The Long Hall - Chapter 1

Two young girls whistle up the wind

CHAPTER 1 - THE FIRST GATE

 
 


"I'm bored."

"Seriously? Come on, I thought you wanted to come over!"

"Yeah, but you don't have any new magazines or anything. We've looked at these like, ten times or something." Tisha flopped backward on her friend's bed. "There's only so many pictures of Tony Heilstrom we can tape on the walls, you know."

Gella giggled. "No there's not! And you know it!"

They dissolved into the type of giggling fit organic only to thirteen-year-old girls, moving out of their late tweens into the maze of adolescence.

Gella recovered first. She sat down on the floor with her back against the dresser. "So, if you're bored, what do you wanna do?"

"I don't know. It's so hot! You could've told me your AC was busted."

Gella couldn't deny her friend's observation. Even with the sun down and the windows open, there was not a shred of a breeze, and the thermometer on her bedroom door hovered at a sultry 78 degrees. She took a breath and blew a lock of hair out of her face. "Sorry."

Tisha sighed. "Alright. Let's play a game."

Gella looked up at her friend. "Like what? Cards, like Spit? Or Egyptian Ratscrew?"

Tisha shrugged as she lay on the bed, absently drumming her fingers on her stomach. She rolled on her side, a mischievous look on her face. "Let's play Truth or Dare!"

Gella agreed hesitantly. "O-okay. But nothing crazy like, I don't know, like... I don't know. Nothing like last time. No crazy dares."

"Whatever. You go first," Tisha allowed.

"Okay. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Okay...um...ooh, okay!" Gella grinned. "I know you like Rylee Stanton, but do you have a crush on any of our teachers?"

The girls giggled. Tisha thought for a few moments and replied, "I mean, Coach Bannerman's kind of cute. What about you?"

"Hey, you're not allowed to ask a question unless I say 'truth!'"

"Fine, my turn: truth or dare?"

Gella thought for a moment. "Alright... Dare! Whatcha got? And remember, nothing crazy. Well, not too crazy."

"I dare you to put on your cheer uniform and record yourself dancing to Popgirl!"

Gella grinned. "What'd I say? That's 'too crazy!' Come on, you know my dad will hear and get all cranky for us making too much noise and say you can't stay over anymore. I'll do it tomorrow, and you can watch to make sure I go through with it."

Tisha rolled her eyes. "Never mind, if you won't do the dare, you have to answer the truth: what teacher do you have a thing for?"

Gella looked away suddenly, blushing.

"Oh come on, Gee, I told you!"

Gella mumbled at the ground. "Truth? ...I think... I kind of like... Miss Davis."

Tisha never blinked an eye. "Not bad! You have good taste, girl! Miss D's a hottie; she's nice, too. If you'd've said Mrs. Teague, I'd have to question your young judgment!" She smiled, rolling onto her back and staring up at the ceiling.

Relieved by her friends casual acceptance, Gella smiled. "Okay, your turn: truth or dare."

"Dare," without hesitation.

Gella thought for a moment, he brows knitting together. "Well then...I dare you to play a different game with me. A serious one."

Tisha turned her head to look at her friend. "Like what? You're not going to like, try to kiss me or something, are you?" She chuckled.

Gella blushed and mumbled "No! Shut up!" She reached under her bed and pulled out a box, handling it almost carefully. "It's this." The box read:

OUIJA: THE MYSTIFYING ORACLE

Tisha looked at the box nonplussed. "I mean, I'll play if you're not having fun with Truth or Dare anymore. But it seems kinda goofy." She slid off the bed onto the floor, unenthusiastically.

"I don't know," Gella said. "Last time I played with it..." she glanced at her Illiona doll then quickly looked away.

Tisha raised a mocking eyebrow. ""What? Did you—"

"Nothing." Gella opened the box and pulled out the board and planchette.

...

The girls put their fingers on the sides of the planchette and looked at each other, simultaneously believing, as only children can, that this was completely silly and completely serious at the same time.

"Is anyone here?" Gella asked. The planchette moved toward YES, and Tisha giggled. "Stop," Gella admonished. "Seriously. It'll move itself."

Tisha rolled her eyes. "Fine. HellOOoo!" she intoned flippantly "Is there anyone here? Abracadabra?"

The planchette began to move toward YES, then it stuttered and moved toward NO.

"Stop," Tisha said. "You wouldn't let me."

Gella responded in a whisper. "It's not me..."

Tisha felt the little plastic platform vibrate, and she almost pulled her fingers away. The lens moved uncertainly between YES and NO. Then, with quick, sudden surety, it scooted directly over HELLO and stayed there. Tisha and Gella looked at each other, neither wanting to admit that the device had just moved on its own.

"You moved it!" Gella whispered.

"Did not!" Tisha hissed back.

"Who...who are you?" Gella ventured after a moment. The plastic moved to NO with such speed Tisha's fingers almost came off it.

They both stared at the board warily. "Okay," said Tisha, her voice much more serious now. "You don't want us to know who you are?" — NO

"That's weird," she said to Gella. "Kinda creepy." Then, to the board: "Why are you here, then? Do you want something? Did you like, leave something behind when you died?"

YES, with that same frightening, sudden certainty.

"Wh-what was it?" Gella asked, staring at the board in fright and wonder. The teardrop-shaped planchette moved, but more slowly this time, stopping on each letter.

D-O-L-L

"You want a...a doll?" Tisha asked, her brow furrowing. "Why would..." She looked at Gella, who was suddenly pale.

"Tisha... Last time—"

The planchette moved briskly, stopping suddenly over the letter U.

Both girls jumped as Gella's Illiona doll thumped to the floor—a doll that had been on her desk, leaning firmly against the wall. A gust of wind hit the side of the house, making the screen in the window shake and send homework papers and drawings drifting to the floor. The wind that filled the room was damp and cold, and it smelled like old water.

The girls pulled away, but as their fingers lingered just barely on the little oracle's eye, it flew to the bottom and stopped: GOOD BYE

With a speed that bordered on panic, they packed the planchette and board back into the box, shoved in under the bed, and climbed up on the mattress. They were both breathing heavily, not quite spooked enough to cry...but close. Neither looked at the other; they were both staring at the doll, lying on its side on the floor, one eye seeming to keep a stealthy watch on the girls. They laid down under the covers, as they had since they became best friends back in first grade. They laid down and pulled the blankets up to their chins. They were big girls, now.

But tonight, neither one really wanted to turn off the light.




NOTES: ▼

Word Count: 1,181
Submitted for "Chapter One" 
Prompt: Use a Ouija board [image provided on prompt page] as inspiration.