Shivers

Don't Disturb The Dead

On a dark and stormy night, Kate and Valerie sat in Kate's living room, bored and looking for something to do. The flickering candles cast eerie shadows across their faces as they huddled together against the chill. Kate, an adventurous soul, had always been intrigued by the supernatural. Valerie, on the other hand, was more cautious, but her curiosity got the better of her that night.

"Have you ever used a Ouija board?" Kate asked, grinning wickedly.

"Are you crazy?" Valerie's voice trembled with both fear and excitement. "You know what they say about those things..."

"They're just a game, Val," Kate reassured her. "But imagine if we could actually summon a ghost. It would be the most incredible thing we've ever done!"

Against her better judgment, Valerie agreed, and the two women retrieved the Ouija board from the dusty attic. As they set it up on the coffee table, the candles seemed to flicker more violently, casting an ominous atmosphere over the room.

"So, who do we summon?" Kate asked, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

"How about... someone famous? An old actor, maybe?" Valerie suggested hesitantly.

Kate shook her head. "No, let's summon someone more... sinister. What if we try to summon a malevolent spirit? Just for the thrill of it?"

Valerie swallowed hard, her heart pounding in her chest. "I don't know, Kate... Maybe we shouldn't."

"C'mon, Val, don't be such a scaredy-cat!" Kate chided, placing her hands on the planchette. Reluctantly, Valerie placed her hands beside Kate's, and they began.

"Is there a malevolent spirit with us tonight?" Kate called out, her voice eerily echoing in the dimly lit room. The planchette began to move, slowly at first, then more urgently. It spelled out the word: Y-E-S.

Both women stared at each other, their eyes wide with fear and disbelief. The temperature in the room seemed to drop, and a sense of dread enveloped them. The candles flickered wildly as if reacting to an unseen presence.

"Who are you?" Valerie whispered, her voice barely audible.

The planchette moved again: M-A-L-A-C-H-I.

"Malachi?" Kate repeated, her voice shaking. "What do you want?"

The planchette spelled: V-E-N-G-E-A-N-C-E.

The room seemed to close in around them, the shadows deepening, and the air thick with tension. Without warning, objects began to fly off the shelves, smashing into walls and shattering on the floor. A deafening cacophony of noise assaulted their ears, as the poltergeist activity intensified.

"Make it stop, Kate!" Valerie screamed over the chaos, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know how!" Kate cried, her own fear apparent.

As suddenly as it began, the chaos ceased. The room was deathly silent, save for the women's shallow breathing. Then, without warning, Kate's body went limp, her eyes rolling back in her head. Her voice, now distorted and gravelly, emanated from her lips.

"Valerie... I'm here."

Terrified, Valerie stumbled back, watching as her friend's body contorted in unnatural ways. Kate's eyes, now pitch black, stared at her with malevolence.

"You wanted a ghost," Kate sneered, her voice no longer her own. "Now, you shall suffer."

With unnatural strength, Kate lunged at Valerie, who narrowly dodged her grasp. Racing through the house, Valerie desperately tried to escape her possessed friend. She could feel the spirit of Malachi breathing down her neck, its malevolent presence filling every corner. As she reached the front door, it slammed shut before her, trapping her inside.

Cornered and terrified, Valerie turned to face Kate, who approached her with a twisted smile. Her eyes locked onto Valerie's, filled with a darkness that chilled her to the core. As Kate raised her hand, poised to strike, a flicker of desperation crossed Valerie's face.

"Please, Kate," she sobbed. "Fight it! You're stronger than this!"

For a moment, something shifted in Kate's eyes, as if she were trying to break free from the spirit's control. Then, with a guttural growl, Malachi's voice echoed through the room once more.

"You dare challenge me, mortal?" he hissed. "I could end you right now, but perhaps a warning will suffice. If you ever attempt to summon me or any other spirit again, I will return, and I will not be merciful."

With those final words, the spirit released its hold on Kate, her body collapsing to the floor. Gasping for breath, her eyes slowly regained their normal color. Valerie rushed to her side, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Kate, are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling with fear and relief.

Kate blinked, her memory of the events hazy. "I... I think so," she managed to whisper, her body weak and trembling. "What happened?"

Valerie pulled her friend close, her heart still pounding in her chest. "We summoned something terrible, Kate. We were so foolish, and we paid the price."

As they held each other, the two women made a silent vow never to dabble in the supernatural again. They had been spared this time, but they knew the consequences of tempting fate once more could be catastrophic. From that night on, they learned to appreciate the living and to respect the dead, understanding that some doors are better left unopened.