Ouija Right or Ouija Wrong?

Molly sat in the floor, her legs crossed Indian style, and stared at her best friend, Janna, sitting across from her. Their arms were stretched out in front of them, their fingertips resting gently on each side of the planchette in the center of the game board. Molly’s blue eyes were wide as she sat in awe of the answer the Ouija board had spelled out in response to their question.

“Did you do that?” Janna asked.

“No.” Her lips trembled as she spoke, giving her words a slight echo. “I thought you did.” The planchette vibrated against the board as her fingers shuddered on the edge of the game piece.

“It wasn’t me.” Janna took a deep breath and blinked back the tears forming in her eyes. “Please tell me you’re kidding. It’s not funny.”

Janna stood up and pushed the board away from her. The coffee table slid closer to Molly.

“I told you it wasn’t me. What more do you want me to say?” She watched Janna pacing the hardwood floor, her bare feet slapping against the smooth wood.

“I’m scared. Aren’t you scared?” Janna stopped pacing long enough to watch Molly, her hands pressed against her hips.

Molly stood up and blinked. “No. There’s no reason to be scared. It’s just a silly game. You can’t possibly believe it?”

“Yeah, I believe it. You said you didn’t move the thing and I know I didn’t move it, so something did. How can you not be scared? It just told us that we were going to die tonight!” Janna heaved a breath, whooshing the air out of her lungs.

“It’s just a game. It’s not true. I don’t know why it moved, but it’s not really a ghost.”

“Then you tell me how it moved? Explain it to me.”

Molly pursed her lips as she tried to think of a reasonable explanation for what happened. She shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s magnets or something. I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

Janna stared at her, her breath coming in short rasps. Wrapping her arms around her stomach, she bent forward as if she was in pain. Molly rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Janna’s shoulders.

“Don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen.”

A heavy knock on the front door had them both jumping, clinging to each other for dear life. They stared at each other, neither moving to answer the door.

“What do we do?” Janna stared at her, waiting for a response to her question.

Molly’s jaw dropped open as she waited, speechless. Her heart pounded in her chest. She closed her eyes and shook her head side to side. She didn’t have a clue what to do. They were alone in the house, her parents were not due home for hours. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. Sweat beaded on her forehead and she felt the clammy cold wash over her.

“Who is it?” Molly barely got the words out of her mouth before her throat dried up. She swallowed.

“I need to use the phone. My car broke down and I need to call a tow truck.”

Janna’s fingernails pressed into Molly’s arms, cutting off the circulation. Molly pressed her eyes shut and tried to force a calm appearance.

“I’m sorry. Our phone isn’t working.” She shook her head at the ignorance of her statement. What if it was some lunatic and she just told him they had not contact with the outside world? What kind of idiot was she?

“Look, I’m really in a bind. I swear, I’ll be on my best behavior. I’ll use the phone and leave. I promise.” The voice on the other side of the door sounded like a rational human being.

She felt bad for the guy. After all, she wouldn’t want to be stuck outside in the dark with no way of getting help except for the mercy of strangers. But they were just two teenage girls stuck at home alone on a Friday night, they couldn’t be letting strange men into the house. That would be crazy.

Molly stepped closer to the window and edged the curtain back enough to get a peek at the stranger. He stood outside the door with his head slightly lowered. Short brown hair topped his head in a neat feathered cut. His squared jaw and cleft chin gave him a ruggedly handsome look. Wearing a dark business suit, his clean-cut appearance relieved some of her fear. She glanced down to see his briefcase held firmly in his hand.

She frowned. Why would he carry his briefcase to the door? Why not just leave it in the car? A shiver ran down her spine and she shook it off. Maybe he just had valuables in it and didn’t want to leave it alone in the car. She was just freaking herself out.

Janna wasn’t helping. She remained glued to Molly’s side, her hands still held their death grip on Molly’s arm. Molly took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, sir. You’ll have to try the next door neighbor. Maybe they can help you.”
Peeking out the window again, she caught the frown on his face. He opened his mouth to speak again, when a pair of headlights splashed across the front of the house, illuminating his silhouette.

Stepping away from the door, the stranger disappeared into the shadows and Molly felt her heart beating double-time. She watched as two teenage boys strolled up to the door as if nothing had been strange at all. Had they not seen the man dash away? How could they not be concerned?

Molly pulled open the door and sucked in a deep breath of the cool night air. “Jason! Trey! Thank God you guys are here. Hurry up and come in.” She glanced around to make sure the stranger was not hiding in the shadows.

“Hey girls. What’s up?”

Molly grabbed Jason’s arm and pulled him inside. Trey picked up his step before she grabbed him too.

“What’s the matter with you two?” Jason pulled Molly into his arms and placed a small peck on her forehead.

“Nothing, now. We’re fine. What are you doing here?” Molly glanced at Janna who was holding on to Trey as if he was the only think keeping her alive. Her arms were wrapped around his neck and she whimpered against his shoulder. Molly shook her head. “Didn’t you see the guy standing outside the door when you guys pulled up?”

Jason flashed Trey a look that set a weight on her chest.

“What?” Molly glanced between the two boys, whose expression had suddenly taken on a serious tone. Her eyes darted between them, hoping one of them would answer her question. “Tell me!”

Jason grabbed her arms and held her in front of him, his lips pursed tight in a frown. “That’s why we came over here tonight. We heard on the radio there’s an escaped serial killer on the loose and they think he’s in the area.”

Molly blinked as reality set in. If they hadn’t showed up when they had…the Ouija board could have been right. She turned to face the game and stared up at Janna. “Should we ask?”

Janna nodded in acceptance.

Molly took a deep breath. “Lock the door, Jason.”