The Girl Who Played With The Ouija Board Read online

  She waited several seconds and then, in an attempt to break the awkwardness, asked, “So, who do you think the American is at the end of season three?”

  “I’m really hoping it’s Hopper, but…”

  “Me too. My mom and I were bawling our eyes out at the end.”

  Mom.

  She will never get to see the final season.

  Sadness hit.

  She tried pushing it away, but as always it was pretty stubborn.

  Joey started to say something but then stopped.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Nah, nothing.”

  “What?” she pressed.

  “I was going to ask something, but I think it’s too…” His voice faded.

  “Too what?” And then, when he didn’t reply, she added, “Please. I don’t want to be that girl that everyone is overly careful around. I’m not a piece of glass that will shatter.”

  His hesitation continued.

  “I can hear the eggshells crunching,” she said.

  “What?”

  “You’re walking on eggshells.”

  He still seemed puzzled.

  “Never mind. Ask your question. I promise, whatever it is, it’s okay.”

  “I was going to ask…your mom and your aunt, they were sisters, right?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Between them. Olivia says they were like complete opposites and barely ever spoke, and that you two were pretty much strangers until this summer.”

  “That’s true. And honestly, I’m not really sure. I know it happened during college. They both went to the same university. They were actually roommates for a while. And then something happened. Something so bad that my mom would never talk about it with me.”

  “Wow,” Joey said.

  “You know what the ironic thing is? Apparently, my aunt was the rebellious one at that point and my mom the good Catholic girl.”

  “And whatever happened between them changed that?”

  “Not sure exactly. We never talked about it. Apparently, I was baptized though, so I guess she was still with the church after I was born. And I do vaguely remember some church stuff around the holidays when I was little. I think I was an angel in a nativity play or something. But after that…” She held up her hands.

  Silence settled once again.

  “So there you have it,” she said. “The Life of Penny.”

  “Ha,” he replied. “That was simply The Prequel of Penny.”

  She grinned while his face went red.

  “That sounded really stupid, didn’t it?” he said.

  “Most of what we say does.”

  “True.”

  Another block came and went, Joey slowing as they arrived at a quiet intersection.

  “What is it?” Penny asked.

  Joey looked to the left and then the right, and then left again. “Do you know where we are?” he asked.

  “No. I was following you.”

  “Uh-oh.”

  “Are we lost?” she asked.

  “No, not quite,” he said while scanning the area. “Just turned around a bit.”

  Penny waited.

  And waited.

  And waited.

  “Okay, we’re lost,” Joey admitted, pulling out his phone. “What’s your address?”

  “Um…” she started and then shook her head. “I have no idea.”

  Joey scanned the area once again and mumbled something about how he was pretty sure they always dropped Olivia off somewhere around here.

  “You don’t drive her all the way home?” Penny asked.

  “Oh, no, she won’t allow it. Not with how insane her mother would be if she found out about her dating Martin.”

  “Ohhhh.”

  That made sense.

  Olivia had gone to quite the extreme to keep the relationship secret, the fake Facebook profile for a friend named Liz who she was always hanging out with a testament to that.

  “And it didn’t even occur to me that you wouldn’t be familiar with the area yet,” Joey added.

  It took several texts and then a call to finally get Olivia to answer her phone, a breathless question of “What’s wrong?” leaving her lips.

  “We’re lost,” Penny said.

  “Lost?” Olivia asked. “How?”

  “Well, I don’t know the address, and apparently Joey has never actually been to the house.”

  “Oh. Shit. I didn’t even think of that.”

  “It’s okay. I didn’t either. All I really need is the address. If you text it to me, I’ll map it.”

  “Okay, will do.” A pause. “Everything else okay?”

  “Oh yeah. We’re good. Just lost.”

  “Okay. I’ll get that to you in just a few seconds.”

  “Thanks.” Then to Joey, “She’s sending it.”

  “Excellent.”

  “I feel so bad about interrupting them.”

  “I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Those two are like rabbits.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, and when his house isn’t an option, they go to one of the empty houses his mother is trying to sell.”

  “No!” she said, disbelief heavy.

  “God’s honest truth,” he said, holding up his right hand.

  Penny didn’t even know what to say to that.

  “In fact, if all goes well, we’re going to have an epic Halloween party at an old place in the middle of the woods.”

  “Oh my God! That sounds awesome.”

  “Yeah. Fingers crossed she doesn’t sell the place before then.”

  “How long has it gone unsold?”

  “Like almost two years.”

  “That’s a long time. And no one lives there?”

  “No. It’s totally empty. I guess like two really old spinster sisters used to live there or something, but then one of them died or something and the other ended up in an assisted living place.”

  Her phone buzzed, the address appearing on the screen.

  “I wonder why no one wants it?” she questioned while clicking the address and then the directions icon.

  “Something about knob wiring and bad pipes.” He waved his hand. “How far off track are we?”

  “Actually, it’s only three streets over…” She looked up and then twisted to the left. “Thataway.”

  “Oh, that’s not too bad.”

  “Not bad at all. Now the question is, are you going to walk me all the way home, or is that a no-no?”

  “I suppose that’s up to you,” he said.

  “Hmm, do you have a car?”

  “I do,” he confirmed, an unspoken “why do you ask?” hovering within the reply.

  “Then I think it would be best for you to know what the house looks like so that you can pick me up on Friday,” she said, heart racing.

  “Pick you up?” he asked.

  “To take me out. You were planning to ask, right?”

  “Wh—yes! But…”

  “But…?”

  “Sorry. No but. I just wasn’t expecting you to ask me. That’s all. Caught me off guard.”

  “I suppose I can be a tad bit forward sometimes.”

  “And I can be a tad bit hesitant and overthink things, so…”

  “Well then, I suppose I’ll just have to take charge.” With that, she took hold of his hand and started toward the house, a pleasant warmth spreading through her body.

  Five

  “So…” Olivia pressed once she was back home.

  “So?” Penny asked while looking at her iPad, even though she was pretty sure she knew what Olivia wanted to know.

  “Did he ask you out?”

  “Nope.”

  “What?” Olivia demanded, fingers halting with her blouse only halfway undone.

  “I beat him to the punch.”

  Olivia frowned for a second and then laughed. “You asked him?”

  “Yep.” Penny grinned. “We’re going out on Friday.”

  “Nice!” Olivia finished unbuttoning her blouse and shrugged it off, her favorite hoodie quickly replacing it. “Where’re you going?”

  “Not sure yet,” she admitted. “He just texted me asking what kind of food I like, and I was looking to see what was around here. I’m guessing sushi might be out of the question.”

  “Gag!” Olivia grimaced. “I still don’t understand how you can eat that.”

  “Sushi’s great!”

  “You know that people get worms in their eyeballs from it.”

  “Yeah, and every single teenager did the Tide pod challenge. Come on! You know things like that are really rare despite what the media might make you think.”

  “Okay, point taken. Though I hate to break it to you, but I don’t think you’re going to find a sushi place around here.”

  “Phooey.”

  “But we do have excellent BBQ.”

  This time it was Penny who made the gagging noises.

  Olivia laughed.

  “Wait a second,” Penny said. “You have a Thai place on Main Street.”

  “Eh…you might want to stick to something a bit more basic for a first date.”

  “Why?”

  “Joey has stomach issues.”

  “Really?”

  “Big time. IBS or something.”

  “Really? That sucks.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmm. What do you think, then? Ah, here’s a Red Lobster. That’s pretty basic, right?”

  “Yeah, though that one might not be such a good idea either…”

  “Why?”

  “His ex works there.”

  “Whoa. Crossing that one off the list.”

  Olivia laughed while pulling her skirt off.

  “Was it amicable?” Penny asked.

  “Not at all.” She grabbed a pair of pajama pants.

  “Great. This is just what I need.”

  “Come to think about it, I wonder if she was the one at lunch today that called you demon girl.”

  “What? But we weren’t even going out yet.”

  “Yeah, but she’s a bitch anyway. Plus, you and Joey did talk quite a bit at the party, which might have pissed her off.”

  “She was at the party?”

  “Yeah. She’s the one you burned when you knocked over the candle.”

  “Oh great.” A few seconds later. “Why would Martin invite her if they were through?”

  “Because Martin’s a bit of a pushover. Plus, they share the same friends. Lastly, and most importantly, she totally would have ratted him out if he told her she couldn’t come.”

  “Jesus.”

  “Yeah. I’ll never forgive myself for setting them up.”

  “What?”

  “Lapse of judgment.” She gave a dismissive wave. “What should we do for dinner?”

  “Whoa. Wait. One last question. How long did they go out for, and when did they break up?”

  “That’s two questions.”

  Penny crossed her arms and stared.

  “Okay, let’s see. They got together last year for the homecoming dance, and they broke up about a week before Martin’s party.”

  “A week before?” Penny questioned, shocked.

  “Yep.”

  “The party was last Friday!”

  “So?”

  “So they’ve only been broken up for two weeks!”

  “Just about.”

  “That’s not enough time for him to get over her.”

  “Sure it is, especially since he dumped her.”

  Penny rolled her eyes.

  “Trust me, that relationship was over months ago. He just didn’t have the nerve to end it.”

  “Because of her craziness?”

  Olivia made a so-so gesture.

  Penny couldn’t believe it. “So, I’m like a rebound girl, then.”

  “What? No! You asked him. If anything, it’s like you rescued him from the post-breakup despair.”

  Penny shook her head. Now she understood why he had been so hesitant. He wasn’t looking to date anyone, and her forwardness had caught him off guard in a way that she hadn’t even contemplated.

  “I should call him,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t think he’s ready for a new relationship.”

  “No, no, you can’t do that to him.”

  “Do what? Let him know it’s okay for us to just be friends if he isn’t ready.”

  “That’s not how he’ll see it.”

  Penny didn’t reply.

  “In fact, it’ll be like taking in a stray from a shelter, making them feel all nice and loved, and then bringing them back the next day.”

  “That’s a bit extreme, wouldn’t you say?”

  “And it’s a kill shelter.”

  “Okay, okay, I get it. I won’t call him. But still, you should have told me about all this.”

  “Honestly, it didn’t even occur to me until just now.”

  Penny was about to call bullshit on that but then realized that she actually believed her. Something like this totally fit with Olivia’s personality.

  “Oh my God!” Penny snapped.

  “What?” Olivia asked, startled.

  The two were in the family room, the TV on, waiting for the pizza to finish.

  Rather than reply, Penny simply held out her iPad.

  Olivia took it, looked at it for a second, and then touched the screen.

  Voices erupted, some frightened, others simply surprised, Penny’s name echoing several times.

  Olivia touched the screen halfway through, killing the video.

  “Did you know someone filmed it?” Penny asked.

  “No,” Olivia said, voice soft. “If I had, I would have…” She didn’t finish.

  What? Smash their phone? Penny silently wondered. Yeah, right.

  In the kitchen, the timer on the oven dinged.

  Neither moved.

  Several seconds came and went.

  “I better pull that out,” Olivia said, handing back the iPad.

  Penny looked at the screen.

  Olivia had paused it at a point where Penny’s right arm was bent inward as if trying to grab her own chest, all while her face was contorted in such a way as to look like she was crazed.

  Demon girl.

  Was this what she had looked like in class today?

  Had the classroom incident caused the commentary at lunch, or had this video already made the rounds by then?

  No answers arrived.

  One thing she did know, based on all the tags she found in the original post: tons of people had seen in. Many had also shared it, which was how she ended up seeing it since she had not been tagged in the original post but in one of the comments on one of the shares.

  Olivia came back into the family room, a statement on how the pizza needed to cool off leaving her lips.

  “It was posted on Sunday,” Penny muttered.

  “By who?”

  Penny backed out of the full-screen video and then looked at the post that had been shared, her finger clicking the text to get to the original post.

  “Jocelyn Warrington,” Penny said and then looked up at Olivia.

  “Who?”

  Penny repeated the name.

  “I have no idea who that is.”

  “You’re friends with her,” Penny noted.

  “I am?”

  “So is Martin and Joey.” A few other mutual friends were listed as well, all being people she had met at the party and friend requested prior to the incident.

  “Let me ask Martin,” Olivia said, pulling out her phone.

  Several seconds came and went.

  “Where the hell is he?” Olivia muttered.

  “Maybe he’s having dinner or something,” Penny said.

  “Yeah, maybe—okay, he just read it.”

  They waited.

  “He’s typing,” Olivia announced.

  More seconds passed.

  “Come on,” Olivia urged.

  More seconds.

  Penny glanced toward her iPad while waiting. Several more comments had already appeared. The video was going viral.

  “‘She’s a friend of Leanne,’” Olivia read from her phone.

  “Leanne?”

  “Joey’s ex.”

  “Great.”

  “Let me see it again,” Olivia said.

  Penny handed over the iPad.

  Olivia watched the video, this time until the end. “It’s not a very good video. If you didn’t know it was you, it would be hard to tell.”

  “My name is said several times,” Penny noted.

  “Just your first name and they didn’t tag you or anything, so…” Her voice trailed off.

  Penny gave a weak smile.

  People would know. Even those that hadn’t been at the party. The comments in the lunchroom were just the beginning. This was going to get bad.

  Six

  No one said anything about the video during the days that followed, yet Penny felt as if everyone had watched it as she walked through the hallways and sat in her classes. She could see it in their eyes when they looked at her. It was surreal. And humiliating. Like she was the butt of an unspoken, collective joke—one that she couldn’t even skirmish against given everyone’s uncanny discretion.

  “Honestly, I don’t think anyone is really saying anything,” Olivia said one night while they lay awake in her bedroom. “Everyone’s too focused on their own shit.”

  “Maybe,” Penny replied, even though she knew this wasn’t the case.

  People were talking. She read the comments. Most were simply tags of people’s names so they could see the video, but others were actual statements on what had unfolded. One of the most popular was one that said it looked like she was being ass-fucked by Satan, a carefully selected screenshot of her face having been posted to emphasize the comment. In it, her mouth was half open while her eyes were rolled back.

  Others voiced concern about her being possessed, stating theories that she had opened the door with the Ouija board. Some agreed, while others thought such things were nonsense.

  Penny wanted to be in the latter category but worried about the former, given what had happened during her first class the other day. Something had been in the room with her. Something had been calling her name.

  “Oh hey,” Olivia said across the darkness. “I meant to ask, do you want any condoms for tomorrow night?”