“C’mon, Jade, don’t be a loser.”

I look over at my cousin Lily. She brushes her hair from her face, the sneer highlighted by the bold blue streaks her mother let her get. I could never pull it off.

Her friends seem bored.

“Okay, fine!”

I slid my hand forward and set it on the Ouija board. My heart pounds so hard I worry the other girls will hear it.

The lights flick off, and I squeal in response. It’s not a cool sound.

“Oh my God, Jade, you’re such a baby,” Lily’s friend, Ashley, laughs.

“Why is she here?” Becca whines.

“My mom made me invite her.”

“I’m fine!” I cry, voice cracking.

“Remember, don’t let go of the planchette or the ghosts will get loose,” Becca warns, smiling.

I stare ahead at the candles they’ve lit. It’s a huge fire hazard. Mother says not to play with fire.

Lily plants her hand on the board, her huge smile daring us to follow.

“Are there any spirits here that wish to speak with us?” Lily asks the open air.

“Or any demons?” Ashley adds.

I fight to keep my sweaty hand on the planchette as it glides towards yes.

Oh my gosh.

“What’s your name?” Becca asks.

The little piece of carved wood starts to move again.

M-A-R-Y-S-M-I-T-H

“Hey, isn’t that your last name, Jade?” Lily asks.

“Yeah. But it’s a pretty common last name.”

“Who are you, Mary Smith?”

The girls spell out the answer in ritualistic chanting. It reminds me of the scary movies my older brother likes to watch.

“GREAT GRANDMOTHER.”

“Oooh, Jade!” Becca teases, poking me with her free hand.

“Wouldn’t she be your grandma too, Lily?”

“No way, dumbass, Smith isn’t my last name!”

“That’s a bad word,” I remind her.

“So? As long as you don’t snitch, it doesn’t matter,” Lily snaps back.

“Mary Smith, how did you die?” Becca asks.

“You’re not supposed to ask that!” I tell her.

“God, she’s so lame.”

I snap my mouth shut. I want them to like me. They’re the cool kids, after all.

“How did you die?” Ashley asks again.

The monotone chorus reads out the answer. “Murdered.”

“Wow, Jade, I hope that doesn’t happen to you,” Becca says. Her sneer looks a bit like a monster in the dim firelight.

I take a deep breath to calm my nerves. I need to impress them, so I ask, “Why are you here?”

The planchette moves more forcefully, and I lean forward to keep my two fingers glued to it.

The girls’ voices pitch up, and they giggle through the letters.

“I WANT YOU DEAD.”

I yank my hand off the board before I can stop myself. It wants to kill me and I just let it out. I’m going to die.

The girls in the room double over with laughter, loudly and full. I can’t blink away the tears that flow from my eyes. The candle’s flame flared angrily.

“I want to go home.” I no longer care about being cool.

“Aw, we’re just messing with you, Jade,” Lily says.

“Ha, she’s crying. You guys are so mean!” Ashley says.

The Ouiji board flies across the room, and they stop laughing.

“Who did that?” Becca asks.

The candles roar a foot high; the furniture shakes.

“Oh my god! It’s a ghost.” Ashley cries.

“Ghosts aren’t real.” Lily says, her voice wavering.

A lamp flies across the room and smashes against the wall, right next to her head. She screams.

“We’re sorry!” Ashley yells.

I turn, and I see a figure in the candlelight. She has long, black hair, and blue eyes that seem to stare into your soul.

“Look!” I yell.

The girls all spin around, backing into a huddle.

“What is it?” Lily asks.

The woman continues to step forward.

“The ghost! She’s right there!”

“I swear to God, Jade, this is no time for messing around-”

Lily is flung to the side, away from me.

“Please don’t kill us,” I plead.

“Take her!” Ashley shoves me forward.

She’s also thrown toward Lily. Then Becca is tossed.

The woman steps towards me, and the other girls bolt for the door. It slams behind them. I am alone.

Then the lights come back on. The candles go out. I can see the woman’s entire face, as she leans down and kisses me on the forehead.

“They’ll never mess with you again,” she says.

Editor: Lucy Cafiero