Episode One
The Black Smoke
It was a dark night, and far from quiet. Cars, sirens, and the usual bustle of the city rang loud in Stella's ears. She almost didn't hear Jasmine ask her what was wrong,
"STELLA! You still with us?" her eyes shone bright with wonder and excitement. Stella had felt it too, but standing there in front of the house now she felt uneasy and wrong. Something in her gut told her to turn and run as fast as she could to The Caddy and hit the freeway back to their comfortable suburban lives.
"I don't know maybe we should just head back. I mean checking out an old haunted spot that's cool and all, but we're breaking and entering now. What if someone calls the cops?" Stella was genuinely worried about going to jail, or getting into any trouble with the police. She wanted a future, a teaching job and a white picket fence family with Damian, her husband. Unfortunately a police record for breaking and entering wouldn't look good on a resume, but Stella had a burning fire inside her that hungered for adventure, and for the unusual. She had an average frame with soft brown hair that barely touched her waist. Her bangs were cut short and hung just above her brow, framing her round face and hazel eyes which were now scanning the empty street behind her. She had a horrible feeling about this place.
"Don't worry me and Ruby have been here before nobody called the cops then. It's not like we're stealing anything. Hold this," Jasmine passed Stella her bag. The Ouija board clunked around inside.
Ruby and Jasmine showed no sign of fear, they were almost giddy. She wondered how her excitement had turned so quickly into the mortal dread that sat in the pit of her stomach. She took a few deep breaths. She'd seen a thousand scary movies. She knew that she would be fine if she kept her head and didn't do anything stupid. This thought comforted her slightly. Tonight was the night. She'd get her answers and she wasn't going to let anything stop her, even herself. Ruby and Jasmine had finally rigged the lock free and had the door open. It was now or never.
"Are you sure you wanna come? You can still wait outside and keep watch for us," Jasmine saw something in her sister-in-law's eyes that screamed "let's go" but Stella stepped over the threshold anyways. Ruby had a mischievous gleam in her eyes and a halfcocked smile that showed she was deep in thought. Ruby and Jasmine had been hunting down old houses and ghost stories with their mom since they were kids. Stella however had very little experience with the supernatural other than a fascination.
She'd never seen a haunted house or went looking for a ghost. She'd never played with a Ouija board as a kid, because she'd never dare ask her mother for one. But she had always noticed strange things happening around her. Doors slamming shut on their own, strange dreams that sometimes came true, and a powerful memory of staying at her grandparents when she was young. Every time she would visit, she would wake up to the sensation of her head being held into her pillow by some unknown force. She'd hear whispers in what seemed like another language coming from (what seemed like) the mattress.
"Do you guys smell that too?" Jasmine asked.
"Kinda smells like sulfur," Ruby replied. Stella thought she saw a dark look flash through Ruby's eyes, but it disappeared quickly and was replaced by her usual mischievous smile. Stella stuck tight to Jasmine's side. Ruby however couldn't help herself and went wandering. Stella stood in the doorway while Jasmine entered the room. Her jet black hair settled just past the collar of her leather jacket as she stood in the doorway, bright blue eyes scanning the room. They fixated on a large stain by the old dusty bed. She could only guess, but she had a feeling it was once blood and had been half-heartedly attempted to clean. She walked over it, picking up her long black skirt so it wouldn't drag across the old blood stain, and came to the nightstand. She opened the drawer, and immediately felt a chill run down her spine. It was him. He wore a smile in the photo, along with his wife and children. His wife was beautiful. Jasmine couldn't imagine anyone hurting such a kind looking woman or such young children. He must have been sick in the head.
"Guys check this out," Jasmine and Stella left the bedroom to join Ruby and they all examined the photo. Stella thought she should have been more chilled seeing the man who was supposedly haunting the house they had just broken into, but something else was bothering her more. It was something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it still twisted her stomach up in knots. She felt like such a coward so she decided to keep this to herself.
"So Stella you ready?" Ruby seemed to sense her fear, because there was a twinge of mocking in her voice. Stella nodded and pulled the Ouija board out of the oversized bag. Ruby got right to setting it up, candles and all. The knots in Stella's stomach instantly intensified. The board was set up and they debated who would join Stella in holding the moving piece. They decided it should be Jasmine, because Stella didn't trust Ruby not to cheat and pull a prank on her. She wanted it to be real.
"You talk I have no idea what to say," Stella managed a nervous chuckle.
"I got it. Are there any spirits in this house who want to communicate with us tonight?" their hands rested lightly and anxiously on the game piece. Nothing.
"Umm.. Anybody home?" Stella let out another chuckle. Nothing would happen, she was just being stupid, but suddenly the piece shot out of their hands, and the window in the piece read simply 'Yes'. They put their hands back on the game piece and placed it back at the start.
"What is your name?" Jasmine asked eagerly. Nothing again. Jasmine and Stella exchanged confused looks. Ruby sat perfectly still, eyes focused on the board with a strange kind of smile.
"Will you answer me?" Stella asked hesitantly. Again the piece shot back to yes. Her heart stopped. "What's so special about me?" she managed. She was no longer controlling the piece. It moved slowly on its own across the board.
P-L-A-N-S
She turned to Jasmine in confusion, but Jasmine was no longer watching the board. All the color was drained from her face. Her eyes were fixed on her sister, who was now laughing coldly. It was a horrible and joyless laugh that made Stella feel cold and helpless. She stood and backed away from the monster that had taken Ruby's place, trying to pull Jasmine to her feet. Jasmine wouldn't, or couldn't, stand. She was stone still, eyes unmoving from her sisters.
"What did you think was going to happen tonight? Did you think you were going to have a nice little chat with Casper the Friendly Ghost?" the monster burst into a chilling fit of laughter. With a flick of its wrist Jasmine was thrown against the wall. "THERE'S NO SUCH THING!"
Stella raced to Jasmine and pulled with all her strength at her dangling legs "She didn't even do anything! What do you want from me?! Just leave her alone!" Jasmine struggled against invisible hands.
"I want you to go back to where you came from. I can take everything you love away. Slowly. It'll be so easy. But why should you take me on my word? I'm a stranger to you! Why don't I prove it," it produced a knife and raised it high above Ruby's head.
"DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER,"
"Oh do try to stop me. This was getting so boring. I expected more of a fight from you Stella!" the monster beckoned her with its hand and she was pulled closer. Stella charged at Ruby's body, taking a swing and striking her cheek. It just kept laughing as she swung and grabbed at the knife. Ruby was considerably taller and more powerful than Stella, but she fought with all her strength. The cold laugh never stopped, it didn't move. It took blow after blow until finally with another flick of the wrist Stella joined Jasmine suspended against the wall.
"Now that that's out of the way shall I show you what I mean? Pay attention now my dear I'll only do this once," it drove the blade hard into Ruby's stomach. Stella could no longer hear Jasmine screaming at the monster. All she could do was close her eyes and turn away, "LOOK AT ME!" his voice raised into a roar.
"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS WHAT'S THE POINT?! JUST TELL ME!" she managed through sobs.
"If I ever see you here again, I will take everything from you," It twisted the blade, "I CONTROL EVERYTHING and there's nothing you can do. Don't you see? You're so powerless here, so pathetic," it took the blade out and looked it over with a satisfied grin, "You know, just so we understand each other, I think I'll drive the point home," it drove the blade into Ruby's neck, and suddenly Stella and Jasmine dropped to the floor as thick black smoke surrounded her. She heard a strangely familiar sound. It was music, she knew the song. Why was she hearing that song? She still couldn't hear Jasmine. All she could hear was the music.
"Shake me down… not a lot of people left around, who knows now. Softly laying on the ground… Oooooooh. Not a lot of people left around oooooooh. Ooooooh…"
