The Party

Not much was said in the locker room after the game. I kept to myself, wondering about the man in my vision and why it all seemed so real. Justin said I had gifts that gave me an advantage. Maybe my thoughts had power, enough to rescue the man from his torments.

“Take it easy Mike, have a good weekend.” I waved to the equipment kid as I left for the parking lot. I saw Randy running, well, limping towards my car.

“Hey Will, you coming to the Lodge tonight? A bunch of us are heading out there.”

“Are you sure you're up for it? You might want to stay off that.” I glanced downward at the bulge protruding from his blood stained sock.

“What?” Randy’s brow wrinkled.

“Never mind.” I said, mind flashing. Allison would be there. I really wanted, more like needed to see her.

"There’s gonna be two kegs. Should be sweet.” Randy said.

"Yeah, I’ll go." I was worried about Allison. Why would she be hanging with a group of outsiders, especially in public. Allison always liked the spotlight and the attention it brought but this was an act of desperation.

“Cool man, jump in. I’ll give you a ride. You told your parents you wouldn’t be home tonight, right? I plan on getting bombed, and unless you can drive us back, I think we’ll just crash there tonight."

“Sounds good to me. I don’t really know if I’ll get bombed but either way it’s best if we stay off the roads tonight.”

"You ok, Will? You seem ... I don't know, on edge."

"Maybe I am a little. Can't stop thinking about Allison hanging with those Outsiders, pisses me off."

"She'll be there tonight. Talk to her. You'll feel better. I promise." Randy turned his focus to the road.

We arrived at the party as a parade of cars lined the driveway. “Man, if this isn’t suspicious, I hope the cops don’t drive by."

“Don’t worry, be happy,” Randy calmly giggled. I never knew for sure if he truly didn’t have a care in the world, or if it was just his cover for something he didn’t want the world to see.

We walked up the front steps and knocked. Randy nudged me and whispered, "talk to her," just before Allison opened the door and quickly hugged both of us.

“Hey guys, how’s it going?” Allison’s shoulder length brunette hair was tied in a ponytail, her voice bubbly and inviting. She was one of those magical people that had a natural ability to draw the conversationalist out of me. It was her greatest gift. I loved her for it.

“Doing great,” my eyes lit up the moment she smiled. She was so personable. A quality that I could never imagine for myself. A mystery that I could never solve.

Allison handed me a drink. I reached into my pocket and rubbed the charm between my fingers, its smooth texture quieted my mind and allowed me to speak.

“How have you been?” I asked, admiring the warmth of her soft brown eyes.

“Oh, I’ve been pretty good. I haven’t had a chance to talk to you. It’s been so busy with work and school.”

“That’s ok, I understand, I’ve been busy too.”

“I bet you’ll have a ton of free time now that football is over."

"Yeah, did you see that last play? Ugg, so close. How cool would have it been to win our last game after losing for so many years. I should be used to it but this one stings."

"Um yeah, it's too bad."

I knew Allison never saw that dropped pass. She knew that I knew. She knew that the sting I felt wasn't from losing. It was from seeing her with the Outsiders.

What have you been up to?” Allison asked.

“Oh, just this and that.” I flushed with the lameness of the statement, knowing I wasn’t being truthful.

“That’s cool. I’m gonna go back inside. I'll talk to you later.” Allison didn’t press me for knowledge about what I had been doing. She and Randy were both alike in that aspect. They took me at face value. They never dug too deep. I returned the favor, deciding that now was not the time to ask her what the hell she was thinking.

Two hours passed. The party was oddly therapeutic. Standing alone and a little buzzed, I headed downstairs. A tingling chill ran through me as I reached the bottom step. On the basement walls were painted the same oddly familiar symbols that were painted on the walls at Gateway. Allison approached me before I could fully process what I had seen.

“Hey Will, can I ask you something?”

“Um sure, what is it?”

“I want you to try using the Ouija board with us.”

“What? Why? What would you do that for? Who’s us?”

Allison turned and directed her attention towards the corner of the room. Corey Fritz was standing there. I hadn’t noticed him before. His dark clothing blended with the shadows of the dimly lit room. My immediate instinct was to say no, but my judgment was blinded by alcohol and Allison.

“We're going to make contact with a spirit using the board,” she smiled. “It’s harmless.”

I hated this town. Had it become cool to try and contact the dead? “I've heard of those but I thought they were just a game played by people with overactive imaginations. They don’t really work, do they?”

“Yes, spirits have always been attracted to Ouija boards. It’s really fun.” The same enthusiasm that greeted me was now repealing me. Screaming at me to run away.

“What would your dad say if he knew you were doing this?”

Allison’s enthusiasm soured faster than mayonnaise at a summer picnic. “Don’t even talk about him. I am so mad at that jerk!”

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

"It's ok, Will. Just forget it.”

Randy watched us from a distance and motioned me over. “Don’t even think about it Will, those things are dangerous. Every shop in town has one or two for sale. Plus, Corey and his family are all into that Occultist crap. It’s only gonna lead to something bad. I saw some crap on TV that bad spirits can feed on the energy of people using Ouija boards because they're vulnerable and don’t know how to protect themselves from attack.”

“Attack?"

“Using the board gives a spirit permission to attach themselves to the person's energy field. Communication is their invitation. The problem is they wear out their welcome and don’t leave politely. They bind their chains to your soul. Dark spirits need to feed off the energy of living since they’ve cut themselves off from the positive energy of the universe. They attempt to control the host person, causing them to spill their energy. Once the energy becomes muddied, the dark entity can gain strength for a limited time."

Allison pulled at my arm as I turned towards her. “Please Will, I really want you to try it. Please, please, pretty please,” she pleaded.

“Do you think if we used the Ouija board we'd be open to attack?”

“What are you talking about Will? It’s just for fun. That crap my dad and the other preachers talk about, it's just that, crap.” Allison had gained my trust the first time I met her. I hadn’t the willpower to resist. Her long silky dark hair and trusting smile sealed the deal. I glanced back towards Randy but he was gone.

“Ok, maybe just once.” Corey walked over to us, mumbling something but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. It didn’t sound like English, but the alcohol may have affected my judgment.

Corey took the lead and placed his bony hands on the worn planchette, his body stiff and serious. “We are here to speak to any spirits who desire to communicate with us tonight. Please answer Yes or No if you are willing to communicate.” The planchette floated across the board.

“Are you moving it? Allison asked.

“No,” was Corey’s only utterance until the planchette landed on Yes. “Thank You,” Corey said. “We mean no harm. Who do you owe your allegiance too?” Corey asked. I took my eyes off the board, my brow curled down. The planchette did not move from Yes. A chilly gust of wind zipped through the room, but there were no windows in the basement. Without warning the planchette accelerated violently from letter to letter. A disembodied voice whispered throughout the room, “under their control.” It wasn't the same strong commanding voice I'd heard with Monika. This voice was fearful and raspy.

“Whose control are you under?” Corey asked.

The planchette moved with lightning speed. S-U-N-N-Y.

"What do you want?"

"The Resurrectionist."

We looked at one another with blank stares. Corey shook his head. The planchette flew forcefully across the room and shattered against the brick fireplace. We all jumped up from our chairs, each one visibly shaken.

“Sunny. Sunny Miller?” I said.

Corey’s eyes grew wide. “Oh God! Break the communication! Break it now!" Corey screamed and threw the Ouija board to the ground. “What have we done?”

“Corey! You're scaring me. What’s going on?” Allison asked.

My arm draped over Allison shielding her from Corey. Corey sat on the couch unresponsive. “Corey? Corey? Corey!” I shouted.

Corey’s eyes were glassy as he slowly looked up. “My parents both worked at the Millersville asylum, long after Sunny had passed. There were stories going around. They said Sunny was working to gain control of a legion, a group of malicious entities under his control who are forced to serve him."

“There’s so many different stories on what happened to Sunny Miller. Some say his ghost is still trapped in the asylum. Who really knows what’s real and what’s fiction? What the hell is a legion, anyway?” I asked.

“I don’t know, I'd say about 5000 demons.” Corey said.

“And this A-hole commands all of them?”

Corey threw his arms in the air. “No dumbass! Sunny commands one legion. They just happen to be the cream of the crop.”

“Great! Thanks!” I started to walk away but forced myself to turn and look into Corey’s face. "Tell us then, antichrist, what is Sunny's Legion after?"

Corey took a deep breath. “They won't stop until they accomplish their goal. They con weak willed humans into entering a diabolical pact. They use the person to do terrible things and then feed off of the carnage they create. Some say Sunny is the Devil himself.”

The room was silent, my legs heavy. Nobody uttered a word until I dared to break the silence. “Why would someone want to enter a diabolical pact? What does that even do?”

“The Legion preys on people who believe they’ve been wronged by God or others. The demons offer their powers to help the person get revenge and in turn feed off of the blood and dark energy that's created.” Corey said.

"What's a Resurrectionist? They were after it." I said.

Corey shook his head. "No clue."

“So, it’s true that you can sell your soul to the devil? That nonsense my father is always spouting off about, it’s real?” Allison asked.

“There's no such thing as a written contract but metaphorically speaking, yes. Once you offer up control of your body to the demon they will use their will to overpower you. There's no going back. People who’ve been deeply hurt in life want to lash out. God is the source of their pain so why not cause him pain by hurting others."

“That’s insane! You Outsiders are some backwards thinking nut jobs!” I shouted at Corey.

“I was brought up in this life so you better have some respect for my family’s religious beliefs,” he lashed back.

“Religious beliefs! You’re a frickin’ wack job if you think what you are doing is religious. It’s crap! You people come to Millersville thinking you can gain special powers or favors because you practice witchcraft. Why don’t you freaks just get the hell out!”

“That’s the problem with you Puritan puke's, you think you're so damn righteous that you can look down on others who have beliefs that are different from yours. We aren’t devil worshipers. We don’t want to hurt people. We believe in doing what is best for ourselves. We have ultimate freedom from the burdens of religious dogma. You’re just too blind to see that your beliefs are the very chains that keep you in bondage.” Corey said.

"Puritan? You're sadly mistaken if you think I belong to them. I want nothing to do with their side or yours." I laughed.

"Then you're a coward. Afraid to take a side and make a stand, spineless. Someday you're gonna have to grow a pair and make a choice. You can't hide behind indifference forever, man." Corey scoffed.

"If I was forced to choose, I sure as hell wouldn't take up your cause."

Why would I choose to worship a murder?" Corey asked. I cocked my head to the side and didn't respond. “Really, you don’t get it? Murder, blood sacrifice, your God sent his so-called only son to be tortured and murdered. That sounds more like the work of the devil than a loving God. Tell me, what sense does that make? What kind of God does that? What kind of God doesn’t even have the integrity to follow his own commandments? Thou shalt not kill. What a bunch of crap! He doesn’t bother following the rules, why should any of us? Truth is, your God is a murderer!”

Corey's cold stare fueled rage that struck me with violent force. “He died for you, wise ass! He died for all of us so that we may be forgiven.”

Corey shook his head. “Go ahead, keep telling yourself that. Keep filling your head with delusions.”

I threw my hands up and looked back at Allison. “Are you coming or are you staying with this freak?” She buried her face in her hands and sobbed. I left, furious.

To be honest, I don’t know where it came from. It was completely out of character for me to lash out so violently. I saw Dr. Z's. face coxing me to open up about some repressed anger he thought I had ... I fought to push the image away. I guess the alcohol was to blame this time. I wasn’t a religious fanatic like Allison’s father. I believed in God but considered myself open minded and tolerant of other’s views. Not this time.

I was too buzzed to drive and went upstairs to look for Randy but the only thing I found was the couch. I awoke around 5:30 a.m. The metamorphosis had already begun and I was in the terminal stage. Unlike the heroic hungry caterpillar, my beautiful buzz had transformed itself into an ugly hangover. I was ashamed for how things went down between Corey and I. I mostly felt embarrassed for acting crazy in front of Allison.

I got up off the couch, almost tripping on one of my football buddies passed out on the floor, his impressive wizard stick resting next to him. At least I wouldn’t be the only one feeling the repercussions of the previous night. I stumbled into the bathroom and flipped the lights on, looking for the pisser, only it wasn't the bathroom I stumbled into. Allison and Corey were sitting on the edge of a bed, their lips locked together. My stomach dropped to the floor. The odd couple quickly split apart but the damage had been done. I ran, this time finding the bathroom and throwing up a putrid combination of bad booze and heartbreak.

Randy, who was asleep in the next room, heard the vile sounds coming through the wall. “Hey Will, let’s go home.”

“Unbelievable,” I said. “How could she make out with Corey after all that had happened. Forget the fact that he’s an insane Outsider! He’s just a plain douche bag!"

“It's just crazy. I can’t believe it either.”

“I just feel sick about it, unbelievable!” I growled and punched the dash of Randy’s car.

"Maybe she was just drunk and didn’t know what she was doing,” Randy counseled.

“I hope you're right, that damn image will be burned in my mind forever."

Maybe I deserved this. I wasn’t the easiest person to know. I was never honest with Allison, never shared my true feelings with her. I avoided her, pushed her away if she tried to get close. Not because I wanted to, I just felt dumb, unworthy of her affection. If I couldn’t open up to Allison, then who? There wasn’t a person on the planet that could complete the impossible task of getting me to open up. I could never become vulnerable enough to let someone see my inner self.

I spent the rest of the weekend watching Allison and Corey make out. The awful scene playing on a continual loop in my mind until Monday morning. Why couldn't I tell Alison that I had feelings for her instead of playing it cool? While brushing my teeth I had a revelation to tell Allison the truth. Nothing would stop me. Today was the day I would give her my heart.

My stomach had twisted itself into a pretzel by the time I pulled into the school parking lot. I reached in my pocket and pulled out the heart, holding the silver charm in my palm. My body shook and released a painful breath of failure, old patterns of behavior won out ... too powerful ... too controlling. I was a coward, controlled by fear. I needed to make some last minute revisions to my revelation. The new script was to follow the old script, avoid Allison. The fear of revealing my true self was overbearing. We didn’t have any classes together so I figured it would be easy. We normally passed each other between third and fourth period, often exchanging smiles. This time was different. I don’t know if she passed me or not. My eyes stayed glued to the ground.