the early forties. It’s the oldest I could track down.” He reached back into the box and withdrew a wooden object with a point on one end. Jess recognized the device as the piece that spelled out the answers. Except this pointing device, also wood instead of plastic, had a hole toward the pointer itself, along with the Ouija logo stamped on it. For some odd reason, that silver dollar-sized hole made the object more menacing.
“Now this ,” Dr. Brandt exclaimed, “ This is the planchette from the Ouija board first used in the 1910 séance here at Siler House. A maid destroyed the original board. She burned it in the fireplace.”
“What happened to her?” Allison asked.
Dr. Brandt frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“Well, probably ,” Gage said. “1910? I don’t think the Ouija board was her personal fountain of youth.”
“Don’t be such a dick,” Bryan said. “This is cool stuff. Listen.”
“Kidding, Dude,” Gage said, sounding somewhat sincere. “But seriously? All this equipment is a lot cooler. The full spectrum camera, the EMF meter. This…” he touched the Ouija board, spinning it on the table. “This is old school. It’s Hasbro, man.”
“Actually,” Dr. Brandt corrected, “This one was made by the William Fuld Company, which made the boards from 1890 until 1966.”
Gage laughed. “Sixty-six?”
“True story,” Dr. Brandt said. “As for what happened to Ms. Evans, the chambermaid, she fell down the stairs. The fall broke her neck.”
“You puttin’ us on?” Gage asked.
“No,” he said. “But keep in mind that people fell down stairs and broke their necks or died of head injuries without ever having to touch, much less set flame to, a Ouija board, Gage. You just have to ask yourself if you think the house, the spirits…” He observed the planchette for a moment before setting it down directly over the word GOOD-BYE, and Jess could see the letter Y through the hole in the planchette. “…or if the board had any part in her demise.”
“You’re saying this was used here?” Jess asked. “After the girls’ deaths?”
Dr. Brandt nodded. “Yes. Several times. Catherine Siler swore her dead daughters first started talking to her through the Ouija board.”
“Portals,” Allison said, drawing her legs under herself. “The last time I touched one…” She shook her head. “Keep it away from me. I won’t. You can’t make me.”
There she went again. If Jess weren’t inclined to believe her, she’d think Allison really was as crazy as she appeared.
“That’s fine,” Dr. Brandt replied to Allison. “Perfectly understandable. You won’t have to. You’re welcome to watch, of course. Although I think it’s highly unlikely your experience had anything to do with the Ouija board.”
Gage frowned. “What is she talking about?” He turned to Allison. “What about the Ouija board, Allison?”
“Wrong,” Allison said. “That’s exactly how the demon found me.” She lowered her head, glaring at Dr. Brandt as though the two of them shared some intimate knowledge. “You don’t want to use that board in Siler House.”
Bryan frowned. “Huh?”
Gage tapped the board. “What she’s saying is that using it in this house is like waving a steak in front of whatever’s here.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
No matter how much Jess argued or pleaded the next few days, Allison wouldn’t budge on her stance regarding the Ouija board. Nothing the others said had made a difference, either.
During their group sessions—the ones revolving around each of their abilities—Dr. Brandt spent more time with Allison than anyone. Bryan tried to make things disappear that were larger than a set of keys (he’d made a potted plant disappear the day before), while Dr. Brandt encouraged Jess to concentrate on detecting the presence of ghosts. Although Jess had sensed that someone or something was present during the sessions, she
“Now this ,” Dr. Brandt exclaimed, “ This is the planchette from the Ouija board first used in the 1910 séance here at Siler House. A maid destroyed the original board. She burned it in the fireplace.”
“What happened to her?” Allison asked.
Dr. Brandt frowned. “What do you mean?”
“She’s dead, isn’t she?”
“Well, probably ,” Gage said. “1910? I don’t think the Ouija board was her personal fountain of youth.”
“Don’t be such a dick,” Bryan said. “This is cool stuff. Listen.”
“Kidding, Dude,” Gage said, sounding somewhat sincere. “But seriously? All this equipment is a lot cooler. The full spectrum camera, the EMF meter. This…” he touched the Ouija board, spinning it on the table. “This is old school. It’s Hasbro, man.”
“Actually,” Dr. Brandt corrected, “This one was made by the William Fuld Company, which made the boards from 1890 until 1966.”
Gage laughed. “Sixty-six?”
“True story,” Dr. Brandt said. “As for what happened to Ms. Evans, the chambermaid, she fell down the stairs. The fall broke her neck.”
“You puttin’ us on?” Gage asked.
“No,” he said. “But keep in mind that people fell down stairs and broke their necks or died of head injuries without ever having to touch, much less set flame to, a Ouija board, Gage. You just have to ask yourself if you think the house, the spirits…” He observed the planchette for a moment before setting it down directly over the word GOOD-BYE, and Jess could see the letter Y through the hole in the planchette. “…or if the board had any part in her demise.”
“You’re saying this was used here?” Jess asked. “After the girls’ deaths?”
Dr. Brandt nodded. “Yes. Several times. Catherine Siler swore her dead daughters first started talking to her through the Ouija board.”
“Portals,” Allison said, drawing her legs under herself. “The last time I touched one…” She shook her head. “Keep it away from me. I won’t. You can’t make me.”
There she went again. If Jess weren’t inclined to believe her, she’d think Allison really was as crazy as she appeared.
“That’s fine,” Dr. Brandt replied to Allison. “Perfectly understandable. You won’t have to. You’re welcome to watch, of course. Although I think it’s highly unlikely your experience had anything to do with the Ouija board.”
Gage frowned. “What is she talking about?” He turned to Allison. “What about the Ouija board, Allison?”
“Wrong,” Allison said. “That’s exactly how the demon found me.” She lowered her head, glaring at Dr. Brandt as though the two of them shared some intimate knowledge. “You don’t want to use that board in Siler House.”
Bryan frowned. “Huh?”
Gage tapped the board. “What she’s saying is that using it in this house is like waving a steak in front of whatever’s here.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
No matter how much Jess argued or pleaded the next few days, Allison wouldn’t budge on her stance regarding the Ouija board. Nothing the others said had made a difference, either.
During their group sessions—the ones revolving around each of their abilities—Dr. Brandt spent more time with Allison than anyone. Bryan tried to make things disappear that were larger than a set of keys (he’d made a potted plant disappear the day before), while Dr. Brandt encouraged Jess to concentrate on detecting the presence of ghosts. Although Jess had sensed that someone or something was present during the sessions, she
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