The Devil's Club

by J.J. Lancer

fought the urge to run. She couldn't let them know that she was frightened.

  Silence fell upon them. Evelyn's eyes darted around the room, studying the peeling walls and cracking door frames, staring into the adjacent rooms of pitch black.

  Thud!

  Evelyn started. "What was that?"

  Kevin and Todd turned toward the direction of the sound. The floorboards creaked—something was moving through the house.

  "Guys?" Evelyn asked, hushed. Her breathing grew difficult, her skin flushed a hot red.

  From out in the hallway, incomprehensible whispers floated into the room. Evelyn watched, heart racing, ready to run. Again, the floor groaned under the weight of whatever it was.

  A pale face and two clawed hands jumped in from the darkness.

  Evelyn’s heart leapt into her throat and she screamed, falling backward over her chair. The metal frame clattered against the hardwood, scraping across the ground as she struggled to right herself. Still screaming, she stumbled into a wall and slid down into a squat.

  But then she stopped. They were laughing. The other girl had arrived.

  Kevin came over and helped her to her feet, obviously fighting back a grin. "You okay?"

  Evelyn got up and jerked her arm away. "That wasn't funny."

  "You kidding?" Todd asked between gasps of laughter. "That was hilarious!"

  Evelyn pushed past Kevin and took her seat. Tears burned at her eyes, threatening to spill over. How could they think that was funny? She stiffened her lower lip and forced the tears away. Why was she crying?

  When everyone settled down, Kevin spoke. "Alright, guys. Tonight's Mischief Night, and you know what that means." He turned to the girl. "Did you get it, Dana?"

  She had jet black hair cropped short and wore a lot of black eyeliner. In the flickering candlelight, she looked unusually gothic. "Yup."

  "Get what?" Todd asked.

  "Check it," Dana said. She reached into her bag and brought out a dense, ancient book—bound in leather, embroidered with gold, with wrinkled pages. She held it up. It was titled The Ways of the Occult.

  Todd blinked. "I don't get it."

  "It's a spellbook," said Dana. She opened the book, the pages and spine crackling. "It's actually more than a spellbook. It's a study of the occult—practices, beliefs, stories. I think it's from the 1600s or whatever."

  "C'mon," Todd said, rolling his eyes. "I thought tonight was supposed to be scary? This is a joke."

  "Hey," Dana said defensively. "I said there were stories in here. Why don't you just relax?"

  Kevin nodded. "Let her tell a story or two before you jump down her throat, man."

  "Whatever."

  Kevin glanced at Evelyn and she met his eyes, causing her heart to flutter. Conflicting emotions fought within her—she wanted to go home, but what about Kevin? At least he was being nice. She gave him a smile, and he returned one.

  "Let's get started," Kevin said. He leaned in toward Evelyn and whispered, "Are you going to be okay?"

  Evelyn gulped. He was unbearably close. "I'm fine."

  "Just let me know if you get scared," he said with a wink. "I'll protect you."

  "Alright, I'll go first," Dana asked.

  "Evelyn," Todd said, pointing a finger. "New girl goes first."

  Evelyn raised her hands in defense, rejecting the idea. "No, that's okay. I don't want to."

  Dana shrugged and placed the large book in Evelyn's lap. "What's the matter? It's just a story. You know how to read, don't you?"

  "Well, yeah. I know how to read. I just—"

  "Go on."

  Evelyn looked to Kevin, pleading with her eyes, but he shrugged and nodded her along. She sighed, sat back in her chair, and took hold of the book.

  She ran her hands over it. A thin layer of dust had settled on the cover, now smeared with lines because of her fingers. There was an ornate, elegant quality to the book, as if it truly detailed the history of the occult—as if the occult could actually be real.

  "Hurry up," Todd said.

  Nodding, Evelyn opened up the book to a random page. The scent of old paper filled her nose—it smelled an awful lot like the library. In the dim light, the page contents were barely visible, but enough for her to see.

  “Summoning Abaddon," Evelyn read aloud. "The summoning of spirits is perhaps the oldest form of magic in the occult realm. Over time, these spirits—often called demons—have even been elevated to the status of gods, worshipped and adored for their power. Even the greatest of demons, Lord Abaddon, can be summoned if desired, but there will always be a cost."

  "Lord Abaddon?" Dana said, folding her arms. The candles flickered suddenly. "Doesn’t sound so scary."

  "Go on," Todd said to Evelyn.

  She shrugged. "That's it. There's no story. Just a bunch of weird words and phrases under it."

  "What, like a spell?"

  "Maybe."

  "Awesome," said Todd, grinning. "Let's do it."

  "Really?" Evelyn glanced down at the page. "You want to summon the devil?"

  Todd smirked. "We might as well. This is the Devil's Club! Besides, not like anything's really going to happen."

  "Yeah, c'mon," said Dana. "I'm growing bored over here."

  The spell instructions didn't seem very complex. In fact, it seemed too simple. Close your eyes, utter a few words, think of a few things, done. A real summoning would require more than that, right? At the foot of the page was a scribbled note.

  Extremely dangerous. Blood required.

  Evelyn gulped. Everyone watched her, silently goading her to do what the spell said. Even in the middle of this cool autumn night, her skin flushed, burning with fear.

  Next to her, Kevin sat with arms crossed, watching her. What was he thinking right now? She sighed, not willing to make herself look like a frightened fool. "Alright, but only if you all do it with me."

  They exchanged nods.

  "Close your eyes," Evelyn said. According to the instructions, everyone needed to close their eyes. "Clear your minds. Empty yourself and think about nothing."

  Each of them closed their eyes and fell silent. A chill shivered up her spine and her stomach twisted. Pitch black swarmed the empty house, trapping them in darkness. I could run home right now...

  But she didn't. Taking a deep breath, she continued. "Clear your minds and think of Lord Abaddon's name six times. Call upon his name, request his presence, six times." As she spoke, the candles flickered sharply.

  Evelyn closed her eyes. Lord Abaddon. She held her breath, anxiety rippling through her. Lord Abaddon. She folded her hands atop the book. Lord Abaddon. She emptied her mind of everything. Lord Abaddon!

  An image appeared on the inside of her eyelids. Something red, something sharp. Two fiery eyes stared back at her, peering into her very essence. Lord Abaddon?

  Something gnawed at her stomach, causing her to grow numb from within. An invisible force overtook her and flushed out all of her thoughts, words, and feelings. Nothing but deepness, emptiness, hollow and numb.

  Words appeared. Strange words came to her, followed by an intense urge to speak. "Mask of red and flesh..."

  An intense heat formed within her lungs, dry and thick, draining her energy ever so slightly. She felt the heat, hotter than any fire, but no pain. More words came to her and that same force compelled her to speak. "Inscribe within us your claws..."

  A sharp pain stabbed her in the thigh—a mixture of pinching and slicing, like a knife slowly emerging from her skin. Her breathing quickened as the pain spread toward her gut, then up into her heart. The pain seized her, slashing at her chest from the inside.

  Evelyn gritted her teeth. "Lord Abaddon, make yourself known!"

  The sensations of pain and numbness dissipated instantly. Evelyn gasped, eyes still closed, struggling to catch her breath. She felt as if she had been trapped in a coffin, then suddenly released. The burden within her lifted.

  When she opened her eyes, the walls danced with the flickers of flame
light. A gust of wind breezed past the windows, groaning like lost spirits. Then, a swift wave of icy cold washed over her.

  Everyone was gone.

  The chairs that formed the circle were all empty. There wasn't a single trace of anyone. Nobody.

  "Hello?"

  Evelyn sat frozen, heart racing faster with every beat. Where'd they go? Was this some sort of prank?

  "Hey, this isn't funny."

  Her only response was the darkness beyond the door—it stared at her, peering into her soul. Each of the empty chairs haunted her, as if ghastly spirits had taken their seats and now watched her intently.

  They must be hiding. Evelyn rose from her seat and made her way to the doorway, crouching to minimize sound. She peeked out into the hall, but there was nothing except for the mirror hanging at the end.

  Her chest thumped. She took a deep breath, calming herself and trying to take control. Where did they go? Her eyes had only been closed for a minute. If they went to hide, she would've heard them.

  Not knowing what else to do, she ventured further into the black and arrived in the abandoned kitchen. Layers of dust and specks of dirt covered the barren counters. The floor tiles were broken and shattered, the ground littered with dirt and shards.

  "Guys?"

  She found herself shaking, legs weak with fear. Why would they do this? They'd seen how easily she was frightened. This crossed a line.

  Evelyn wandered back into the main hall, the floor groaning with each step. Though she was alone, something felt amiss. She could feel the presence of another nearby. But where?

  "Kevin, I can see you."

  It was a bluff. No response.

  Evelyn stood at the base of the main staircase that led up to the second floor. Even without light, she could see that each step was