Games

"Let's buy some games for tonight." Candice said as the group was planning a night in.

"That sounds fun." Nikki said as she was getting her things ready.

"Yeah, it'll be a fun night with movies and everything." Billy said.

After the group finished their preparations for the upcoming night, they headed to the store to see what game they should get. They went down aisle by aisle but nothing really caught their eye. Until Candice noticed a box that was almost pushed underneath one of the shelves. She bent down to pick it up but the box was stuck, it felt like something was holding it down. She grabbed it with both hands now, trying to free the odd box out. And as Nikki and Billy came around the corner the box was free as if something let it go. As the couple neared Candice, she could have sworn she heard something from where the box was held trapped.

"I couldn't find anything, how about you?" Billy asked Candice as she stood up with the box.

"What do you have there?" Nikki asked.

Candice shrugged her shoulders and looked at the box, it was covered in dust. As she started to clean the dust off she could see that it was an older box. The picture on the box was of an old wooden board, both Nikki and Billy didn't care too much about it. "Forget it, I don't like that one plus it looks too old." Nikki said with a sigh. "Let's just go, we have a lot of movies and snacks for tonight anyways." Billy explained.

As the two started to walk toward the exit, Candice couldn't stop staring at the box. There was something that she couldn't explain about this game, she couldn't put it down. As the other two neared the exit doors they turned around and called for her. "Candice, what are you doing? Let's go." As the two yelled for their friend, Candice finally snapped out of her daze. But she couldn't let the old box go, so she tucked the old game box in her shirt as best as she could. Trying hard not to stand out as she walked out the exit doors and followed her friends back home.

As the trio got home they settled in, watching all kinds of movies, eating their way through all the snacks. As the group finished off another movie, Billy blindly tried to reach for another one. But to his surprise he grabbed the old game box, "Where did this come from?" Billy asked. Both Billy and Nikki looked at Candice, Candice had no explanation. She didn't know how to tell her friends that she just could put it back. That the game wouldn't let her put it.

"Why did you bring this home?" Nikki asked with a questioning look on her face.

"It was free." Candice lied, "Let's just play it, it might be fun." She tried to reassure her friends.

Candice grabbed the old box from her friend and hurried and set up the game before her friends had any chance to protest. She set the game up on the dining room table, with all three seated around. As they were ready to start Candice asked, "Do you guys know how to play?"

"Yes, we know how." Nikki answered for both her and Billy.

As all three friends placed their hands on the game, Candice asked the first question.

"Is there anyone here with us?"

As the trio waited for a response, Nikki grew irritated. "This is stupid let's sto…"

As she was about to finish, their hands started moving in a circle. All three hands pointed to YES. Nikki's face was a frown, "You guys did that didn't you?" She asked with a trembling voice.

Candice didn't even bother answering her friend and asked another question.

"Can you give us a sign?" With no delay like last time there was a thumping sound coming from upstairs. Nikki and Billy looked at each other with concern, "No one else should be here. My parents are still out of town." Billy explained. As Billy got up to go check to see what made the sound Nikki looked back to Candice. To her concern Candice was still staring at the game, eyes locked on the old wooden board.

Billy set up the stairs, scanning the hallway, peeking into each room as he passes. He didn't see anything that could have made the sound, as he neared the spare room he looked inside. He saw that the closet door was opened, he turned on the light to the room, but as he did for some reason the closet seemed to get even darker. He shook his head thinking that it's just in his head, he reached out to close the closet door. He grabbed the knob of the door, as he did he looked up into the closet to see a grinning face. And Billy was gone, the closet door slammed closed.

Nikki jumped as she heard the noise, she stood up headed for the bottom of the stairs, calling out for Billy, "Billy, did you find anything? What was that sound?" She waited for an answer but none came. Nikki headed back to the dining room table, to where Candice was, but as she returned she was gone. She called for her friend, "Candice where did you go? This isn't funny." Getting more scared by the second Nikki decided to leave. As she neared the front door she heard Candices voice from upstairs. "Sorry Nikki, it was a bad joke. I'm up stairs with Billy, why don't you come up here with us?" Nikki was hesitant, she slowly headed to the stairs. "No more jokes?" Nikki pleaded. "No more jokes, I promise." Candice's voice was slow and a little grainy.

Nikki took the stairs one at a time slowly, contemplating if they were telling the truth. As she reached the landing of the stairs she heard Candice and Billy say, "We are in here. We found something really cool." Nikki walked up to the bedroom door, slowly opened it and walked in. As she entered the room she saw Billy looking into the closet, "You better not be playing a joke on me, what is the cool thing that you found?" She asked as she reached out for his shoulder, as she did Billy collapsed to the floor. Nikki gasped as she saw Billy's sunken face, trapped in a scream. With his blood shot eyes rolled up into his skull, and blood tears streamed down his face.

Nikki tried to back away but tripped and fell on the bed, as she tried to get up she looked into the closet. What she saw was the silhouette of Candice, but it wasn't her face. Instead all she saw was a menacing grin much too big for her face with sharp teeth. Nikki was paralyzed with fear, as the creature that was Candice reached out and with it's big toothy grin said,

"Let's play a game."