Whenever people stare into a mirror, I always wonder that if you stare long enough, would you see something not from this world. Would the mirror be a window to another dimension?

I always hoped so and now, more than ever.

I sit behind Atsuko, always peeking up so anyone can see me clearly in the rearview mirror. But I know that even if I somehow sit in front of her, blocking her view of the road, she still won’t see me.

Does she sense my presence? Like when she sat under the tree?

Atsuko arrives home and I follow her. She unlocks the door and walks in. “I’m home.” she takes off her shoes and places it into the shoe rack. “Weird.” she walks towards the living room. “Mom? Are you all right?” She steps into the living room. “Where are you?”

Then the light turns on. “Surprise!!” Atsuko’s parents shouts. Atsuko looks stunned. I’m stunned and this surprise isn’t even meant for me. “Boo!” I turn around and I see Minami, Tomo and Chiyuu standing in the door way. I find it ironic that I got scared by a ‘boo’.

“What’s going on?” Atsuko asks her eyes wide opened as she walks around the living room. “I never had surprise parties.” I try to imagine the old Atsuko, the one I tried to impress, to befriend, that she never had one surprise party and guilt shoots up my spine. I should have thrown one for her.

Atsuko’s dad points to the three girls behind us, or rather Atsuko. “It was their idea.”

“Well, you just haven’t been very happy lately.” Chiyuu says.

Minami puts her arms around Atsuko, “So we decided to surprise you.”

“What? The fact that I’m not cheerful constitutes a surprise?” Atsuko says. She looks irritated and now that I think about it, those three have been trying to get Atsuko on the Ouija board but to no avail. Is this the reason why they threw this party? As to convince Atsuko on the Ouija board?

I don’t know whether to be mad or not.

“Oh don’t think too much about it!” Tomomi pulls Atsuko towards her. “Tonight, we’ll have fun!”

Minami pulls out several board games: Monopoly, Sorry, Candy Land to name a few. “Let’s play!” She raises the box containing the Candy Land game up in the air.

Atsuko looks behind her. “What about that box?” Atsuko points to a plain white box.

“We’ll save that for last.” Minami grins.

It’s most likely the Ouija board.

As the four girls play the game, I don’t know whether to be happy or furious. I think about how Minami knows how much Atsuko misses me, and how much Minami knows I miss them and I feel grateful. On the other hand, Minami doesn’t respect Atsuko’s wishes of not using a Ouija board, of looking for a less scary way to contact me.

The girls laugh for hours and hours, and I wish I was with them on the floor, playing with them. Atsuko’s mom would occasionally bring snacks and drinks in. Whenever she does, she would always stop and look at Atsuko and smile. I remember Atsuko saying that she had other friends; friends that do not go to our school. I wonder what happened to them.

It’s really late and all the games, even Monopoly, are finished.

Atsuko starts putting the game away and Minami gets up to get the plain white box. When Atsuko puts her box aside, Minami puts her box in front of everyone.

“What is it?” Atsuko says with a smile on her face.

“Open it.” Minami says.

Atsuko opens it and her smile disappears. “It’s a Ouija board.”

“Come on!” Minami says. “You want to talk to Yuko right?”

Atsuko stares at it. I feel something very ominous from the board. I’m not sure if it’s the design or something else.

“I can talk to Yuko.” Atsuko glares at Minami and Minami falls back a bit. Atsuko continues, “I talk to her every day, under the-“

“Tree?” Tomo looks at Atsuko like Atsuko’s the crazy one. “But has she replied?”

I have. I want to tell them that I have; you just can’t hear me! Atsuko looks down at her clenched fists. “No.” she says reluctantly.

“This is the only way.” Chiyuu puts her hand on Atsuko’s back, trying to comfort her. Atsuko is almost crying.

Is it the only way, Chiyuu? Did you guys do the research? There are other ways to contact the dead, to contact me right?

I stare at the board and it still feels ominous. After much convincing, Atsuko finally agrees and puts the board on the coffee table.