⚠️TW FOR VOMIT, PANIC ATTACKS, AND SCARS⚠️
The room was dark as crickets conversed outside. It was late May and the late spring nights were getting warmer every time the sun slipped down into the western horizon. It was nice for Ohio to finally follow the expected weather patterns for once. Then again, you could wake up and the ground could be covered with a blanket of snow in the morning. That's Ohio. Not to dismiss the opportunity of the late spring night and everything it gave to those who could use it. For example, the boy who roamed silently down a street, orange lighting up the corners of him. One of the streetlights flickered as he passed on his board. He turned quickly and rode up a
sheet of pavement that led to a house. He heeled the end of his board and grabbed it with his hand, swinging it under his arm. He paced to a door on the side of the house, turning the knob and pushing the door open. He shut the door behind him and looked around quickly. The house was dark and silent as it usually was at night. His mother was at work and his sister off with her friends. Good for him.
He turned to the stairs and lifted himself up them, nearly tripping on his cat who seemed to only go down the stairs to trip him. He reached the top platform and stepped into his room. He took a few steps before kneeling at his bed, sliding his board under it and reaching to the left. He looked behind him before sliding out a box. An old shoebox that had a dent in the cardboard lid. He scooted to the center of his room with the box before opening it and taking out the contents. He fished for a long lighter and candles. They were each a different scent from fresh linen and pumpkin latte. He arranged them into a circle before setting a board in front of him that was lit dimly by the cheap candles. He reached back in the box for a heart-shaped object, pulling out a planchette and setting it down on the center of the board. The boy looked at it for a second, breathing through his nose. "This is stupid." He heard himself exhale. Then he heard himself to stop being a bitch about it. He placed two fingers of each hand of the edges of the planchette. His hands were getting clammy at this point.
He circled the piece around the board a few times before biting his lower lip. "Um. Hello?" he croaked out. "Anyone there?" he asked to whatever was listening. Everything was silent and still for a moment before he felt his hand twitch from fear it seemed. Then it twitched again. Again. It was moving. It moved slowly and cautiously to the left edge, the magnified glass looking down at the word "YES." with a sun smiling next to it. The boy stared. "Ok." he said quietly. Maybe he was starting to regret this. Then it moved again. The boy only stared as the glass moved to peek at certain letters. First, it moved to the "A" below it. Then to the L, the O, the N, and finally, the E.
He breathed. "Alone?" he asked. "Are you alone?" It was still before moving to "NO." the moon looked at him this time. He shook his head. "I don't understand." he said. It moved again, faster than last time. "Y-O-U". He tilted his head. "Me? Are you asking if I'm alone?" he spoke to the board. It moved back to the left, back to "YES". The boy shuddered. Something felt wrong. "Um. Yeah, it's just you and me." he whispered, although it's not like he had any reason to. He hoped no one else was there.
"So, uh, my name is Brandi. Can you tell me yours?" the boy, Brandi, asked. Faster than ever, it lunged to "NO". Brandi stared down, scared at the speed. "That's ok. You don't have to tell me." he sighed. "Umm, so, is there anything you want to tell me? Anything I can help you with maybe?" It moved slowly from the moon and back to the sun on the left. Brandi swallowed nervously. "What do you wanna tell me?" he asked curiously.
As if impatient, it moved sharply to each letter. "C-A-N-D-L-E-S." it said. Brandi scooted closer. "Yeah? What about them?" he stirred. Like before, it moved in jolts. "F-I-V-E." Brandi narrowed his eyes. "Yes, there are five. Do you want more?" he asked. The planchette moved to "NO." quickly. Then it started spelling again. "S-T-A-R." it said. He looked at the candles. "I don't- I really don't understand." he shuddered.
