HORROR TALES OF THE SILENT NIGHT

Leave the books alone!

Lauryn watches her older sister as she scrambles around the living room, preparing for a long night of junk food and horror movies. She's a blur of black and pink, her bonnet flapping in the breeze as she zooms by. It's almost cringey to see her so excited to watch B-rated movies they've already seen way too many times. Kris turns off the lights and uses her phone to guide her back to the couch. She plops down next to Lauryn, clicking her phone off and the t.v. on. "Let's get this show on the road."

Lauryn taps a rhythm on her phone case. "We do this every Halloween. Don't you wanna do something else?" She wiggles her eyebrows and wiggles her fingers.

Kris's eyes narrow. "Nuh-uh. Whatever you have planned, leave me out of it." She opens a bag of off-brand hot cheetos and grabs the remote, turning away and clicking through the channels.

Lauryn waits with saint-like patience as she watches her sister's face. Kris gives her some bombastic side-eye and then pops another cheeto into her mouth, but she can see the cogwheels turning in her noggin. She rocks her head back and forth and after five minutes, she lets out a long-suffering sigh.

"Fiiiine. What's your plan?" She grabs a paper towel and wipes the red dust off her fingers, then drains a water bottle.

Lauryn leans over the back of the chair and groans as she swings her heavy bag up and over. Kris chokes, while she raises her hands to block being knocked unconscious and grabs the bag plopping it onto the cushions between them.

Kris makes a face. "One, you almost hit me. Two, you're gonna throw out ya back doing that."

Lauryn places a finger on her sister's lips. "Shhh, you sound like mom." She opens the bag and takes out a large, weathered tome with an intricate metal lock with no apparent key, a letter opener that looks like a sword with a filigreed hilt, a bowl, a pack of candles, matches, and a small pack of sidewalk chalk.

Kris's eyes are as wide as saucers. "What the hell are you planning on doing with this stuff?

Lauryn picks up the time, ignoring the chills that creep over her skin at the mere touch of it. "Nepo." The book snaps open, revealing spells and symbols in messy scrawl. "Ms. Lampley had a yard sale the other day and I found this little gem there. She said she got plenty of use out of it and taught me some stuff," she brandishes the tiny sword, "and she gave me this letter opener as a souvenir."

"Bro, what?" Kris shakes her head. "You need to take that crap back or burn it or something." Kris hops off the chair and runs into the kitchen area.

Lauryn rolls her eyes and places the stuff on the coffee table, following on her sister's heels. "Bro, come on. If it was haunted or possessed or whatever, it would've been worn off by now. Ms. Lampley said that it's been in storage for years, so we're good."

Kris puts the island between them, dancing away when Lauryn gets too close. "Did it ever occur to you that Ms. Lampley's an actual witch?"

"Bro, that's rude. She's just a sweet old lady." Lauryn launches herself over the countertop and the sisters crash into a heap. "Anyway, you didn't even finish listening to my plan."

Kris groans and crawls away on her hands and knees. "I'd rather eat cottage cheese."

Lauryn pouts. "Well, lucky for you, we don't have any." A large slap makes both of them jump. Lauryn pulls herself up by the countertop and freezes. The totally not possessed book is now on the island even though she left it on the coffee table.

Kris's eyebrows nearly hop off her face. "Hell nah." She bolts down the hall into her room and slams the door closed.

Lauryn stares at the book, sitting wide open to a blank page. She moves to pick it up, but the pages start to flip until it gets to an almost blank page. In bold crimson, the words "Flesh and blood, I require. Their debt will be paid." with her signature "Lauryn Cheyenne Dupré" at the bottom. Chills race over her skin as she grabs a rag and scrubs at her name. This can't be happening. "Esolc." The tome remains open. "Esolc!" Lauryn pulls at the book, trying to close it. After a few minutes, she throws her hands up in the air and runs to Kris's room. "Kris! Open the door!" She jiggles the knob. "Kris, open the damn door!"