Vaim

“Come on Vaimy, show me.” Stella, one of the girls from school, and sadly my first job of the week, leans closer to the table as she takes a seat. With her sun-kissed hair, green eyes, and tight clothing, she’s the perfect stereotype of a school cheerleader. Not being the nicest in the group nor the most modest, she leaves behind a sour taste for both the tongue and eyes. Don’t get me wrong though, it’s not her disposition or how she acts, it’s just the girl herself that makes me want to escape her basement.

To say this week has been slow would be the understatement of the year, but even if it is slow, the late nights are beginning to take a toll on me. Not to mention it seems Rose has not caught on that I am just a guy in high school. I rub my eyes as the dim lighting in the room provides for the perfect sleeping environment. Granted it’s normal for a seance, but still...

All of Stella’s ‘friends’ sit around the table with us. They’re like little replicas of the cheerleader.  Their giggles seem to start like a wave controlled by Stella herself. All but one of them, with short black hair, seems more nervous than happy to be contacting the dead. 

I arch a brow, “You do know that this is serious, right?”

Her green gaze locks with my blue contacts as she mocks hurt.

“Vaimy, how could you think that I am joking about this? I just want to connect to the other side and speak with my grandfather.” The girls around her giggle once more and I sigh, looking down at the table. The gold-colored Ouija board sits right in front of me.

The candles around the Ouija board illuminate the room with their orange-yellow light. I had placed books around the board so in case the spirit contacted is an evil one, it won’t make the glass cup fall out of the board. The table is a tiny coffee table that rises just below my waistline from where I’m seated on the ground. The reflection of the fire on the golden board allows it to have a sunset-like glow.

“We have to be connected in some way, so connect one of your knees with the person sitting beside you.” They all do as commanded, albeit with more giggles. Hopefully, if her grandfather is in fact dead, he will be a good spirit, or at least the spirit we end up contacting is.

“Join your hands as well.” I watch them do as I say once more, letting out another sigh before I question Stella. “What’s his name?”

“I-I don’t remember?” The answer comes out more like a question, causing my temple to throb with irritation. Why do I bother doing this when they are obviously making fun of me? Taking a deep breath I try to calm myself down, remembering that this is a job and not a favor for a group of girls.  Not fulfilling this task means I go unpaid for the week when it comes to my boss. Besides, if I do this and they get scared it will be one less group to deal with at school. Instead of being harassed, maybe I can go on with my day. 

Yup! So might as well scare them and get this over with. Let's hope that a good spirit will scare them.

I look at Stella’s green eyes again, “Then we will have to hope that he is the one we contact.” I smile as my gaze goes around the room to observe each person, “Another thing: don’t say you are scared, don’t mention your god, don’t ask when you are going to die, don’t be stupid and annoy them, and do not speak to it in your head. 

“Be respectful and don’t break the circle until we are done.” The words come out as calmly as they can. It isn’t the first time I get this kind of job. Other people have asked me to contact the ‘other side’ many times, serious or not.

“Anyone willing to back out before they screw things up?” Stella asks, eyeing everyone.

“Uhm… Stella, I-I don’t think we should be doing this.” One of the girls stammers. My cloudy eyes rise up to look at her blue ones. A trembling porcelain hand pushes back her short black hair. It was the girl from earlier. 

“Shut up Tracy. If you are such a pussy then get out, but remember the price that comes with it.” With Stella’s words she shuts her mouth and just stares at the board warily. 

I wrinkle my nose at the negative energy they are starting to create in the room, which can call for trouble. My mind diverts to the contracts each one of them along with their parents signed. If anyone gets hurt, it’s not my problem. It’s also not my problem if they were forged. It’s like signing for a school field trip or a detention slip–not my fault if their parents are irresponsible.

I close my eyes and tell them to do so along with me while I place my hands on the glass wine cup.

“Are there any spirits here?” I move the glass in a circular motion and keep repeating the words. “Are there any spirits here?” I stop moving the cup, concentrating all of my energy on it.

“Are there any spirits here? If so, please move the cup.” I mentally sigh to myself. This was getting old. I could feel my heart rate speeding up and nausea taking over my body.

“Are ther–”

I stop mid-sentence as the cup moves to the black Latin word that reads yes.

 The basement's temperature decreases and the candle’s flame stops moving. Everything is still, the energy between the board and my body sends chills down my spine, but that’s normal.

“They’re here, anything you would like to ask them?” I ask in a monotonous voice. 

Stella places her elbow on the table, “Can we ask you what your name is?” Her eyes scream cockiness and her attitude lets me know she doesn’t believe what’s going on.I bite the inside of my cheek, trying my best to not just leave and let them deal with whatever came into the room. Then again, it is my board.

I feel a tug in my chest and my eyes fall on the cup. I move my hands away cautiously, the tips of my fingers feeling a magnetic pull towards the glass. Slowly the cup begins to move to the yes once again.

“Are you a boy or a girl?” Tracy asks, curiosity flickering in her once frightened eyes. The cup hesitates to move, it spins around a little until it spells out the word ‘yob’. I wrinkle my nose at the sight.

“What the fuck,” mumbles one of the girls, her brown eyes squinted as they glare at the board. Her red pigtails slide off her shoulders as she looks over at Stella.

“How is it moving by itself?” Another girl questions.

“Please tell me that’s another language, Vaim.” Tracy’s horror-struck look is painted on her face once more.

“No, he said he’s a boy,” I tell her. Whatever is in the board wants to mess around with someone. Tracy with her glistening eyes and quivering lips is the perfect target.

“Well then say it in English next time,” Stella counters with sass in her tone.

I flinch and glare over at her, “Watch your tone.” 

“Listen Vaimy, I know this shit is just something you're controlling so stop pretending and cut the crap.”

“My name isn’t Vaimy, it’s Vaim.”

“What kind of name even is that? Does your mom have a bad taste in names, or did your loser of a friend nickname you that?”

“Stella, how old even are you, five?” I speak calmly, but I’m burning inside. I’m used to all of this, but even with that said, the stinging sensation that comes across my face isn’t necessary. It has me wincing right before I whip my pink bangs away from my eyes. I lock my gaze with hers, staring at her as her glare intensifies.

 “Uhm, guys I’m scared.”

“Shut up, Tracy!” Stella yells out to the girl’s quivering voice.

“But the cup is moving in fast circles!”

Everyone turns towards the cup. My eyes widen as a heatwave goes over my body, and my heart rate increases.

“What are you doing? Stop it, we already told you we don’t believe in this crap!”

“I’m not doing it,” I mumble. Tracy kneels down and begins praying in what I think is Spanish. The cup spins faster and goes to the point where all I see is a grey circle as it turns, and turns, and turns.

“Stop it! Stop it!” Stella shrieks, more at the board than at me. The shadows of dancing flames are flickering on the wall before the candles are blown out simultaneously, allowing darkness to invade the room. Right before the darkness though, I watch as one of them falls over onto the board, hot wax dripping upon the wood. Everything becomes still as I stand up, the shuffling sound around me telling me the others do the same.

“Y-you have to fix this,” Stella stutters, frightened.

“The contract said that if something like this happens I have no control ove–“ I am cut off by a shriek that comes from the board and the sound of breaking glass; the cup fell out. I bite my lower lip as we all stand in the dark.

“Someone turn on the lights,” whimpers what sounds like the red-haired girl.

“No, don’t,” I say. What to do in a situation like this? “One of you get my ho–” Once again I’m cut off, but this time by a shriek that comes from one of the girls followed by a thump.

“Oh my God, Tracy!” Someone cries.

“We need to get out of here!” A different voice yells.

“No one is getting out until this thing gets out of my house!” Stella’s frantic voice shrieks. “Vaim, fix this. Vaim?”

I feel something creep up my spine and I freeze in place. I blink but see nothing, and not because of the darkness. My eyesight is gone.

Someone taps my arm. “Vaim?”

“Don’t touch me.” My voice comes out cold and I hear the footsteps of someone backing away. The air becomes colder. 

Suddenly the room becomes illuminated by fuzzy lights. Orange and red blobs are around the room, four standing and one lying on the floor. I look around and what I recognize as the furniture in the room is perfectly outlined in blue. I look up at the ceiling and in the corner is a creature. It takes all that is in me to stay sane and not smack myself in the face.

“Oh my God, what is that?” Stella’s orange blob shrieks, pointing at the creature. 

It crawls off the wall quickly and runs around, tripping each girl. Each fall is accompanied by a shriek. It leaves Stella for last as it pins her to the wall, its long tongue slithering out. Her heavy sobs come through thick tears.

“Vaim please, help me! Please!”

“He doesn’t work that way.” It touches her forehead and her shrieks become silent and her eyelids close. 

The room begins to spin and I can feel the bile going up my throat once again. The different energies and the adrenaline going through me. My ass hits the floor as I release a heavy sigh. 

My line of sight meets the creature's raggedy old converse, and my gaze goes up to my dead best friend.

“Humans should know better not to play with you, but whatever.” He extends out a hand, “Let’s go home, Vaim.”