Dreams Do Come True

.1

"Hey Alice, wanna go to a party tonight?"2

Alice rolled her eyes. "No, for the last time! I don't give a crap about Halloween, Joel, and I really couldn't care less about some stupid party. Oh boy, we get to wear costumes, how fun," she said sarcastically. 3

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun! Besides, it's not a costume party," he looked around, then whispered, "I got a real Ouija board off eBay! It's, like, fifty years old or something."4

"Yeah, like those are any fun. Someone moves it, someone thinks nobody did, they get freaked out, all because of one little jerk and a hunk of wood. No thanks, not my thing. Besides, my folks are out at a party all night, I get the house to myself."5

"Okay, okay, I give up," Joel said, sighing dramatically. "Brandon will be there though, and I got beer. My parents won't be home either. Your choice, call if you change your mind."6

Later that night, after her parents had left, Alice turned off all the lights that faced the street. She didn't want any trick-or-treating little kids to ruin her night. In the darkened living room she sat, and listened to all the normal nightly noises of her house: the foundation creaking as it settled, the hum of the bathroom fan, the swishing noise of the washer. 7

"Peace and quiet!" she said aloud, and put in a movie. Whoopee Goldberg and Patrick Swazi weren't all that scary in Ghost, but it was still a good movie.8

Not even fifteen minutes in to the movie, Alice began to wonder what her friends were doing. It was all Joel's fault, he knew she had a crush on Brandon, that's probably the only reason he even mentioned he would be there.9

She got off the couch and called Joel's house. No answer. She counted the rings. Ten, eleven, twelve...eighteen, nineteen; she slammed the receiver down in anger. "Fine, be an ass!" she fumed aloud. "I'll have my own damn party!"10

"I can do creepy shit too," she said. "I don't have a Ouija board though...I could try automatic writing!"11

Alice had heard about automatic writing on the Internet. Apparently it could be used either as a way to receive messages from the supernatural, or as a kind of therapy for your emotions. It sounded easy enough; just put a pencil in your hand and hold it to the paper like you were about to write something, then focus your mind on something else, like a conversation, TV, music, whatever. Without being conscious of it, your hand will write out coherent messages.12

It sounded perfect, so Alice brought out a notebook and her pen, and snuggled into the couch. She shivered, and pulled a blanket over her. Poising her hand to write, she turned back to the movie. It was right at her favorite part.13

Pretty soon she was so involved with the movie she didn't even remember that she had been attempting automatic writing. By the time the credits rolled across the screen and the end music played, Alice was fast asleep and dreaming.14

Alice looked down at her notebook, startled to see a full page of writing. She turned back one page, then another, and another. There were six pages of the same instructions written over and over and over. It seemed to be in some other languages too, but Alice had no idea which ones. "Go to the party". Alice laughed, some subconscious message that was!15

Well, it was only a couple blocks to Joel's house. It was Halloween night, kids were still out trick-or-treating with their parents, it was safe enough to walk. Just in case her parents came home early she left a note telling where she was going.16

Suddenly she was in front of Joel's house. She didn't even remember leaving her house, much less walking all the way over. 17

Knocking on the door, she called out, "Joel? Brandon?" No answer. She opened the door and stepped inside.18

"Hello?" she called out again. What could they be doing? 19

There was nobody in the kitchen, living room, or anywhere in the house. All that was left to check was the garage.20

She found herself standing just inside the garage, again with no recollection of taking the steps that lead there. But a quick glance around showed nobody there either. Shrugging, she decided to go back home, and left Joel's house. 21

On her way home, she was thinking about the automatic writing, laughing at herself for taking it even semi seriously.22

Alice opened her front door and walked into her room. Apparently her friends had come to see her, for here they were. She screamed. They were all dead. Brandon was propped in her bean bag chair, his right eye resting on his cheek, the other bulging in its socket. The rope was still around his neck and hands. Gina's body was on her bed, legs splayed with her own intestines covering her nudity. She screamed as a hand moved from under the bed and caught her ankle. Struggling to get away, she kicked at the hand and heard a moan of pain. Oh god, it was Joel, that was his ring! She grabbed his hand to pull him out, only to see that his lower body was completely gone. She gazed into his eyes, screaming, as he took his last breath.23

"JOEL!!" she screamed, terrified. She screamed again when she felt the blanket twisting around her legs, thinking it was his hand grasping her again. Slowly, as the dream faded, she stopped panicking. "Oh god, that was a terrible dream!" she sobbed. Alice hiccuped as she realized that, in her dream, the automatic writing had probably saved her life. If she had been home instead of at Joel's house, she more than likely would have died too. 24

"But it wasn't real," she said aloud. It was hard to convince herself though, the dream had felt so real! She could still see the blood, the look in their eyes. God! Quickly, she picked up the phone.25

Joel answered on the fourth ring. "Happy Halloween, mwahahahahaha," he greeted her.26

"Cut it out Joel. Is everyone okay over there?" she asked.27

"Yeah, we're fine, why, what's up?"28

Alice could hear laughter in the background and breathed a sigh of relief. "Nothing, I just freaked myself out a little, that's all."29

"Well, you can come over if you want, you know," he told her. As he talked about the miserable failure of the Ouija board, she saw her notebook on the floor and picked it up. Over and over, on five pages, was written the phrase 'don't go to the party'.30

"Hello?"31

"Oh! Yeah, I'm here," she said, staring at the notebook.32

"So, are you coming over, or what?"33

"Nah, I'll be okay, my parents will be home soon. Tell everyone hey," she said, and they hung up. 34

Two days later Joel, Gina, and Brandon stood huddled together under an umbrella. They had gone over to Alice's house to hang out with her until her parents got home. They found her in her room, dead, mutilated beyond recognition. Today they attended her funeral, all thinking the same thing.35

"If only she would have come to the party..."36