Lisa didn't have to worry about forgetting her dream. Each night he was there, waiting.  She had never had such intense dreams nor had she ever dreamt about the same sexual act twice.

“Do you ever have the same dream, well not the same, but very similar ones?” Sitting with Allie in the coffee shop, Lisa had to talk to someone about her dreams. Something in the back of mind told her not to and that they needed to stay private.  Her need to understand was stronger and silenced her doubts.

“Sometimes. Usually around exam time and I think of all the ways I can fail.” Allie laughed, yet looking at her friend something seemed different about her. Lisa had always taken pride in her appearance, only now her hair looked unwashed and there was no makeup to hide the bags under her eyes. “Everything OK?”

“I've been having these dreams, they started Monday night and each night it's the same guy…”

“Guy? What kind of dreams are we talking about?” Allie teased, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“S-e-x dreams.” She spelt it out; looking around to make sure no one was listening to the conversation. “I've never had anything like it before. All different places and the things we do – I've never even seen hentai porn with that kind of shit in it! But always the same guy!”

“Maybe it's your conscious telling you to get laid?” Lisa only glared and Allie could see how worried Lisa was over it. “It could be a premonition, maybe ask the dead people tomorrow night when we do that stupid Ouija thing?”

“I'm exhausted. I can't seem to sleep without him being there.” Yawning, she sipped her coffee. Maybe if this board of Matilda's worked, she could get some answers then.

“Try sleeping pills, they'll knock you right out and you won't even get a chance to dream. Are you sure that's all? You really don't look well?” Allie pushed a stray piece of blonde hair behind her ear, and the concern was obvious in her dark brown eyes.

“Yeah, I'm just tired.” Lisa tried to smile, dismissing the idea of her dreams being anything peculiar. 

 -

That night, Lisa passed on the Friday Fright Night movie special on TV. She had no idea how she was still functioning as she went to her room. She found the bottle of tiny blue pills and took two. As soon as she did this, the wind picked up outside.

“Lisa.”

Hearing her name jarred her awake like someone had just injected Red Bull into her veins. This prompted her to run and check that all the doors were locked.

“Lisa.”

Again, it was too much like her name for it to just be the wind making noises. Going back to her room, the bed had been turned down in such a way she expected to find a tiny chocolate mint on her pillow. When she had left, the sheets were crumpled in a heap at the end of the bed.

The pills started to take over. She was already worn out and unable to mentally fuss over the state of her bed. She climbed in and got comfortable.

 --

Opening her eyes, Lisa was still in her room, only now, it was filled with candles and her pajamas had changed into a rather revealing strip of red lace.

“You do not want me tonight.”

It was more of a statement than a question and scanning her room, the man was nowhere to be found.

“Where are you?” She asked boldly, holding the blanket up over her body like a shield.

Again he appeared in a curl of black smoke, dressed completely in black Lisa couldn't stop the pang of disappointment in not being able to see the body she had spent the last few nights discovering.

“Tell me girl, what if we could be together? Not just in your dreams, would you want that?” He spoke so calmly, as if becoming a reality was as simple as clicking his fingers.

Lisa's face instantly blushed. Being able to be with him would literally be a dream come true and she'd be able to sleep at night again.

“Yes.”

He smiled, pleased with this answer.

“You would not refuse me?”

“Never.”

‘Sleep be damned.' Lisa thinks, pushing the blankets down and shifted to her knees, crawling to the end of the bed where he stood.

“I could never refuse you.”

His head lowered to meet her halfway; the kiss so gentle and the promise behind it instantly had her body preparing itself for what was going to happen next.

“Then you need to let me out.” His touch was gentle. Only his finger caressed her cheek, intoxicating her senses.

“I promise, I will.”

“Good girl.” And before she could try to kiss him or lure him into her bed; he was gone.

Waking up, Lisa was still in her bed. This time she was dressed normally and outside the rain was pounding against the windows.

“Let me out.”

Just like her name had echoed through the house in a whisper, so did his final words to her. It didn't make sense, none of it made sense.

Looking at the bedside table, it was midnight on the clock and in the green flow of the light, a pillar candle sat beside her glass of water. Thinking that was strange, she turned on her lamp and gasped as along her desk, drawers, and on the shelves more candles were left in the same position as they had been in her dream.

“I'm still dreaming.” She whispered, laying back down she waited to wake up, praying she wasn't losing her mind.

The morning sun woke her hours later and looking around the room, she felt like she needed to notice something, but everything was how it had always been. Her dreams were a void in her memory and decided the sleeping pills must have worked as Allie predicted. Lisa had never felt to good, so well rested and decided to try limiting her more erotic dreams to once a week, thinking she had a choice in the matter.

 -

“You feeling better?” Allie asked as the pair stood in the kitchen lighting candles. There was something about the large white pillars that had Lisa frowning.

“Much, the pills were a good idea.”

Allie nodded as her twin walked in. Despite being practically identical on the outside with blond hair, athletic builds and chocolate brown eyes, only internally they couldn't be more different.  That was until Matilda starting telling them all the Ouija board stories her grandmother had told her, and the pair of them had been threatening to leave since dinner finished.

“If things start to float around the room, I'm leaving.” Ellie snapped, picking up one of the already lighted candles to take into the living room.

“Me too. She keeps telling us it's just a game, but I have never heard of a story involving Ouija board that has a happy ending.” Allie's hand was shaking slightly as the flame of the matched danced towards the wick of another candle.

“Ignore Matilda, she is just trying to scare you.” Lisa didn't think it was going to work, though after the amount of wine they all drank at dinner and the round of tequila Matilda had just put them through; anything could be possible at this point.

Walking into the living room, the final few candles were put into place and Matilda sat in front of the board with her skull of tequila, pouring them all another shot.

“Take it, alcohol clears your mind and lets the spirits in.” She encouraged.

“I'm pretty sure the only spirit you're letting in is in a bottle.” Lisa teased, and since she was staying the night and didn't have to worry about driving home, she took the tiny glass full of horror.

“Let me out.”

Lisa nearly dropped the glass as Ellie was suddenly in front of her. The three words had her heart racing and all three of her friends stared at her curiously.

“What?” She managed to stutter

“Let me out.” Ellie repeated, “You're blocking me in and I need to go to the loo before we do this.”

Looking around, Lisa realized she was indeed blocking the only way Ellie could move out from behind the table and shaking her head, obliged.

“Maybe no more tequila for you?” Matilda frowned, not liking the look on her friends face as Lisa tried to work out what it was about those words that had her freaking out.

Matilda set the skull on the desk between two candles and took the board out of the box it was kept in. The tiny glass disc fell out with it and Allie nervously picked it up and passed it to Matilda, who browsed quickly over the box which was put under the table.

“Just think of it as a board game girls, and if we play it right we could win the lotto numbers that will change our lives!” The tiny disc, or planchette as Matilda learnt it was called was put in the space under the letters and all around the candles flickered slightly.

“I really don't like this.” Ellie came back in and sat beside her sister and taking a place on the other side of the table, Lisa handed her the pen and paper to Ellie only to have Allie snatch them up. One of them had to be the scribe and record what they were told and if you were doing that, you couldn't go on it. Ellie only glared at her sister, and rather than arguing the silence was worse than words between the pair of them. 

With lightning flashing through the room like a strobe light, the mood had been set for the séance Matilda had spent the last two weeks organizing. Really she couldn't have planned it any better as the storm was unleashing its fury outside. The power had already gone out an hour ago, and somewhere nearby, the gate of a neighbor had lost its lock and with every gust of wind it was flung back and forth with little mercy; making each of the girls jump from time to time.

“Are you ready?” Matilda looked at the two scared girls who sat in front of her, none of them brave enough to even look at the Ouija board let alone touch it.

“Let's do this!” Lisa, always the brave one put her finger on the cold piece of glass and the other two followed reluctantly. There was no point in delaying the inevitable and the sooner they learnt it didn't work, the better.

Matilda got out the book, turning to page she needed. Clearly her throat, she paused to look at her friends for the last time. There was no going back now.

“I call my spirit guides to enter this symbol of acceptance and speak to us tonight.” Matilda started the chant and at the end, they all leaned in to see if their make do planchette would move.

Nothing happened.

“Should I say it again?” Matilda asked, and as if on cue the disc began to move; slowly at first before speeding up and Allie quickly wrote down the letters being called out and as it slowed to a stop, a clap of thunder had them all jumped worse than the gate.

“What does it say?” Her twin managed to stutter what was on all of their minds and Matilda idly twisted a curl of her dark hair around her free hand as the other stayed stuck to the board.

“He's coming to get you.”

The unknown male voice answered unexpectedly and all four girls turned to see a man Lisa instantly recognized from her most private dreams.

No one else seemed to react to his presence and standing, Lisa went to move to Matilda's side in fear and losing her balance fell as she hit the corner of the table. Claws dug into her back as her friends just sat in silence, staring and she was lifted up from the ground. She couldn't fight even if she wanted to, the hold had her paralyzed and she was moved around to face the man that had been haunting her dreams.

“You said you'd never refuse me Lisa.”

 -

“Lisa! Lisa!” Matilda shook her friends' shoulders trying to snap her out the trance like state she had fallen in.

Lisa jumped back with a scream, crawling backwards along the carpet until the sofa behind her, prevented her going further. Her green eyes were wide with fear as she looked around the room and the other three stared back, just as spooked.

“What happened?” Allie asked, scared to move and go to Lisa.

“Where did he go?”

“Who?” Matilda asked, looking nervously around.

“The man, he said he was coming to get me after the board spelt it out!” She couldn't hold back her hysteria, screaming again as a cushion from the lounge fell onto her shoulders.

“Nothing happened, you must have imagined it. I only said the chant and then you started freaking out!”

“What? It didn't move?”

“No, I expected that kind of thing from those two, not you!” Matilda frowned, not sure what was going on with Lisa, but since nothing had actually happened put it down to her friends fear taking over and smiled weakly at Ellie and Allie as they clearly didn't like what she had implied.

“How about you write?” Allie offered Lisa the paper and pen back, but she didn't want anything more to do with it. She had a feeling the answer to all of this was right in front of her only something was holding her back from seeing it. Her eyes lingered on the book in front of Matilda, knowing it had to be there. Dreams, they had been dreams; dreams that had started on Monday when Matilda showed her the book. Anything apart from that was gone and she wished she had taken a moment to look at it before they started. Maybe that would have refreshed her memory.

“Fine.”

Her heart slowly returned to normal and a few more attempts had Matilda frustrated as nothing continued to happen. Passing the book over, Ellie reluctantly gave it a try, so did Allie and finally, they all turned to Lisa.

“How about you give it a go, we've all done it.” Matilda suggested.

“No.”

‘Let me out.’

The voice in her head was getting impatient, and it wasn't her own conscious doing the talking.

“No I'm not going to.” She told the group, although it was more directed at the voice.

‘You promised.'

Lisa had the book in her hands and beneath the world Ouija there was something written in a language she didn't understand.

Altera ad portam patentem mandabo 

“Did you say that part?” Lisa asked, pointing it out

“No, I thought it was the other section we had to read.” Matilda admitted.

“Altera ad portam patentem mandabo, I call my spirit guides to enter this symbol of acceptance and speak to us tonight.”

Again the candles all danced, sending shadows up the walls and the lighting made all the girls scream.

Then it happened.

“Oh my god, it's moving.” Matilda gasped.

‘H-e-l-l-o'

“Do you have a message for anyone here tonight?” Matilda found her confidence as all three holding the disc looked at each other, trying to work out if one of them was pushing it as it went to the top of the board and hovered over yes.

‘S-t-u-p-i-d-g-i-r-l'

“Did that just say stupid girl?” Allie asked, looking to Lisa who had lost the color in her face and the disc kept moving.

‘T-a-s-a-n-i-s-c-o-m-i-n-g'

“Enough stop it. How do you end this?” Lisa demanded. “Are you pushing it? This isn't funny Matilda!”

“I'm not, I promise I'm not.” Ellie's hand was shaking so much the disc could barely move and as Lisa got worked up again, her own fear got the power to take over.

‘t-o-o-l-a-t-e'

“Matilda! Stop this!” Ellie screamed, taking off her hand Matilda grabbed it back and quickly put it on the planchette again.

“You have to keep your finger on Ellie! If we break the connection that's how the spirits get out!” Matilda snapped, remembering what she read in the book.

They all stared at the board as the disc moved Goodbye and this time, it wasn't just Lisa who heard the voice in the corner of the room.

“I think it's a little late for that, don't you?”