Chapter 4: Stranger

"Let's do it. Let's use the board."

Did they just hear him right?

"I'm sorry, Eren, could perhaps repeat what you just said? I must have caught things wrong." Rin said, unsure of what they have just heard but a sly smile is slowly finding its way on his face.

"You heard me; let's use the board." Eren confirmed, "I had the dream again. This stranger - he told me to use the board."

Usami tried to protest. "But, Eren, this is very dangerous. You said so yourself: don't mess with things you shouldn't be messing around with. Let's presume that you're able to make contact and get the answer, but what if that answer comes with a price? Or, it's an answer that you wouldn't like."

"Which is why we will be very cautious." They got in the car, and took off.

Along the ride, the grin on Rin's face is very plain to see. He didn't even try to hide it. He had been curious for a long time. It only became skyhigh when he witnessed his other friends doing it. He didn't actually participate with them but now, he is.

"Rin, wipe that freaking smile off your face before I do it for you. Dude, it's creepy." Usami commented, cringe.

They are currently waiting for Eren to return from his little shopping from the convenience store. He told them to wait in the car while he goes and buy some candles. The sky is getting dark, nighttime is approaching.

"How about we make a bet?" Usami challenged, "I bet Eren will back out of this stupidity just when we have already started this damn game." He predicted, confident that Eren will do just that. "He's only like this because that dream clouded his judgment; he's not functioning well."

Rin thought of it and sweatdropped. "Yeah, I can definitely already see that happening." He agreed. He remembered that one time when Eren was convinced by a fellow worker to join an art contest. Eren was excited and dedicated to it because it was his first and most probably, the only contest he had ever entered. Rin could still remember it clearly Eren wanted to back out at the last minute had it not been for him and Usami.

They were startled when Eren entered the driver's seat. "Sorry I took so long. I want to make sure we have enough light later." He said, placing the bag on Rin's lap.

Usami looks over, then leans back down. "Really, Eren? Is it necessary to buy that many candles?"

"To where we're going, yes." Eren answers, "In almost all of the haunted documentaries I've watched, we need a place that is a hotspot for spirits to establish a strong connection. And I know just the place for that."

"You're not talking about that mansion, are you?" Usami asks with unease, "That place is rumored to be dangerous; they say, there once was a group of cultists that lived there. Where there were cultists, there were rituals. And where there were rituals, there were opened portals. We don't know what kind of entity or entities that live there. We're not even sure - you" - Usami emphasizes the 'you' - "are not even sure if doing this will give you the answers you want."

"I've heard about the rumors but I don't believe them." And with that said, they drove off.

~~~~~

"You know what, I changed my mind. Let's stop this and go home." Eren blurts out, regretting this impulsive decision. "What the hell are we doing? We shouldn't be doing this. I broke my own vow of never touching anything that could potentially harm and haunt us. What the hell was I thinking!"

"I told you he would back out once he returned back to his senses." Usami utters to himself but is sure Rin could hear him.

"Too late to back out now, we're just getting started." Rin opposed, "We're gonna be just fine."

They had started the ritual not long ago but when Eren was starting to get impatient, he was having second thoughts.

"I mean, I'm sure not about this anymore. I'm not sure if this is safe anymore if we go further. Are you" - Eren looks at Rin - "sure this is safe? What if we actually summoned a spirit? Or, maybe a demon? Or worse, the king of Hell himself!" Images of all sorts of unpleasant outcomes came rushing into his head, making him more panicked. "I don't know what came over me to even consider doing this! Yes, I was a bit desperate to know why I keep having the same dream for so long and then, suddenly, it changes. I should have just left it as it is: a dream and nothing more!"

"I promise, nothing bad will happen, okay?" Rin insists, "My other friends have already tried and done this. Nothing happened to them."

"So you wanted to follow in their footsteps?! And why even bother doing it if nothing will happen anyway? And of all people, Rin, you're supposed to be the last person to do this to me! I've already anticipated and planned numerous excuses if ever Usami would suggest something like this!"

Usami looks at Eren in disbelief and defends himself. "Hey! I would never, in a million years, think of doing this!"

"Actually, you did this to yourself since -"

Rin was cut off from what he was saying when suddenly, the planchette moved. It startled the three.

"What just happened?" Rin whispered.

The trio stayed still until the planchette moved again. It moves smooth and slowly at first, roaming around the board. Then, it abruptly fastens its pace in a random zigzag motion.

"The both of you, stop scaring me!" Eren screeched.  He tried to pull his finger away but it's glue stuck. The planchette had stopped and Eren tried again but still couldn't. It's like something is holding him down. But Rin and Usami were able to pull away.  "What the heck! What did you do! Why am I the only one stuck! Help me!"

"Eren, we're not trying to scare you!" "Nor are we trying to prank you!"

"Then, what the hell is going on! 'Cause I wasn't the one moving the damn planchette!" Eren began to feel his chest tightening as he breathed heavily. "Guys, this is not funny! I'm going to have an asthma attack!"

"I swear, I'm not trying to scare you! I really want to try this out but I never have any intention of using this to scare you!"

Both Usami and Rin tried to stand but they couldn't seem to move. "Rin, I can't move." Usami said to which Rin replied, "Yeah, me too."

Then, the planchette moves again. It went to H then, I.

"'HI'? Did it just greet us? Just so you know, I didn't move it." Eren quickly said.

"Yes, we know you didn't do it." Rin stated, "Please, try to remain calm. You might attract some negative entity with your fear."

"Rin, telling him that is not helping."

Again, the planchette moves, dragging Eren wherever it leads.

F-I-N-A-L-L-Y

"'Finally'? Finally what?" Eren read outloud.

W-E-M-E-E-T

"'We meet'....?"

"So to put it together, it said: 'Finally, we meet'." Usami comprehends, "What do you mean? Meet who?" When he asks the question, looking at the planchette, it didn't move even an inch.

They waited. "I think it only responds to Eren." Usami concluded, "Probably because Eren's the one who's still in contact with the planchette."

"Ask who it means, Eren." Rin urges Eren.

Eren eyed Rin with a questioning look. Mustering up the courage, he gulps down his fear and asks: "Who did you finally meet?"

And it moves.

Y-O-U

Then, there's a loud banging on the walls, echoing all throughout the place and sounds of glass breaking. A strong gust of wind blew out all of the candles, darkness engulfed them. They couldn't see anything from then on. Eren wanted to grab and take his friends out of the mansion and go home but he still couldn't move. Then, he heard their screams, going farther from him. "Rin! Usami!" He yelled out and he heard a door slam.

~~~~~

The two felt something grab them by the collar of their uniform and haul them backwards. Loud thuds of footsteps as they're being dragged. Whatever is pulling them, they fight to be let go until they're thrown.

They quickly stood up. They're now outside of the mansion. They both bolted towards the door, they tried to open it. "Why won't it open!" Rin exclaimed in frustration. "Eren! Eren!" 

"We need to get back in there, Rin."

"I shouldn't have bought the board. This is all my fault. The both of you are right; this is dangerous and we shouldn't have done this. I let my curiosity get the best of me. If I hadn't -"

Usami smacks Rin on the head, snapping him out of his mumbling state. "Pull yourself together, Rin. And none of this is your fault, okay? No one is blaming you for this. And this isn't Eren's fault either, his mind's clearly clouded that he threw his rationality out of the window. If anything, I should have been more persistent against this." Usami shook out any negative thoughts. "But right now, is not the time for us to discuss this. Eren might get an asthma attack any moment."

Rin worries at the thought of his friend clutching his chest, heavily breathing.

Then not a second later, they are terrified when they hear Eren's horrifying scream.

~~~~~

Silence drowned the place after the door slammed. Eren breathes in and out, his chest feeling heavy and in pain. 'I need my inhaler.' Eren thought, cursing himself for leaving it in the car. Moreover, he's cursing himself for even wanting to do this for a second.

Horrific scenes began to invade his thoughts. Rin's right: he needs to lay off those horror movie nights. He was trying to get rid of those thoughts when he heard a creaking sound. One by one, the blew-out candles were lit by themselves. He felt a cool wind caress his face, letting him breath in fresh air.

But looking around, none of the windows are broken and are closed.

His index finger feels cold. When he looks down, the ouija board is nowhere to be found. Again, he heard something creaking. Ahead of him was a door creaking open. Something in him is telling him to go. Feeling like he didn't have any other option, he swallowed his nervousness and went towards it. He has completely forgotten that couldn't move a minute ago.

He needs to find a way out and he wouldn't find one if he's just not gonna do anything.

It leads him to an empty hallway. The right side leads to a dead end and the left side leads to a dark and seemingly endless passage. He tapped his sides and took out his phone. Eren took a deep breath and sigh, turning the light of his phone on, casting a light and then proceeded to walk through the hallway. As he stroll down the hall, his nose suddenly takes in a stench that he almost vomited. It smelled like something rotting.

He yelped and jumped back when he instantly came face-to-face with his reflection. Why is there a fucking mirror in front of him! Eren realized he's at the end of the hall. Had he failed to notice any door as he walked by? He sees an old telephone under the mirror, covered in so much dust. He shed more light over the phone, intrigued by its ancient and unique features.

Something moved in the mirror, he thought he saw. He eyed the mirror intently. Was he just imagining things?

He let out a manly screech when the phone rang. Eren stepped back. That's impossible, this place had been abandoned a long time ago. 'There shouldn't be any electricity here.' His eyes found the wire connecting to the phone, and it was already severed, it wasn't attached to anything. There were small bite marks of rats in the cable. All of a sudden, his phone died. He frantically tried to turn it on again but it was dead.

He stood there in the dark, trying to figure out what he should do. The phone rang again.

Fear sinks in, the hairs on his body stand up as he feels a chill brushes his spine. Hesitant, he reached for the phone and lifted it to his ear. Taking in a deep breath and swallowing a lump, he answered, "H-hello?"

There was silence. Eren waits for a moment and then he hears something. There's abruptly a static noise. It's a bit too loud that Eren almost dropped it. He waited for the noise to fade away but it didn't. He was about to put it back down when he heard a voice through the noise.

"-en"

"What?" Eren mumbled in confusion, looking at the phone. He couldn't make out the word he thought he heard but he was certain he did hear something so he listened closely. He tried his best to tune out the static noise.

He heard a word, or rather, a name he's very familiar with.

"Eren." He drops the phone the moment he hears his name, gasping. It slammed onto the floor.

"Eren…. Eren…. Eren! Eren, look at me! Look at me!"

That last statement was much louder. He looked up to see that the mirror in front of him had cracked. As he gazed into it, narrowing his eyes, he was petrified when he saw a face form right behind him. He quickly turned to look but found nothing. He returned to look back at the mirror but this time, he came face-to-face with the dark face in the mirror. 

He was going to scream when a hand emerged from the mirror. It grabbed Eren by the face, covering his mouth, preventing him from making any loud noise, and not leaving him a second to react. Eren crashed onto the wall behind him. His eyes widened. This dark, tall, broad and shape of a man stood in front  of him. Eren tried to release himself from the hold. In a swift movement, the man grabbed both of Eren' hands and pinned them above his head.

Eren continues to fight with all his might. Despite this terrible situation, he looked up straight at the dark man. This man gripping him has a large scar on the left side of his face, glowing turquoise eyes. 'This can't be real.' Eren desperately wished internally.

The man slowly and forcedly titled Eren's head to the side, exposing his neck in a submitting way. Then, the man leans in, rubbing his dry lips on Eren's skin who shivers at the contact. He inhales Eren's scent.

Eren silently lets out a tear as he feels the man licking and peppering him with kisses. He involuntarily lets out a small moan when the man uncovered his mouth. This was his chance to scream for help but no words came out of his mouth. He should at least try to fight off this pervert but why isn't his body working the way he wants it to? His body just remains still at the mercy of this dark stranger.

Eren flinched when he felt something sharp tracing his neck. He fears the worst. Was he going to have his throat slit? Was he going to die?

"Do not plague your mind with such dark thoughts. I would never hurt you, not intentionally."

"What?" Did this man just talk - Eren's thought was cut short when he felt sharp objects pierced through his skin. He felt unbearable pain on his neck and his necklace which he had since he was little unknowingly snapped and fell. He screamed in agony.