Dark Surroundings

"Let's cut right to the chase, I see dead people," I say to my best friend Mason as we eat pizza on my carpeted bedroom floor. "And no, this is not some insane Sixth Sense reference." Mason had walked in on me while I was talking and no one was actually there when he opened the door. I've tried for the three years I've know him to keep it a secret, and I was doing perfectly okay until I started talking forgetting that he was over to help with a photography assignment.
"Livy, you're insane there is no such things as ghosts," he retorted.
"I'm not crazy, I was just talking to my grandma," I tried to explain.
"Are you on drugs?" He asked, "Oh my god you are on drugs!"
"I'm not on drugs I-,"
"You must be on drugs, your grandma died freshman year," he stated so matter-of-factly, with a smug grin on his face. At the mention of my grandma's passing, my face immediately dropped and my eyes welled-up with tears of sadness. "Oh, Livy, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry."
Mason's face softened as he pulled me in for a hug. I sobbed on his shoulder as my tears wetted his t-shirt. I cried until nothing came out but my low whimpers, muffled by his chest. He pulled me off of him and looked me straight in my red and puffy eyes and said, "Livy, I believe you."
"You do?" I questioned
"Of course I do. You would never lie to me," he assured me as he pulled me for one last hug.
~
School is absolute torture right now because ghosts kept popping up out of the shadows at me. Which was strange because school is normally tamer than this. When I was sitting in Chemistry, a little child was sitting on the empty lab table singing to herself, the weird part is that her song just kept repeating the same phrase over and over again. She would say, "He is coming for you."
It freaked me out quite a lot actually because she was staring at me the whole time. I was so happy to finally leave that class. I walked to photography grateful that it is my last class of the day. As I carried on down the hall I ignored all the sullen faces of the dead that bore into my soul as I past by. When I got there Mason was sitting there saving me a seat.
"So, how are you doing?" He asked me as I took the seat next him. Last night he left after the whole incident and he didn't text me goodnight like he does every night.
"I'm fine, I guess," I mumbled that last part under my breath.
"Look, I am so sorry-"
"Cut it out, I know you still don't believe me!" I assert a little louder than I should.
"Livy, look I want to believe you if really do but it is just so unbelievable."
"I'll prove it to you."
"Okay," he responds. Our teacher dismisses us outside to work on our partner project. Me and Mason just sit here contemplating what we should do to developing the concept our teach assigned us. A small child walks up behind him and I immediately recognize her from Chemistry.
"What do you want?" I ask the child. Her head tilts to the side as if she just noticed me.
"Who are you-" Mason starts to ask me, but it cut him off by putting my finger up to lips. I lift up my camera off the ground ready to snap a picture.
"You can see me?" her frail voice just barely audible.
"Yes, now answer my question, who are you and want do you want?" I demand. Mason stares at me in disbelieve.
"He is coming for you. You better run," she says mimicking her past tone from chemistry. As she is about to turn around and vanish I snap a picture hoping that it turns out. I want to develop this film so I can see if she appears in the final image. I grab Mason's hand and run back inside to get this picture developed. I pull him into the dark room and begin to develop the photo.
"What was that all about?" Mason questioned me.
"There was a ghost behind you," I state seriously.
"Again with this nonsense, are you being serious?" he challenged me with anger rising in his voice.
"Yes," I state. We sat in silence as I finished up with the print. When I hung it up for it to dry I was extremely happy with the results of the picture. Not only did the girl show up in the picture but my amazing picture taking skills prevailed again. It was a beautifully taken shot of mason sitting there with his head tilted in confusion and the little girl's head tilted too.
"Is this enough proof for you, mr. I-don't-believe-in-ghosts?" I question with a smirk on my face.
"Well, I be darned," he said, "you are right!"
"I know," I state so matter-of-factly. I am so happy he believes me.
~
I lay in my bed replaying the happenings of today in my head. I wonder why there was so many spirits roaming around at school today. Just as I'm about to fall asleep I hear my floorboard creak as though someone was walking on it. I bolt up and look out into the dark surroundings of my room.
"Hello," I call out, "is there anybody in here?" I swear I hear some whispering. I lightly walk over to my window and close it because it was ajar. I shuffle back to my bed and as soon as I sit down a book falls off the bookcase. I get up and put the book back on the shelf. A breeze blows in from my window. Wait, didn't I just close that. I half-run over and close it. Two more books fall off the shelves. Okay, something weird is going on here. I put the books back in their rightful spots and then my lamp turns on. As I walk over the my lamp, before I can turn it off it goes out all by itself. I leap back into bed and put my head under the covers. With all the sleepiness in my head my eyes quickly shut and I start to fall asleep. But before I can fully doze off my ears catch a quick sound of a deep, raspy voice saying, "I will have you soul."
~
I wake up early in the morning which is unusual because I normally sleep till twelve on the weekends. When I sit up my entire room is trashed. It looks like some frat boys had a party in here. If my mom sees this she will kill me. I pick all the books and put them back on the shelf. I grabbed a trash bag and put all of the trash in there. I cleaned the mirror and windows and I made my bed. Finally when I got to the desk I realize that my chair is busted. Dang it, how am I gonna explain this one to mom. Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
I carry the chair down stairs and outside. When I am near the trash bins I notice Mason walking toward the house. He sees me and comes toward me. I turn and face him and ask, "Do you have any desk chairs you plan on getting rid of?"
"No, but may I ask why?" he asks with a laugh hinting in his voice.
"A demon may have or may not have ransacked my room," I say.
"Holy cow, doesn't that scare you?" he asks me.
"Not really no," I nonchalantly reply.
"I'd be a crying baby if that ever happened to me," he laughs.
"Of course you would," I reply sarcastically.
"That's rude!" he scoffs.
I giggle at him and lead him back into my house. We stop in the kitchen and grab two bottles of water. We race up the stairs and I win because I so much faster than him. When we get to my room Mason plops down on my bed and chugs his whole water bottle. He pipes up and asks, "Livy, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, what up?" I reply.
"I was wondering, why do you see ghosts?" he inquired.
"Well it has been passed down my family for centuries, but it always skips a generation, so my mom doesn't have the power but my grandma did," I cringe a bit at mentioning my grandma. My grandma, wow. She was such a wonderful lady. When my mom work the night shifts my grandma would come over and we would make cookies until one in the morning and we would watch movies while they were in the oven. She would always say the same thing when she would tuck me into bed at night, "Goodnight, sleep tight, and don't let the ghosties bite."
In hindsight, I now understand what that means. But before when I was little and my powers hadn't developed yet I just thought that she was being weird. Mason and I just sat there in silence until he had to go home.
~
It was night time and I was supposed to be asleep but my mom was working night shift and I'll admit it, I am scared. I locked my window and kept my eye on the bookcase. I heard and deep dark chuckle come from my closet and immediately sat up scared out of my mind.
"Awe is the little girl scared?" The dark voice mocked me
"Who are you!" I cry out into the abyss.
"I am your worst nightmare," he said. Out of nowhere all of my lights started flickering and books were flying across my room slamming into the opposite wall. My locked window ripped open and started slamming close and open again. I scream out and start to cry. I hide under my covers and call Mason.
"Hello?" he asks groggily.
"Help!" I call out into the phone.
"Woah! Woah Livy, what's wrong?" sounding more awake in his voice.
"Just get here! Fast!" I answered urgently as I hung up.
Ten minutes later Mason arrived and barged into my room. The lights stayed on and the books in midair dropped to the floor. He climbed in my bed and pulled me into his warm embrace. He held me there consoling me until I stopped sobbing. This was the worst experience I have ever had with a paranormal entity and I once had a poltergeist throw a plate at me. I need to do something about this demon.
~
I decided to go to the public library to find a book on vanquishing spells. I scoured the shelves searching for something that will work to help me with my issues. I wonder into the back shelves where the librarians keep the book no one ever checks-out. I find one that has a quite dusty cover. I gently pull it off the shelf. I cough when dust flies towards me. The cover reads "The Grimoire". I remember my grandma telling me stories about this book. I bring the book to the checkout stand and pull out my library card.
"You're getting that book," the lady at the desk points and scoffs at me.
"Yes, do you have a problem with that?" I ask with a tone of attitude in my voice.
"No, but since you are literally the only one who ever checked it out you can keep it," She says as she rolls her eyes at me.
~
I get home and get ready for the vanquishing tonight. I decide for my own safety I'll have Mason over so he can protect me if things go south. I will call him later so I have enough time to prepare without him hovering over my shoulder. The book says that I need a cross and that I need to repeat this incantation 3 times. At about 6:30 I call Mason over and he gets here at 6:45.
We both take a nap until things start to get crazy, which happens around 9:00. The demon starts cackling and questions in a mocking tone asking if, "Is you little boyfriend gonna keep you safe this time?"
"This is the last straw," I state angrily, "You are going down."
"I'll show you," His gravely voice torments. The window flies opens and gusts of tornado strength wind rages through. The books start to fly, but this time they turn mid air and just barely miss my head. All the papers shoot off my desk.
"Is that all you got!" I taunt the evil thing. Mason grips his arms around my waist like a two year old to their mom when a stranger is talking to them.
"Livy, I don't think we should taunt the thing!" Mason calls out at me.
"Yeah you should listen to your boyfriend, he knows what's best for you," The demon snarls. Just then all of my lights start to flicker on and off. I grab out my cross and the incantation and start to read out loud
"Your presence isn't welcome on this plane; your soul is released from this realm!"
"Wait! Stop, what are you doing?" He questions
"Your presence isn't welcome on this plane; your soul is released from this realm!" I repeat
"No don't do it!"
"Your presence isn't welcome on this plane; your soul is released from this realm!" I deliver the final blow.
"No!" The demon's voice fades in and out and slowly dies out. The lights stop flashing and and the books drop to the ground.
"It's finally gone!" I cheer to Mason
"It is?" he inquires as he peers up from my side.
"Yes," I say in relief.
~
Ever since that day I have been able to deal with anything that got flung in my way and for that picture I took of Mason and the little girl, it went on to win a competition and I got a bunch of money to buy new camera equipment.