Free Asylum by Kristen Selleck Page B

“Okay, so this
thing-” Sam held up a white triangular piece with a clear plastic window
embedded in it, “is called the pla... planchette. We both put our fingers on it
and ask it questions, blah, blah, blah.”
                Sam
laid the board down on the cement between herself and Chloe and placed the
planchette at the center of the board.  Chloe let out a frustrated breath,
hesitated for a moment, and then reached out and placed two fingers on the
piece.
                “Alright,
I will be the mystical séance type person,” Sam announced.  She closed her eyes
and cleared her throat, Chloe giggled.  “Quiet, please, you’re interrupting my
communion with the spirits,” Sam warned in her most serious voice. 
                “Okay,
okay Miss Cleo,” Chloe laughed.
                “Call
me now!  Call fer your free readin’” Sam mimicked a Jamaican accent.  Both
girls laughed.
                “Alright,
let’s do this thing,” Sam said clearing her throat.  Chloe stifled her laughter
behind a smirk, as Sam closed her eyes and again placed her fingers on the
triangle.
                “Are
there any spirits that wish to speak with us tonight?” Sam asked.
                They
waited, fingers laid lightly upon the planchette, watching intently.  The piece
did not move.  Sam squeezed her eyes tightly shut as though she were
concentrating hard, but all the same her lips seemed to be fighting off a smirk.
                “Guess
they’re not feeling talkative tonight.  That’s too bad,” Chloe said.
                “Any
spirits out there, any spirits at all?” Sam asked again.  They both watched as
the white planchette moved ever so slowly, just a hair, and then stopped.
                “You
moved it!” Chloe accused.
                “I
did not,” Sam said, but her grin looked guilty.
                “Why
are you smiling then?  You moved it!”
                “It
was the spirits,” Sam vowed solemnly.
                “Spirits,
my ass,” Chloe muttered.
                “Okay,
we have established contact,” Sam explained, “Now we can question it.  What do
you want to ask it?”
                “I
don’t wanna ask it anything,” Chloe snorted.
                “Okay,
I’ll ask it something then,” Sam closed her eyes again and pressed her lips
together in imitation of total concentration.  “Does Seth want to get his funky
on with Chloe?”
                Sam
dragged the planchette over to the yes.  Chloe squealed and punched Sam
playfully on the arm.
                “Does
Sam secretly think Dr. Willard is hot?” Chloe demanded and then moved the
planchette furiously back and forth over the yes.
                “What?!”
Sam screeched.  She shoved Chloe and the two girls laughed until their sides
hurt.
                “Chloe! 
You’re such an-” Sam broke off mid-sentence, her mouth hanging open.  Her eyes
grew wide. “Clo, look!” she hissed.
                Chloe
followed Sam’s line of sight to the planchette.  For a second, she suspected
Sam was still kidding her, but she quickly realized, with a horrified clench of
the stomach, that the planchette was moving.  It was moving so slowly it was
almost unnoticeable, but it was definitely edging at a snail’s pace towards the
letters…all by itself.
                “It’s
the wind, it’s the wind or the board’s uneven, it’s the wind,” Chloe mumbled. 
She slammed closed the part of her brain that tried to remind her that there
wasn’t a single breath of wind just then.
                Sam
reached tentatively towards the planchette and placed a finger on it.  The
piece immediately stopped.
                “Weird,”
Sam whispered, “Chloe, put your finger on it, come on, let’s