The Demon Within

Part 1

It's happening again. A pull in my gut tells me it's trying to do something. What will it do this time if I can't suppress it?

I turn to walk up the front steps of my high school. A freshman is sitting on the steps reading. My hand trembles then clenches. I shake it but it won't stop. As I pass by him, my hands shoots out and swats the book from him. He looks up at me. I can tell he's restraining himself from retaliating. I try to open my mouth to apologize. My lips contort to a grin instead. The guy scoffs and picks up his book.

I climb the rest of the stairs and enter the main hallway. Why does that always happen at the worst possible moment? My chest tightens. I inhale but its raspy. I approach my locker and a headache pounds my skull. Great, just what I need. I open my locker and check for some aspirin.

Someone yanks my shoulder. "Boo!"

I jump and spin around. My friend Lacy puts up clawed hands and growls. She's wearing a werewolf mask that smells like gym socks. She pulls it off and laughs.

"Got you didn't I?" She says. "What do you think?I made it myself."

I turned back to my search for aspirin. "It's fine."

"Fine?No, no fine. It needs to be terrifying so I can win the costume contest at the Halloween party."

"Well what do you want me to say? That I peed myself?" I snap.

Lacy frowned. "What's up with you? I've never seen you in this long of a mood."

"Nothing, Lacy."

"It's not nothing. I haven't spoken to you much since you left our slumber party early two weeks ago." Lacy leans closer. "It didn't scar you, did it?"

I bite my lip. Scar is one word. Horrified is another. Especially when your friends dare you to use a Ouija board at midnight. "I'm fine, Lacy."

"You look tired," Lacy says. "You want some of my concealer?"

She pulls the makeup out of her purse and reaches for my face. My hand knocks it to the ground without my say. My mouth then starts moving.

"Go be a dweeb somewhere else." Those words come from my mouth, but they weren't mine.

Lacy steps back. Her mouth opens in shock. I struggle to tell her that it wasn't me, but my body won't let me.

"All right then. I'll just leave you to it." Lacy picks up her makeup and stomps off.

I put my head in my locker and groan. The pull returns in my stomach. At this rate, I'll be sick. I close my locker and decide to head for the bathroom.

I walk in and approach the sink. I don't have to go. I just need some water to make me relax. After splashing some on my face, I look in the mirror. Lacy was right. I look exhausted. But how can I sleep when I feel like this? What even is this?

"What am I gonna do?" I say.

"You could listen to me," a voice echoes.

I look around the bathroom. There's no one in here. "Who's there?"

"Just me. I'm not out there; I'm inside."

"Inside? You mean in my body?" I look down at myself.

"Well, yes. You invited me in."

I shake my head. "No, I didn't. I'd never allow some thing or person in my body."

"But you did when you used that board to call me."

The Ouija board? Oh God, it actually works? I was sure it was just some silly board game. I don't even believe in spirits.

"No. This-this is just me being tired. I don't feel right. I'm just hallucinating," I say.