Maggie snorts, and Brenda shushes her. Brett’s face and neck flush, but he continues. “This rune”—he places a red stone to the left of the board—“means no. And this one”—he places a green one to the right—“means yes. Please indicate that you understand.”

Nothing happens.

“Maybe we have to commune with someone… specific?” Maggie suggests. “Like, someone dead?”

Brenda bounces in her seat. “Who should we commune with first?”

“Whoever’s there,” Kaitlyn murmurs.

“Agreed,” Brett says. “Let’s just see who’s around, shall we?”

Mike nods.

“Whoever you are, talk to us. Indicate you understand.”

Nothing happens, and they glance at one another with grins.

“If not yes or no,” Brenda adds, “then choose one of us. Choose to talk to one of us.”

Maggie shrieks as the pointer moves.

Brenda throws her hands over her ears. “Ow! Just deafen me, why don’t you!”

“Sorry.”

“Get your fingers on here,” Mike says, his voice waspish and low. “It’s still moving!”

The group stares at the pointer as it moves ever so slowly.

“Are you doing this?” Brenda asks Mike, a grin plastered to her face.

“No, I’m bloody well not. Keep hold of it!”

“You asshole,” she says, laughing.

“I told you I’m not doing it!”

“Then Brett’s doing it!”

Brett scowls. “No, I’m not!”

She rolls her eyes and folds her arms, unwilling to put her fingers on the pointer. “Let go of it, then.”

Brett glances at everyone for a moment and then lets go. All of them follow, even a grinning Kaitlyn, who seems more than a little tipsy.

They all watch as the pointer, now unhindered by the burden of fingers, begins to move faster… on its own.

“Holy chocolate balls!” Brenda whispers. “Bloody hell. I smoked way too much. Mike, what did you put in that—”

“Shh!” Mike hisses. “Keep watching it.”

“Is this a joke? Naida—get your ass out here!” Brenda shakes her head, eyes wide. “This is bonkers—”

“Shut it!”

The pointer moves from the middle of the board in one continuous and unfaltering direction until it stops directly in front of Kaitlyn.

Suddenly she seems very awake. “What the hell is this?”

“It chose Carly,” Maggie says, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

“This is like some cheesy B horror movie,” Brenda says, but the joviality seems forced. “Right?”

Kaitlyn, who hasn’t been able to tear her eyes away from the pointer, opens her mouth to reply when a voice rings out over the room.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Naida leans over the banister, Scott close behind her. In his hand dangles Naida’s top hat, and we see a glimpse of the camera taped inside.

Naida’s eyes travel down to the pointer facing Kaitlyn, and in a second, she is moving, flying down the stairs, leaning over the sofa and snatching up the board and pointer roughly. She slams the board shut and throws the pointer into the fireplace, where it ignites quickly, bending and warping in green and purple flames.

“That was spooky,” Brenda says.

“You idiots,” Naida whispers. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”

“Ouija board,” Maggie says with a shrug. “It’s Halloween.”

Naida’s eyes travel to her slowly, wide and shocked. Her face bleeds of its color. “This isn’t a Ouija board!” she yells. “You damn fools, all of you!”

“We were just having a laugh!” Maggie protests, waiting for someone else to stick up for her. When they don’t, she points at Mike. “It was his idea!”

Naida, who is visibly shaking—with rage or fear, we cannot know—turns to Mike, who leans back on his hands.

“Chill out. God. It’s a Ouija board. And rigged too, I’d bet. Nice little gag, I should say.”

“Rigged?” Brenda asks. “How?”

“Magnets, probably. They sell these things in novelty shops so you can scare the crap out of people. Carly’s in on it, of course.”

Naida’s voice rings through the room. “This isn’t a novelty board, you moron! It’s not even a Ouija board! Goddamn stupid son of a b—”

Scott, wearing Naida’s hat, takes her shoulders from behind; she seems on the verge of a panic attack. “Calm down, baby. Take a breath.”

Naida closes her eyes and inhales. “Get the hell out of here, Mike. All of you! I want you out of this house!”

Unseen by Naida or any of the others, Kaitlyn begins to sway, her eyes still on the spot where the pointer sat moments before.

“I feel weird,” she whispers, but it is drowned out by Mike’s furious yell.

“Make me, Dupre!”

“Don’t push me, you jerk!”

Ari, the only one to notice Kaitlyn, touches her arm. “What’s wrong?”

Suddenly Kaitlyn snaps to her feet. “I feel weird.”

Everyone stares, surprised, as she walks to the front door, opens it, and walks outside, leaving the door open behind her. Ari stares after her.

“You fools,” Naida says again, but this time she seems to be on the verge of tears. “Goddamn fools.”

“If it’s not a Ouija board,” Brenda says, “what is it?”

Naida, still shaking, looks up at her through eyes full of moisture. “Get out of my house. Now.”

Brenda blinks, then scoffs. “Well, happy bloody Halloween to you too.” She gets to her feet. “Come on, Mike. Let’s go.”

Mike gets up and walks over to Naida. He towers over her, standing a little too close. Scott steps closer, his face menacing behind her.

“Weirdness personified,” Mike tells Naida. “I always said so.”

They leave through the open front door.

Brett gets to his feet. “Well, that was—”

A shriek from outside pierces the quiet of the room.

Ari is out the door in a flash. Naida’s eyes widen. She turns to Scott, who runs outside with Brett. Naida hides the board under the sofa cushions and then runs from the room.

Halloween Party Clip #8

The angle is distorted and blurry as Scott runs outside. Then he stops dead, the camera focuses, and we see Kaitlyn passed out on the front lawn. Ari is beside her, trying to pick her up.

Brett is clutching his head. “What do we do?” he asks, an edge of panic in his voice.

“Kaitie,” Naida breathes from behind Scott. He turns, and we see her running. Down the steps, over the grass, shouting at Ari—“Don’t touch her! Put her down!”—falling to her knees beside Kaitlyn, whom she lifts out of Ari’s arms and onto her lap.

“Kaitlyn? Can you hear me? Kait!”

“Who the hell is Kate?” Brenda says, but no one is listening.

“Oh, my God,” Naida says. “Call an ambulance. I’m not sure she’s breathing—”

“Call an ambulance!” Brett yells before Naida has finished speaking. “Now!”

“Where’s Juliet?” Maggie cries, running over from the street. “Has anyone seen Jules?”

Brett runs inside when no one seems to be calling an ambulance.

“Where is Juliet?” Maggie screams.

“What’s happening to her?” Ari demands. “What’s going on?”

“Kaitie, wake up. Oh, God, please. Carly, please, come on…” Naida’s words are rushed as she taps Kaitlyn’s face and shakes her body.

Brett runs outside. “Where’s the phone?” he yells at Naida. “Has anyone got their phone?”

As he is yelling, Kaitlyn takes a sudden breath and opens her eyes wide, then they roll back in her head.

Naida gasps and then bursts into tears. “She’s okay! She’s good—it’s okay!”

One slurred word dribbles from Kaitlyn’s lips. “Carly…”

“It’s okay,” Naida whispers to Kaitlyn, stroking her hair. “It’s okay. I think I got there in time.”

Kaitlyn’s eyes roll, flutter, and close.

“Help me,” Naida says to Scott.

He starts to pick Kaitlyn up, but Ari is closer and faster, and soon she is cradled limply in his arms instead.

Naida nods. “Up to the guest room.”

Ari carries Kaitlyn inside.

“You sure she’s okay?” Brett asks.