The Midnight Game

Chapter 12

It was definitely human this time, they had a huge backpack hung on their back. Everyone ducked to avoid to be seen but Joseph thinks that the person knows they were coming there. Until the darkness from the vortex hits Susan's leg and she cries out in pain. The intruder instantly fled to hide somewhere on the second floor,  Joseph turned back to glare at Susan without knowing what happened until he saw her footless leg.

"It just turned into ashes! run! get away from the dark thingy" Evelyn yelled grabbing anyone she could and began running to the top of the stairs, Joseph went back for Susan noticing another round shaped black smoke definitely from the vortex coming towards, Juliet was struggling to keep the girl steady.

"Go! I'll take her." Joseph took her arm and put it around his shoulder while looping his left arm under her left armpit, through her back, he helped her to stand up and tried to drag her upstairs. Juliet was running for her life as she saw the other black cloud.

"Stay with me, just..." It was no use, Susan's back was hit, just near where his forearm was, Susan fell on the floor with her eyes closed. With teary eyes Joseph let her go and ran to the top of the stairs.

"Susan?" Juliet asked as Joseph was near her, he shook his head, holding her hand to comfort her as she began breaking down.

"No time for this! We'll cry later" Evelyn hushed dragging her teary-eyed brother and sobbing friend to the nearest room. The door was closed abruptly shocking Juliet, it was full darkness.

"What if we couldn't see it because it's dark and the ball gets through the door?" Said Janice.

"Only four of us left. Our whole group of friends are gone, your cousins dropped like flies. Darren and Derek probably lying dead somewhere. What's more, left to lose? Let it get in" Juliet said suddenly, her voice held no emotions as if she was lost. Evelyn gasped in shock.

"Hey! We can't think like that. We are going to fight this thing and get out of this house somehow and get to the authorities-"

"And tell them that a black colored floating ball of smoke chased us? Oh, it also burned my cousin to ashes. Do you know how crazy it sounds? Save your military bullshit. What you learn there stays there. And this also has nothing to do with fighting since we don't even know what this is" Juliet snapped at Joseph making him fall into a dead silence.

"But for real what the hell is going on? Is this because of the game I started?"

"That's impossible," Janice said. Juliet started laughing hysterically, Evelyn telling her to shut up didn't work as she was kicked by a leg coming out of nowhere sending her to the ground.

Panic. That's what the three of them felt when Juliet's voice deepened, slowly turning into a male voice. Suddenly a gust of wind came out of the room and slammed into the door making it burst open. Evelyn and Janice stuck to the wall on the corner of the room, Joseph attempted to drag Juliet as she stared at the empty hallway in front If her but she shook off his hand like it was dirt on her shoulder and began laughing louder with her deep voice.

She slowly began levitating, sitting on the ball of smoke as if it was a chair. There's a glow coming from behind her, she was staring at the three of her friends with a smile. Her face is turning and so does her pajamas into a red Santa Claus outfit.

"What is going on?" Evelyn whispered, her brother managed to crawl to the corner she and Janice were glued to.

"I don't know it's like she's possessed" He whispered back.

"I started this didn't I?" Joseph didn't reply but Evelyn knows the answer to that question.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas!" The man who used to be Juliet said fixing his hat, he had a voice that made every hair on their body stand up, maybe it was his tone or maybe it was the expression he had on his face regardless he was scary as hell. Janice hugged Evelyn, Evelyn hugged her brother using his shoulder to shield her eyes from seeing that man.

"You better watch out, better not cry, Evelyn!" He yelled, appearing in front of them. Evelyn didn't look at it.

"Where is my Juliet?" Joseph yelled, glaring at the man showing no trace of fear.

"Oh, the caring boyfriend strikes. Where were you when she was suffering?"He had his full attention on Joseph now, it was the right moment for Evelyn to slip out of the room.

"I had to go. I had my own problems to deal with but now I came back. Tell me where is she?" Joseph's voice dropped an octave, clearly, he was fuming in anger if only the man wasn't floating and probably had powers he would have attacked the man. Evelyn and Janice were out of the room, Joseph's plan worked.

"She was a fool. She trusted me, she's now with me. Touch me and I'll take you there, sweet boy" He held out his hand waiting for him to touch, hesitantly, Joseph's hand neared the man's.

"How about a no?" Joseph was running out of that instant. He didn't turn back until he was in front of the room that Evelyn whispered when she snuggled close to him. Their grandma's prayer room. A room that was full of religious stuff such as a crucifix, statues of Jesus Christ, Bible and other religious books.

"Tell me you have something!" Joseph entered and shut the door silently again engulfed in darkness.

"Grandma sealed this room fully so her prayers wouldn't disturb others and the sounds around the house wouldn't disturb her. So we can't get out, we have A.C though" Evelyn explained to Janice, tracing her finger on the wall, her fingers fumbled with the switch. Then there was light shining so brightly burning their eyes.

"How do we have lights here?" Joseph asked, squinting his eyes, Evelyn walked to him sighing.

"This is prayer room as in it's clean, nothing bad could enter. I guess the reason we're in the darkness is because of the man's power" Evelyn combed her messy hair with her fingers, she tied it into a ponytail "Jo, I think the reason we're being tortured like this is because we didn't follow the rules of the or maybe because we didn't take the game seriously but we need to now." Evelyn explained looking calm despite the situation they were in. Janice was going through books in the rack mumbling something about her suddenly believing in the supernatural. She was rummaging through the books when suddenly a book from the top shelf fell smacking the back of her head that made them run to her. Evelyn grabbed it from the floor and her eyes widened.

"Angels & Demons & Exorcism"