The moon rested low on the foggy horizon, casting a luminous glow on the desolate tarred road ahead, air filled with the scent of an approaching storm. Nia already began to regret the choice of 6-inch heels over her regular trainers. A warm sticky breeze blew through her caramel coloured hair, licking at the back of her neck, teasing the treacherous journey to come. Her heart panged momentarily for company, but Nia was realistic, the girls had to stay where they were.
She walked with her hand resting on the keys laying inside her purse, as her mama taught her, to get away from the horrors that slipped out under chilly nights like this. She kept to the treeline, to stay out of sight, and glanced around her every few seconds. Nia began to follow the pattern on the sidewalk, stepping on only the red bricks and avoiding the grey ones. Distracted by her game, she missed the crunch of a fallen leaf behind her.
Normally, she’d have been quite aware, especially after all her practice running away and hiding from the cruel girls in school whose only aim it seemed, was making Nia distraught. It had been 8 consecutive years being relentlessly name called ‘freak’ and ‘psycho’ and experiencing public humiliation, all led by the delightful Kristine but, no more. For a while now, Nia had come to realise that school was coming to an end. University would begin soon, and she deserved to have a better life; so she made a plan, and she stuck to it.
She turned at the chapel corner, smirking at the place of worship and wondering what its regular visitors would think of what transpired in that house. Her mind began to drift to the events of the night as always. Nia liked to ‘revise’ the moments in her head to ensure they remained with her forever. She could taste the tangy drops of liquid on her lips, hear the pure elation of dancing with the girls, and feel the gratitude of being brought into their circle, no matter what their reasons were for it.
Nia was brought out of her reminiscence when she tripped over a crack in her path, and now she sensed it, a foreboding aura in the air that sent prickles up the back of her neck, she cursed at her short legs as she regained her balance and quickened her pace. She knew she needed to get back home soon, keep as far away from there as possible. Her dress was beginning to dry onto her skin, Nia groaned thinking about how long it would take to wash off, but she was confident that she’d have time. She started to think about the game again, to stop herself from overthinking into worst-case scenarios. Nia wasn’t usually the type to go along with silly supernatural gimmicks, but this night had been her one chance, she guessed it would be special, and she was absolutely right. The Ouija board was brought out amidst giggles and laid sloppily between the 6 of them, promising a night none of them would ever forget. It had been strange to be on the other side of the laughter for once, to not be the object of it. She didn’t ponder over it too much; everything had been going according to her plan anyway.
Nia paused, she heard squeaks of a bicycle getting louder and closer, and when she looked up, she met the gleam of coal eyes staring at her, on a face wearing malicious grin. It began shape the word psycho with its lips. Nia looked away, it couldn’t be, she’d done what they asked in return for their promise of protection. Seconds later when she glanced in the direction again, the seemingly familiar being on the bicycle was gone.
Nia let out a hiss of frustration and almost stomped her foot like a stubborn child. She had done everything; spoken the foreign words, positioned the candles, and even changed from suffocation to knives! It didn’t affect the pure adrenaline and satisfaction she felt from their screams though, Nia had finally beat them. It bothered her that she’d had to modify the plan so late, but she couldn’t exactly say no. They had explained that they understood. They’d been just like her once, that they’d help her as long as she did exactly what they said. So, she did.
She was worried now and perhaps slightly afraid, so she broke into a jog, click-clacking her way back. If they got her tonight, it would have been pointless to have put in all that effort concealing their bodies. Seriously, her makeup was completely ruined spending all that time in their stuffy basement, so much for the perfect winged eyeliner.
She was almost there, she could see her finish line when suddenly a blast of piercing cold air blew directly into her face, Nia just had the time to see those vicious lips sneer, Kristine’s lips, Nia was sure now. Then Kristine spoke, with a note of victory in her revoltingly sweet voice, “Didn’t I always say she was a freak? You’re a fool for thinking you had the upper hand, for trusting them. All you’ve done is given me exactly what I wanted, your endless suffering.”
Icy fingertips yanked at Nia’s ankles, causing her to fall. Nia screamed and shouted and pleaded for mercy, the way she had for all those years, to the same deaf ears that only tuned in to the wishes of Kristine. Alas, as usual, it was in vain. They pulled, and pulled, and pulled. Back to the house where their last remains laid, where she’d continue to hurt until she became one of them