Lucy

She’d been debating for an hour now.

Was she really going to do this?

Summoning the dead was a simple answer; of course she would. But this was likely going to scare the hell out of Kat. Who, Lucy had to admit, was a good person. Better than she was, really, and at this point… maybe even a friend?

Could she really risk that friendship over a bit of jealousy?

But all she had to do was glance over at Kat, who was, yet again, smiling down at her phone.

Yeah, she could live with herself.

“Okay, this should only take about ten minutes, but we’ll need to turn the lights off. Are you ready, Kat?”

Kat turned on her cell’s flashlight.

“Ready.”

“Now,” Lucy said, as low and spookily as she could manage, “let there be darkness.”

Kat ran her hand across the battery of light switches, flicking each one off one at a time.

All the lights in the store went out.

Still wasn’t pitch black, after all, the flashlight was on and so were the lights at the pumps. But it was still eerie to see the space like that. Those fluorescent lights, that flickering glow, that constant brightness, it was a core part of the space. Now the store was a series of alien shapes and shadows facing the brightness of the pumps.

“Ooh, that’s spooky, eh,” Kat said, making her way to the center of the store.

“yeah it is,” Lucy said, setting the candles up. “Sit down opposite me. I’m going to setup and light the candles.”

Lucy grabbed her bag and pulled out the necessary ritual items: two candles, two silver candlestick holders, a bottle of water, and a small wooden bowl. She set the long blue candles, color chosen for calm but unrestricted communication, in their respective holders and placed them to either side of her, between herself and Kat. The bowl was filled with water and set in the middle.

Finally, Lucy pulled a scrap of paper from her pocket and set it to float in the water.

“Who is that?” Kat asked, looking down at the bowl.

It was a photo Lucy cut out of her last yearbook. The image of a senior forcing a smile for the school photographer.

“Just someone I used to know,” Lucy said, not technically lying. “I’m hoping he can guide us.”

Kat nodded respectfully and sat down across from Lucy.

“Okay, what now?”

“Now you have to turn off your flashlight.”

Kat hesitated.

“Oh, and put your phone on silent. A random call or something could totally ruin the seance.”

Kat looked down at her phone.

“It’s only for ten minutes, tops.”

Kat sigh.

“Okay,” she said with a nod. “Just ten minutes.”

She shut the light off.

“Okay, now we can begin.”

A sudden flash of flame brought their circle into brief but brilliant illumination.

Lucy held the match against the wick of the candle to her right.

“One candle for affirmation.”

She blew out the match before striking a fresh one.

“A second for negation,” she said, lighting the one to her left.

Lucy held a hand in front of the first candle.

“A flicker of this flame means yes.”

She held a hand to the second candle.

“A flicker of this flame means no.”

She looked across at Kat.

“Now take my hand as we welcome any voices within the building.”

When their hands were locked, Lucy continued.

“When this circle is broken, so too will the connection. We, as a communion, reach out to whomever is present and request answers.”

The air was electric, but as with most spells, she couldn’t tell how much of it was in her head.

“Kat, you can start.”

“I…I don’t know what to ask.”

Lucy smiled.

“It’s okay, just trying to ask clear yes or no questions. We can use those to figure out if something is here and if they are, why.”

“Um, okay. Spirit, are you here?”

Nothing flickered, but the feeling didn’t subside.

“Ask again,” Lucy said. “Make it clearer.”

Kat’s wide eyes shone in the dark. She was clearly scared, but proceeded anyway.

“Is there someone here with us?”

The affirming candle flickered.

Kat’s grip tightened.

“It’s okay, we figured that was true, anyway.”

Lucy straightened up before following with her question.

“Do you mind our presence here?”

The negative candle flickered.

Kat let out a breath that nearly blew the candles out.

“Sorry, I’m just relieved, is all.”

Lucy smiled at her. Truthfully, she was just as excited. This was the clearest communication she’d ever had. And to think, all it took was a slightly different setup, more refined exclamation… and of course, all those nasty herbs she drank ahead of time.

“It’s your turn, Kat.”

“Oh, right.,” Kat said, straightening her back and focusing on the circle. “Sprite, do you have unfinished business?”

What a silly question.

Lucy wondered if she’d made a mistake letting someone who’d only ever seen these things in movies join in on a real –

The affirming candle flickered. Clear as day.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad question after all.

Lucy closed her eyes and considered her options.

“Did you die here at the gas station?”

Kat tensed up again, but then the negative candle flickered.

That was okay; Lucy knew spirits could roam.

“Are you connected to this place?”

Affirmation. It could still be him, but that complicates things a bit—

“Um, isn’t it my turn?”

Lucy looked up to see Kat smiling at her. She was starting to have fun.

While that wasn’t really her objective, the excitement was infectious. This was the first time Kat had experienced the supernatural. Hell, this is the first time I’m sure I am.

“Ah, yeah, go ahead.”

“Okay,” Kat said, narrowing her eyes at the bowl of water, “You didn’t die here, but you are connected to this place. Can you leave?”

Negative.

That was weird. Either it was lying or…

“Kat, maybe we should finish up quickly.”

“Why? Is something wrong?

“No, not exactly.”

“Can’t we just let go of each other?”

Lucy could feel the heat between their pressed palms. There was more power there than she anticipated.

More power than you can manage.

She really couldn’t explain it, but she was beginning to worry. She had either misunderstood the ritual or something had gone wrong. Either way simply breaking the circle wouldn’t cut the connection. In fact, it might be dangerous.

We should just finish asking our questions and say goodbye.

“I’m just worried about scaring you, is all.”

Kat laughed.

“I’m fine, dude, you must have a low opinion of me.”

Lucy faked a laugh.

“It’s your turn, Lucy.”

Lucy only had a couple of questions left. But she was worried what Kat might think of them.

“Okay, spirit, are you Rodney?”

Kat’s eyes grew wide again, but this time it wasn’t fear.

“Wait, you don’t think…”

The negative candle flickered.

That only left one more.

“I guess not,” Lucy said, looking down. “It’s your turn, Kat.”

There was a long pause, during which Lucy avoided Kat’s gaze.

“Okay. Spirit, were you there that night, at the dumpster…”

Affirmation.

Kat pulled in a ragged breath.

“Your turn, Lucy.”

She didn’t want to ask. There was only one real question left, and she could feel it in the air. She already knew what it was going to say.

“Lucy,” Kat said, her tone sharpened. “It’s your turn.”

Lucy took a deep breath.

“Spirit, are you human…”

Lucy looked up to see Kat’s face, which had so recently been full of anger, slacken with fearful anticipation.

But nothing flickered.

“What does that mean?” Kat asked.

But Lucy didn’t want to answer; she’d said this was safe. She figured the spirit would just lie…if it didn’t want to answer at all that meant…

With a puff of phantom breath, the candles were blown out. The girls were plunged back into darkness.

“Lucy, did you blow those out?” Kat asked angrily. “Have you been making the candles flicker too?”

Lucy felt kat begin to pull her hands away.

“No, Kat, don’t!”

As her hands slipped out, the store’s lights all came on, bright as day and as disorienting as staring into the sun.

Kat stood up shakily.

“How did you?”

The lights flickered on and off rapidly. It was painful, like the light was boring into her skull. Lucy knew a migraine would follow if she didn’t stop it.

She got up and ran to the light switch, nearly tripping in the disorienting assault of flickering light.

“I’m not buying it, Lucy,” Kat said behind her. “You’re just going to switch the whole thing back off now.”

But before Lucy could touch the lights, they turned back on and stayed constant.

“Yeah, thought so.”

Lucy turned to see Kat shaking her head and moving back to the counter.

“I honestly thought this hazing shit was over.”

Kat made her way to the counter, shaking her head profusely.

“This wasn’t a trick, Kat, I swear.”

“Okay, then answer this. Why did you ask if it was Rodney?”

Lucy paused.

“because he’s missing, and I thought maybe…”

“Maybe what? He killed himself?” Kat asked, each word biting. “Oh, and that was his picture, wasn’t it?”

The guilty look said it all.

“Wait,” Kat said, “Do you think he killed himself here, where we work?”

“I… I don’t know.”

“Where do you think he did it, Lucy?”

She wasn’t going to answer, but her eyes flicked to the side and towards…

A wave of revulsion spread over Kat’s pretty face.

“Where we were sitting?” Kat asked, more disgusted now than angry. “What the fuck is wrong with you?”

“I thought, I thought that would be the best place to call him.”

Kat said nothing; she just shook her head slowly, her lips pursed against grinding teeth.

“Then what, you scare the hell out of me and leave me here all night by myself?”

“No, I…”

It had been her plan. What else could she say?

“I thought all this high school bullshit was over, Lucy. I know I’m new here, but I’m an adult, and I thought I was done being bullied…”

Lucy couldn’t believe she’d been so stupid. That even after everything she’d been through, it took that look in Kat’s eyes, the honest tear welling up, for her to realise Kat wasn’t some special preppy girl.

She was another victim.

“Kat, I’m so sorry, I just…”

“Please go,” Kat said, pulling out her phone and dialing a number.

“Are you going to stay or…”

“I’m calling Tom; he said he stays up most nights and I could call him if I got scared.”

Oh no.

“Kat, I can stay. I can make this right.”

“Just go!”

Lucy shrunk back. It was over; all she could do was nod and leave the store.

You drove them right into each other’s arms.

She had, whatever they had between them before was bad enough; now they had a mutual enemy.

One of them thinks you’re a stalker, the other thinks you’re a psycho. And now they’ll both know they’re right.

Lucy had a long walk to the bus stop now, in the middle of the night on a country road. It would usually be a frightening prospect, but now she didn’t care if she even caught the last bus… she deserved to sleep on the bench.

She’d not only fucked up her chances with Tom…Lucy realised just how low she’d fallen.

I don’t deserve him.

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes when another thought interrupted them.

You’re right, you don’t deserve him.

Those weren’t her thoughts. The air surrounding her was still electric, static building up in her hair like a transformer about to explode.

The circle was still open.

I can see you now.

She looked around, finding herself once again in the middle of the crossroads.