The Ouija Board

Jack Clayborn drove slowly down the long winding dirt driveway, noting the dilapidated condition of the wood fence which lined both sides. The drive ended at an impressive black wrought iron gate, its eight foot height standing guard on the sprawling grounds beyond. 1

Getting out, Jack approached the gate. He slipped the key effortlessly into the keyhole and turned clockwise until it had made a complete rotation. Jack swung the gates open on hinges which squeaked loudly in protest to being moved. Gazing upon the lawn and house for the first time in 35 years, a chill seemed to run down his spine, even though it was a warm night.2

Walking back to his car, the dirt crunching beneath his feet, he slipped behind the wheel and closed the door. Jack sat with his hands at the 12 o’clock position on the wheel, as his mind started to drift back in time. He had been seven years old when his family had left this house so suddenly. It took him many years and several therapists to get over the events of that night. In the end the doctors had won. He admitted that his mind had just played tricks on him, eventhough he knew what he saw.3

Now he had returned. His parents had passed away two years ago, never having successfully convinced anyone to buy this old house. So now he owned it lock stock and history. 4

Jack had plans to build a modern B & B on this very spot, burying his past in a pile of broken bricks and twisted pipes. He felt the need to confront his past before allowing the future to be bulldozed down next week. For a grieving family it would have been called closure, for Jack it was more like liberation. Sitting here now, he needed to find out whose version was right, all those doctors that told him he was wrong about what he saw, or his sub-conscience that still knew what he saw happened.5

Slowly driving through the gate a slight breeze seems to come from nowhere. Looking at the trees, he noticed the leaves were not moving. An uneasy feeling started to build inside him. “Maybe this was a mistake” he said to the empty night air. He guided his car along the neglected driveway that had deteriorated into a dirt path, which arced around a large fountain depicting a nude woman holding a water jar. The fountain was no longer working, the water long having been turn off and the round pool surrounding the statue filled with dead and decaying leaves rather than water. 6

Parking at the bottom of the wooden staircase leading up to the front porch, Jack turned off the engine. Getting out he retrieved his bags from the trunk and turned to ascend the steps. He stopped short his heart pounding a little harder than a moment ago. He could have sworn he had seen a small pale face peering out at him from a front window; but, as he looked again, it was gone. “It’s been a long day. Don’t start coming apart now Jackie boy.” He told himself. “You’ve been driving for 10 hours, it’s late and you’re dead tired.” 7

Jack reached for the handrail, once vibrant oak, now turned bone white, and started up the short five steps leading to the porch. As he approached the door, he pulled the key from his coat pocket and opened the door. Reaching to his right he slid his hand along the wall searching for the light switch. He touched something that jumped away from him, causing him to jump away from it. Reaching again, faster this time, he flipped the switch up as he stared at where the thing had been – nothing, the lights did not come on. Then he remembered, the power company had come and turned off the power in preparation for next week. He went back to his car and retrieved a battery power camping lantern. Looking near the switch he saw it. There, several feet away staring back at him was a wolf spider, looking very much like a tarantula. As the light drew neared it moved back every so slightly reminding Jack of all those vampire movies he had seen as a kid. The creature made a run for the nearest crack to hide. 8

“Enjoy your nest while you can, my friend, it will be gone very soon.” He told the spider. Holding the lantern high, Jack peered around the house, the light shone on familiar sites. Looking to his right was the living room, straight in front of him was the staircase leading up to the bed rooms and to his left was a long hallway leading to the kitchen and laundry room. The air smelled musty and dank from being shut up for so long. 9

Walking to the living room he set his luggage on the hardwood floor. The whole house was thick with dust and cob webs, friends of his guest he imagined. Continuing on through the living room he came upon the dining room with the simple table and four chairs, a basket of fruit now mummified with age. The chandelier hanging from a brass chain hung down, the chain covered in more spider webs. 10

Making his way through the dining room brought him to the kitchen. He could imagine mom standing at the stove fussing over a pot of whatever she was making for dinner that day. He would be sneaking in behind her to try and steal a cookie which had just been taken out of the oven. She always seemed to know he was there and turn at the last second, scolding him, but always with a smile on her face.11

Going back down the hallway he had come full circle. Yes this had been a happy place, before the event.12

He was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Hesitantly he started to ascend to these second floor and the place that had haunted him for so long. The steps creaked and groaned as he made his way further up. At the top of the stairs he looked both left and right. At the end of the short hallway to his right was his parent’s room. At the end of the left hallway stood his room and in front of him stood the play room which doubled as a guest room as the need arose.13

He approached the door in front of him and opened it. Getting halfway in, his light flickered a few seconds before settling down again. Cursing himself for not bringing spare batteries, he looked down and saw it. The Ouija board, which had triggered those horrific events, was still sitting on the floor where it had been hastily abandoned.. 14

Suddenly, the door slammed shut as the room went dark; the battery in his lantern had given out. The bright full moon bathed the room in a strange eerie light. The air grew arctic cold, Jack’s breath looked like he was smoking a cigarette. As he stood there frozen in fear, he could hear creaking again from the other side of the door, it was the same sound he had made ascending the stairs. Someone or something was in the house with him. 15

As the sounds drew closer, he detected a new sound, heavy breathing. He reached to engage the lock on the door to keep whatever was out there away, knowing as he did, it would be pointless. As he grasped the door knob it started to turn. He let go and plastered himself against the wall willing himself to melt into the faded flowered wallpaper. 16

The door started swinging inward as the breathing became louder, no longer muffled by the door. The thing started to groan in an inhuman way, as if it was in great pain. It stopped in the doorway, Jack could hear it sniffing the air, trying to detect where its prey had gone. 17

“Jack. Jackie boy. Where are you boy? I can smell you, I can smell your fear,” the thing said in a raspy voice. Jack’s breath was coming fast and hard, he knew it could probably hear him. “Why? Why did you disturb us Jackie? Why did you bring us from the deep dark place?” It came further into the room, sniffing as it went. 18

Finally, it cleared the doorway. It sniffed one more time then turned quickly towards Jack. Jack was hidden behind the now fully open door, trying to will himself to calm down. The floor boards creaked under the weight of the creature. As Jack stood, frozen in fear, willing the creature to go away, one yellow eye rounded the door looking right at him. “Hello Jackie boy, long time no see” it said in a low voice filled with malevolence.19

The demon swung the door closed. Jack found himself faced with what the doctors said did not exist. The creature standing before him stood six feet with sickly gray leathery skin. Its yellow blood shot eyes held nothing but hatred for all living things. The fingers and toes looked more like an eagles talons than anything human. Sticking out from its back was a pair of leathery wings, now folded to lay flat against the back. Jack knew that if it spread those wings, it would span across more than half the room. The breath, coming hard and labored, assaulted him with the strong smell of sulfur and reeked of the stench of death and decay. He knew it was not alone, there were others there, hidden by the shadows, some larger than this monster in front of him others no larger than a small pale faced child. 20

“Why did you disturb us Jack? Why did you call us from the depths of Hades? Now we constantly search for fresh meat to eat, and warm blood to drink.” 21

“I…I didn’t know. “ Jack stammered. “I was a kid; I didn’t know what that thing could do. I thought it was just a game,” He pleaded, pointing at the dust covered Ouija board. “Please go back to where you came from and leave me alone.”22

The thing bellowed in laughter that held no humor. “You must pay, Jackie boy. With your blood we will be released from this gateway of the damned, to conquer the world for our master. And we will send you into the abyss of eternal darkness.”23

Now was the time Jack had been waiting 35 years for. He reached inside his shirt and retrieved the large silver crucifix hidden there. 24

The demons’ eyes grew large and fearful when it saw the sacred object. “By the power of Christ’s blood I command you to depart from this world. “ The creature let out an unholy scream at the words that so offended it. “By the power of my risen Lord and Savior I cast you out foul and evil minion of the Father of Lies.” At this the whole house joined in the screaming as all the hidden unclean creatures joined in the cry of pain and fear. The house started to shake violently, the floor boards and walls banging up and down as a sickly green light shone from behind them, as the unholy creatures fought to stay in this world.25

The creature let out a scream of terror as it turned black, it began to shrink into the floor, being sucked down into dark puddle of ooze. “Noooooooo!!!!” it screamed.26

The sounds of screaming faded until all the demons had been returned to their eternal place of torment. The frigid air departed with the unclean beings, as Jack’s lantern glowed brightly once more. 27

The following week, Jack approached the trailer at Bryans Construction Inc. Entering the small office, Bryan Latimer sat behind his desk. Looking up he smiled and rose. “Well Father, everything taken care of at your place?” 28

“Yes it is.” Father Clayborn said as he straightened his clerical collar. “Everything is just fine now.”29