Beyond The Veil

It was Henry's first try with the Ouija Board. Who was he talking to if it wasn't Jean?

“What’s this?” Henry twisted the stained warped board in his hands to get a better look. He’d come into the second hand shop to buy back his hocked watch.

“That old thing? Came in with stuff from an estate sale gone bad. I didn’t get it in the batch I threw out. Meant to.,” Old gnarled hands wiped at the grimy dust coated surface. A ‘yes’, ‘no’, appeared, followed by “Hello’, ‘Goodbye’, and the letters of the alphabet.

“Want it? Your watch isn’t where I usually keep stuff like that.” The old man stroked at his Santa Claus beard. His eyes twinkled as he suggested, “Take a seat. Talk to someone you know who’s passed on while I locate your piece.”

Was this a strange coincidence? His girlfriend, Jean, had passed on to the great beyond. Henry had just left the church funeral. He felt responsible for her death. The stupid fight they’d had should never have happened. He’d never seen her so mad. Jean had raced off in her souped up Camaro only to total it and herself on Dead Man’s curve.

“How’s it work?” he asked, settling on a three legged stool and balancing the board across his lap. Dull sunlight brightened on the board as his fingers traced the alphabet. A wooden sliver drew blood that wept a few drops onto the broken surface, sinking thirstily into it.

The busy sounds of the owner sorting through stacked boxes faded into silence as Henry watched his hands trembling into motion. They raced each other up to the word ‘Hello’.

A cold chill invaded his spine. The hair on the back of his hands stood straight on end. “Jean?”

One hand pinched the other, squeezing blood down onto ‘No’. Fingers wiggled and danced down to rub the growing stain into the word.

“Who are you?” Henry could hardly recognize his own voice. Pain shot through his bloody fingers. The board slipped and fell., striking the floor and breaking in two.

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