Zelda looked reluctant but she handed over the glass. It felt warm to Annie’s touch as she nervously put it back over the candle and prepared to whisper into it. What could she ask? She hadn’t been prepared for this to happen and now she felt dumbfounded. She wanted to ask something important.

“Well?” Zelda was impatient.

On impulse Annie whispered into the glass, “Am I ever going to be a writer?” and placed the glass on the middle circle with her finger gingerly on top. Zelda’s and Claire’s joined hers and the glass began to slowly go around the circle as if it was thinking.

It seemed to take forever but eventually it started to spell out “in time.” Annie realized that tears were streaming down her face even though she didn’t feel like crying. She wondered about this since she didn’t feel anything except eagerness for more.

“What’s that supposed to mean? What did you ask?” Zelda wanted to know.

“I asked if Claire would ever date Jake,” Annie lied.

“That’s a waste of a question. Let me have it back.” Zelda snatched the glass from Annie with a greedy look.

Claire finally spoke up, “If it’s about me I want it.”

Annie stuck up for Claire. “She’s right. Let her have a turn.”

Claire took the glass from Zelda and placed it over the candle. She didn’t look at either of them while she whispered into it. When they placed their fingers on top Annie noticed it was almost hot, warmer than it had been before.

Again the glass circled the center. Claire seemed to be holding her breath and Annie wondered what she was thinking. Before long the glass spelled out, “pigtails.” Annie noticed that Claire was crying like she had been.

“I asked who Jake likes.” Claire looked disappointed. What did pigtails mean? 

Then Claire explained, “I think it’s talking about Cathy Maynard. She’s always doing something dumb with her hair like pig tails or braids on top. Like a little kid. I think of her as pigtails.”

“He can’t like Cathy Maynard. She’s such a poser. You’re way better than that,” Zelda was outraged.

Claire conceded to the board. “Well, he’s always looking at her in math.”

Annie thought Jake liking Cathy was far-fetched but the whole thing was far-fetched. After all, they had put the alphabet on a piece of parchment paper and a glass was communicating with them. Who knew what was real?

Claire handed the glass to Zelda. It seemed like she was staying and Annie was glad. She realized she didn’t want Claire to leave because she was her friend, not just because of the board. That made Annie feel better.

Zelda took the glass from Claire without asking and boldly spoke, “Will I get a boyfriend this year?” 

Annie thought this was a waste of a question for sure. That definitely sounded like something you’d ask of a Magic 8 Ball toy. The glass did its usual circle but answered more quickly than before, “later.”

Zelda barely let it return to the circle before she asked, “Who’s it going to be?” This time it didn’t hesitate but spelled out a longer message. “You didn’t meat yet.” 

Annie laughed and said “it didn’t spell ‘meet’ right.” Without being asked a question, the glass moved to the “take back” x and proceeded to correct “m-e-e-t.” Her heart racing she wondered what this was, what could possibly make this happen. She reached for the glass to take her turn and Zelda obliged, whispering “I can’t believe it.”

Claire wondered aloud, “What if we ask something more serious?” She seemed to have relaxed a bit.

Annie wanted to test the board too and asked boldly, “What are you?”

The girls put their fingers on the glass and waited. Nothing. They waited. Nothing. Finally Annie said, “Let me try whispering into it.” Claire and Zelda took their hands away but when Annie tried to lift the glass she couldn’t. It felt like it was glued to the board.

“What?” Annie said almost to herself. She tried harder to move the glass and it still wouldn’t budge. “I can’t move it.” 

“Let me try,” Zelda insisted. Annie moved her hand and Zelda easily picked the glass up. “Very funny,” she said.

“No, really. I couldn’t move it.” Annie was getting scared.

“It’s like it didn’t like the question,” said Claire.

“Don’t be dumb. Annie was just playing. I’m going to ask now.” Zelda was being pushy and Annie felt annoyed but she didn’t say anything.

Zelda, not bothering with the ritual of candle and whispering, repeated Annie’s question, “What are you?” as Claire and Annie put their fingers on the glass. No movement.

“You try to lift it now,” was Annie’s challenge to Zelda after she couldn’t stand waiting for something to happen. The glass wouldn’t move.

“Maybe it’s tired,” Claire tried to joke but Annie and Zelda didn’t notice. Claire went to get the glass and it lifted easily. Annie looked at Zelda but couldn’t tell what she may be thinking. Maybe it was their imagination that they couldn’t move it. Maybe their muscles were stiff or something. Annie thought anything could be possible after what had happened that evening.

“Let’s go back to easy questions. Who likes Annie?” Claire said aloud trying to lighten the mood and placing the glass back on the board. Annie wasn’t sure she was ready to play again but she put her finger back on the glass. After a moment of hesitation Zelda did likewise.

The glass moved as it had before, circling the middle slowly and gradually starting to spell “blue eyes.” This meant nothing to Annie nor to the other girls judging by their expressions. 

“Do you know anyone with blue eyes?” Zelda asked.

“What about that guy in Home ec?” Claire wondered.

“I don’t know. He’s never even talked to me.”

“Well, that doesn’t matter. Claire doesn’t talk to Jake.”

“I do too, just not a lot,” Claire blushed. Zelda liked to tease her but Annie knew it made Claire feel bad sometimes. Zelda could go too far. 

Claire looked thoughtful. They still had their fingers on the glass. “How about, who does Annie like?” Zelda and Claire were always bugging Annie to tell them who she had a crush on. Annie insisted that she didn’t like anyone but they wouldn’t leave her alone about it. Now Claire was resorting to the board but it wasn’t moving even after a minute.

“See,” Annie said. “Even it knows there’s no one.”

Zelda wanted her turn. She took the glass from Claire. Annie felt exhausted even though it was still early. She wondered how long they could keep this up when she heard Zelda’s mom calling from upstairs, “Pizza’s here.” 

Annie looked at her phone and realized two hours had passed since she had gotten there. She couldn’t believe how the time had flown. Zelda said, “Let’s go eat” before carefully rolling up the board, blowing out the candle and hiding everything under the towel under the table.  

The girls went upstairs and made small talk with Zelda’s parents during dinner all the while Annie wondered inwardly at what had just happened with the ouija board. She hadn’t realized how hungry she had become and had three pieces of pizza before Zelda and Claire had one. “Whoa, slow down there gordo,” Zelda teased but Annie barely heard her.

After dinner Zelda made some excuse about being in the middle of their school project and they quickly made their way back down the stairs ready to play again. Zelda smoothed the parchment back over the coffee table and handed the glass to Annie, “Your turn.”

Annie was feeling reckless. She was tired of silly questions and wanted to challenge the board again. “Where is Zelda’s Grandma?”

“You’re freaking me out. Don’t ask that!” Zelda looked scared but put her fingers on the glass anyway. Slowly the glass circled and then made its way to the take back x’s. 

“What’s it doing?” asked Annie. Zelda shook her head and the glass moved towards the letters, “Home” it spelled. This time Zelda snatched her hand from the glass before it returned to the center circle. Annie and Claire looked at their friend, concerned at her reaction.

“What’s the matter?” Annie looked at Zelda. The answer didn’t make sense to her but it obviously meant something to Zelda. .

“My Grandma always said that Trinidad was heaven, her home, and that when she died she was going home,” Zelda whispered.  Annie felt a chill down her spine and the hair on the back of her arms stood on end. She didn’t know if she wanted to play anymore.