The Seance

By R.J. Byrd

“I can’t believe I’m actually doing this,” mused Kevin as he climbed through an old, broken window into what was once an army barrack. He looked around critically and dusted off his James Bond suit with an air of importance.

“Yeah, I know. I can’t believe you’re actually going to have fun either,” said Honey as she assessed the small, broken-down room with a smile and clutched the tiny table she had brought for the occasion. Honey had convinced her friend to accompany her on a mission to talk to the spirits of the school, and her friend’s boyfriend just had to tag along and complain the whole time.

She rationalized it by reminding herself that a séance could not be properly performed without at least three people. And since their friend Lucy had backed out at the last minute, they were desperate for a third. The room was empty, and the dilapidated roof let in light from the moon.

Decked out in a tie-dye mini dress with a headband and white knee-high boots, Honey fully embraced her hippie upbringing.

“Come on, you guys, don’t you think all your negative energy might scare away the spirits or something?” Asked Mia, dusting off her Dorothy outfit after Kevin helped her inside.

“If anything, it will attract them,” said Honey. “This is going to be perfect.” She set up her small, round table in the center of the room and checked her phone. “It’s just about midnight. You guys brought your stuff, right?”

“Right o, captain,” said Kevin in a bad British accent, pulling a piece of bread from his pocket. He tossed it to Honey, who put it in the center of the table. She read that spirits were attracted to aromatic food, and garlic bread should be perfect.

“What about you, Mia?” she asked, turning to Mia.

“Yeah, I got them. Three black, three red, just like you wanted.” Mia reached into her basket, moved the stuffed Toto aside, and pulled out six candles.

“OK, we’re ready to start. Everyone sit down around the table,” said Honey. They all sat and watched as Honey lit the candles and placed them in a circle around the piece of bread. The flickering glow cast an eerie light around the room.

“Why am I here again?” asked Kevin, looking directly at Honey.

“Because I couldn’t do this without my best friend, and she apparently couldn’t do this without you, so here you are,” she explained.

“I am glad you’re here,” said Mia, grabbing Kevin’s hand and squeezing it lightly. This whole experience was freaking her out, but a part of her also found it thrilling. Being in this old army barrack at night, on Halloween, was exciting.

“Let’s all hold hands,” said Honey, grabbing Kevin and Mia’s hands. “Now I’m going to chant and try to call the ghosts.”

Mia saw Kevin discreetly roll his eyes. She thought it was sweet that he would put up with this for her and squeezed his hand again.

“Spirits among us, seek out our light. We beseech you to visit us on this night.” Honey chanted a few times before she made Mia and Kevin join her. They were chanting for a few minutes before a freezing gust of wind blew through the room. The candles flickered, but only one went out. Honey quickly relit it. “I think they’re here,” she whispered, sounding excited.

Mia could swear she felt a presence in the room. Something dark and oppressive. Part of her wanted to leave. Maybe she was being paranoid. There were no ghosts at the college. That was just something to scare the freshmen.

“We can start asking questions now,” said Honey. “I am their medium, and they will answer through me.”

“Ok, I’ll start,” said Kevin. He didn’t seem uneasy, which made Mia feel better. She was probably overreacting. “Spirits…why do we have to do so many damn group projects here?”

“Yeah,” said Mia, trying to ignore the sinister feeling in the room. “Spirits, how do they make those chocolate cookies at the dining hall? Those are so delicious.” They both started to laugh.

“Can you guys at least pretend to take this seriously?” Asked Honey, glaring at them. Another frigid burst of wind swept through the room. This time, all the candles went out. The room was saturated in black; the light from the full moon outside was strangely absent.

Nobody moved; the atmosphere grew heavy. Mia could have sworn she could feel anger reverberating through the room. The temperature dropped suddenly, and their breath came out in white puffs.

“I think we should get outta here,” said Kevin, all amusement gone from his voice.

Just as he said that the room began to shake. Lightly at first but then violently. Boards started to fall from the ceiling. They all got up and ran toward the window. Kevin helped Mia and Honey first, and they started running back to campus.

A heavy fog hung in the air, and their dorms were no longer visible. The ground was shaking under their feet, making it hard to run. Deafening booms of thunder made Mia’s ears ring as black clouds began to swirl overhead.

Kevin screamed. Mia turned to find his body on the ground twenty feet away as if he had been yanked backward. “Kevin!” she ran for him. She could hear Honey calling her name behind her. She pulled him up, and they began to run.

Mia felt a few drops on her arm and assumed it was rain.

Long claws of lightning streaked the sky. She looked down and noticed blood on her sleeve; she glanced at Kevin and saw a large gash across the side of his head, gushing blood. Mia almost stopped running.

“Oh my God, Kevin, are you okay?” she asked, feeling more drops on her arm.

“I’m fine, just keep running, Mia, okay?” he said between labored breaths. “Just keep running.”

So she did, right into an unknown fate.

The End.

Copyright 2023 R.J. Byrd All Rights Reserved