked up.” Max says.
“Bro, come on, who did that shit?” Billie asks seriously.
I get up and stand where she is, but she pushes my touch away.
“Calm down, Bil.” I say.
“No. I’m not gonna fucking calm down. Someone is messing with me. Who?”
“No one.” These were all people who wouldn’t mess around with that shit.
Billie goes upstairs, and I hear the bathroom door slam shut.
“What do we do about this? A demon is in our house,” Elle asks me.
“Get it cleansed. A priest can come over and bless the house.” Garry suggests.
“What if that doesn’t work? My girlfriend won’t ever get to come over again,” I say.
Elle shrugs. “Less noise for me.” I throw a pillow at her. “Speaking of, go make sure your bitch is okay.” Elle says.
“She’s not anyone’s bitch, but okay.” I say. Finneas smiles. I think he appreciates that because guys she’s dated before used to be disrespectful as fuck towards Billie. So I think he notices the small shit I do for her.
I go upstairs and knock on the bathroom door.
“Bil?”
I knock again, and the door opens. She’s not inside, but I see a figure inside.
“Billie?” I push back the shower curtain.
“Yeah?” I hear her say from another room. Her voice cracks. She sounds sad.
I hate it here. What type of paranormal shit is this? I go into my room and find her wrapped up in the sheets.
“What happened? I thought you were in the bathroom.” I get under the sheets and wrap my arms around her as comfort.
“I don’t know. I just felt safe here.”
“Baby, it’s just a game. You’re safe in my house. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
I hear Elle call my name from downstairs.
“I’ll be back.”
As soon as I walk out, I feel her push me. I catch myself on the wall across from my bedroom door. The door slams shut.
“Bil?”
“Jackie?” She calls out.
I hear my music box play.
“Jackie!” Billie pounds on the door.
“Billie!” I jiggle the doorknob. “What happened?” I yell.
“Baby, I don’t know. Just get me out!” She cries.
“I can’t open the door!” She sounds terrified.
It was unlocked before. I groan in frustration. The knob was turning, but it wasn’t opening.
“Elle! Can y’all fucking run and help me!” I shout towards the stairs.
Elle and everyone else runs upstairs. I try to open the door again, and it opens with ease. I trip over my own feet, falling onto the floor. My room is completely dark, and the music box is still playing. Billie is on the floor. The hall light peeks in onto her body.
She flinches when I reach out to touch her. She looks up and tightly grasps onto me. I cup her cheek as she rests her face in my chest. I keep my other hand on her back as comfort. I look up at everyone in confusion.
“Hey, you’re okay, babygirl. What happened?” I brush some hair out of her face.
I think her answer freaked me out the most. All Billie managed to say was, “Zozo.”