The Midnight Game

            The night had fallen on this quiet, little town. Kids were being tucked away and dreaming of the kind of adventures and quests that only children could think of. The moon shone brightly and lit up the lake that sat in the middle of town as lightning bugs and dragonflies skittered across the still water. The sounds of chirping and croaking filled the air as a light breeze rustled the leaves of the autumn colored trees that were soon growing bare for the approaching winter.

            Houses were decorated for All Hallow’s Eve that was only a couple nights away. Jack o’ lanterns lit up the porches and paper ghosts hung from the tree branches. Orange and purple lights were strung along the roofs of a couple houses while others displayed spooky skeletons in their yards. No one was more into the Halloween spirit than 16 year olds Lucy and Jeremiah (who everyone called Jem). The two lived next door to each other and had been best friends since they were in diapers. They were also sort of known as the freaks in town since they were obsessed with the paranormal and supernatural. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, and other folklore were always the topic of their discussions. They couldn’t get enough of it. Years of solitude and neglect from the other kids had bonded the two for life.

            The two of them had grown up reading Goosebumps and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and loved anything that scared them. About a couple weeks before, Lucy had excitedly told Jem about this ritual game she found on the internet entitled “The Midnight Game”. The game was basically a survival hide and seek game. Jem didn’t need much convincing before wholeheartedly agreeing to the game. The two had decided the weekend before Halloween would be the best time since Lucy’s parents were going to be visiting a family friend that Saturday night. Lucy and Jem’s parents didn’t mind them having sleepovers as long as they slept in separate rooms.

Saturday night came and Lucy had gathered all of the required items needed to start the ritual and play the game: candles, matches, pen and paper, salt, and a pin needle. Lucy ran her fingers through her curly, dark brown hair before pulling it all up into a bun and out of her face. She had them all placed on the kitchen counter and double checked the rules of the game to make sure everything was right. She could hear the front door open and close, assuming Jem was finally here. Appearing in the kitchen on cue, the two greeted each other before starting the ritual.

11:30 PM

Before they could start the game, they had to write their names on a piece of paper. Lucy was always jealous of Jem’s eloquent handwriting compared to her chicken scratch. The next step was to use the pin needle to prick a drop of their blood onto the paper.

“We’re not going to be doing any sacrifices, are we?” Jem chuckled as the single drop of blood fell from his finger and splashed on to the paper just below his name. Lucy grabbed a Band-Aid for him, while replying, “Yeah, didn’t you know? I have a goat out back.”

Once Lucy did the same with her finger, it was time to set the house up for the game. Every single light had to be turned off until it was pitch black. Lucy also made sure that all the windows were closed and the doors that lead outside—save the front door—were locked.

“I never realized how creepy your house is without any lights on,” Jem commented before grabbing the two pieces of paper, candles, matches, and salt.

“Why do you think I like living here so much?” Lucy said before making sure to grab one of her father’s non-digital watches, which was a bit clunky on her wrist. No other light source but the candles could be used once the game started, and time was an important factor.

Jem and Lucy placed their pieces of paper onto the front door and checked the time.

11:57 PM

They lit their candles, which Lucy stole from her mother’s closet, and waited until it was time to start. Precisely at 11:59:38 PM, Lucy would start knocking on the front door 22 times, with the 22nd knock happening at exactly 12:00 AM. If the last knock isn’t accurate, then the ritual would not work. Lucy had already practiced her timing earlier though, just to be on the safe side.