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Escaped the Night

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Ouija

Distraught and alone, I rushed through the forest. I heard the sound of my feet stomping while gasps leaked out between labored breaths. My heart pounded wildly, yet I stopped abruptly. I couldn't believe this was happening ... I was being hunted.

I attempted to remain hidden, but the smell of blood took control and lured me into the open. I licked my lips involuntarily as I took a few steps closer. I wanted a taste, even craved it. But why did I want it so badly?

The dark figure with vicious red eyes knew the answer, and he reached out for me. I screamed, but no sound escaped my lips. He smirked right before he brushed against me. We touched, and suddenly I felt different — a chill in my bones, hunger in my stomach, and a lust that could not be tamed. He was the remedy for it all. He moved closer, only this time, I didn't pull away. Instead, I accepted the offering and embraced his bloody hands.

I woke up in the midst of a panic attack, desperately wiping my hands off on my pants. Thankfully, no blood. I found myself safe and sound in the car, surrounded by my family. Just another one of my horrible dreams; I wondered if they would ever stop.

I wasn't sure if anyone had caught wind of the fact I'd momentarily dozed off. My parents continued chatting casually in the front seat while both of my sisters kept busy looking out the backseat windows. There I sat, screaming on the inside, haunted by twisted dreams whenever my eyes closed, and to them it was another typical day. A frustrated sigh slipped out.

My sisters used this as an open invitation to squish me in the middle.

I jostled both, trying to get them back to their own sides of the car. "Hey, move over!" I snapped, sounding crankier than I'd meant. My sisters were eight and ten, but for some reason they decided to cling to me like toddlers afraid of being lost.

"Really?" My sisters repeated, one right after the other.

From their tone, I knew what I had done, but it was too late.

"You want us to move over?" Sweet giggles filled the car as they simultaneously squeezed even closer, looping their arms around mine. Two against one. I wasn't any match for their innocent faces, blonde hair, and crystal blue eyes.

"Brats! You guys are lucky I love you so much." There was no way to win the battle for more space, so I sat defeated and squished.

"You're the lucky one." My sisters remained snuggled up. "You get to love us."

Despite their cuteness, I couldn't wait to get to Ginata's house for the night. Life had become so hectic with her new job that we hadn't seen each other for nearly a month. I missed her and knew we had some serious catching up to do.

I consider Ginata the coolest girl ever, and I'm lucky enough to call her my best friend. She's two years older, and we met a few years ago when she babysat for my younger sisters. The cute guy who lived down the road had asked me out on a date. I begged and pleaded with my parents to let me out of watching my sisters for the evening. They agreed and called Ginata — the neighborhood babysitter — who thankfully was available.

My so-called date hadn't gone anything like expected. We ran into some of his friends, and he decided to devote his attention to them. Actually, more to the flirty blonde persistently flashing her bright smile and abundance of cleavage his way. I sat alone, feeling ditched and ignored by both my date and the group, so I decided it would be best just to go home. When I got up to leave, I never received a word or even so much as a look from him, because he'd been far too busy to notice with his eyes locked on her chest. She smiled and intently watched as I left, all the while knowing my departure meant her evening would go exactly how she'd planned.

I beat my mom and dad home, so Ginata and I hung out. She listened as I threw a pity party, divulging the terrible details of my date, while ranting about Little Miss Blondie. Ginata comforted and reassured my crushed ego, saying there wasn't anything wrong with me, and reminded me this was, in fact, his loss. That was the very moment our friendship began. I'd found my missing piece, my kindred spirit, and Ginata felt the same. Best friends till death, we vowed.

I started to overheat with my sisters pressed so close, which brought my mind back to the matters at hand. I was hot, tired, and cranky. Thankfully, we were almost at Ginata's house.

My father turned down the music in the car. I noticed but paid little attention due to everything racing through my mind.

"So ... what are you girls doing tonight, Shanntal? Will her parents be home? No one else is coming over, right?"

He was always protective of us girls and liked keeping me on a tight leash by knowing what I was doing at all times. He meant well, but I still found it utterly annoying.

"Girl stuff, don't know, and no," I shot back shortly, hoping to end the conversation.

My father grunted at my response, then tightened his grip on the wheel, turning his knuckles white.

Ginata and I had been friends for a couple years, so why did he have to act like this now? And seriously, why couldn't he just leave me alone when he knew I was so edgy? He'd picked the wrong point in time to ask me anything.

"Here we go," I muttered under my breath. I rolled my eyes and flipped a piece of long brown hair off my face. I wasn't in the mood to deal with his constant hovering.

"No need to get defensive, honey." My mother spoke softly, trying her best to ease the rising tension. "We just want to make sure you stay safe; that's all." She looked back, and I saw the warning in her eyes ... Don't push it.

But, the words slipped out of my mouth anyway. "Safe? Are you kidding me?" Sometimes I forgot how to keep my big mouth shut. Unfortunately, it was the fuel to make the fire rage.

"Shann–tal!" His voice grew sharper with each syllable.

I watched my mother stroke my father's arm in an effort to calm him down.

This drama made me even more eager for my sleepover. I loved my family dearly, but tonight they'd clearly be better off without me around, especially when I was in this kind of mood. I didn't want to fight but saw where the situation was heading, so I caved and disclosed the details before it turned into an all out argument. "We're staying in, doing girl stuff. Probably watching movies, talking, nothing out of the ordinary, I promise. I'm sorry. Guess I'm cranky from not sleeping well. My dreams sometimes ... sometimes they seem too real."

My apology lowered the tension, and my father loosened his grip on the wheel. The color quickly flooded back into his hands.

My mother turned around and mouthed 'thank you.'

"Remember, dreams are simply that, nothing more. They can't harm you. You've got to think of them as your mind's way of entertaining. They're not real, so there's no reason to be afraid." My father pulled onto the road adjacent to Ginata's cul-de-sac.

I decided to keep my mouth shut this time, even though I totally disagreed. My dreams were intense. They felt as though they'd happened before, like memories rising to the surface. Not to mention all the blood. That alone was more than enough to keep anyone fearful.

I spotted the red brick home with fancy French doors and white window trim, and felt an instant sense of relief. A night away from home meant no more arguing with my family or talk of nightmares. Just the break I needed!

Upon our arrival, Ginata swung the front door open and came toward the car with her Saint Bernard, Berkley right on her heels. Her welcoming smile was lit up by the sparkle in her big brown eyes. Ginata's long dark locks were pulled into a tight ponytail, and she wore a violet backless top I'd never seen before. It fit perfectly, allowing her to show off the flower garden tattoo that covered her back and climbed up her neck. It was full of various shades of pinks, purples, yellows, greens, and reds. The flowers and vines intertwined, forming a stunning blend from one color to the next.

"Hiya!" she greeted us cheerfully.

Ginata leaned inside the passenger window and kissed my mother on the cheek, then a quick thumbs up to my sisters in the backseat. She pulled her head out of the window and proceeded around to my father's side, leaned in his window, and gave him a hug.

"It's good to see you guys," she said, opening the rear door for me.

I climbed over my youngest sister in order to get out.

"Pleasure to see you too, dear. Are your parents home?" my father asked, giving Berkley a pat on his head after he jumped up to say hello.

"Nope. They're out on date night," she wiggled her eyebrows playfully.

"Really?" My father gave me the eye.

"They won't be out too late, though," Ginata interjected, taking notice of the look I'd just received.

"We'll be good. Here all night," I promised.

Ginata and I said farewells to my family. I inhaled deeply as we passed by the large, flowery bushes outside the doors. The bushes were at least seven feet tall and filled with beautiful sweet smelling blossoms. Their scent was so welcoming it could put anyone at ease.

"What was that all about?" she asked once inside.

I shrugged. "Everyone just seems off today, or maybe it's me and the lack of sleep is finally catching up."

"You're still not sleeping? More dreams?"

"Not at all, and there's way more now, like every time I close my eyes. I don't know what's going on with everyone else. Sure feels like something's up, but I don't know what, and they haven't said."

"Well, remember they love and worry about you. That's actually a good thing. It's what family's all about." She gave a caring smile. "Chin up, girly. You're here now, so no more stress. Let's get the fun times started!"

Her words were right. They loved me, so of course they worried. I was lucky to have such a caring family. Instantly the heavy burden I'd been lugging around lifted. I felt better and excited for our night.

Ginata was a great friend who could always make me smile, even when I felt down. I loved how she wore brightly colored clothes, making her the happiest looking person around. The night we first met, she'd told me her name meant 'flower,' and she truly resembled one.

We headed upstairs to her room to gossip about random things, but it wasn't long before the guy subject came up. Neither of us had been on a date within the past six months, so talk in this department didn't usually amount to much.

"Have you met anyone?" Ginata asked.

I shook my head. "No, I haven't. What about you?"

"Well, there is this one guy at work who's really cute." She sighed heavily. "But we aren't allowed to date coworkers."

"That sucks. Maybe he'll fall so madly in love with you that he'll quit his job and you two can live happily ever after."

"Ha! I wish! Anyway, this talk, or should I say reminder of our non-existent love lives is starting to bring me down. I've got an idea of what we can do instead." Ginata got up and went into her closet and pulled out her Ouija board.

She smiled brightly, and I cringed. The thing freaked me right out. I'd used one of these boards with some friends at a birthday party, and the Ouija told us I would die in the near future. It had been the longest year of my life, waiting to die. I didn't know how or when, but since the board said so, it must've meant it was true. Well, there I was, still alive, and I'd never trusted the board since. I didn't want to mess with it, in case I received any other dire predictions.

"Why don't we watch a movie, do our nails, or something else?" I suggested, trying to avoid using the board.

"Don't be such a baby. Using the Ouija won't hurt you. We're just going to have a bit of fun. We'll watch some movies later, okay?"

I sighed, knowing I couldn't change her mind.

I helped her clear off the desk and pull it into the middle of her room. Next, we placed chairs on either side and a black velvet dress on top. Finally, she set the board down carefully, as if it were made of glass and would break if not handled gently.

Ginata was totally into witchcraft, and in far more ways than I ever dared to attempt. She had runes, tarot cards, smudge sticks, books, pendants, and the list went on and on. I'd never put much faith in any of it. After my run-in with the board, well, that led me to the end of my believing days.

We burned a few candles and incense for effect. I shut off the light, and we assumed our positions. We placed our hands on the triangle sitting in the middle of the board.

I peered around. Her room had gone from girlish to intimidating in a matter of minutes. The candles cast strange shadows across the walls while the incense left a faint fog. The darkness crept over everything, leaving nothing untouched. I'd never seen shadows behave this way. They seemed alive. The darker parts shifted forms and closed in around us, giving tonight a whole new eerie sensation.

Ginata spoke in a low, spooky voice. "Ouija, we would like to ask you some questions. We mean no harm. We only want to know more about you. Give us a sign if someone wishes to share with us."

We paused for a moment. Nothing happened, no movement.

She spoke again, this time in a normal voice. "Ouija, give us a sign you're here and wish to speak with us."

Just when I thought nothing would happen, the triangle scratched slowly along the board. It slid up to the left corner and pointed directly at 'yes.'

The sound of the triangle moving made me tremble. I squirmed in my seat. I didn't like using these things. They were creepy and never said anything good. Who really wanted to talk to dead people, anyway?

Ginata looked at me, excitement in her eyes. "Who are you? Will you tell us your name?"

The triangle moved. It landed on the letter "D" and slid to the "A."

I panicked. "Ginata, are you pushing it?"

Her scowl told me she wasn't.

I looked down at the triangle now resting on the "R."

"D-A-R," Ginata said, but the triangle rushed to the "A" again, and then the "Y" before stopping.

"Daray?" we said in unison.

"Is your name?" Ginata guessed.

The triangle moved to 'yes.'

Something about this name made me feel uneasy.

"How did you die?" Ginata pried.

She was always the bold one, getting right to the point, no goofing around or wasting time with idle chitchat. If she wanted to know something, she'd come straight out and ask.

The triangle spelled out V-A-M-P-I-R-E.

A shiver shot down my spine. "Vamp —" My voice squeaked. I cleared my throat and continued. "Vampire? Uh, do you think this is a horror movie or something?"

I felt spooked, but at the same time this was beyond ridiculous. Vampire. Like vampires, creatures of the night with the ability to seduce and make you powerless so they could drink your blood were real. Come on! I'd had about enough and contemplated taking my hands off when the triangle moved. This time spelling I-AM-HERE .

A light breeze filled Ginata's room. The candles flickered similar to someone breathing on them or blowing gently. We both looked around mystified. Was someone else here? What felt like a hand gently brushed across my shoulder.

"Oh no! Did you do that?" I snapped at Ginata, squirming in my seat. "This isn't funny. I'm totally freaking out!"

"Do what? I never did anything." Ginata looked over at me, and I saw the fear in her eyes.

The triangle moved again. MY-SWEET S-I-WILL -FIN D-YOU.

I looked at Ginata, completely horrified, but the triangle kept moving. I lowered my eyes to focus on what was being spelled. I-HAVE-NE VER -STOPPED-SEARCHIN G.

Suddenly, I felt like crying. This conversation brought up all kinds of emotions. I felt afraid and sad; only I didn't understand why. Maybe I was getting too wrapped up in this, but Daray seemed to be talking to me.

WE-WILL -BE-TOGETHER -AGAIN -SOON. Then, in an abrupt movement, the triangle shot to the bottom of the board and landed on goodbye. When the triangle stopped moving, the candles no longer flickered strangely.

Ginata asked the board, "Daray, are you still here? Please, talk to us!"

Nothing happened. There was no more movement.

I lifted my hands off the triangle and shook them, hoping to remove any lingering bad vibes. I was done with that creepy thing. Right then, I swore to myself that I would never, ever touch one of those boards again.

We sat silently in the dark room for what felt like a very long and awkward time. I assumed she was thinking about the contact we'd made and trying to find some way to make sense of it. I know I sure was.

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Excerpted from Escaped the Night by Jennifer Blyth. Copyright © 2015 Jennifer Blyth Starlight Creative Expressions Ltd. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse.
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