The sky thickened with clouds as the sun began to kiss the horizon. Fluorescent lights flickered on, casting a sterile glow in one of the classrooms, where a small group of four sat. The room was dead silent, apart from the occasional rapid click from one of the girls texting.
"I really think we should be heading home," Mark said, breaking the silence that had enveloped the group.
"Come on, Mark, we really need you as our cameraman," Lizzy said, enthusiasm dripping from every pore.
Mark slouched, doubt and fear swirling in his mind like a storm, briefly calmed by Lizzy's words.
Lizzy, for the longest time that mark could remember had always been there for him even when he used to get bullied.This caused him to get attached attached to her
Clara put her phone down and clicked her tongue in annoyance. "See, I told you we shouldn't have brought him with us."
Lizzy gave Clara a stern look, but before she could say anything, Trevor burst out in laughter. "Don't worry so much. Mark is a Murphy. I hear his family is used to the supernatural."
"Don't mind them, Mark. They're just joking around," Lizzy affirmed with a nearly awkward laugh at the end.
Mark's mind was put at ease, but Trevor's mention of him as a Murphy made him want to punch him in his pretty face and pull out his curly brown hair. It reminded him of a line often used when he was bullied (if you are a Murphy summon your ghost friends). But even though he came from a family known for their renoun as phantom hunters, Mark wasn't gifted with any of the special traits that one would need to become a hunter.
Mark sighed and positioned the camera for recording.
Lizzy stood up from where she was sitting stretched and said"I think we should begin."
Clara put her phone away and removed a board from her bag, engraved with archaic symbols that sent a chill through Mark's spine. They were attempting to summon a specter that could grant them wishes. Each wish within their hearts was dripping with selfish intent.
The clouds darkened, and rain began to tap relentlessly on the school roof.
"I think switching off the lights would set the mood," Trevor said.
"Go ahead, but Mark is going to piss his pants," Clara responded.
Mark couldn't get over how insane this was—summoning a specter of any kind was dangerous and against the law.
Lizzy sensed Mark's unease as Trevor switched off the lights. She stood next to him for comfort, but Mark didn't even notice her. All that ran through his head were his uncle's warnings about dealing with specters.
"So, how does this work?" Lizzy asked, jolting Mark out of his thoughts and back to reality.
Everyone's eyes peered into Mark's soul, waiting for an answer.
"Uh, I... I don't know. Why are you asking me?" Mark said.
"Because you're a goddamn Murphy," Clara insisted.
"It's not like I know a lot about spectres, only that we shouldn't deal with them."
(Spectres among all phantoms were considered the weakest and some were known to cooperate with humans for a price)
Clara released a deep, condescending sigh. "Figures you'd be useless."
"Hey, don't be rude, Clara," Lizzy retorted.
"Fine, fine. Guess I'll just use the internet then."
"There's no way internet summoning will work," Trevor said.
Clara began to chant out loud whatever she found on the internet, and after a few minutes of trying, she gave up.
"See, that didn't work," Trevor snickered.
Hearing Trevor's remark, Clara bit her lip in frustration and started shouting curses at him.
Lizzy looked at Mark and, with a sweet smile, gestured for him to give it a try while Clara was giving Trevor an earful of insults.
Mark reluctantly agreed and walked over to the board. As soon as he approached, he was mesmerized by the symbols on it. Some resembled the symbols his uncle would draw.
"Where did you get this?" Mark asked.
Clara stopped her onslaught of insults and answered, "Some antique shop owner gave it to me."
"I think I know what to do," Mark said.
As if in a trance, he took a divider from his backpack and pierced himself, letting the blood drip onto the board. Trevor looked on in disgust, Clara gazed in shock, and Lizzy smiled at the scene.
Then, a faint glow appeared from the board, and everything went silent. The raindrops outside paused in midair, causing everyone to gaze in wonder and fear.
Knock, knock, knock.
The board rattled with each knock, leaving everyone frozen with anticipation.