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do?”
    Neither Shorty nor Brains spoke. Both of them appeared to be pondering possibilities, strategies, answers. Jason had thought of a plan already, but before he presented it, he wanted to see what his friends could come up with. He had doubts about his own idea—and fears.
    Brains removed his glasses, pinched the bridge of his nose. “Sorry. My mind is blank, Jason.”
    Shorty settled beside Jason on the swing. He shrugged. “Sorry, man. Nada.”
     “Then I have a plan,” Jason said. “Does your sister still have the Ouija board, Brains?”
    “Yes. Why?”
    “I want to use it. To get some answers.”
    Shorty looked horrified. But Brains only nodded.
    “Good idea,” Brains said. “I didn’t think about that. When do you want to use it?”
    “Today. Right now.”
    “Okay.” Brains stood and stretched his tall, burly frame as though they were leaving to play an ordinary game of basketball, not to use a mysterious device that had spawned a dozen horror flicks. “This would be a good time to do it. My folks will be out until this evening, and Tasha’s at work all day. We’ll have the house to ourselves.”
    “Cool.” Jason wished he were as calm as Brains. Although it was his idea to use the Ouija, butterflies were tearing his stomach apart. He had probably watched too many horror movies himself.
    But those horror films he’d seen had given him the idea to use the Ouija board. In movies, people used the Ouija to find answers about strange stuff that couldn’t be easily explained. He didn’t know if he really believed the Ouija board could tell him the truth behind the message in the bathroom. But the message was weird, and it seemed sensible to seek answers from the Ouija, an equally weird thing. Kind of like asking a biology question of a science teacher—you wouldn’t pose such a question to your English instructor. Weird things in life were probably all connected somehow. The idea made an odd kind of sense to him, and it must have made sense to Brains, too.
    Anyway, how else could they begin to explore the mystery? He didn’t have any other ideas. He doubted that any adults would believe him. Grown-ups always assumed kids were dumb and making up stories to get attention. The Ouija board was a good place to start their search.
    “If you’re ready, I’m ready, Jason,” Brains said. “Let’s go.”
    “Demons,” Shorty said. Standing in the center of Brains’s bedroom, he crossed his arms over his thin chest. “The Ouija board calls up demons, man. You guys are nuts to mess with that thing.”
    Brains placed the long cardboard box that contained the Ouija on the bed. He removed the cover and tossed it at Shorty.
    “Boo!”
    Shorty dodged the flying lid. “That ain’t funny. The Ouija is some serious shit. You shouldn’t be using it.”
    “Come on, Shorty,” Jason said. “They sell these at Toys R Us. How dangerous can they really be?”
    “So what?” Shorty said. “Haven’t you heard that they—”
    “Listen, Mike,” Brains said, “no one is forcing you to participate, so will you please be quiet? Something bizarre happened to Jason—something none of us can explain—and we need to search for answers. The Ouija seems like a good place to start. Unless you have a better idea?”
    Shorty said nothing. Sulking, he kicked the board’s lid across the floor.
    ‘That’s what I figured,” Brains said. “Now, are you going to stay in here while we do this, or are you going to leave?”
    Shorty sighed. “I’ll stay, Brains. Someone with common sense has to watch over you fools.”
    Jason and Brains had brought two folding chairs into the room and positioned them at the foot of the double bed. On opposite-facing stands beside the chairs, Brains had placed two silver candlesticks from which jutted long white candles. They needed light. The ceiling light was off and the drapes were drawn, enclosing the room in sepulchral shadows.
    Brains ignited the wicks with a cigarette lighter.