Intersections Read online

  Intersections

  Six Tales of Ouija Horror

  Rob E. Boley

  Sèphera Girón

  Megan Hart

  Brad C. Hodson

  Kerry Lipp

  Chris Marrs

  Contents

  Blurb

  Introduction

  Ghosted

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Kerry Lipp

  Blood Born

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Megan Hart

  Sounds in Silence

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chris Marrs

  Gallow’s Grove

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Brad C. Hodson

  The Next Big Thing

  The Next Big Thing

  Witch Upon A Star

  Sèphera Girón

  Mr. Shady

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Rob E. Boley

  Howling Unicorn Press

  YES

  NO

  The Ouija Board has long been used as an intersection between our world and the next, a point of connection between the living and the dead. But some questions should remain unanswered, some secrets should stay hidden…and some games should never be played.

  * * *

  Sometimes the dead should be left to rest in peace.

  * * *

  What fate awaits the unwary who dare to tempt the darkness? Find out in INTERSECTIONS: Six Tales of Ouija Horror -- an eclectic collection featuring never-before published stories from some of the horror genre’s favorite and finest writers.

  GOOD BYE

  Copyright © 2017 by Howling Unicorn Press

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  * * *

  Cover by Elderlemon Design

  http://www.elderlemondesign.com

  ISBN: 978-1-940078-27-4

  Created with Vellum

  Introduction

  What Happens in Vegas…

  HELLO.

  You hold in your hands—either in print or digital format—the culmination of more than a year’s worth of effort. In November 2015, the two of us were acting like fools on Facebook (like one does) and inadvertently hatched this scheme to do an anthology project based on Ouija boards. It started as a lark— a ping-pong game of comments that gradually evolved into an actual possibility.

  At the time, the inaugural StokerCon event—hosted by the Horror Writers’ Association—was coming up in Las Vegas in May 2016, and since we planned to wrangle our co-conspirators at that event, we initially thought maybe we’d ask for stories that involved both Ouija boards and Sin City.

  NO.

  That seemed too restrictive. Ultimately, we opted to keep it simple. We approached four talented horror writer friends and asked them to write a story for us that involved a Ouija board. As simple as that. We are so glad that we kept the theme as bare bones as possible, because the result is an eclectic collection of diverse stories.

  YES.

  Kerry Lipp writes a disturbing yet poignant story about Keisha, also known as Angel Ditch, whose first love Conrad communicates with her via a custom-made Ouija board. Keisha relies on Conrad to help her find someone special and to get rid of those who aren’t, but when Keisha finally falls for a perfect love, she soon learns what it feels like to get “Ghosted.”

  Megan Hart’s “Blood Born” takes you to a desolate house during a deadly snowstorm. There you’ll meet Tori, a stranded mother with a newborn infant, who is forced to seek shelter with a bizarre family. The family’s mad matriarch uses a Ouija board to communicate with her lost love and rule over her sons. Tori will soon discover that this family has a dark secret—and possibly even darker plans for her and her baby.

  In “Sounds in Silence,” Chris Marrs takes you into a world torn apart by a war between Angels and Demons. Amongst the rubble of this scorched battlefield, a mute woman named Lily finds a Ouija board that offers her protection from the dark forces swirling around her. But when heaven falls and hell rises, perhaps no one is truly safe.

  Brad C. Hodson introduces you to the town of “Gallow’s Grove,” a 1920’s-era hot spot for psychics and mediums. When Persephone Gale, who trained with Harry Houdini, arrives to debunk a young psychic on the same day that a grisly murder is discovered, the psychic uses a Ouija board to contact the victim. Persephone is determined to expose the Ouija board as a hoax, but finds herself swept into the murder investigation.

  Sèphera Girón treats you to a tale of magic and mystery. Convinced that there’s more to the occult than science and misdirection, con artist Felicity uses her charms to learn the tricks of the trade from an illusionist. But stealing a Ouija board soon teaches her that testing dark forces can lead to unexpected—and undesired—consequences, especially when you’re looking for “The Next Big Thing.”

  In “Mr. Shady” by Rob E. Boley, enter a world where the entrance to the afterlife is broken, refusing entry to the poor souls trying to pass on. When the newly deceased ghost Molly is summoned by a Ouija board, she joins forces with the ghost of the girl she killed in her own fatal car accident. These unlikely partners must race against time to escape the sinister spirit Mr. Shady, who’s determined to turn the entire ghostly pop
ulation into his own personal army.

  We hope you have as much fun reading these twisted Ouija tales as we had writing, collecting, and editing them.

  So, dust off your planchette, light a candle, and clear your minds. Because you are about to pass over into one hell of an intersection . . .

  GOOD BYE.

  * * *

  Megan & Rob

  Howling Unicorn Press

  Ghosted

  Kerry Lipp

  1

  “You can’t be serious,” Brady said when Keisha carried the Ouija board into the living room.

  “Oh, I’m serious.” She smiled and nodded as she emerged from the dark hallway.

  “What are you, twelve?”

  Her smile vanished as she sat the board down on the coffee table.

  “Some guys are into that.” She winked.

  “Sorry, I just… the way things were going, I just…” he paused, “didn’t think we’d stop to summon the spirits.”

  Keisha’s smoky eyes tore into his.

  “I mean, you can leave if you’re going to be a dick about it. Most guys don’t make it this far, but if you can’t take this seriously, there’s the fucking door, bro.”

  His mouth opened and closed as he searched for words, his hands balling into fists and then straightening. Not anger, just confusion and frustration, and she loved watching it.

  “I straight up told you that if we came back here after the bar closed, this is what we were going to do. I don’t understand what you don’t understand.”

  “Well, yeah, you did. I just didn’t know you were serious. Thought maybe you were fucking with me, and then, to be honest, after the cab ride, whew… I kinda forgot all about it. It just surprised me to see you leave and say you were coming back with a surprise, and then you bring that thing out. Not exactly what I expected.”

  “What’d you expect? I’d call out ‘I’m ready’ and you’d walk in and I’d be on my knees with my eyes closed and my mouth open?”

  Brady looked away.

  The cab ride home had been pretty intense. Lots of open mouths and tangled tongues, pulled hair and kissed necks. His fingers even crept up her thigh and an inch under her skirt before she giggled and swatted them away. But fooling around was one thing. If this was going to go any further, Keisha needed the board.

  She heartily enjoyed this process of amping a guy all up and then making him squirm when they didn’t tumble straight into bed after the heat of the dance floor or the fortified yet false passion brought on by hours of boozing. It’s not that she didn’t want it, but she had to make sure the board would allow it. That he would allow it. Plus it was fun to test the patience of these guys to see if they even deserved a shot. Brady had looked like he might already be on the way out, but now he seemed more relaxed.

  “Care for a drink before we get started?”

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Beer’s in the fridge,” she said. “I’ll take one too.”

  He sighed and left to get the beers. While he was gone, Keisha lit a couple candles in the room to make it look a little more ominous. She tethered her phone to a speaker and played some low Ghost, perfect mood music. In the glow of the candlelight, she removed the magazines and napkins from the coffee table. Then she unpacked the Ouija board, planchette, and a small box she kept with it.

  Brady returned with two bottles of Leinenkugel and they clinked and sipped. He knelt beside her, trying to steal a kiss, but she turned her head.

  “Not yet,” she whispered.

  He sighed and drank and sat Indian style near her.

  “Fine. You win. Show me how this thing works.”

  “Okay. This is my board. I made it myself. A spirit lives inside this board, one that I love and one that I trust, and when I meet a new guy, I seek his approval before continuing forward. Lotta scumbags out there, I’ve come to find out over the last few years.”

  “Well, I’m not one of them.” Brady rolled his eyes and tried to kiss her neck. Keisha dodged him.

  “That’s what every guy says.” She lifted the edge of the Ouija and dropped it with a clack. “Hence the board.”

  “I gotta say, I’ve been tested by some chicks before, but this is some next level stuff.”

  “I’m a next level kind of gal,” Keisha said and removed her top.

  Now she sat next to the table in just a bra, deliberately tantalizing Brady who could barely break his eyes away.

  “Now what the hell is that? You go on about how we need to take this seriously and then you take your top off.”

  “It works better with tangible tension.” She giggled. “Passion fuels my board.”

  “You’re fucking crazy,” he said and took a drink.

  From the small box next to the board, she pulled a prescription bottle, twisted the top and pulled out a pinch of dust.

  “What the hell is that?”

  “Magic powder,” she said, sprinkling it over the top of the board.

  “Now what?”

  Keisha grabbed both of his hands and placed them on the planchette opposite hers.

  “Now we ask it a question. Much easier and faster if it’s a yes or no.”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, board. Am I gonna get to fuck this crazy bitch tonight or not?”

  The planchette catapulted from the board like a rocket, and smashed into Brady’s mouth. It split his lip and cracked into his front teeth but didn’t break them. Blood dribbled down his chin as he gasped in shock and pain.

  “Jesus fuck. Why did you do that?”

  “It wasn’t me,” Keisha said and left the room.

  She returned with a dishtowel and a bag of frozen corn nibblets.

  “Put some pressure on that and then the corn, should help with the swelling. I don’t think it needs stitches, but you’re gonna look like Hitler for a week or so.”

  “I’m glad you think this is funny,” he said, wincing at the pain.

  “Hey,” she said, “you should’ve treated the board with a little more respect. This is cherry wood. Real solid.”

  “So I’ve noticed.”

  “But it ain’t all bad,” Keisha said.

  “What do you mean? Look at me.”

  She hooked a thumb toward the board. The planchette lay right on top of the word “Yes” in the top left corner.

  “Looks like it’s your lucky night.”

  2

  “Why don’t you go get your face cleaned up and then come meet me in the bedroom,” Keisha said.

  “Just… Just like that?” Brady’s jaw hung open.

  “Trust in the board,” she said. “It must see something in you, even though you were kind of an asshole.”

  “Just because it randomly landed on the yes?” He shook his head.

  “It’s all him. Nothing random about it, sweetie. Now go get cleaned up. I’ll be waiting for you.”

  When he left she turned back to the board, picked up the planchette, studied it, appreciated its heft and imagined how much it would hurt smashing into her lips, and then she grinned. Fucking him was the least she could do after that.

  “Is this more than a one night stand?” she asked the Ouija board.

  She let it guide her hand to the word “No” immediately.

  “Then I’ll have to make sure he’ll never come back. Can’t have some kind of clinger clogging up my quest for true love. Goodnight.”

  She kissed the board, got to her feet and headed to the bedroom. Once inside, she turned on some soft Lacuna Coil and took off her bra. She dropped it to the floor next to the bed along with her skirt and her underwear, stashing her cell phone on the nightstand. She shook out her hair, ran a few fingers through it and hopped on top of her elegant four-poster bed. She kicked her comforter off to avoid any kind of fluid damage, this guy definitely wasn’t worth it. Finally, as the bathroom door clicked shut, she plucked a condom from her nightstand drawer and put it right on top of her belly button. Then she spread her legs.

  “So
rry it took me so long, it was hard to stop the bleeding and sorry about your washcloth, white doesn’t go too well with—whoa—”

  Keisha fought the urge to giggle. Though the room was dark, she knew he could make out enough of her curves and he took his time walking toward her.

  His clothes hit the floor in a plop and the bedsprings squeaked as he climbed on top of her, straddling and kissing her. His mouth tasted faintly of blood. She barely returned his kiss as the foil packaging from the condom poked into her soft skin.

  “What’s…” he started, felt it with his fingers and then said, “Oh, right.”

  Brady kissed her neck, balancing awkwardly as he used both hands to tear open the wrapper and roll it onto his penis. Not much foreplay with this one. She closed her eyes and felt his lips on her again as he slid inside.

  She moaned, just once at the initial penetration then lay back as he pushed and pulled in and out of her. His hands pawed at her breasts and his tongue slid along her neck and the cleft of her collarbone. Despite the lack of foreplay, it felt pretty damn good, but Keisha could never let him know that.

  After about three minutes—she’d timed it along with the song playing on the speakers—he adjusted his position, put his head into the pillow beside hers and gripped her ass with both hands, allowing himself to plunge as deep as possible into her.

  An involuntary moan escaped her lips and he squeezed harder as if in recognition. The timing and opportunity was right. Time to get cruel. No telling how long this would last and he was mildly distracted with her flesh at the moment. She wondered how long it would take him to notice and just how he’d react.

  While he slammed into her, picking up pace, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand, unlocked it, and started scrolling through her email, making no attempt to hide her actions. Other than lying there soft, warm, and wet, she’d withdrawn completely and he continued pushing into her none the wiser. She knew she was good, but even after a couple minutes, he hadn’t noticed, so she turned on the sound and started texting a couple friends. Even though it was late someone would be up and answer.