I would have began with...

It began on a dark stormy night; the winds howling, the lightning outline so evident it seemed to to draw on the sky, the thunder roaring overhead. With a hair-raising, bone chilling whispering echoing through the dark hallway. An ominous chill running down my spine as I walked down the stairway. The light flickering above me as I hear my footfalls echo.

But since this is a true story, I shall begin how it truly began.

It was a sunny, hot afternoon on July 31,2018. We were in our 3rd year of high school, our classes had only begun a month ago and our first school event had just finished along with our first quarter examinations.

"Class dismissed." Our adviser ,Miss Rafendon, said. "You can only get your phones by row. Mister Elijiah and Mister Ivo, Please stay you both are cleaning as it seems both of you are so eager to leave the classroom."

I got my phone afterward then said good bye to our adviser. It was the school's policy that we were to surrender our phones every start of the day and get it back afterwards. Failure to comply with the rules will eventually lead it to getting confiscated with the teacher calling your parents and you getting it back in March.

"I'll make a gc once I get home, please for goodness sake try cooperating with me, okay?" I said to one of my classmates as I left the room to put my things in my locker.

"Problem with group mates too?" My friend Angela asked me as she waited for me to finish.

"Isn't that always the problem?" I sighed with a chuckle before spraying my locker with perfume and moving out of the way.

"Well, when you are in a batch filled with the laziest students it doesn't really matter. I mean it's first one to break rule remember." She pointed it out. Which wasn't actually a lie, our teachers did say our batch was the most academically gifted batch yet we are also the laziest one of all.

Angela was a petite girl, peach like skin, glistening eyes, about 5' in height and could have weighted around 45 kg. From my perspective. While I, on the other was a chubby one. Around 5' in height as well, more of one with a resting bitch-face look and approximately 56 kg? At that time? I think I was 56, Anyways. I had a slightly light brown skin tone that made it appear as though I had a raw tan.

"Why can't they at least like help from time to time. Its not that hard." I said while rolling my eyes. "I mean come on. It was called a group project for a reason."

She only shrugs in response laughing as we went down the stairs while I complained about my group mates who acted as though they were children of the president to even bother working.

"Oh, Hi Abigail. You aren't going home yet?" Angela said to Abigail as we reached the second floor of the school. Leaning unto the wall that separated the kiosk from the stairs but low enough for us to see those who were in the kiosk.

The kiosk was our school's 2nd canteen that was found on the second floor of the high school building.

Abigail was a plum girl, with a cute face. Though she was quiet in class she mostly smiles a lot. She was slightly whiter than both me and Angela.

"Oh, not yet... I still have to do something." She said as she smiled to us. Holding one of her blue hand-on carry cases.

"If this is the one we were suppose to be doing in science class. Don't sir already left school and he isn't here to prove that we are indeed adopted by our parents." I joking said which made her and Angela laugh.

"No, its not the blood sampling. How do you even know he already left? Isn't he in the faculty?" To which I just shrugged in return. Our head though turned to the right when someone called Abigail.

"Abigail, you coming?" The girl who asked this had a darker skin tone compared to us. Long black, straight black hair. She was also thin and tall.

"Yeah, just." Abigail looked at us then back to the girl. "Wait a moment. I'll ask if they wanna join."

We looked at Abigail in confusion, at what she meant. While the tall, dark girl stood there and looked at us with a smile, which slightly creeped me out.

"So, do you wanna join? We...are doing..." Abigail sighed. "I think its best if I show you."

I looked at Angela and she just shrugged in response and walked around to get into the kiosk, I followed her after a few seconds later as I thought it won't take more than a few minutes anyways. When you walk through the kiosk slightly to the right side as you entered you would be greeted by the beautiful view of our school pool. Which was half the size of an Olympic pool.

When I meant beautiful I was exaggerating. Well, it was filled with chlorine and I think they just fill it up with more chlorine. It was an open head area, so if you go there the sun was shinning directly at you if it was sunny and you would get wet if it rained. There was a small stair case at the side which was a shortcut to the comfort rooms on the first floor that was in front of the pool’s entrance. Here where we were, there was like big steps. 5 big steps that resembled that of a staircase. Which allowed student’s to eat their lunch there, each step was big enough to allow you to lay down and a bit space to turn slight. It was also long enough to fit at least 20 people on each step. We mostly sit on these during intramurals specially if there was a swimming competition, either a relay or water polo. Some male student’s also come here to watch some college students swim, looking for cute boys or girls.

Anyways, on the second step sat a another plump girl, she was even whiter than Abigail, was wearing glasses. Waiting for Abigail and the other girl.

“Oh, Theodora, Angela. Meet Nicole and Nathalie. Nicole, Nathalie this is Theodora and Angela my classmates.” We smiled at them while they waved back to us. “Actually Nathalie’s Second name is Nicole as well.”

“Nicole, Nicole, Nicole. Yey, we have three of us now.” Angela laughed as her second name was also Nicole.

“So, what are we going to be doing?” I asked them, to which Nathalie, Nicole and Abigail looked at one another. Then Abigail moved to set her case down, rummaging taking out some papers.

“Do you know what an Ouija Board is?”

When she said the word the wind suddenly blew and it grew cold, the cloud started to block the sun as we saw the shadow loom over us. I looked up to see what happened to the sun squinting a bit, still seeing it up there but it looked so dark from where we were.

“Ouija Board? The one seen in movies?” I asked as I looked back to them. Abigail had taken out a piece of paper and then placed it facing down on the step where they were seating. “You have… A board?”

Angela had been quiet and just observing beside me.

“Well, not entirely a board but a self-made one.” Abigail said as she inverted the paper she had pulled out. Revealing a self made Ouija Board.

Yes on the upper left part or the paper, No on the upper left. A symbol in between the two, the alphabet divided into two, 13 letters in the first row and the remaining 13 on the bottom. Then the numbers zero to nine underneath it with the word goodbye at the center bottom.

I ended up thinking of things that could happen, looking at the board she made in front of us it seemed innocuous. There was a little voice behind my head saying ‘No, just decline’ but another voice battled it saying ‘It’s the 21st century, remember spirit of the coin thingy we did in grade 4? Nothing happened remember? So, say yes. They’ll probably move it again anyways.’

I looked at Angela for her response and she just shrugged.

“If you go for it, I am a go as well.” Was what she said, so I looked at Abigail and nodded my head to her. I literally though

We then moved closer to them, Abigail took off the cap of a water bottle and placed it on top of the board.

“Don’t you need like a glass or something?” I asked her as I eyed the cap of the water bottle on the board.

“Oh, and any rules we should know? I don’t want another spirit of a glass kind of thing happening to me.” Angela jokes while leaning on the metal railings which allows you to see over the pool turning a bit seeing our Swimming teacher below to whom she waved at. “Hi Sir Bau.”

“We have swimming class tomorrow, right?” I asked as we waved to our teacher down below who waved back at us. “Well, from what I remember from that movie. Never remove your finger from the cup or you die. Is that one, right?”

“Well in his perspective, He’ll pass us as long as we get into the water.” Then Abigail nodded to us. “Yeah, right. Also never play alone, and always say goodbye. Are the main rules. So put your index fingers unto the cap.”

I placed my index finger on one side of the cap just light touching it making sure I won’t move it on purpose, while Angela and Abigail placed their finger on it as well.

“So, how do we begin?” I asked Abigail. Who in return placed the cup on the symbol and started turning it around the board.

Each Time the cap made a full circle it felt colder, the blew harshly making both Angela and My skirt flutter with the wind that we needed to squeeze the fabric between our legs just so our underwear wouldn’t show. It was as though we were engulfed inside a bubble, where the wind was only concentrated on our spot, the tree’s leaves at the far end shook with the wind. It sounded as though the wind was howling in my ears. She did three circles before stopping again on the symbol.

“It should be Theodora or Angela who should ask.” Nicole said from the side as she watched us. “That’s how you start, ask if anyone is here with you.”

“Is there any spirit that wishes to communicate with us?” Angela asked with her eyebrow raised, she looked at me and I just sighed planning to actually move the cap just to get it done with.

What surprised us was that it moved, ever in a normal pace like someone moved it to get over to the YES. I looked at Abigail.

“I didn’t move it if that’s what you are thinking.” Was what she answered. I felt a sudden pressure on my shoulder which seemed to make the right side of my backpack heavier than it usually was. Like someone was leaning unto my shoulder, putting half their weight on me. Which I can assure it wasn’t Angela. As she was a foot away from me.

“Are you a bad spirit?” Abigail asked, in which the cap moved to the NO.

“Well, you can be reassured that that is a good one indeed. Ghost cannot lie, also I can see them. So I know a lot about them. Like the one on your left side Theodora.” Nicole said, I wasn’t one to actually believe in third eyes then but I already had my fair share of ghost experience and I am sure the ghost was on my right side not left. I didn’t mind her and though of a question.

“Are we disturbing you?” I asked slowly to which the cap moved to YES, which made me inhale deeply.

Then it moved across the board afterwards. A bit fast if I may add. It spelled out, ITS OK. Which I took as a sign that it wasn’t pissed off with us.

A purposely good sign.

“Do you want to talk about how you died?” Angela asked. To which it took a while to answer before moving to towards the YES but then swiftly moved to the NO.

“Oh, okay… Umm sorry for disturbing you. Do you want to go back?” I asked to which it moved to YES. Then slowly spelled out the PLEASE before it casually moving to GOODBYE, to which we said goodbye as well.

“Umm, you know there is a possibility that you moved it, right?” I asked though my guts tell me it wasn’t Abigail who moved it but my Logical self tried to say there has to be a scientific explanation

“Try it again, then just you and Angela.” Abigail said as she removed her finger from the cap. “Two or more is the rule but never alone. So, go on.”

I took the cap of the board and looked under, not really sure why I looked under it. But it felt as though something was in it. Like some small force that’s trying to suck something in.

“Okay, one last try before we go home.” Angela said, which made me check my wrist watch. Our dismissal was around 3:40 and from the looks of it we’ve already been here for an hour yet it felt shorter than that.

I placed the cap back unto the board. Both of us lightly placed our fingers on the cap again to which we checked to make sure not either of us was pressing to hard. We circled around the board again.

“Is there any spirit that wants to talk to us?” When I asked this question, I do not know if it was just light or my imagination playing tricks on me. But I saw something on the side of my eye causing me to look at my left side.

There was something from that side of mine that radiated cold air, Almost like the air that comes from a chiller. Which was slightly weird with the sun up and us being in a tropical country you only get that type of coldness from a fridge. That open space, beside oddly started smelling like flowers. Though a smell of flowers and earth. Me, shrugging it off. Since we had no response yet and it meant it was just Abigail moving the cap. I slowly tried moving it towards the YES, my finger hovering ever so softly that it could have potentially slowly moved the cup.

Normally, if it really was just us moving it could have been easier to move the cap but something was stopping it. It made the cap stay still as though someone was holding it down with much force.

“Hey, don’t hold it down to much.” Was what Angela told me which made me giggle a bit.

“That was what I was going to say to you.” I chuckled, we were in the middle of giggling when the cap moved to NO. It surprised us as it was pulled with a force that nearly got our fingers removed from the cap.

“Someone’s sarcastic.” Was what I whispered to my self, to which the cap moved to YES. This one’s movements felt a bit negative as though they were being forced to answer the question and they were not happy.

“Are you angry?” Was what Angela asked, with a cautious tone. I tried again moving the cap to the word NO. but it just stayed there at the YES. I felt as though a pair of eyes were burning holes unto the side of my head, I fought the urge to look at the side. As I might really see something I did not want to see.

“Are you angry with…us?” It seemed to not move and this made me gulp a bit, as I can feel as though someone was breathing unto my left ear and vaguely heard a sigh before the cap moved to the word NO. Which made us sigh in relief. We hadn’t said anything yet when the cap immediately moved to GOODBYE. We said goodbye as well and removed our fingers from the cap with a sigh.

“You two were controlling it? It moved way to fast.” Nathalie said as she stood up.

“That was… Okay to be honest, I tried moving the cap. But it just stayed there. I am not the one who was moving it.” I said while putting both my hands up in surrender. Abigail hid the board back into her case.

“It wasn’t me as well, with how light I was holding it, my finger would have slipped if I moved it way to quickly.” Angela added.

Though it was a weird experience, we smiled to each other having a silent agreement about doing it again tomorrow. Did I bother to notice the feeling my gut was telling me to just stay away? No, why would I. It was fun, it’s not everyday you get to talk to the dead. We smiled like crazy people on the way down, laughing and talking about our ghost experience. With me making it not so obvious to look behind us with the feeling as though someone was indeed following us.

Despite getting on one of the public utility vehicles that would take me home, I felt as though someone kept looking at me making me feel uncomfortable but every time I looked up I was only greeted by the faces of people glued to their phones. I shrugged of what I felt, and immediately went home. Not knowing if something followed me home as I was too preoccupied with the thoughts of using the board again the next day.