Rules of the Game

1. Erin (Sadly) Says Yes

   "No."

   Aidyn sighs almost defeatedly as we continue to walk through the over-bearing sun, a Stranger Things themed Ouija board tucked under my arm and five dollars in my back pocket.

   "Why, though? Won't being around more dead people just help with talking to ghosts?" She has that tone in her voice that tells me a part of this argument is only to bother me.

   "A ton of the websites I looked at said not to, like, mess with the board in a graveyard. It's a rule, or something," I tell her, trying to remember exactly why they said not to play in graveyards. Maybe it had something to do with too many spirits trying to come through?

   "How about you just let Isabel and I use it, then?" She smirks. "You can sit beside a grave and write sad poetry," she adds jokingly.

   I simply shrug, and she drops it. We continue to move along the sidewalk in the direction of the mall, where Isabel and McDonald's smoothies await.

   The plan was to meet, get some food, and make out way to the backside of the mall to perform an Ouija session in peace, away from skeptical eyes.
   The Ouija board hasn't been working for weeks, and Isabel is somehow sure that this session will break that unlucky streak. I'm hopeful, but at the same time I don't expect too much.

   I look over at Aidyn. She is wearing the same joggers sweatshirt as always, and a part of me still wonders why she hasn't passed out from heat stroke yet. It was the beginning of summer, and everyone I knew tried everything to stay cool. But not Aidyn. Aidyn wears long pants and sweatshirts and doesn't have a care in the world.

   To be honest, sad poetry by the graveyard doesn't sound that bad. I don't tell her, though.

-

   The three of us sat in the middle of the mall food court, the board shoved rather lazily under my chair. We had long since thrown out our smoothies, and were waiting for someone to get up first.

   Aidyn had brought back up the graveyard idea, and in an effort to tune her out I scrolled through Reddit. Maybe if I found something weird enough, I could change the topic.

   I look up from my phone to see both girls staring at me expectantly. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion and manage a small "wha?" before Aidyn sighs.

   "We asked if we can go to the cemetery instead." Isabel explains, and my shoulders drop. I shake my head.

   "N-no way, guys. I already told you it's a bad idea," my voice cracks on the word 'told' and I cringe. That same voice crack causes us all to chuckle quietly.

   The horrendous side effects of puberty make the best jokes.

   "Come on, Erin! Just one round of ghost-talking. If no one answers than we'll leave," Aidyn says, and Isabel makes a wild hand gesture that says "Exactly. Stop freaking out."

   A part of me wants to say yes just so they can leave me alone about it. Of course, just the thought of saying yes made my chest hurt with familiar anxiety. I know that if I told them I was actually feeling anxious they'd stop, but I also know they aren't actually trying to upset me. Using my chest pain as a chump card is a low blow.

   "Fine," I say quietly. They both smile triumphantly and Aidyn gets up from her seat.

   Wait, no. I didn't mean to say yes. Why'd I say yes?

   Isabel stands up and grabs my arm, pulling me up with her. Fuck, fuck, fuck, no.
   Aidyn reaches under my seat for the Ouija board. Stop it, come on, I didn't mean to say yes. It just slipped.
   Soon enough we are speed-walking past different clothing stores to the closest exit. I take back everything, please let us not do this.

   We push through the exit doors and I feel a slight blast of heat. I feel a jolt of dull pain in my head and groan slightly. Whether it was the sun or the stress, I'll never know.

   Aidyn knows the way to the graveyard, despite it being the closest to my house. Then again, she'll probably know the way back to my actual house before I do myself.

   We cross a couple of roads and sometimes Isabel and Aidyn grab me from the back of my shirt to stop me from getting hit by a car. I'd like to say they didn't usually do that, but I have the road crossing skills as a drunk kindergartener.

   Sometimes I hate how dependent I am on them. I have a horrible sense of direction, so Aidyn tends to have to show me where everything is. And I'd like to think I'm safe, mostly because of the fact that I'm known as the 'anxious one' of our friend group, but they are always having to stop me from walking into the road. Not to mention I'm the youngest and the shortest out of all of us.
   They're basically my babysitters.

   I snap out of my thoughts to find myself a couple meters away from the cemetery entrance. I guess I stopped walking when I zoned out, because my friends were already through the gates and still walking. Isabel looks back and starts making her way towards me.

   "Erin, you're going to miss out on the demons," she calls in a sort of parental tone that doesn't fit the sentence she's saying. I run to meet her half-way, and we speed walk over to Aidyn.
   Aidyn's already sat down beside a grave, her sweater underneath her on the dirt. Isabel sits beside her on the sweater, but it left no more room for me. I cringe at the thought of having the sit down on the dirt below me, filled with decomposing bodies.

   I take the Ouija board out and set it on the ground, before plopping down inside of its shallow box. It's uncomfortable, but at least I'm not sitting on broken-down cadavers.
   I take a quick glance around at all the graves, then take a look at the one directly beside us.

Angelina Godwelch
1936 - 1989
Loving wife, mother, and friend.

   I feel myself shiver slightly as I realise I'm probably sitting only a dozen feet above her casket.
   I quickly glance at the other graves to try and distract myself from the thought. There were lots of interesting names, some of which belonged to children. I can't help but feel my stomach drop when I see a boys grave that said he died at the same age we are.

   Aidyn puts the planchette, on the board, and I feel my chest squeeze. This is such a bad idea. Why are we even doing this?

   We all put our fingers very gently on the planchette, and I quietly pray to any otherworldly being or god that would listen. Please let no ghosts answer the board. Please let no ghosts answer the board. Please let-

   "Erin, your time to shine," Aidyn tells me, and I quietly nod. I was usually the speaker, or the leader, in our Ouija sessions.

   I start to move the planchette slowly around in a circle, counting the number of circles in my head. I didn't have an exact number I count to, I usually just stop when it feels right. Maybe that's why it wasn't working.

   I stop at 15, and speak out loud to the spirits, telling them that we do not wish to offend or harm them, and only wish to listen and learn. I try to use bigger vocabulary than normal, as to be more polite. I inhale shakily, and then I ask our starting question.

   "Are there any spirits with us willing to contact through the spirit board?"
  
   The planchette stays still, and I am disappointed until it starts to shift softly under my fingers.

Rule number one:
Never play in a graveyard.