Serena set the Ouija board on the coffee table, brushing off a thick layer of dust. "Okay, bonus round," she said with a grin. "We talk to the dead."
Aria backed up so fast she hit the wall. "Nope. Absolutely not. That's how horror movies start."
"Exactly," Serena said, winking. "It'll be fun."
Pierce groaned. "Serena, seriously? This thing looks older than my grandma."
"Which makes it authentic," Serena said, pulling out the planchette. "Come on, guys. It's just a game."
Talia crossed her arms. "If a demon shows up, I'm blaming you."
"Noted," Serena said. "Now, everyone put a finger on it."
Reluctantly, they circled the board. The house was silent except for the wind rattling the shutters. Ryder filmed, whispering dramatically: "Day one of the Crowley House Challenge. We're summoning ghosts because Serena wants clout."
Serena cleared her throat. "Spirits of Crowley House, are you here?"
The planchette didn't move.
"See?" Aria said. "Nothing. Can we—"
The planchette slid to YES.
Everyone froze.
"Okay," Pierce said slowly. "Who's messing with it?"
"Not me," Talia whispered.
The planchette moved again: PLAY.
Serena laughed nervously. "Play what?"
The board spelled it out, letter by letter:
H-I-D-E A-N-D S-E-E-K.
(i think tango peed his pants but okay)
The silence after the whisper was thick enough to choke on.
"Okay," Pierce said, voice shaky. "That was… creepy. Who did that?"
"No one," Serena whispered, staring at the board. The planchette was still moving, spelling out something new:
H-I-D-E.
Aria backed away, hands trembling. "No. Nope. I'm done."
"Relax," Ryder said, forcing a laugh. "It's just a prank. Someone's messing with us."
"Then explain this," Talia snapped, pointing at the shutters. They were nailed shut now. When had that happened?
The board spelled again: S-E-E-K.
Tim swallowed hard. "Hide and seek? Seriously?"
The lights flickered, then died completely. Darkness swallowed the room. From the hallway came the same voice—soft, playful, almost laughing:
"Ready or not…"
Everyone froze.
Then, without warning, the planchette shot across the board and slammed into the wall with a crack. The sound echoed like a gunshot.
"Okay, game over," Pierce said, fumbling for his phone. "We're leaving."
But when he opened the drawer where Serena had put the phones, it was empty.
"Where are they?" Serena whispered.
Before anyone could answer, a scream ripped through the house—high, sharp, and cut off too soon.
"Tim?" Ryder shouted, bolting toward the stairs.
They found his flashlight lying in the hallway, still on. But Tim was gone.
And then they saw it—on the wall, written in dripping black letters that hadn't been there before:
PLAYER ONE: FOUND.