Flash Fiction Fridays

Possession

"Ugh, I stepped in cow shit." Nina rubbed the bottom of her shoe on a rock.

"You have to watch out for them," I said, stepping around a pile and crossing to the dilapidated house's front porch.

"No, really, Sandra?" She skipped over one and stood beside me.

I ignored her sarcasm. "You three wanted to come out here."

"We thought it'd be cooler than this." Xavier tested the strength of the rotting boards. "You sure this place is safe?"

"I think so." I glanced over to Calvin. He clutched the Ouija board to his chest in one hand and pushed up his glasses with the other. "You okay, Cal?"

"Yeah," Calvin said.

I thought he looked green, but it might be from the smell. In the distance, a cow mooed. "Let's go in." I stepped onto the porch. The boards protested but didn't break. I shoved the front door open. I coughed when a mixture of dust, mold, and staleness breathed on me from the house.

Xavier flicked on the flashlight, and the yellow beam struck the empty room. "Looks like the roof could cave in."

I stared up at the sunken boards. "It's been like that all my life. I don't think today it'll decide to fall." I stepped inside and tried not to scream when spider webs brushed against my face. "No one's been in here for so many years."

"Sure looks like it." Nina entered and let out a tiny squeak. "Was that a rat?"

Calvin came in behind her. "I think it might've been a squirrel."

"Do you want to do this or not? We can go back to my house." I spotted our footprints in the thick dust. No one had lived here since the murders almost a hundred years ago. It felt wrong to be here, like we were trespassing, even though this was my family's land. "We can go," I repeated, giving them an easy out.

"We're here. We might as well do this." Nina set out the candles and lit them. A raspberry scent filtered in with the dust.

"Yeah. Let's stay." Xavier pulled out the towels, so we would have a place to sit.

Calvin set the Ouija board on the floor and took out the planchette. "Ready, guys?"

Xavier and Nina moved beside of Calvin and placed their fingers on the planchette.

"It was your idea, Sandra. Sit down," Nina said.

They looked up at me.

I couldn't move.

The room felt hot. Sweat beaded upon my brow. Then, something dowsed me in cold water. I shivered. "I think we should leave."

"Come on. You brought us out here." Xavier reached for my hand and tugged on it.

I saw it but couldn't feel his hand in mine.

I jerked away. "What are you children doing here?" My voice screeched out, but it wasn't quite my voice.

"Sandra, stop it. It's not funny." Nina stood up.

I wrung my hands and began to pace back and forth. "He's coming. I know he's coming. Y'all have to git out of here." A thick Southern accent pushed through my lips.

Xavier laughed. "Been watching too much Gone with the Wind, haven't you?"

"He'll be so angry." I stopped. "Git gone. Run." My dress swirled around my ankles, but I hadn't been wearing one.

The planchette moved on its own accord.

"Look, guys." Calvin pointed at the Ouija board.

H-E-

"Git!" I shooed them.

L-P

The fireplace crackled. Smoke rose from it for the first time in years.

M-E

"Help me. Who is this?" Nina clasped Calvin's arm.

The planchette responded. S-A-N-D-R-A

"Not funny, not at all." Xavier stood and shook me. I couldn't feel him. "Stop this, Sandra. It's stupid."

"Git out," I said.

The door banged open.

"He's here." I couldn't wipe off the grim, smug expression.

The flashlight and fireplace's lights went out except for the flickering candles.

Murderous Harold Higgins shot me.

Again.