It takes me a few moments to catch my breath. The laughter doesn't die down and I start worrying that maybe whatever was inside the hula buidling really was real. A thought I'm not too happy to consider. That was until my friends started talking.

"You really got us good, Lilo," Teresa says with her own scared laugh.

At the mention of Weirdlo's name I instantly begin feeling my anger boil. I look over to the group and see Lilo, Victoria, and Lilo's dumb dog all doubled over laughing. Sometimes even rolling about. The vice like grip on my bag tightens even more and I know it's going to take everything in me not to deck her when she stands. Just need to remind myself it's for Gigi.

For Gigi.

"I'm sorry," Lilo manages to say before standing, helping Victoria along the way. "I really shouldn't laugh that much. But you should have seen the looks on your faces."

"I knew it was you," I say confidently as I walk over. "As soon as I saw you on stage I was absoultely not scared anymore."

"On stage?"

She looked at me like I was crazy. Even Victoria gave me a weird a fan of that at all. And then I noticed Lilo really for the first time. She wasn't wearing her hula outfit. Just her normal boring clothes. Maybe she changed? But there wouldn't have been time. I ran right from the stage to the door. And I heard her laughing when I got out here. Could she have beaten me to the door and gotten changed before I made it outside? She must have. Maybe I took longer than I thought.

"How'd you make the table float and stuff?" Elena asks.

She's clearly much more jumpy than the others. Her eyes keep flicking over to the hall door behind me. I can't seem to bring myself to look back there.

"We had some help," Victoria says.

"Yeah." Lilo nods in agreement. "Slushy made it cold, Phantasmo lifted stuff, and Spooky made some awesome shadows!" She quickly turns around and pushes some bushes to the side. "Thanks for the help guys. You can go back home now." I've seen those three around town before. Especially the blue one. They look pretty pleased with themselves, which isn't helping with my anger.

"And what about the girl on the stage?" I ask again. "I know that had to be you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, Mertle," Victoria says, "we didn't do anything with the stage." She turns to the other three. "Did you see anything on the stage?"

They just shake their heads. Of course they didn't. They got scared and ran right away. I only saw it because I had to go back for the bag. I don't want to believe them. It had to be her. If it wasn't then what? I don't get the chance to really ponder the question for long.

Yuki looks at me and says, "you totally saw a ghost."

I try to keep myself calm. The notion making me feel cold. It shouldn't take me so long but I eventually manage to say to her, "ghosts aren't real."

Everyone stays uncomfortably quiet for far too long. A slight breeze makes the bushes and trees rustle and everyone, but me of course, looked around worridly. Maybe this had been a bad idea. If they were going to be such big babies about it. I look around too, but only so they don't feel as bad.

"Whatever Mertle saw it probably wasn't a ghost right?" Victoria asks Lilo.

"Probably not," she says. "I mean. Spirit boards can attract all kinds of things. I know I kind of messed with you guys but I normally wouldn't play around with it." She saw the others go pale and quickly giggled. "Don't worry. As long as no one died around here you should be fine."

And that's when my stomach dropped. We never told Lilo or Victoria about the reason for the performance. That girl that died all those years ago. The image of the figure on stage flashed in my mind. The more I thought about it the less it looked like Lilo. I was so sure... No. I am sure.

Ghosts are not real.

They are not.

It's impossible.

That was Lilo. There's no other explanation. And if she won't tell us that it was her it doesn't matter. Doesn't change the fact that she was just messing with us and that's it. Honestly? Considering what she put us through, I'm going to have to get her back. Get her back big time. I'm sure the other girls won't be against it. And if they are? They'll have to deal with me too. And they don''t want that.

"Well I should get going..." Elena says after everyone calmed down a bit. "I have to be up early tomorrow."

Everyone agrees that it's late and that they should also get home. I double check my bag to make sure that I have everything. But as I rummage through it I notice something's missing.

"That's weird," I say out loud. "I could have sworn I grabbed it."

"Everything okay?" Lilo asks.

I see she is the only one still waiting around with her dumb genetic experiment dog. Everyone else is already off to go home.

"It's fine," I say and roll my eyes. "I thought I grabbed the planchette during your stupid prank but I must have dropped it or something. I'll just go back in and get it."

My hand grabs the door handle and I freeze up. For some reason my body just doesn't want to move. No matter how much I want it to. When I look through the window I almost swear I can see something on the stage. It's dark. But I see it. That girl is still there. Staring towards me. Her dark and tattered hair falling down in front of her face.

It's not real. The dark is just messing with my eyes. It's not real.

But still my body won't move. Not until I let go. Lilo and Stitch give me a weird look but I do my best to brush it off.

"I'll just get it in the morning," I tell them as I walk by. "If my mom finds out I'm gone I'll be in big trouble."

I don't wait for either of them to say anything. I walk home, until I feel like I need to run. Run as fast as my legs will carry me. Why are there no cars out? Sure it's late, but shouldn't there be someone out? Not a soul is around. And I still don't hear any animals and the air is deathly still. This is weird. All of it is weird. I don't like it. Thankfully I make it home before too long. And the lights are still out so my mom definitely doesn't know I've been gone.

After sneaking through the window I creep towards my room. Dreading each and every time the floor squecks. Without turning on the light I throw my bag into the corner and flop into bed. Suddenly everything that happened catches up to me and I just can't hold off the sleep any longer.

"Finally safe," I think to myself. Somewhat scoffing at myself for thinkin that there was anything to be afraid of in the first place.

The morning light was less than welcome after my short sleep. I would like to sleep in after being out so late but my body just won't do it. Bright and sunny so I must be up. Oh well. I can always sleep in tomorrow or something. Not exactly planning to go out and play with the Spirit Board again. Not tonight anyway. I doubt anyone would want to. They looked way too scared. Gotta make a note to find some braver friends.

"Oh well," I say to myself as I get up.

There's some relief as I get out from under the covers. I didn't realize how warm I was until that moment. Which was pretty weird. I usually make sure my room is nice and cool for sleeping. Maybe I just forgot since I came home late and was quick to get to bed. I'll just make sure to set it correctly when I sleep tonight. That could be why I wasn't able to sleep in.

"Mom!" I call out on my way to the bathroom. "Get my breakfast ready."

"It's on the stove," she calls back from the kitchen. "Don't take too long or it'll burn."

Rolling my eyes I open the bathroom door. It's not like she couldn't just take it off before it burns. No. Gotta do everything myself. The bathroom is much cooler than my bedroom. Almost too cold but that's fine. I get some warm water running in the sink and splash some on my face. Very refressing. My hand feels around for the towel but instead it hits something hard. A soft clunk rings off the floor and I stop.

"That better not have been my glasses."

Eventually I find the towel and dry off my face and feel around the floor. What I grab isn't my glasses though. I can't really tell what it is with how blurry everything is. Looks brown though. Reaching back by the sink I find my glasses and quickly put them on, and what I see makes me drop it to the floor again.

"The... planchette..." My voice can barely come out. "How did it...?"

I look around the room. It's eerily quiet. So quiet that I can hear a ringing in my ears. But I'm alone. I don't see anyone or anything. Just me in this cold room.

Cold...

Without hesitation, I run to my room and throw the planchette into my bag with the spirit board. I must have just been sleep walking or something. Or I stopped in the bathroom quick when I got home last night and just don't remember it.

My eyes are stuck staring in the bag and my heart begins to race. What is wrong with me? For some reason I just can't seem to move. A feeling of dread as I stare at the small piece of wood. Transfixed. I want to turn and go to the kitchen. Just have a normal day. There's no such thing as ghosts. And still my vision focuses on the planchette.

"Your foods going to burn!" my mom yells from the kitchen.

I manage to shake off that weird feeling and turn. A shadow moves in the corner of my eye. Quickly dissapearing under the bed behind me. I think to go look for just a moment, but decide against it. Not because I'm afraid, but because I don't want my breakfast to burn. And besides, the room is still really warm. Almost uncomfortable. So I go to the kitchen and see my mom sitting at the table drinking some health drink, or whatever fad she's currently into, and reading a magazine.

Gigi gives a small bark, as she usually does in the mornings, from her bed.

"Morning, Gigi," I say back while getting to the stove.

But she barks again, a little more agressively this time. Looking at her it is obvious to see she's upset at something. Snarling and lightly growling towards the table. When I turn to look I almost drop my plate of food. The planchette. Just laying on the table.

"Mom, did you go through my bag?" Even though I'm asking I already know the answer. I just put it back in there. It's impossible for it to be here. "Did you take this from my bag?"

She looks up from her magazine and sees what I'm holding.

"That's from that game your father got you right?" she asks before taking a sip of her weird drink. "I haven't touched it, sweetie."

Not the answer I wanted. But the one I expected. I set it down on the table again, hoping to keep it in sight just in case while I eat. Gigi continues to growl at it. And that alone would set me on edge. I remember hearing dogs have a strong sense for the supernatural. And even if she isn't a real dog, she probably can tell something is going on I can't.

I stop eating. There's nothing going on. I can't believe I need to remind myself of this. There is no such thing as ghosts. Just no. I have to stop thinking about it.

"Answer the phone, dear," my mother says.

"What?"

"The phone," she repeats.

I break myself from my thoughts long enough to finally hear the ringing from the phone on the wall. I don't know why I have to do it but I go.

"Hello?"

"Are you enjoying the gift?" the raspy voice asks. The person coughs, clearing their throat. "Sorry about that, Mertle." It's my dad. A huge sense of relief. "Something caught in my throat. Are you enjoying the gift?"

"Um..."

Gigi suddenly yelps and I turn to see the planchette is no longer on the table. I don't want to see it but I can already tell it's on the counter next to me. I can feel it.

"Y-yeah, daddy," I manage to say. "It's great."