Thanks to my lovely beta Ads! 3333
Two new chapters in one day? What? This must be Halloween. Yep, it is that's why I've got these chapters out for you guys, it's my treat. Lol, see what I did there? Anywho, this one's a bit short, but that's because there is another surprise for those who was the sexy times. I really should stop trying to rhyme. Anyways, for those of you who wanted the sexy times, you'll have to read until the end of the chapter (for it to make some kind of sense), and then go over to here: s/11590718/1/Avalanche-M-bedroom-scene
Review and Enjoy!
As we make it to the chairs, Chris following close behind after taking the costume off to reveal his normal clothes, I sit to help Ash set up the board even though I felt haunted by even touching the thing.
Josh stood, lighting the candles in the corner and Chris takes his own seat between Ashley and me.
Grabbing the instructions that lay on top of board, Chris explains the rules, " So it says here: to communicate with the spirit world you must free your mind of all preconceptions, drop all inhibitions, and generally give yourself over to the will of others, sublimating your every desire to the whims of the 'spirit master' which is me-"
"It doesn't say that." Ashley says.
I follow, replying, "And who appointed you the 'spirit master?'"
Chris holds his finger up to us and continues to read, "And all will remove their garments at my sole discretion." He then turns to me and says pointedly, "Except for you-you wear everyone's discarded clothing."
I hold my hand over my heart as if touched by his attempts at keeping my honor.
"Chris come on this is serious." Josh jumps in taking the only empty seat next to me.
Chris begins laughing lowly, wiggling his fingers in the air before placing them on his hips, replying in an accented voice, "Oh I'm deadly serious."
"Oh shush it, and let's try this." Ashley says.
At this my stomach began to turn and my nerves began to yet again elevate.
"Uhm, I don't know if I want to do this, guys." I admit with my head down as I watch my hands nervously ring around each other in my lap.
I hear Chris lightly laugh to my right and feel the weight of his hand on my shoulder. "Sis, nothing is going to happen, okay, it's just a ball of plastic."
My hazel eyes wander to the left in search of Josh who just smiles my way and shrugs.
With a reluctant sigh I nod my head dully and follow after the others who now have their hands outstretched towards the planchette. The tips of my fingers that have just recently gotten cleared from being so cold they're about to fall off where now reverting back to just that. I don't know if it's just a mental thing or if the place suddenly got colder. I swallow the softball in my throat and ignore the ache as the saliva struggled down.
Everyone places one index finger against the wooden planchette and we all direct our eyes towards Ashley who we all know has gotten more interested in the paranormal since we last saw her as evident by her reading up on it in her college class.
"Okay then, let's see what happens." Chris says. "Ashley, since you're a recent convert, why don't you be our medium for today?"
Clearly uncomfortable from being put on the spot to head this odd endeavor into the great beyond, Ashley reluctantly agrees, replying, "Okay, uhm, is anyone there?" She calls out to the emptiness surrounding us.
I feel a slight chill go up my spine, take a deep breath to calm myself and listen in.
"Helloo, pick up the phone...spirits...spirit phone." She says flippantly and I watch Josh as he lowers his head, visibly dispirited.
She continues, adding, "Umm, abracadabra…"
"Come on." Josh sighs.
"Umm, if you can hear my voice, just give us a sign." She concludes.
"It was at this point Chris decided to join in on the fun, "Yeah like a peace sign or a stop sign-"
"Chris," I warn halfheartedly. Honestly, I didn't care too much but I knew Josh did. I didn't know why this was so important to him, maybe it reminded him of his time with his sisters when they used the board as kids. If so, it was my job to protect the memory as best I could.
Josh warns more sternly than I, replying "Guys, if you're not going to take this seriously-"
"Okay okay," Ashley cuts in. "Is anyone there? Wherever 'there' is." She asks more seriously this time.
I watch Josh more closely to gauge his reaction if nothing were to happen, when-
"Oh my God, it moved!" I gasp, jumping about a foot in my seat. I hear Chris laughing as everyone begins to comment about the anomaly themselves.
"Wait a minute-" Chris laughs.
"Did you do that?" Josh directs to Ashley.
"I didn't do anything." Ashley denies erratically.
"It's moving again-" Chris continues, delighted.
"Oh my God, Chris!" I yell out for my brother as the fright begins to invade every inch of my body.
"H." Ashley calls out to us as the planchette makes it's way over the letter.
"What's it spelling?" Josh asks curiously.
"Hold on."
"How's this happening." Josh asks more frantically.
"Josh." I gasp as I focus on the plastic of the planchette.
"Are you moving it?" Chris asks, now less amused.
"I swear it's just moving!" Ashley cries.
"I think we should stop now guys." I suggest as I look up to all of their faces.
"Holy shit." I heard Josh gasp.
"'Help?'" Ashley asks, confused.
"..How are we supposed to help?" I couldn't tell if Chris was finally taking this more seriously.
"I don't know, what does it mean?" Ashley asks more nervously.
"We need to know who it is if we're suppose to help them." Chris suggests.
I look over at Josh but his eyes were completely glued to the old board. I then look at Chris. He gives me a short half smile as a way to calm me down but it does little for my erratic heart.
"Who are you?" Ashley finally asks down at the board.
I bite my lip in anticipation. What if this wasn't even a real person? What if it was something else, something far more sinister that was just tricking us?
I hear another gasp from my left and I look down at the planchette slowly moving on it's own beneath my finger. My head shakes slowly back and forth as if to erase the image of what's happening from my mind.
"Oh, here it goes." Ashley voices and I watch as the plastic glides over the letters.
"Okay, 'S'." Josh says as the clear middle stops over the letter.
Next was, "'I'" Ashley says.
"'S'" I breath.
"'T'" Ashley says.
Josh is the next to call out the letter as it lands, "'E'"
"'R,'" Chris says as the planchette finally stops moving to it's last letter.
No way it just spelled-
"Sister." Ashley gasps. "Sister?"
We all look over to Josh. He's the only one with sisters in this room. The only one who's sister may even be…
"Josh," I call out in some vain attempt to comfort him.
His face was in shock and his eyes were entranced by the board as his breathing began to elevate. What can I do?
"Whose sister?" He asks but we all know who's it has to be.
I close my eyes unable to watch as his face slips closer and closer into desperation.
"Oh come on is this for real?" Chris calls out skeptically.
I turn my head, giving him a hard look to can it. Right now was not the time to be making jokes, Josh was clearly devastated.
"Shut up!" Josh aims at Chris. "Ask who's sister it is." He then directs to Ashley as he points to her.
"Josh, it's, it's gotta be." She tries to convince him.
"Yeah? Okay, well…" He looks over at me, almost pleading.
I reach out my hand to hold his shoulder comfortingly. I wish I could do so much more than this.
Turning his head desperately back to Ashley he asks more frantically, "Ask which sister it is then."
"Ashley, ask who it is." Chris lamely directs towards her.
"Who are we speaking to?...Hannah, is that you?" She calls out as she looks above us at the ceiling.
Slowly the planchette begins to move again, going to the top corner until it stops of the word 'yes.'
My breath stops in my throat. No, this can't be happening.
"Josh," I start as I look over at my boyfriend and lightly thumb his shoulder over the fabric of his shirt.
"Oh God!" Ashley exclaims.
I hear a quiet scoff next to me from Chris before he replies, "This is messed up."
"Babe, are you-"
"I'm fine." Josh says, cutting me off.
"We can stop." I suggest. Honestly I think it would be best. Who knows how much this will set back Josh's progress this last year!
"No." He says with his eyes downcasted to the board.
It was Chris' turn to try and convince him. "Dude, it's cool-"
"I want to hear what it says." Josh interrupts desperately.
"I don't know where to start." Ashley whispers towards Chris as I watch Josh closely.
"Think about it, if this is actually Hannah, I mean, we can find out what happened that night." Chris shrugs. Always the logical one, my big brother.
I make one last attempt to make sure this is truly what he wants, whispering, "Josh?"
"I can handle it." He assures me.
With one last squeeze on his shoulder I nod towards Ashley and she continues.
"Okay..uhm, let me think...Hannah..If you can hear this, like really hear this, we all want to apologize for what happened."
I bit my lip as the thought of that night renters my mind. Even if I wasn't apart of that prank I still felt the guilt of ever letting Beth go out after Hannah without me. Even if we all still would have gotten lost, or whatever happened to them out there, at least I wouldn't have to feel like this.
"It was stupid and mean and we're sorry." Chris adds.
I mentally shake my head at hearing him apologize. Chris wasn't responsible for this, he and Josh were both passed out. I hated that my brother carried this burden when he didn't have to.
"We're so sorry Hannah." Ashley continues.
I feel a trickle down my cheek and a small gasp escapes my pursed lips. Don't cry now Charlie! I scream at myself. This is crazy, I'm suppose to be strong for Josh, not crying. Why was I so upset?
Just then the planchette begins to move again and the cold wetness is now the last thing on my mind.
Ashley spells it out, "B. E. T. R-"
"Uh-oh." I hear Chris comment.
"I don't like this." Ashley cries.
"'Betrayed.'" Chris says as the tool stops moving.
"What does she mean?" Josh asks.
"Oh it's still going." Chris calls out as the movement shifts under my fingers.
"Oh god. K. I. L. L. E. D.-No!" Ashley cries.
My grip on Josh's shoulder tightens and I watch his eyes as they grow wider.
"Killed!" He reads.
"We didn't kill them it was just a prank!" Ashley justifies.
I try to stop the blame from bubbling over at her justification.
"Ash-calm down okay, we just, we need to find out more." Chris comments.
The redhead across from me begins to wail as she cries out to the air, "I'm sorry, I am so sorry!"
"Guys, guys what do they mean." Josh asks frantically.
"Josh we should stop-" I try.
"No, we need to know."
"This isn't helping anyone! This isn't helping you!" I try to reason as the fear starts to boil over. This has gotten way out of hand.
"No, ask them what happened. It's the only way to know. Ask them ash!" Chris yells over me.
"Okay...who killed you? Hannah, who was it?"
As she finishes the movement beneath my hands begin and I hold my breath as I watch it spell out the words.
"L. I. B-"
"Library! Maybe there is something in the library here-"
Before he can finish the planchette takes on a new direction.
"P. R. O. O.-"
Chris calls out once he's figured out the word. "Proof! There's, there's-there's proof-"
"In the library."
The next thing I know the table rattles and I hear the voice of Josh scream out to us, "Watch out!"
Just then the planchette leaves it's spot on the middle of the board. Ashley and I jump from our seats, screaming in surprise as it flies off to meet the hard wood ground.
Slowly Josh begins to lift from his seat, eyes stone hard as he watches all of us suspiciously.
"You know what. NO, this is bullshit, this isn't real-"
"Josh-I don't know what's going on." Ashley frantically tries to explain,
Holding his hands out Josh continues his breath elevated as he backs away from us, "Listen, I don't know-I don't know if you think messing with me is somehow going to help me deal with my grief. Or whatever, but this is not cool!"
"I would never do that to you, you know that!" I defend loudly. My heart didn't feel like it was even beating anymore, it was too broken to do that. How could he even think that I would do that. I know it wasn't only me he was accusing and he was clearly frightened by the whole ordeal, but that didn't stop it from hurting any less.
"Josh, no! You wanted to use the spirit board." Ashley exclaims.
"Hey, hey calm down it's not Charlie or Ash's fault." Chris tries to explain as Josh makes his way around the table and towards the stairs.
"I don't need this right now, Okay? You guys are full of it." Josh says as he begins running down the steps.
I quickly make work of my own legs after him, calling out for him to wait.
"Charlie, come back here!" I hear Chris call out after me but I can't wait around while Josh was hurting. He needed me right now and I wasn't going to abandon him.
I hear nothing in the dark room of the spacious house as I listen for any sign of Josh. How did I lose him so quickly? I was right behind him seconds ago. It was as if he just turned the corner and vanished.
Looking left to right I finally let myself break down. The cold wetness had returned to my cheeks and dripped onto the floor with a light blop; the only sound that filled the empty room.
"Josh?" I call out weakly and I hold myself.
"I'm sorry." I jump as the familiar voice startles me.
My eyes dart around and I find nothing but blackness until I turn towards the second flight of steps. There I could slightly make out the silhouette that was unmistakably Josh's. I quickly jog over to his side and the instant my feet meet the ground in front of him my arms are around his waist and my head is planted deep into his neck.
"No, you have nothing to be sorry about." I whisper into the crook of his neck. I then softly kiss the skin and pull him closer into my body.
"I know you wouldn't do that to me." His voice sounds broken as he whispers into my ear.
Slowly I pull back, my arms still holding onto his sides as I wipe away a stray tear on the side of his handsome face. Mimicking me, Josh also wipes away wetness from my own cheeks.
We both smile softly at the other before I knead the side of his waist. "Let's just go somewhere else." I suggest.
With a curt nod Josh pulls my hands from his waist before running his hands down my arms to capture my cold hands in his. We walk up the third flight of stairs. As we reach the banister Josh makes a right down to a door at the very end of the hall. He sneaks a look back at me before he pushes open the door with a eerie creak. Once it's open it reveals a plaid covered bed in the middle of a large room two times the size of my own. It was plain other than the movie posters on the walls and photos on the nightstand and computer desk.
I don't know why but my stomach was doing backflips. Maybe it's because of the implication. Of all the rooms we could go to we wind up in his room. I take a deep breath and squeeze his hand. This is what I wanted, wasn't it? Time to be alone with him so I could finally express how much I love him. Why now that it was all very possible was my body nothing but a jumbled mess?
As we walk in I take in the room. It was beautiful in it's simplicity. It told a story without being flashy or garish. It was normal and it was almost identical to Josh's room back home. It was comfortable and homey. To put it simply, it was perfect.
I bit my lip nervously and keep my eyes on anything but the man standing next to me who I could feel had his eyes only on me. Finally I decide to be brave and look his way. His smile was beautiful. It always is, but after what just happened it was like drinking a tall glass of water after being stuck in a drought that took it all away. I didn't realize it was the same feeling I felt in the first few months of Hannah and Beth's disappearance. The moments when Josh wouldn't smile. I had almost forgotten that side of him was possible.
"You don't have to smile." I hear myself say. I didn't even think of the words, they just came out. But I couldn't deny their truth. He never had to smile if he didn't feel like it just to make me feel better. He could cry if that was really what he wanted to do.
"I'll always smile when you're around." He admits and my heart shoots to my throat.
"You flatter me Mr. Washington." I smirk.
Smiling wider, Josh takes small steps until he is right in front of me. I can feel the heat of his body as his washes over me.
"Always Charlotte." He says in an almost Christian Grey like voice.
I roll my eyes as I feel his arms wrap around me once again. I watch him as he slowly lays his lips against the plains of mine and I forget about the world around us.