Trifecta Challenge: Phantom

Jenny tried to write off the raven as just a coincidence. But the second it arrived and let out a nasty caw I knew it was a phantom my sister sent to let me know the spell was working.

The Oiji board started moving even though we’d both moved away from it. We watched paralyzed, as it spelled out S-I-S-T-E-R. I could no longer handle it. I wept openly above her grave stone. “I miss you so much Christa,” I cried out.

“We should probably go,” Jenny said, shaking. The trees began to sway violently around us.

“Then go,” I snapped.

“But the book says that bad things happen when the connection is broken,” Jenny pleaded.

“I know what the book says. I’m the one who found it.” I snapped back, although the words didn’t feel like they were coming from me. They felt as if they were put there, like I started reading from a script.

The wind whipped around us and the raven swooped down and swiped its claws at Jenny. She screamed and ran away. Suddenly, everything darkened. It was already a dreary night, but it was suddenly swallowed in a dense fog that seemed to seep into my bones. I felt cold, deathly cold and suddenly hallow.

“Christa,” I screamed out hoarsely, “Where are you?”

“Here,” a voice echoed in the fog. It wasn’t Christa’s but I tried following it anyway. “Come join me.”

“I don’t want to join you,” I started crying. I knew I’d done something wrong and the spell wasn’t working as intended. “I want you back.”

Suddenly an intense light brighter than any flashlight I’d ever seen started breaking the fog. “Life and death is a one way street child. Once you start going down it, there’s no going back the other direction.” It was gran. I was simultaneously grateful and outraged to see her.

“But the book said…” I entoned, starting to cry.

“The book lies,” She said, grabbing me as I fainted.

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 Above is my entry for the Trifecta challenge, asking for our best 33 to 333 words using the word Phantom. I don't usually write these kind of horror tinged pieces, but the word, along with a few other of the entries, inspired the piece. Enjoy.