Transparent

Chapter 1

I lit the incense stick in front of me and watched the flame grow and shrink until it stayed perfectly still. The little flame warmed my face slightly and illuminated the hand I used to hold it. The room around me stayed dark except for the moonlight that shone through my open window. The stars outside glowed brightly. I sighed, careful not to blow on the flame.

Please work, I thought. I just want to communicate with someone. Anyone.

I spoke the words I had memorized from the website quietly, "Are there any spirits in this room with me? If so, please enlarge the flame."

The flame did nothing. It stood still, didn't flicker or "enlarge" one bit. Maybe I messed something up?

I tried again, "Are there any spirits in this room with me? If so, please enlarge the flame."

I was about to blow out the flame and give up, but then it flared. After it's little show, it shrunk back down to normal. Someone was here.

I smiled, "Hello, and welcome. I mean you no harm, no foul words, no violence. I would just like to talk. Do you have any objections to having a conversation?"

It shrunk a bit, then went back to normal. No.

"Hi, my name is Thalia," I started. Yes or no questions, you idiot. "Uhm, are you a good spirit or a demon? Enlarge for good spirit, decrease for demon."

Flare. Normal. It's a good spirit. I sighed with relief.

"Are you a boy or a girl? Enlarge for girl, decrease for boy."

Decrease. Back to normal. Boy.

"Are you happy in the afterlife? Enlarge for yes, decrease for no."

For once, the flame stayed the same. Nothing happened. No enlargement, no decrease. Maybe he had left? Suddenly, something rattled a bit in a bin by my door. I placed the incense in a cheap holder I had bought at the Indian book store down town and stood up, taking my phone with me. Approaching the bin, I turned on my flash and peered inside. All that sat at the bottom of the bin, looking lonely, was my old Ouija board. I turned back towards the flame.

"You want to play Ouija?" I asked, gesturing toward the bin.

The flame enlarged immensely. I smiled and scooped up the board, bringing it back to the middle of my floor where the incense stood on its holder. I opened the board and placed the planchette on the middle of the board. A line from an article I had read somewhere popped into mind.

Never play the Ouija board by yourself. It is very dangerous.

Pfft, I live for danger.

I placed my two hands in front of me, resting two fingertips from each hand on either side of the planchette. I glanced at the flame. I smiled weakly at the flame.

"You ready?" I asked. The flame enlarged, and my smile got bigger. I turned to the board and made a circle around the board.

"Are you there?" I asked stupidly. As if I was going to hear a voice call back 'Yeah. What's up?'

The planchette stopped moving. I couldn't move it. This was either him, or another ghost. It scooted surprisingly quick up to the YES. I smirked.

"You wanted to use this because..?" I asked. It moved slowly across the alphabet until it spelled out a word.

EXPLAIN.

"Explain what?"

HAPPY OR NOT.

"Oh yeah, my question! Are you happy in the afterlife?"

KIND OF.

"'Kind of?'"

LONELY.

"Oh, I see. I know how it feels," I sighed. "Don't other ghosts communicate with you? Like, your dead relatives or something?"

ALL HATE ME.

"They all hate you? I doubt that, you seem like such an awesome guy," I said, smiling. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?" The planchette whizzed around the board at this point, spelling words at lightning speed.

DAMIEN.

"That's a cool name. Sounds mysterious and intriguing," I answered, laughing a bit.

R YOU FRIEND?

"Damien, I'd love to be your friend. I want to learn more about you, you seem so cool. How old are you- Er, I mean, were you?" The planchette moved down to the numbers.

15. STILL 15.

I'm fifteen, I thought. Damien and I will get along great. I glanced at my alarm clock and read 3:31 AM. The test I was supposed to take in calculus suddenly popped into my head. A few more minutes won't hurt.

"So Damien, how did you die?"

SOCIETY KILLED ME.

I felt a puzzled expression creep onto my face. "Society..? Do you mean you.." I couldn't bring myself to say it. If this boy had done what I thought he did...

MOTHER IS COMING. ACT ASLEEP.

Damien was right. My mom was coming. I could hear her light footsteps down the hallway. I was about to turn to thank him, but the planchette had shot to GOODBYE. The flame on the incense was out, too.

Damien was gone.

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A/N: Hi guys! Hope you liked this chapter. :) For those of you newcomers, my name is Delilah and I love all types of stories. I also am writing a book called "Nevara" which sort of has a Halo theme to it, and my other is a Adventure Time fan-fiction called "The Color Purple". If you're interested, those should have first chapters up in a few days, but this story will be the main one I work on. Make sure to comment, vote and continue to read! Stay tuned for Chapter 2!

Peace out rainbow trout! ^.~

~Delilah