Chapter 4 Serenity

The candle flame flickered as another gust of wind rattled the apartment windows. Tim sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table. The Ouija board rested between his knees, its faded letters glowing softly in the candlelight. The storm outside had grown stronger, thunder rumbling through the night like something enormous shifting in the sky.

Pumpkin sat a few feet away, watching with sharp, suspicious eyes.Tim picked up the planchette and turned it slowly between his fingers. "Alright," he murmured to himself. He had seen this sort of thing in movies countless times. Usually it involved a group of teenagers daring each other to try it. Someone would move the piece as a joke, someone else would panic, and eventually the story ended badly for everyone involved, but Tim was alone.

And honestly... he was bored.

He placed the wooden planchette on the center of the board. The small piece rested over the word HELLO. Tim hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling a little silly. Still, the storm outside and the dim candlelight made the moment feel strangely appropriate. He rested two fingers lightly on the planchette.

"Uh..." he began awkwardly. His voice sounded small in the quiet apartment. "Hello?"

Nothing happened. The planchette remained perfectly still. Tim waited a few seconds. Rain tapped against the window. Thunder rolled in the distance.

Pumpkin shifted uneasily, flicking his tail. Tim chuckled softly.

"Yeah... figured."

He leaned back slightly, about to remove his fingers from the board. Then the planchette moved. Just slightly. Tim froze. The small wooden piece trembled beneath his fingers as if nudged by a faint vibration. Tim frowned.

"Okay," he said slowly, "that's weird." He lifted his fingers off the board. The planchette stopped. Tim stared at it for a moment.

"Probably just the table," he muttered.

The storm again, he told himself. The building was old. Things shifted when thunder shook the structure. Still... He placed his fingers back on the planchette.

"Alright," he said, trying to sound calm. "If... anyone is there..." He paused, feeling ridiculous.

"...hello?"

For several seconds nothing happened. Then the planchette moved again. This time it slid slowly across the board. Tim's breath caught.

The piece glided toward the upper corner of the board. It stopped on YES. Tim blinked. A nervous laugh slipped out.

"Okay... that's definitely strange."

Pumpkin let out a low, uneasy growl from across the room. Tim glanced at the cat, then back at the board.

"Alright," he said quietly. "If someone's there... what's your name?"

The planchette trembled beneath his fingers again. Then it began to move slowly and deliberately.It slid across the letters one by one.

S... Tim leaned forward. E......A chill crawled up the back of his neck. R.....The storm outside boomed with thunder. E....Pumpkin's ears flattened. N

.....Tim's fingers felt strangely heavy on the wood. I......The planchette moved without hesitation. T.....Tim's heart began beating faster. Y

....The piece stopped. Silence filled the apartment. Tim stared at the letters spelled across the board. SERENITY.

"Serenity," he whispered. The candle flame flickered violently as another gust of wind struck the building. Tim swallowed.

"Okay... Serenity," he said slowly. "Are you... a ghost?"

The planchette shifted again. It slid toward NO. Tim frowned.

"Not a ghost?" The piece moved again immediately.

W..O..M..A..N

The planchette stopped. Tim blinked. "A... woman?" Across the room Pumpkin hissed suddenly. Tim turned toward the cat.

"Hey, relax," he said quietly.When he looked back at the board, the planchette had moved again.

B..E..A..U..T..I..F..U..L

Tim stared at the letters. Beautiful. A strange warmth spread through his chest. "That's... specific," he said with an awkward laugh.

The board remained still for a moment. Then the planchette began moving again.

L..O..N..E..L..Y

The word settled beneath Tim's finger, lonely. Tim felt something twist gently in his stomach. "Well," he said quietly, "that makes two of us."

The candle flame flickered again. The storm continued raging outside. Tim found himself leaning closer to the board without realizing it. "Where are you?" he asked. The planchette moved again.

N..E..A..R

A small shiver ran through him. "Near?" Tim repeated. The piece slid again.

C..L..O..S..E..R....

Closer. Tim laughed nervously. "Alright, that's a little creepy." The board fell silent again. Seconds passed. Tim considered stopping. This was probably nothing more than his imagination. Maybe he was moving the piece without realizing it. That was the logical explanation. It had to be. Still...

"Can you see me?" he asked.

The planchette slid immediately to YES. Tim's heart thumped harder. Pumpkin growled again from the couch. The cat's eyes were fixed on the empty hallway behind Tim. Tim turned slightly. Nothing was there.When he looked back at the board, the planchette was already moving again, slow and smooth.

V..I..S..I..T

Tim leaned forward. The piece continued.

T..O..N..I..G..H..T

The planchette stopped. Tim stared at the board. "Visit... tonight?" The apartment suddenly felt colder. Outside, lightning cracked across the sky again.

Pumpkin hissed loudly. Tim forced a small laugh, though it sounded hollow.

"Okay... that's enough horror movie stuff for one night." He lifted his fingers from the board. For a moment nothing happened.

Then the planchette slid slowly across the board one final time. It stopped on a single word. WAIT Tim frowned.

"Wait?"

The piece moved again. One last message.

S..O..O..N..

Soon? The candle flickered violently. Then the planchette stopped moving completely. The board fell silent. Tim sat there staring at it, unsure what to say.

Across the room Pumpkin continued staring toward the dark hallway, his fur bristled and his tail twitching anxiously. Tim finally leaned back, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Okay," he murmured. "That was weird."

But somewhere deep in the quiet apartment, something had heard him and it had answered.