BOOOMMM!!!
The noise blasted through the basement, almost ricocheting off the windows, as rain droplets slid down the glass planes and the night sky lit up with flashes of lightning.
We were currently looking at what we thought was an old grimoire on the floor of Katrina's house. She assumed the basement was the best place for this so we wouldn't be interrupted by her little sister Nancy and her nosy mother.
It looked like the place had never been inhabited before, with thick coats of dust littering the crevices and dead insects on the mantle of what looked like an old fireplace. I kicked away the dead body of what looked like a moth and tried to hide my disgust. This was definitely not one of her best ideas.
Katrina couldn't stop rambling on about her latest discovery and told the girls and I that we had to come over immediately after school to assist her. Her latest obsession was anything related to Wicca. She even thought she had found a spell to "attract in the love of our lives".
We went along with it because for a second it made her smile and god knows she needed it after losing her dad last year. At seventeen, Katrina was feeling a little lost and I knew this was her way of grieving. I think she had a little hope that maybe she'd be able to see her dad, no matter how far fetched it sounded.
I ran my hands over the book, taking in the rough edges and the gold plating. I opened the book and turned to the first page which had a warning scribbled into the top corner of the old, stained page.
"Beware, for everything has a price. The universe will collect to ensure balance."
I immediately felt on edge and closed the book shut, pushing it away and trying to erase the phrase from my mind. I had a bad feeling about this but I tried to silence my head and ignore my gut that something about this felt wrong, for Kat's sake.
"Okay Kat, are we going to do this?"
She simply nodded her head and instructed us all to stand in a circle, facing the direction of the elements, North for air, south for earth, west for fire and east for water. She began to chant the inscription as we all held hands.
That's where it all went wrong.
The wind had started to howl and the hairs on my arm began to raise.
The smell of rot suddenly filled my nose, causing me to break the circle to plug my nose.
"Can anyone else smell that?" I asked, right before a splintering knock hit the door, causing shivers to run down my spine.
Something wasn't right and someone was about to come in.
Someone who was not invited.
