"Come on, Olivia. Let's go in here." Brynn pulled on her best friend's hand, dragging her into the umpteenth party shop.

"Bry, we are beyond done shopping," Olivia groaned.

"Last shop. I swear." Brynn used her finger to sign a "x" over her heart.

"Last one." Olivia sighed and followed her friend into the Halloween store.

Floor to ceiling was lined with costumes and decorations. Fake blood, cotton spider webs, dancing zombies and mummies, cackling motion sensor witch. It was just like everything else they'd seen in the other shops, and they'd already gotten everything they wanted for the party.

"Ooooh! We don't have one of these," Brynn said to Olivia.

She held up a board with letters and other writing, her green eyes shining bright.

"I don't think that's such a good idea." Just looking at the Ouija board made Olivia feel uneasy.

"Come on, Olivia. It's just a game. What could it hurt?"

"You've heard the stories. Just put it down."

"You mean the stories you read on the internet? Because those must all be true."

Olivia scratched her arm, looking back behind her.

"Come on, we're having a Halloween party. Don't you want it to be fun?"

"I suppose so."

"And what would be more fun than getting people together on All Hallows' Eve on a full moon to commune with the dead?" Brynn wiggled her eyebrows. "It's also seventy-five percent off."

"Fine. Just get the stupid board."

Brynn jumped up and down and grabbed the board, planchette, and the box it all came in, taking it up to the counter.

Olivia crossed her arms while her best friend chatted away with the woman behind the register. She did not want that thing anywhere near her. She didn't want it in her car, she didn't want it to stay in her house, she wanted nothing to do with it. Olivia didn't care if Brynn thought the stories were all crap because they were on the internet. There was always the chance that they were true, and the last thing she needed was a disruptive spirit in her house.

"Thank you so much." Brynn turned around with a large smile plastered to her face. "The planchette is made of bone. Isn't that so cool!"

"No, not cool!"

"Relax. It's just buffalo bone. But I bet we can convince the others that it's human bone." She did her little eyebrow wiggle thing again and Olivia turned to walk out of the shop.

"Come on, Liv. What's the matter?"

"I just don't think this is a good idea."

"They sell these things in the toy section. It's a toy, a board game. It's going to be fine." Brynn swung the bag back and forth as they made their way down the sidewalk.

"Whatever. We need to go set up before everyone gets there."

"Right. And my parents are gone until tomorrow night. So no rents to get in the way. This party is going to be epic."

They made their way back to Brynn's house, putting up the cobwebs, spiders, bats, eyeballs and everything else before changing.

Brynn finished up her costume and makeup by splattering fake blood all over herself, and adding a nice, thick red line across her neck.

"How do I look?" She asked.

"Dead," Oliva said, putting on her witch hat.

"Perfect. Are you ready?"

"Of course, darling. Let me just get my broom." Olivia curtsied and grabbed the broom she had gotten the week before to go with her costume.

The doorbell rang and the two went downstairs, turning on the sound system before letting Abbie, Matthew, and Andrew in, a fairy, Frankenstein's monster, and a zombie, respectively.

It wasn't a huge party, just the five of them. It was a little something for them to have fun of their own instead of sitting at home manning the candy dish for the children that came to the door.

They turned the music up and turned it to Thriller. Yes, they had dance moves and all, of course.

There was punch with dry ice, snacks, a whole Halloween playlist, and obviously, their own bowl of candy.

Around eleven, Brynn pulled the board and planchette out, holding a bundle of candles. "Who wants to have some real Halloween fun?"

"Seriously, Bry, you got a Ouija board?" Abbie said.

"Of course I got a Ouija board."

"You know you shouldn't be messing with that, especially not tonight of all nights."

Brynn rolled her eyes. "Come on, don't be such party poopers."

"Yeah, it's just a game, Abbie," Andrew said. "Nothing will happen anyway ... probably"

"Whatever, Andy."

"So are we game or not?" Brynn asked.

Olivia and Abbie exchanged looks. Neither of them wanted to. If they had to, Brynn would just play with the guys then.

"Fine," Abbie and Olivia conceded.

Brynn smiled and sat on the ground in the center of the room, setting up the candles and lighting them. "Come on, then. Circle up."

Everyone knelt down in a circle around the board. Brynn got up, turned off the music, and shut the lights off, the flickering flames of the candle and fire in the fireplace behind them were the only source of light.

"Now everyone put two fingers on the planchette," Brynn said as she read the directions from the box. She was the last to place her fingers on the piece of carefully shaped bone.

"I can ask the questions. They say it's better to have one person do it. You can all ask me things, but I'll be the medium."

Andrew and Matthew nudged each other and smiled.

"And no faking it, boys." Brynn gave them a pointed look.

They each held up a hand in defense. "Why are you looking at us?" Andrew asked.

"Because I know you. Now, let's get started." The house fell into complete silence.

"We circle the planchette on the board a few times," she said as she started moving the piece around. "And now. . ." She fell silent, taking a deep breath. "Spirits, are you here?"

Everything was quiet, no one even dared to breathe.

Nothing happened.

"See, it's just complete crap," Matthew whispered.

"Shut up, Matt," Brynn hissed.

She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Are there any spirits here?"

A small shiver ran down Brynn's spine, and the planchette started to move.

"Who's moving it?" Abbie asked.

Everyone shook their heads, eyes wide as the piece moved across the board, resting on the word yes.

"I'm done," Olivia said, taking her fingers off the planchette and holding her hands up.

"Go get a pen and paper," Brynn said.

"What?"

"A pen and paper. If we ask questions and it spells something out, we want to make sure we get it all."

"You are out of your mind, Bry?"

"It's fine. Just get the paper and pen please."

Olivia stomped off.

"Did you use to live in this house?" Brynn asked the spirit.

The room was still, and it took a minute before the planchette began to move again, sliding across to the word no.

"Are you a guy or girl?" Brynn asked.

The piece moved across the board again, stopping for a second over each letter as it spelled out guy.

"This is so weird," Andrew said.

"Do any of you want to ask anything?"

Olivia entered the room again, notebook and pen in hand.

"Ask her how she died," Andrew offered.

"Are you ready, Liv?"

Her friend nodded, pen ready to write.

"How did you die?"

The planchette moved faster than the time before.

"Murder," Olivia said.

"Maybe we shouldn't be messing with this," Abbie said again.

"You can always stop if you want to. We only need two people," Brynn said.

Abbie looked to Olivia but she didn't take her hand away.

"How old were you?"

The planchette went to the two and then to the zero.

"What's your name?"

Nothing happened.

Brynn waited a minute.

"Are you still there?"

Still nothing.

"If you're still here with us, please give us a sign."

Energy buzzed in the room, so strong they could taste it. All at once, the candles went out, casting the room in pitch black.

"Guys?" Olivia asked, her voice tremoring.

"Someone light the candles or turn the lights back on," Matthew said.

Olivia turned on the lights.

Brynn was no longer kneeling, instead she sat cross-legged with her head down and eyes closed, her hands resting on her knees.

"Dude, is she okay?" Matthew asked.

"Bry?" Olivia said, slowly walking to her friend and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Brynn's head snapped up, her face twisted into a snarl before it smoothed out and she laughed.

"Brynn?" Abbie asked.

"Brynn isn't here anymore," she said. Her voice had changed. It sounded like she was speaking into a fan, a second voice laced in underneath.

Olivia backed away slowly.

Brynn, or whoever she was hopped onto her feet, crouching as she looked between the four in the room. Her head swayed from side to side, eyes constantly shifting.

It was only then that Olivia realized her friend's eyes had fogged over. She looked blind. The person in front of them looked nothing like the Brynn Olivia knew.

Andrew slowly stood up and took small steps backwards.

Brynn's head snapped to the side, looking directly at him, and he bolted.

Faster than should have been possible, Brynn was after him, her fingers tightly around his throat as she pushed him up against the wall by the fire place, a snarl contorting her face.

Her head tilted to the side and she leaned in, sniffing Andrew, her blind eyes searching his face.

Andrew visibly shook. "Come on Bry," he whispered. "It's me, remember? We would sneak out during study hall and ... you know."

Brynn's head tilted to the other side and picked up the fire iron and stuck it into the flames.

"Brynn, please." Andrew watched her turn the fire iron, watching it intently with those milky eyes.

The iron soon turned red, and Brynn pulled it from the fire and stabbed it through Andrew's abdomen, all the way into the wall.

Andrew's hands reflexively went to the iron, grasping the rod as he screamed in pain.

Shrill screams from Olivia and Abbie sounded from behind.

"Holy shit!" Matthew said.

Brynn turned, her arms hanging limp at her sides, her head bent down slightly.

The others froze.

"We need to get out of here," Abbie said.

"We can't just leave Andrew like that," Olivia hissed.

"So you want us to stay and become shish kabobs like him?" Matthew said.

Brynn laughed, that twisted sound laced beneath, and the others went to run for the door.

All the locks clicked into place and the lights went out.

Abbie screamed. The three of them blindly searched for the wall.

"Where is she?" Olivia asked.

"I don't know," Abbie said.

"Just get to the door," Matthew said, pushing Olivia forward. "We need to get out of here and call the police."

They slowly made their way to the front door. Olivia turned the knob and pulled, but it didn't budge. She tried to turn the lock, but it was like it was stuck in place.

"I can't get it," Oliva said.

"Just pull!" Matthew urged her.

"What do you think I'm trying to do?"

A low laughter came from above them. "Do you really think I'd just let you walk out of here?"

Their eyes had adjusted to the darkness just enough for them to see Brynn hanging upside down in the corner of the ceiling. Brynn's voice was completely gone, taken over by a lower, demonic sound.

"Poor children, thinking you can get together and play with a game you understand nothing about."

Abbie whimpered, pressing against the wall as if she could will herself invisible.

The thing inside Brynn smiled. It was something none of them had every seen, a smile that showed only pure, sadistic joy. Like a little boy with a magnifying glass playing with ants.

The thing moved with incredible speed, crawling across the ceiling.

"Check the windows," Olivia urged the other two.

They moved quickly, going in different directions.

Matthew tried to turn the locks on the windows with a panicked Abbie beside him, but they seemed to be stuck. No matter how hard he pulled, they wouldn't turn.

He would just have to break the glass and clear it out.

"Give me your jacket," he said to Abbie, holding his hand out.

Abbie didn't give him anything. In fact, she had gone completely silent.

Matthew turned to look for her when a blade pressed to his throat.

"Poor, poor Matt," that twisted voice said. "Never knowing how little Abbie felt about you. Never getting the chance to do something about it."

He looked to Abbie lying still on the ground, blood soaking the pink of her fairy costume. There was a sharp sting as the blade cut the skin at his throat. In less than a second, it was done.

Matt's hand went to his throat where blood poured down. It choked him. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't speak. He fell to his knees before his side, looking to Abbie.

Her chest rose in rapid breaths. She was still alive, if barely. Though he almost wished she were dead. He wished he would just die. Wouldn't it just be better to get it over with quickly?

The monster inside Brynn walked away, leaving them to die on the floor. There was still one left.

She could hear Olivia running around frantically.

Olivia tried every window and door. There had to be some way out, she was sure of it, but after trying the last window, she had given up hope. She was going to die. Had the others died?

"The window in my room. Hurry, Liv!" Brynn shouted. It had actually sounded like Brynn.

Was it possible that her friend had somehow managed to push her way to the surface and warn her, to try and help her?

It was worth a shot. She couldn't just sit there and let whatever was inside Brynn kill her without a fight. She had to try.

Olivia ran up the stairs to Brynn's room. Everything was still a mess from them getting ready for the party. Makeup scattered everywhere, shopping bags thrown all over as they'd gotten the decorations out.

Olivia passed it all as she ran to the window.

The door shut behind her and she turned to see Brynn standing there. Those cloudy eyes, that wide, twisted smile. Blood splattered her clothes and soaked her hands, coating the blade.

She turned back to the window, trying to open it, using the last of her strength as she pulled at the lock.

That slow gravelly laugh rolled through the room, and Olivia punched the glass in frustration and desperation.

The glass shattered, and small spots of blood welled to the surface. The space wasn't wide enough though. Just big enough for her arm.

Olivia's head jerked back, and she almost fell down as Brynn's hand took a hold of her hair.

"Sh. It's okay, Liv," Brynn said with her own voice. Her arm wrapped around Olivia, holding her close.

The blade sunk into Olivia's stomach. She wanted to scream, but the sound was caught in her throat.

"It's going to be okay."

It was then that Olivia could tell it wasn't really Brynn. That raspy voice was still there, hidden underneath. It had never been Brynn.

The blade twisted in Olivia's stomach before Brynn pulled it out.

She went to the attic, finding the rope her father had stored in case they ever needed it, and brought it back to the top of the stairs.

She tied it around the banister before looping and knotting the other end. When she was done, Brynn placed the loop around her neck and carefully got up onto the thin rail, straddling it before turning, her feet dangling over the edge.

It was then that the thing inside Brynn finally pulled back enough for Brynn to come to the surface. The body of Andrew was just visible around the corner.

Brynn screamed and her hands covered her mouth. The blood smeared on her face and she gagged.

The thing inside pulled free, with a force that sent Brynn over the edge. Her neck snapping with the force of the stop.

~~~~~

"And this is the famous Nelson house. Twenty years ago on Halloween, Brynn Nelson invited her friends over where she proceeded to murder them before hanging herself. The parents discovered the tragedy when they came home from their anniversary," the man said as he led the haunted tour.

"They say you can see the ghost of Olivia Benton trying to escape through the top window every Halloween."