There was a reason why the board felt so ominous. I stare at a dark purple monster with red eyes and black claws standing in front of them. It’s touching the planchette that the four girls are touching. I shiver. He is touching my friends. Tomo, Chiyuu, and Minami stare at each other smiling; only Atsuko stares at the board with disbelief.

I don’t blame her. The board is lying. That monster is lying.

I look away from the girls and see the monster looking at me, smirking at me. Its teeth are almost pitch black that if you weren’t looking closely, you could have sworn that he had nothing in his mouth.

“What should we ask?” Minami says.

“Say goodbye.” I say under my breath. “End it now!”

The creature just looks at me and laughs. His laugh is maniacal, scary, and I freeze where I stand.

“Do you miss us?” Chiyuu asks.

Please stop! That’s not me! I want to move. Try to do something, to snap them out of it.

“No?” Tomo says with a shock.

That’s not true. I do miss you. You’re being deceived.

“Why?” Chiyuu asks. She sounds so shocked, almost to the verge of tears. I would be too; if I think that my friend is on the other side telling me that she doesn’t miss me.

The monster laughs. His laughs tortures me and I feel so helpless, so scared to do anything to protect them.

But I have to do something.

Before the monster can reply, further deceiving my friends, I finally snap out of my frozen state and jump at the monster.

I start wrestling him, and our fight affects everything in the room.