The girls set to work roping in other partygoers to join the séance. If I didn't know any better, I'd say they were trying to work as quickly as possible to stop me from backing out. Unsurprisingly, Derek was among those who decided to join.
As the group pushed ahead in the direction of the cemetery's outskirts, eerily close to where I'd felt the sensation of someone watching me, Camilla glanced at me with concern.
The further we moved away from the bustle of the party, the more my anxiety set in. The overgrown grass grazed my legs and stroked my fear. It had been easy for me to say yes when I was surrounded by pumping music and overflowing beer, but as the group ahead found a flat tree stump and set down their makeshift candles and lanterns, I wondered whether it would have just been better for me to bolt.
"Come on Serena, hurry up and sit down."
They sat in a circle around the stump. When they all swung around to face me, a weight formed on my shoulders. I wrapped my arms around my torso and glanced over my shoulder at the faint glow of light in the distance. Without my own torch or lantern to guide me, it would be just as daunting to walk back to the chapel by myself as it would be to join them.
"Hurry up, Serena," Sarah coaxed as she set down the board and planchette on the stump with exaggerated ceremony.
Mechanically, I let the weight above my shoulders overtake me and sat myself down to close the circle.
Just pull yourself together, I told myself. All you need to do is put a finger on a harmless plank of wood and then call it quits.
I took a deep breath and looked around the circle. Opposite the board, Camilla stared at me with a question in her eyes, silently asking me if I was okay.
I smiled lightly to show that I was and nodded.
"What do we have to do?" Derek asked abruptly, wrapping his arm around Camilla.
Sarah sat back from the centre, taking the time to look everyone in the eyes. From what I could see in the dark, her face was flushed with excitement. "Firstly, everyone needs to put their finger on the planchette, and lightly."
"What the hell is a planchette?" Derek guffawed.
Camilla rolled her eyes. "The piece of wood, you idiot."
A deep voice in the circle snickered, "Which one?" causing an outbreak of laughter.
"Shhh!" Sarah urged, glaring around the circle. "If you're not going to take this seriously, just leave." She waited in silence with her arms crossed, daring anyone to call it quits.
After a few moments when no one had moved, Sarah leaned back with a triumphant smirk. "Good. Now do as I say: everyone, place your finger on the planchette."
With some reluctance, I obeyed.
"The wood acts as a conductor to the spirit world. I'll act as medium and summon the spirit, then any of you can ask a question. When the spirit responds, it will channel itself through the planchette and spell out its answer. Any questions?"
"How did you learn all of this?" Dani asked, eyes wide with admiration.
"Wikihow," someone whispered under their breath, but for their sake Sarah didn't hear.
"I've done séances a couple of times before," she said with pride.
"Have you ever made contact with a ghost?" a guy called Tom asked sceptically.
"Of course."
Someone asked in awe, "What happened?"
Sarah beamed. "Just small things. The flicker of a light, the creaking of a floorboard, stuff like that. Now come on guys, be quiet so I can summon one."
A silence descended over the group. I was very aware of every small sound around me, like the noise of the wind running through the grass and the creaking of the dilapidated iron gates. I could even hear my classmate's rhythmic breathing beside me. Off in the distance, the faint and muted sound of partygoers' music and cheers. The party felt worlds away.
Sarah took a deep breath and began the opening incantation, eliminating my last chance of escape.
"We are here tonight to gain guidance from the spirit world. We welcome only the blessed and bright spirits who are near to join our circle. We claim protection for everyone here, and no evil beings can come near. Please make your presence known."
I made eye contact with Camilla from across the circle, who was mocking Sarah's antics with silly expressions. I would have laughed if I wasn't paralysed with dread.
After a few moments of bated breath, Sarah repeated the incantation.
Then again.
And again.
We waited for so long I felt the night fog settle around us. It clung to my skin and formed a haze over the cemetery. It must've been ten minutes before someone spoke.
"Is it working?" It sounded like Derek.
"No, asshat, does it look like its working?" Camilla retorted.
I wasn't too sure. Maintaining my finger on the planchette, I peeked over my shoulder and into the darkness of the forest tree line, where the feeling of being watched returned. I narrowed my eyes, my breath catching in my throat. Something black and ethereal slunk between the trees.
A loud whack sounded. My heart pumped erratically in my chest. When I turned back to the circle, it was to see Camilla playfully smacking Derek on the arm with her free hand.
"Jeez," Derek grinned. "Save it for the–"
Derek was cut off by the sound of a lantern falling over on the ground. Its flame died out, casting one side of the circle in darkness.
We all looked at each other with wide eyes. No one had been within reaching distance of the lantern.
There was no doubt: it had fallen on its own accord.
"A spirit has joined us," Sarah announced grandly, her voice resonating with excitement.
I looked back towards the tree line, only to see nothing out of the ordinary. I shook my head and blinked several times. Nothing was there. The trees swayed with the gentle caress of the wind, but nothing more. Clearly the alcohol had gotten to me. I shifted on my spot nervously, wanting nothing more than to retract my hand and run back in the direction of the party. But the fog had settled so much that by now it was impossible to tell which direction the party was.
As if sensing my nervousness, Sarah declared, "No one take your finger off the planchette. If you do, the spirit could be released into our world."
A little warning would have been nice, I thought cynically.
"Spirit, are you with us?"
Slowly, the planchette rocked and started to move. I looked around the circle with my heart in my throat. Everyone glanced accusingly between themselves and their classmates.
"Come on Derek," Camilla started, a hint of nervousness in her tone, "don't joke around with us."
"I'm not doing anything!"
"No one's moving it," Ashley said softly, the meaning of her words resonating with me. "It's the spirit."
The planchette came to a stop on 'YES'. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. I knew that some of the others, like myself, were regretting agreeing to the séance.