Part 1

It was a stormy day in January as Drew watched his boss and his wife leave for their anniversary weekend. After seeing them off, he returned to the living room and gave his hands a determined clap as he found all three of the Hollingsworth children.

"Alright, kiddos," he said kindly. "I just saw your parents off and it's just us for the weekend.

He had to fight the urge to roll his eyes as he heard Miles scoff with his mocking mimicry of "kiddos." Instead, Drew played the responsible adult that he strived to be.

"So, I guess we should get to know each other?" Drew asked. He had only been working for Mr. Hollingsworth for two weeks now, and he didn't know any of his children well. It was odd that he had been asked to babysit, but he wasn't going to turn down the chance to prove himself.

"I know Miles from school, so why don't the two of you tell me about yourself?" he suggested. He watched as Hunter and Frankie shifted in their seats next to each other on the couch.

Frankie spoke first. "We go to school with you too." Hunter chuckled softly next to her.

"Yes, I knew that, but neither of you make as big of a name for yourself as Miles does."

"The one and only," Miles bragged.

"Except for your dad," Drew corrected as he wagged a finger at Miles. Miles huffed and threw his weight back on the chair he was sitting in. It didn't make Drew happy to have to stir the pot and chastise Miles so soon, but he knew that sooner or later he would have to show Miles who's boss. Might as well be something as simple as smothering his pride a bit.

Drew turned back to the twins and considered what he knew about them. Not much, really. Mr. H's dossier on his children was scarce, though it did fit with the image he heard at school about him being a distant father. Frankie, the perfect daughter; Hunter, the quiet son; and Miles, the ever present trouble maker. Drew could tell from the dark glare frothing from Miles' eyes that he was peeved at having to have a babysitter. The thought reinforced Drew's own from a moment ago. It didn't make much sense that he was asked to babysit, but Mr. H asked him to, so he would. He was the new Drew Torres.

He looked at Frankie, expecting her to be the one to break the ice. She pursed her lips before speaking.

"Well, I like dancing and fashion - you know, the same things that Zoë likes."

Drew tilted his head in mild shock before it dawned on him. Frankie was one of Zoë's friends. He knew that in a way, but now it explained a lot of the coldness Frankie directed at him when he was working with Mr. H.

"I like video games and the arcane," Hunter interjected, speaking quickly. He was short of words like his sister, although Drew detected none of the hostility. In fact, it looked like he wanted to get his introduction out of the way short and quick.

Drew nodded, accepting his response. It had been the most friendly introduction of all the Hollingsworth children. He wondered if he would have gotten along with the other two if not for Zoë; however, that was in the past now. So he just nodded and did his introduction

"I like sports and some gaming, and working with your dad of course."

Miles let loose a sardonic laugh. "Really laying it on thick there, aren't ya?"

"Just trying to be friendly. We have the entire weekend together. Hopefully it won't kill you to behave, Miles."

Miles hissed, and stood up to leave. "Well, I'm going to my room to game, let me know when din-" His words were cut short as a crack of thunder tore through the air, and the blinding light from outside came in through the window like gunfire.

Frankie screamed and was half of top of Hunter with fear. Drew couldn't blame her. The thunder had been frightening. His skin was still tingling from the shock and his neck throbbing from the sharp twist from looking at the window.

Drew took a deep breath to calm his palpitating heart and looked to Miles who was frozen mid-step.

Miles placed his foot down and turned around with a sigh. "I'll stay. Frankie hates storms."

Drew looked to Frankie who was still shivering in Hunter's arms. He could tell from the look in Hunter's eyes that he was halfway between wanting to throw his sister off and holding her tighter. In a way, Drew was shocked to see how supportive the kids were of each other. Impressed even. Before today, he had never seen them interact besides yelling at each other from halfway across the house. In hindsight, it wasn't that surprising. He and Adam would have appeared the same way to outsiders, but between the two of them, there had never been closer brothers.

"You going to be okay?" Drew asked.

"Yeah," Frankie mumbled. "I just hate thunder."

Drew heard a thump as Miles threw himself on the couch. At least he's behaving,Drew thought as he approached the glass door that lead to the outside patio. The rain had picked up since he saw Mr. H off 5 minutes ago, and now the downpour truly was worthy of that impressive crack of thunder. The glass was cold to the touch, not that he expected much more from the middle of January.

Another roar of thunder rattled the room; unfortunately, Drew wasn't able to close his eyes before the blinding lightning met them. He turned away blinking back a multitude of colors.

"It really is pouring out there," he said. "We might lose power. Mind finding us some candles Miles? Some that you mom won't mind us lightning that is. We don't want her to kill us for destroying the fancy ones."

"Got it," Miles muttered. Displeased, though at least he was behaving.

"So, I'm thinking we should order pizza, since the power may go out. Sound good?" Drew asked the group.

"Yes!" Frankie exclaimed. Hunter was nodding vigorously as well.

Drew was happy to see the younger kids so enthralled by pizza. It was the secret of life after all. However, he had to hold his tongue at Miles' response.

"What a dumb question," Miles chastised as he placed an armful of candles onto the coffee table. "Everyone loves pizza."

"Yes, Miles, that is why I suggested it. I'll be in the kitchen," he said, leaving before Miles could pull more sass.

He pulled his phone out and called his favorite pizza place, hoping that they would be able to deliver in this weather. He fiddled through the cabinet and pulled out four plates, and wondered if he would have to wash them later. Did the Hollingsworth's have a maid? He decided it wasn't a big deal and refocused his attention on the phone call. He checked the fridge to see if they had any drinks, only to be disappointed, and added two 2-liter Pepsis to his order. He was looking for the glasses when the lights left the room.

Oh great. At least Frankie isn't screaming, he thought as he returned to the living room.

"Everyone okay?" he asked. He received a chorus of affirmatives from the twins, and Miles' answer was his face being lit in an orange glow.

"I always carry my lighter," Miles said proudly as he lit several small candles and passed them out. Afterward, he lit several larger ones and placed them on the table.

The room was lit mainly by candles now as the scant light of the setting sun barely got through the deluge outside. The lightning did little to illuminate the room and accomplished only assisting the cracks of thunder in making them jump out of their skin.

After a few minutes of silence, Drew gave up hope of the power coming back on anytime soon. "So, the pizza will be here in about 40 minutes. What should we do to pass the time? Not as if any of us want to be alone in the dark."

"Cards?" Frankie suggested.

"I could stand to win some poker," Miles chimed in.

"In your dreams!" Drew retorted. "I'm a pro."

"Always up for a challenge, not that I'm sure you'll be one," Miles teased. "Hunter, do you have any cards?" Miles asked.

"No," Hunter replied, but then his eyes lit up. "I have a better idea though." With that, he picked up a candle and dashed out of the room.

"Be careful," Drew called after him. It would not bode well for his job if Hunter were to injure himself in the dark, or drop the candle and burn the house on. At least the rain would make the second unlikely.

Hunter arrived back a few moments later with a stupid grin on his face. Drew had never seen the usually withdrawn kid so happy. He held up an object that caused Frankie to groan.

"Definitely not cards," Miles commented.

"What is it?" Drew asked.

"A Ouija board," Hunter grinned.

"Oh..." Drew trailed off. That was not what he was expecting. "Why do you have that?"

"I wanted one for Christmas," Hunter explained. "Look at it, it's so fancy. And the lettering is so intricate and authentic. Supposedly this has been used by a real psychic, and isn't cheap and pathetic plastic like one you would buy at a store."

"Got it," Drew acknowledged, taking Hunter's word for it. It was too dark to make out any of the details he described. The board was lit only by candle light which added a sinister look to it that made him a bit queasy. He reached out his hand. "May I?"

After Hunter passed it to him, he brushed his hands gently over it. "It does feel quite nice."

"I don't think this is a good idea," Frankie said.

"It's fake," Hunter deadpanned.

"Still..."

"Come on, Franks. It'll be fun. Well, at least more than sitting in the dark," Miles goaded. "Hunter has been begging us for months anyway."

Drew sighed as Frankie looked to him. He held his hands up. "I'm indifferent, honestly, but two beats one."

Frankie groaned, and then consented. Hunter took it upon himself to clear the coffee table of all except for the candles. He placed the Ouija board in the now cleared space, and spread five of the small candles around the board. "For style," he said. "The semblance to a pentagram is purely for fun. Be careful not to catch your sleeves on fire."

Drew got on his knees next to the table. "So, what do we do?"

Hunter pulled a white thing out of his pocket. "It's like you see on TV. We all put our hands on it and call for the spirits to guide us."

Drew nodded, not really buying it and expecting this to be a little more like TV than Hunter thought it would be. He followed Hunter's lead and placed two fingers over Hunter's, only to be followed by Miles' and then Frankie's.

"So, we're really doing this?" Frankie asked.

Her answer was their hands moving a bit.

"Hunter!"

Hunter blinked, slight shock on his own face. "Wasn't me."

"It had to be. Your hand is on bottom."

Hunter's eyes twinkled. "It's working," he said in awe.

"So, now what?" Miles asked.

"We call the spirits."

"How?" Drew wondered.

Hunter took a moment to contemplate that question. "Typically, you would call out to someone you know that has died. I don't know anyone that matches that description exactly though."

"None of us do," Frankie added. "I don't think we know anyone who has died."

"I think I know someone," Miles said. He had a devious smirk on his face directed at him, and that made Drew's stomach twist. "Hey, Drew, don't you know someone?"

Drew took a deep breath. "Yeah, my brother died this year."

Frankie glared at Miles before turning to Drew. "We don't have to if you don't want to."

Drew shook his head. "No, it's fine. I am at peace... and on the off chance that this works, I would love to hear from him again."

"Okay," Hunter said. "Take control of the ritual. Call out to your brother."

"Umm... Adam, you out there?"

Hunter sighed.

"Even I knew that wouldn't work," Miles chimed.

"Try this," Hunter suggested. "Oh, spirit of the dead. Come to me Adam, speak to me."

"I'll try," Drew muttered. "Oh, spirit of the dead," he said with as much earnestness as he could muster. "Come to me, Adam. Speak to me."

A cold gust passed through the room and the candles snuffed out as one.

"Whoa," they all said as one.

"Did it get like really cold for anyone else," Miles asked.

"Yeah," Frankie said, voice shaking along with the shivers of her body.

"I... I can't move my hand off the board," Miles cried. "Hunter, do something!"

"I-I..." Hunter stuttered.

Drew's heart was beating wildly. He couldn't move his hand either. His fingers were being held down by the near weightlessness of Miles' and Frankie's fingers, but he couldn't move his own.

He thought he saw fear in Miles' eyes as the younger boy retrieved his lighter from his pants with his free hand and lit the room. By the time the room was lit, Miles had composed himself.

"Light some candles again," Drew suggest. "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah," Frankie muttered, her face visibly showing relief as Miles lit the candles.

"G-guys," Hunter exclaimed. "The board..."

The board was shaking, and suddenly, Drew's hand was moving.

"What's it saying?" Frankie cried.

"D-R-E-W," Hunter read out loud. "Drew." Their hands didn't stop moving, and Drew could see the struggle on Hunter's face as he tried to keep up with the letters and piece them together.

"S-stop," Hunter stuttered as he put the words together.

"T-urn. Back. Turn back."

"No. No. No. No."

"NO!" They all jumped from their seats as they heard that word shouted throughout the room. Drew's heart stopped beating. That voice... he couldn't even be relieved that his hand was now his own again.

"Was that him?" Miles asked, voice broken and trembling.

"It was," Drew said slowly. "Adam? Adam!?"

"Too late," Hunter said. Drew was about to ask what he meant, but the boy was still attached to the Ouija board.

Too late? Too late for what? Drew wondered. He gripped his hand to his chest. It felt like a phantom limb, and he was just happy to have it back.

"So cold," Miles murmured.

Drew was about to agree before being interrupted by a loud roar outside. That sent a new chill down his spine. The roar was something between a lion and a banshee, and he could feel the roar itself plucking his heart out of his chest.

"What type of fucked up game are you playing, Hunter?" Miles yelled.

"N-nothing," Hunter stammered. He pulled a shaking Frankie into his arms.

Frankie screamed, and Drew felt his bones rattle as a loud thump tore through the house. It was coming from the front door... did he lock it earlier?

Drew stood up and went to the patio door that he had looked out of earlier. It had been maybe ten minutes, but it felt like a lifetime. Adam. He had heard from Adam...

Outside was different now. He could still see a faint outline of the patio, other wings of the Hollingsworth manor, and the pool, but there was no rain. The sky held only swirling, unnatural darkness that threatened to devour his soul from his body. He touched the glass, and what was once only cold now felt like the void of existence. Ice started to spread across the glass from where his finger touched it.

This was all wrong. His heart told him that this was all unnatural and that he needed to do something quick.

The thump tore through the house again, only this time it was accompanied by the cracking of wood.

"Guys," Drew said. "We need to get out of here."

"The pool house?" Miles suggested.

"No, I... don't think outside is safe," Drew said. He heard his voice break, and brushed it aside. None of them were at their best.

"There could be a killer at the door," Frankie cried.

"We need to hide or something," Drew said. He could only hope that whatever it was only wanted to kill them. His eyes wandered to Hunter who hadn't spoken in a while. "Hunter, are you okay?"

"I-I should never have asked for that Ouija board."

"No time for that, Hunter," Drew said. "Miles, where is the best place to hide?"

"My room is good," Miles answered, voice trembling a little worse than it had a minute ago. "Defensible doorway, bathroom, and massive closet."

"We can't hide upstairs," Frankie said. "That would trap us."

"Yeah," Drew said as he and Miles picked up as many candles as they could safely hold - small ones between their fingers and big ones in their palms. "But we're white, and the movies tell us to run upstairs," he added as he led the way out of the living room and into the main hall. He stopped to make sure that all three of his charges were behind him. Frankie had grabbed a few more candles and Hunter held the Ouija board.

They passed the front door on their way to the main staircase. Whatever was out there chose that moment to bang on the door again, causing all of them to scream as broken wood shrapnel shot forth from the now cracked door.

Drew ushered them all up the stairs. They screamed with fresh fear as the next thump was so fierce that the sound of shattering wood filled the house, and they were at the top of the stairs when they heard the door break into pieces. What was left of it hit the floor with a plop. Drew watched as the kids ran forward, and swallowed the lump in his throat. Taking a deep breath, he turned around to look over the banister at the top of the staircase and down at the broken door. What he saw changed his life forever.

He turned away and hid behind the wall before the creature could see him. His heart froze along with his body, and he had to force air into his lungs. He didn't even want to think about what he just saw.

He nearly died then and there from a heart attack as Miles gripped his arm.

"Are you okay?" Miles asked, pulling Drew along down the hall. Drew studied the younger boy's face. He had never seen Miles so concerned... or was it fear? Emotions were a mess right now.

Drew shook his head before speaking. "No," he whispered. Could that thing hear them? "We need to hide, now!" He shuddered and it pained him to see the fear his actions caused Miles.

"I saw it, Miles. I saw it."

I hope that you are intrigued! This story has been so much fun to write!

You can find the floor plan I created for the Hollingsworth's home on my Tumblr.