The Name Game [BMWHC]

“I’ve got this awesome game we can play tonight at the sleepover,” Megan told me. “I promise you, its WAY scarier than the time we used the Ouija board.”

I laughed. “Megan, that Ouija board was sooo fake. I could see your hands moving the entire time!”

“Not true,” Megan replied, grinning. “We definitely contacted the spirits from beyond. And anyway, it was Tamara’s hands that were doing the moving.”

“Whatever,” I said, slinging my backpack over one shoulder and closing my locker door. “I’ll drop by about seven, okay?”

Megan slapped me playfully on the back. “Sounds good. The others should be there by then, and we’ll really get the party started. I’m telling you, this game will make you crap your pants!”

“Then I’ll be sure to pack extra,” I said, and headed down the hall to my next class.

*******************************************************************************

I rang the doorbell promptly at seven. Almost instantly, it opened and Megan was pulling me in. “Oh my God!” she cried, dragging me downstairs to the basement den. “You won’t believe this! I think Tamara’s going to have a heartattack!”

I dropped my overnight bag on the sofa amid hearty cries of welcome. Tamara was there, grinning excitedly. Sophie and Masala were sitting on the ground, resting their backs against the wall. They all greeted me excitedly.

I plopped down next to Tamara and Masala. “So,” I said, glancing around the room. “What’s this scary game I’ve heard so much about?”

Megan squealed excitedly and began to light candles strategically placed around the room. “You guys won’t believe this!” she cried, lighting the final candle. She hurried to the wall switch and turned off the lights, leaving us bathed in the flow of candles. She sat down beside me and grabbed my hand. “First, we have to sit in a circle and hold hands, like this.”

Masala snickered. “Don’t tell me we’re doing a séance,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Sophie laughed, and dropped her voice an octave. “Noooo,” she hissed. “We’re going to contact the spirits via the mystical Oija board!”

“You’re both wrong,” Megan said demurely. “Now, listen up. I’m only going to explain this once.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “I heard about this game from my cousin in college. She swears it works. So I went online, and it turns out lots of people are doing it.”

“Oh, God,” I groaned. “This isn’t that Bloody Mary crap, is it? ‘Cause this isn’t grade school anymore.”

“No, its not Bloody Mary,” Megan mimicked. “We’re going to play the Name Game.” She smiled wickedly. “Here’s how it works. Each of us puts a drop of blood in this.” She held up a small silver bowl. “Then we add fire, and say the magic words. If we do it right, and if the spirits are listening, then he will come.”

“I ain’t putting my blood in that bowl,” Tamara said, shaking her head.

“Who will come?” I asked. I tried to ignore the butterflies in my stomach.

“Just wait and see,” she replied, and held out the bowl to me.


I took the bowl and picked up the needle laying inside. I hesitated for a moment; what, exactly, was I getting myself into? Then I pricked my finger and squeezed three drops of blood into the bowl.

One by one, the others followed suit. The room was now deathly quiet as Megan struck a match and lit a twist of paper. She placed the bowl carefully in the center of our circle, then stuck the burning paper so that the flames licked upward from the small pool of blood.

“Now repeat after me,” she intoned. She raised her voice slightly and began to softly sing,

"Tell me your name, and we'll play a little game...."

We repeated the singsong chant, and to my astonishment I felt the hairs on my arms began to rise. “Hypnotic suggestion,” I told myself. But the room seemed to be growing darker, if that were possible, and there was a heavy, palpable feeling in the air. ‘Almost,” I thought, “as if something really was coming….”


BANG


The candles blew over in the rush of wind, sputtering briefly on the carpet before flickering out forever. Someone screamed; it might have been me. All I know is that suddenly, we weren’t alone in that basement.

There was something in the middle of our circle. I could hear it breathing.

Then Tamara was shrieking Megan’s name. I heard a low ripping sound, and Tamara’s voice was suddenly silenced. Something warm and wet splattered across my face; I could smell the coppery scent of blood.
Horrified, I scrambled backwards on all fours. The thing in the middle of the circle was laughing now; I could hear it amidst the screams of the others.

“I’ll tell you my name, and we’ll play a little game...”

Megan was shouting something; Sophie was screaming. And that thing laughed, on and on and on…

When it grabbed me, the pain was immense. It pulled me towards its opening maw, and the stench of carrion overwhelmed me. Just before everything faded to black, I managed to ask, "Your name?"

“My name is…..Legion…..”

Great story! I felt like I was down in that basement with the girls. Well done.

Awesome story!

I let my 14 year old read it!

She asked if I could leave my door opened !!

reply to post by smyleegrl


Well written, SnF, but too short.

Scary, yes, but you could've made it

terrifying!

Originally posted by Druid42
reply to post by smyleegrl

 

Well written, SnF, but too short.

Scary, yes, but you could've made it

terrifying!

I just didn't "feel" this one, not sure why. And you're right, it is too short. I should have drawn out the confrontation.

Oh well, live and learn. Thanks for the advice!