The Ouija Board

While searching for her school pictures, Janet discovered this board in her attic. Although it was covered in a thick layer of dust, the original plastic casing still covered the box. Without telling her father, she brought it back down to her room, later deciding to bring it with her to work as a way to kill the time at the greasy Mexican fast food hut where she worked on the graveyard shift.

At midnight they locked the doors to the store; only the drive-thru remained open. Janet tore off the plastic wrapping and removed the board from the box and placed it on a table by the window. Nelson, her co-worker, grimaced. "You don't believe in that stuff, do you?"

She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the table. "Come on, it'll be fun."

On the base of the board were written the letters of the alphabet in two rows of thirteen, the numbers zero through nine, and the words, "YES", "NO" and "GOODBYE". The message indicator was a triangular piece of plastic with a stake protruding from each vertex.

"How's the board work?" Nelson asked.

She was surprised that he had never play with one before. "It is supposed to have a spirit trapped inside it that will answer our questions."

"So what do you do with it?"

"You ask it questions."

"Like what?"

"Like...will I win this week's lottery?"

The pointer snaked its way across the board, hesitating on the 'Yes' before coming to rest on 'No.'

"Damn," Janet exclaimed. "Guess I wasted another quid. Okay, it's your turn."

"I don't know what to ask."

"Anything."

"Uh, who ...

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"How's the board work?" Nelson asked.

She was surprised that he had never play with one before. "It is supposed to have a spirit trapped inside it that will answer our questions."

"So what do you do with it?"

"You ask it questions."

"Like what?"

"Like...will I win this week's lottery?"

The pointer snaked its way across the board, hesitating on the 'Yes' before coming to rest on 'No.'

"Damn," Janet exclaimed. "Guess I wasted another quid. Okay, it's your turn."

"I don't know what to ask."

"Anything."

"Uh, who won tonight's Liverpool game?"

The triangle slid about the board spelling out L-I-V-E-R-P-O-O-L, and then continuing on to L-O-S-T.

Nelson called the sports hotline. "Liverpool lost 7-6."

"See, the Ouija board was right!"

She motioned him back to the board. "It's my turn." With a devious smile she asked, "Who in this world loves me?"

The board spelled out F-A-T-H-E-R. Nelson laughed. "Who else?" she demanded. It spelled out N-E-L-S-O-N. "I thought so," she said smiling at him.

"Well don't rush out to buy a wedding gown," he replied. "It's just a stupid game."

Janet glared at him. "No it isn't."

"It's made by a toy company. How real can it be?"

"It got the Liverpool's game right, didn't it?"

"That was easy. The Liverpool's always lose."

"Okay smarty-pants. Ask it something that only you know the answer. If it gets it right, you have to admit you're crazy in love with me."

Nelson turned away but Janet wouldn't relent. "Okay, okay. Here's one it can't possibly know. What's my real name?"

The pointer paused at ‘D’ continued to 'A' then stopped on 'N.' Nelson was shocked. Janet was puzzled. "Dan?"

"Daniel Gerard Seigler."

Janet jumped out of the seat. "It got your name right! That means you must love me." Nelson didn't answer. She stepped closer to him. "What would you say if I said I like you, too?"

Nelson laughed. "Why don't you ask the Ouija board?"

"Forget the Ouija board." She bent over and kissed him on the lips. At that moment the drive-thru buzzer buzzed.

She kissed him again, then reluctantly returned to the drive-thru window. No one was there. "Strange," she said, but the board was forgotten for the rest of the night.

"Maybe it's not such a good idea," Nelson said. He checked to see if the table was wobbly.

"Oh, don't be a chicken." She put her hands back on the handles and Nelson hesitated but did the same. "What is your name?" she asked. The pointer didn't move. She asked again with no response.

Nelson took his hands off the board. "Give it up, Janet."

"No!" She slammed down her fist. "I command you to answer my question! Tell me your name." At first, there was no motion, then slowly the pointer rolled until it landed on 'C,' paused before rolling to 'A,' then to the 'R' and 'O,' then stopped dead on 'L.'

Janet looked up, and then muttered to herself, "It couldn't be - it's just a common woman's name." To the board she asked, "When were you born?"

"1-9-6-3."

"Oh-my-god, no," Janet said. Nelson put his hands on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked, but she ignored him.

"When did you die?"

"1-9-7-1"

Without saying anything, Janet stood up and moved to another table and stared out the window at the blackness beyond.

Nelson, fascinated by the board that could move by itself and spell out answers, began to ask it questions himself. "How did you die?"

"F-I-R-E"

"She died in a fire," Nelson yelled over to Janet.

"I know," she sighed.

With each question, the pointer moved faster, making it necessary for Nelson to write down the letters and read the message when it stopped. He learned that Carol was the eldest of three daughters whose mother had died giving birth to the youngest. Carol and another daughter were killed when the house burned the ground. The youngest child, five years old, was saved when she climbed out through the window and fell to the bushes below.

Janet rushed over from the other side of the room, pushed Nelson out of the way and sat down in front of the board.

"WHO LIT THAT FIRE?"

The pointer began sliding about, finally resting at "Don't Know."

"Yes you do! Tell me! Tell me!" It didn't move. "I need to know!"

The pointer moved again, slowly spelling "Y-O-U."

NOTE: DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME, THIS STORY IS ENTIRELY FICTIONAL AND NO RESPONSIBILTY IS TAKEN FOR ANY PROBLEMS YOU MAY ENCOUNTER!!