Not Just Voodoo

by Rebecca Hamilton

  “What is it?” someone whispered.

  “A Ouija board,” another answered in a quiet voice.

  Those words sent a shiver down my spine. I didn’t have the focus to make out who’d said them.

  Betsy was wrong. Though my mom ran a shop filled with paranormal trinkets, she’d never put a Ouija board on her shelves. There had to be a reason for that. When I was younger—when I still believed my mom’s shop was built on the make-believe—she’d told me never to use a Ouija board. I didn’t understand why at the time, but now I knew they could invite evil spirits into your home. With everything I’d learned about the paranormal since discovering I could see ghosts and predict the future, it wouldn’t feel right not to heed my mother’s warning.

  “No, you guys,” I pleaded. “This could be dangerous.”

  “Yeah,” Alyssa agreed in a shy voice, shifting on the couch. “Maybe we shouldn’t.”

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “It’s just for fun. You know it’s not real.”

  I swallowed deeply and glanced around at my teammates. They’d all gone silent. I couldn’t say I believed in it, not when the whole town accepted my mom’s shop as “just for fun.” Besides, what would I say to them? I’m Crystal Frost, the girl who sees ghosts and has visions. In fact, I helped one of our deceased team members cross into the light a year ago. Yeah, I didn’t think that would go over well, whether they thought I was playing a trick on them or not.

  Emma grabbed my wrist tightly and pulled me out of the room. I stumbled along behind her, rendered speechless in surprise. She stopped in the hall near the bathroom and turned to me.

  “What’s the big deal?” she whispered. Her tone read a cross between curiosity and concern.

  “I—” I wasn’t sure I had an answer, but if I did, Emma was the only person here I could tell. She’d known I was psychic almost as long as I had. “I don’t know. I just remember my mom saying they were bad news. We could actually summon a spirit.”

  “And?” She stretched out the word and raised a dark eyebrow. “It’s not any different than the séances you’ve done, is it?”

  “But my mom knows more about this stuff than I do,” I tried to rationalize with her. “I trust her, and if she doesn’t think these things are safe, then maybe we shouldn’t be playing around with them.”

  “You don’t feel any spirits around, do you?”

  I glanced around the hall as if expecting one to spontaneously appear. “No,” I admitted, dropping my shoulders.

  “Then there’s nothing to worry about, is there?”

  Maybe she was right.

  “Why are you so interested?” I accused. “You don’t want us to summon a dark spirit, do you?”

  The corners of Emma’s mouth twitched like she thought that might be cool. “No. I just want to see everyone else freak. It will be fun.”

  I pursed my lips and crossed my arms over my chest. The light from the living room went dim. They were already setting up to play, and it was me against the rest of my teammates—except maybe Alyssa, who seemed almost as wary as I was. I sighed heavily. I wasn’t going to win this one without telling them why I was so against it, and even then, who knew how many would believe I could see ghosts?

  “Fine,” I agreed reluctantly.

  Emma smiled and hurried back to the living room, her dark curls swaying behind her. I took the walk down the hall slowly, feeling sick to my stomach for letting this madness continue. But maybe Emma was right. Maybe this wasn’t any more dangerous than the séances we’d done before.

  When I entered the living room, everyone had gathered around the Ouija board in a big circle. The room once again buzzed in conversation. Two girls had claimed the spots on the couch where Emma and I had been sitting, and I had to climb over three others to reach an empty area of carpet between Emma and Alyssa.

  I reached for Alyssa’s backpack to tuck it closer to the wall so I could sit. When my hand gripped around the top, an image flicked across my vision. A woman’s frail hands slipped a piece of paper and a golden heart-shaped necklace into a small pocket at the top of the bag. That was all I saw before my eyes refocused on the dim living room, lit only by the setting sun filtering in through the thin curtains. The image caught me off guard, sending me stumbling a bit. I caught my fall on the edge of the couch and casually slid all the way to the floor, setting Alyssa’s backpack down on my way.

  “You okay?” Emma asked quietly. Her question was almost drowned out by the rest of the chatter.

  “Yeah.” I settled into my spot. “That was weird. I just…saw something. But usually that doesn’t happen unless I’m looking for it. And even then, it’s usually hard to see.”

  Emma tilted her head in question. “Saw something?”

  “Yeah. I don’t think it meant anything.”

  Before Emma could ask me exactly what I saw, Betsy rose her voice again to get everyone to settle down. “Everyone needs to be quiet,” she insisted. It took another few tries before the girls quieted and silence settled over the room. “Jenna and I will place our hands on the pointer. Everyone else needs to stay quiet or you might scare the spirit away.”

  A couple of girls laughed at how serious she was being. Surely Betsy didn’t actually believe a spirit would show, did she?

  Even in the darkness, I couldn’t miss the daggers Betsy shot the other girls. “Let’s be serious about this or it won’t work.”

  They quickly quieted. In the silence, I heard Alyssa draw in a deep breath from beside me. I had to do the same to calm myself. It’s fine, I told myself. Like Emma said, there aren’t any spirits around. It’s harmless. But just because I didn’t see anyone now didn’t mean they wouldn’t show. I swallowed hard, hoping that wouldn’t happen. Then I’d be left to clean up Betsy and Jenna’s mess because I could talk to the spirit.

  After several long moments of silence, Betsy spoke. “Is anyone there?”

  The planchette didn’t move, and I slowly let out my breath, releasing the tension from my shoulders. These girls didn’t know what they were doing. It wasn’t going to work.

  Betsy drew in another long, deep breath and tried again. “Is anyone there?”

  The planchette twitched, and my breath ceased once again. Several girls murmured incoherent words, each voice blending into the next. Was that something supernatural, or was it one of the girls’ hand moving?

  “Shh,” Betsy warned. “Is anyone there?”

  Slowly, the planchette slid across the board and landed above the answer: “Yes.”

  Alyssa’s breathing rate increased, and I noticed her hand squeeze tightly around the sofa’s arm rest. I could feel the horror fill my face, but in the dim room, no one else noticed. My gaze darted from girl to girl in search of someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. With so many girls here, a ghost could easily blend in, and who knew if that ghost would be nice like the others I’d encountered before?

  Emma leaned into me and whispered so quietly that no one else could hear. “Do you feel anything?”

  Her question made me focus on my body. Usually when a ghost was around, a chill would spread out from my spine and to my fingertips. That wasn’t the case now. Was the Ouija board stronger than I was? Was it somehow messing with my abilities?

  I shook my head.

  “Are you good or evil?” Betsy asked the spirit.

  I held my breath as the planchette slid over to the middle of the board. Keep moving. Keep moving, I chanted in my head. To my horror, the planchette crossed over the E and stopped. Everyone in the room took in a collective breath, but it didn’t slow the planchette’s motion as it continued to spell out the word “evil.”

  “Guys, you should stop,” I urged, still glancing around the room for any signs of a ghost.

  “Relax, Crystal,” Katie said. “I want to see what else it says.”

  A chorus of agreement traveled around the room. The only other person besides me who didn’t agree was Alyssa. Emma shot me a look that I couldn’t quite read. I
t was like she was both excited and nervous about this.

  I sat back, giving in once again. It didn’t matter what I said. Everyone else was having fun and wouldn’t listen to me. The best thing I could do was stay and keep an eye out for the spirit, but if there really was one here, why couldn’t I sense it? Could the spirit somehow hide itself from me?

  Betsy spoke again after the word “evil” was complete. “Do you have a message for someone in the room?”

  The planchette slid over to the word “Yes.” In that moment, I felt the energy in the room shift. A negative energy settled around us all, but I was the only one who noticed.

  No, no, no, no, no. I’d never had to deal with an evil spirit before. I didn’t know what to do or how to help.

  “Who?” Betsy prodded the spirit.

  The planchette hovered over the letter A before moving toward the other end of the board. Several girls let out sounds of shock in unison. Everyone glanced between Alyssa and Aya since they were the only two on the team whose names started with A. We all held our breath in anticipation of the next letter. At least, I held my breath. The pulsing in my head drowned out any other sounds.

  The planchette stopped at the letter L, and every eye in the room fell on Alyssa. She glanced back at them all for a moment before jumping up from the couch and rushing out of the room, stepping over several girls on her way. I didn’t question for even a second that I had to go after her. I rose from my spot on the floor and followed her down the hall.

  I knew I’d be the one to clean up their mess, I thought in frustration. I half expected Katie to come after Alyssa as well since she’d been the one to befriend her during practice, but only laughter followed us.

  Betsy shouted over the laughter. “It was only a joke!”

  It wasn’t a very nice one, I wanted to bite back, but I wasn’t about to waste my energy chewing Betsy out right now. I needed to make sure Alyssa was okay.

  She stopped in the kitchen, bracing herself up against the edge of the counter and inhaling a deep breath.

  “You okay?” I approached her and placed a comforting hand on her back. As soon as I touched her, a wave of emotions flooded through me. Fear, loss, and embarrassment all hit me at once. I could have told Alyssa I knew exactly how she felt, but she would never know how much truth there was to that sentiment.

  She whipped her gaze toward me, her brown French braid swinging over her shoulder. The first thing I noticed was her red, swollen eyes. She sniffled and wiped the tears off her cheeks.

  I dropped my hand to my side. “You lost someone.” It wasn’t a question. I didn’t need my empathic abilities to tell me that, but they helped confirm it.

  Alyssa could barely get the words out. “My mom.” She tore her gaze off my shocked face and focused on a spot on the counter.

  “That wasn’t cool what they did in there,” I told her.

  After a moment to compose herself, Alyssa turned to me with puffy eyes and rested her hip up against the counter. “That was my mom in there.”

  I knew now for certain it wasn’t. The girls were only being cruel, and the negative energy I’d felt had been Alyssa’s, not an evil spirit.

  “Why would you think that?” I asked. “Your mom wasn’t evil, was she?”

  Alyssa’s lips turned down at the corners, and she glanced to the floor. “Well, no, but…who else would want to leave a message for me?” Her voice cracked, and she rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes again.

  “No one,” I said simply. How could I possibly explain to her how I knew there wasn’t a spirit in the room without telling her about my abilities? The last semi-stranger I’d told had called me crazy. “Those girls were just goofing around. I’m sure they didn’t mean anything by it, but it wasn’t your mom in there. Trust me.”

  She blinked a few times. “You really think so?”

  I nodded reassuringly.

  “Why would they do that? I thought we were all getting along.” She sniffled again, though the tears had subsided.

  “Have you told anyone in Peyton Springs about your mom?” I did my best to keep my voice calm and reassuring. I wanted her to know she could trust me.

  Alyssa shook her head. “Just my dad’s family, but it’s a small town. I’m sure it’s gotten around by now.”

  “Well, I didn’t know. I’m sure they didn’t either. If they did, they wouldn’t have done that. They’re really nice girls.”

  Alyssa swallowed deeply and went silent. I hoped my words were comforting to her. At the very least, the negative energy I’d felt coming from her before had faded. I wanted to reach out and touch her to see what she was feeling now, but I knew touching her again would only be awkward for both of us.

  “My parents were separated,” Alyssa said, offering me information even though I didn’t ask. “My mom died of cancer last June, and I came here to live with my dad. I thought joining the volleyball team would help take my mind off it.” She gave an uncertain laugh. “Guess that didn’t work. Maybe I should just quit.” Her gaze dropped to the floor again.

  “No! You can’t quit.” I almost stepped toward her to comfort her again, but I paused. I didn’t know her well enough for that. “You’re one of the best on our team.”

  At least that got her to look at me. She almost smiled. “You’re just saying that because you feel bad for me.”

  “No, I’m not. I mean it.” I said the words with so much conviction that I was sure she had to believe me. “Do you think you’re going to be okay?”

  She remained silent for several long seconds as if mulling over the question. “From tonight? I guess.” She shrugged. “From my mom’s death? Probably never.”

  “Well, that’s not true.”

  Her lips turned down again. “You can’t know that.”

  “I can. I lost my dad, too, about ten years ago.” This time, I was the one who turned my gaze away.

  “I’m sorry,” Alyssa said slowly and quietly like she thought it wouldn’t be right to break the silence.

  “It’s okay.” My voice had more confidence to it this time. “We all move on eventually.”

  She took two deep breaths before speaking again. “What if they don’t, though?”

  I shifted so I could lean against the counter opposite her. “What do you mean?”

  “Like, what if my mom didn’t move on after she died?”

  I crossed my arms over my chest casually. “You think she had unfinished business?”

  “Of sorts, I guess.” She shrugged and shifted her weight between her feet.

  “Oh?”

  Alyssa shook her head. “It’s silly, really.”

  “I won’t judge.”

  She eyed me as if gauging whether I was trustworthy or not. She must have decided I was because she relaxed and let the story slip past her lips effortlessly. “My mom had this locket that she used to wear all the time. I always thought that if she died, keeping it would be like keeping a part of her with me. We even talked about it, and she promised me that once she was gone, I could have it. I think she didn’t give it to me right away because she didn’t want to give up. As long as she was still wearing it, it was a sign of hope for both of us, you know?”

  Alyssa cleared her throat and continued. “But after she died, the hospital staff couldn’t find the necklace. It was like losing two parts of her that day. I mean, don’t get me wrong. I’d choose my mother over the locket in a heartbeat, but at least that was supposed to be a sure thing. It was supposed to help me get through it all, and now it’s gone. Sometimes I dream that she’ll come back and tell me where it is, like that will be enough for me to know she’s okay and that I will be, too.”

  Her voice cracked, and she coughed to clear it. “Like I said, it’s silly. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. Maybe you’ll understand since you lost your dad.”

  My jaw hung slack, and I had to make a conscious effort to snap it back shut. Even though Alyssa’s mom hadn’t communicated through the Ouija boa
rd, maybe she had come back in some way. Perhaps sending me that vision was the only way she could communicate after crossing over.

  “Was the locket heart shaped and golden?” I asked, the image I’d seen earlier flashing through my memory.

  She tilted her head in question. “How’d you know?”

  I shrugged. “Lucky guess.”

  Alyssa sighed like it didn’t matter. “It’s not like I’m going to find it now anyway.”

  I spoke quickly before she could give up completely. “Maybe the reason the hospital staff didn’t find it was because your mom already left it to you.” I pictured the pale hands I’d seen in my vision. She must have slipped the locket and letter into Alyssa’s backpack on one of her last days.

  “Well, she didn’t.”

  “One thing my mom used to do for me was leave little notes in the top pocket of my backpack. You know, the little pocket by the handle that’s kind of hidden.” It was a total lie. Emma would be able to tell in a split second that I was making it up, but Alyssa didn’t know me well enough for that. “Maybe she slipped it in there when you weren’t looking.”

  “How would she even—” Alyssa cut off, mulling over the idea. “I did spend a lot of time with her at the hospital. Maybe she…No. She would have said something.”

  It made sense that she hadn’t told Alyssa where she’d left it, perhaps hoping she’d find it on her own. She wouldn’t have wanted Alyssa to know she’d given up. I hated to think about it.

  I shrugged nonchalantly. “It’s worth checking.”

  Alyssa’s mouth hung open, but a second later, she hurried down the hall to the living room. I followed behind her. As soon as she entered, the conversations quieted, and several girls mumbled an apology. Alyssa ignored them and slung her bag over her shoulder before escaping back down the hall again.

  I remained in the doorway, glaring at Betsy and Jenna with my arms crossed over my chest. The lights were back on, and they’d already cleaned up the board, but the tension in the room remained. Emma glanced at me from across the room with a look that said, Let’s talk about this later.