Tell It to The Necromancer | ONC '26

The dead have always talked to Adalyn. She tries not to listen.

It's been years since her abusive father exploited her talents and recorded their podcast. She can still hear his haunting voice reciting the intro.

"On this episode of Tell It to The Necromancer... my daughter will prove to you there is life after death."

A necromancer should never spend her twenty-first birthday drunk, alone after escaping her father, and begging the universe for a friend. It's how she winds up with a punk rock ghost named Virgil.

Virgil and her necromancing past are secrets she keeps from her new friends. Adalyn doesn't want them to know who she is or what she's done.

When the newest member of their friend circle, Leon, wants to host a séance, his intentions seem innocent, even playful. Adalyn hopes the dead will stay quiet, but the night goes awry when Virgil starts messing with the group.

As the night unfolds, Adalyn learns Leon isn't who he seems to be, her friends aren't friendly, and something besides Virgil is in the house with them, and it wants to do more than talk.

2026 Open Novella Contest
Prompt 72: A real necromancer sits in on a fake seance.
Prompt 78: You begin to realize that nothing is quite what it seems.
Prompt 82: You are in love with someone living and someone long dead. Neither one is willing to let you go

Enjoy the playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3RXG93NeNqr72CqDgpCwCl?si=v5xIiRhQRAmhXhdgDIB8rQ

*This is a mature story intended for readers 18+ years of age. It contains, violence, death, some foul language, sexually charged scenes, humor- the morbid kind, and other potentially offensive things I have yet to consider.