Please read part 3 first~

 

The five teenagers were huddled on the floor of Clive Wallace's tree fort, too terrified to dare a move. They'd thought that using the Ouija board would be harmless. Even Clive, the meanest boy in school, was cowering on the floor!

"Is it over?" Ron whispered, shaking in his skin.

"Maybe you should go investigate," Duane suggested, peeking out of the huddle.

"Why don't you, if you're such a hot shot?" Ron murmured irritably. The group always picked on him just because he was the chubby one. No way in the world was he leaving the huddle to see if the ghost of Tim Anderson was still lurking about!

"You go, Clive," Casey said, issuing a dare. "You're the one who's always making fun of the rest of us for being chickens!"

At fourteen, Clive was the oldest by a year. He was the leader of their five-boy posse but only because he'd stayed back a year. He had tormented Tim Anderson when Tim lived. Now, Tim Anderson's ghost seemed intent on revenge. No doubt about it, Tim had just given their small group a scare of a lifetime! But now it was up to Clive to prove that he had the backbone that he claimed the others lacked.

Clive stood uneasily and dusted off his palms. He knew right where the lantern was. He moved soundlessly across the fort, carefully stepping over the sleeping bags that stretched across the floor.

Clive's courage faltered slightly, when he heard Jean mutter, "He's going to die. We're all going to die!"

"Shut up! No one's going to die," Duane told Jean. Duane's voice had squeaked in the telling, indicating that he too was nervous about their fate.

All of a sudden, a spark jumped to life on the far side of the tree house. Then the lantern blazed with light, and an eerie glow washed over them.

Clive took advantage of the spooky moment. He stuck his face close to the lantern and turned it toward his buddies, saying, "I vill drink your blood from a straw. Zen I vill pull out your innards vith my bare hands and eat every last inch of zem!" His tongue crudely smacked at his lips, and then he licked at his fingers as if he'd just finished eating a chicken drumstick.

"Ha, ha," Casey said in a dull but sarcastic tone. "Why you don't do standup comedy...I'll never know. Oh, yes, I do know. It's because you're a psychopathic jerk!"

"A psychopathic jerk that just saved the day!" Clive shot back. He pointed at the four boys and asked, "You girls going to hug all night, or are we going to get on with life?"

"How do we know that he's gone for sure?" Jean asked, getting to his feet nervously. His eyes were flicking around the fort wildly, hunting for any sign of the disturbance they'd just endured. He seemed ready to dive back to his knees should it be necessary.

The piece of chocolate, the dozen cinnamon crackers, and the two marshmallows that had formed a S'more face and spoke to them now lay discarded on Jean's sleeping bag. The Ouija board, which had apparently brought Tim Anderson's spirit to Clive's tree house, seemed innocent now in its stillness.

"I say we chuck that thing before we settle down for the night," Ron proposed, pointing a plump finger at the Ouija board.

"No way!" Duane disagreed, striding over to the board to protect it. "My brother will break my neck if he doesn't get it back! Besides, if Tim Anderson was here...he's gone now."

Clive laughed at the anxious expression on Ron's face and added, "Maybe you should change your shorts before bed!"

Jean frowned at Clive and reminded him, "Seems to me, you were right there on the floor with us, Clive."

Before Clive could argue, a softball-sized sphere of light floated up through the square portal in the floor! Duane backed away from the Ouija board and moved closer to Clive, whose eyes were bugged with awe. Ron and Jean slid closer to each other, already shivering with alarm. Casey was rooted to his spot. He could swear that a leprechaun was dancing down his spine, spilling gold-fever dust along the way. Fear was the kind of fever that made Casey's cheeks redden, though.

"What the heck is that?" Duane asked. His finger was crooked at the ball of light, and his face was set with an expression of amazement mingling with expectation.

No one knew. The mysterious orb glowed orange-yellow and floated higher and higher until it was well above their heads. Then it emitted a loud humming sound - almost as if a helicopter was within the orb, attempting to slice its way out.

The boys ducked for cover when miniature stars exploded from the orb, shooting in every direction! Like sparklers, the stars sizzled and crackled on their paths. Each star transformed into orange dust when its heat was spent. Then the ghostly dust would cascade toward the fort floor, dissipating before it hit the wide wooden boards.

"It's like the Fourth of July in here!" Clive declared with a wondrous tone.

"Yeah," Duane agreed, reaching out with his palm to catch some dust. It disappeared in his palm instantaneously. "This isn't so scary! It's actually pretty cool."

He'd spoken too soon!

Two more spheres of light bobbed into the fort, heading straight for the arched roof. They joined together when they got there, creating a volleyball-sized orb of glowing orange light. The light bloomed brighter and brighter until it erupted like a volcano, gushing with a thick luminescent liquid. Now it was a waterfall of orange lava, spilling toward the fort floor! The boys crowded together as the lava fanned across the floor, devouring the first sleeping bag in its path.

"We have to get out of here!" Jean screamed over the noise the bubbling lava was creating. "We're going to be burned alive!"

Three more orbs raced through the opening and hovered by the fort ceiling. They collided with a deafening roar and a brilliant blast of orange light. As big as a basketball, the orb began transforming immediately. Suddenly it was an elephant's foot! It was descending upon them! They'd be crushed alive before they were burnt alive!

The boys shrieked and squatted; each of them clutched at their knees with one arm and shielded their head with the other. Their reaction was instinctual. None of them wanted to be squished by a ghostly elephant foot!

The enormous foot crashed down beside their group, shaking the tree house! The rumble threw freckle-faced Ron away from the group! His arms were flailing as he attempted to jump over the river of lava, which was eating its second sleeping bag. He leapt clumsily over the dangerous flow, stumbling on the other side. He couldn't keep his balance, though.

"No!" Jean yelled, just as Ron fell through the opening in the floor.

They could hear Ron screaming for help, somewhere outside the fort!

As soon as the elephant foot vanished, Casey darted across the tree house and jumped. He landed safely on the other side of the lava flow. He peered down at Ron through the square portal. He could barely make out Ron in the dark, but there he was - dangling desperately from the rope ladder by his ankle!

"Someone help!" Casey called to the others.

The others had their backs against the wall, on the far side of the tree house. Their palms were pressed flat against the tree fort wall as though they were hoping to blend into the formation and go unnoticed by the flow of lava.

"I'm not m...moving a dang inch!" Jean stammered in a panicked voice. "Ron's not the only one who needs help, you know! What about us?"

Casey slipped through the opening in the floor and found the first step with his foot, even though his whole body was shaking. He descended slowly, trying not to make the rope ladder sway as he moved.

Casey was just a step above Ron now. The blond-haired boy's face was infused with blood from hanging upsidedown, causing his freckles to fade under the ruddiness. Casey carefully climbed past Ron until he was on solid ground. He looped an arm around Ron and used his other arm to free Ron's ankle. After some struggle, Ron was freed. They both tumbled to the ground unharmed.

They jumped to their feet the second they landed. Casey brushed off the seat of his jeans and thanked his lucky stars. He peered up at the tree house with an anxious expression, knowing he couldn't leave his friends to burn in the lava. "We have to go back up," he told Ron.

"I can't!" Ron argued, trying to catch his breath. "I'm too scared!"

"Stay here, then," Casey ordered irritably. He grabbed the rope ladder and eyed its length determinedly. "If I'm not back in five minutes, run to Clive's house for help."

Ron crumpled to the ground, no longer able to stand on his trembling legs. "Please come back!" he hollered after Casey.

"I will!" Casey assured Ron from five rungs up the ladder.

Casey poked his head into the tree house, hoping to see his friends still alive. The color drained from his face as soon as he saw their predicament. Their backs were still pressed against the fort wall, but the lava had eaten a hole in the floor! He wouldn't be able to get to them! It was pooling about two feet away from their toes, inching closer by the second.

"Do something!" Clive commanded when he realized that Casey had returned.

Another eerie ball of light burst by the ceiling; it fractured into thousands of little pieces. Each particle transformed into a bright yellow bee, buzzing its way toward the three boys.

"Aahh!" Duane shrieked. "Help! I hate bees!"

The bees were a rustling crowd now, surrounding the boys and holding them at stinger-point.

Another kaboom sounded above their heads, coinciding with a blinding light. The next thing they knew, a pine tree grew up through the hole in the floor and punched through the roof! It bled yellow pitch, which dripped over the boys, blanketing them within seconds. Orange, flaming pinecones rained over them - biting at any exposed, tender skin. The lava was swallowing the pinecones, along with anything else in its path!

Casey jerked to life, racing for the Ouija board. He didn't know any other way to save his friends! He took a deep breath to calm his nerves amidst the chaos. Then he placed two fingers from each hand on the dial.

"This is no time for games, you idiot!" Clive chastised Casey with a squeaky tone.

"Please..." Jean cried, spilling tears.

Casey concentrated on the plastic indicator beneath his fingers. After another deep breath, he asked, "Tim Anderson, what will make you stop? Please don't burn my friends! We're sorry we picked on you when you were alive! What do you want?"

All of a sudden, the dial seemed to have a heartbeat! It thumped softly under Casey's fingertips as though it was alive. It slid into action.

C...H...A...N...G...E.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked, perplexed.

"Hurry!" Duane called across the sizzling river of lava. He and the others were frantically swinging at the shadow of bees above their heads.

C...L...I...V...E.

The indicator had spelled Clive's name but nothing more. There was only one conclusion for Casey to come to. "Clive! Tim says you have to change! Will you?"

"I will! I want to!" Clive screeched, swiping a flaming pinecone off his sneaker.

P...R...O...M...I...S...E.

"He says you have to promise!" Casey hollered at Clive. "I think he wants you to stop picking on everyone!"

Y...E...S.

"Yes!" Casey confirmed. "He wants you to treat people better!"

R...E...S...P...E...C...T.

"He wants you to respect people!" Casey informed Clive.

"Okay! I promise!" Clive declared, looking over at Casey and the board with bewilderment. "Just make it stop! I mean...please...Tim, can you please make it stop?"

With a pop, the bees disintegrated! Gold-colored dust sprinkled over the boys. Then a crackle as the pinecones took their last bite out of their own flaming bodies and disappeared. A rumbling groan was heard as the pine tree shrunk back through the fort floor. One long sizzle sounded as the river of lava swished in reverse, up its cascading length, and vanished!

Then silence.

Pitch black settled over the survivors like a shawl of safety. They no longer shivered beneath its touch.

"Hello?" Ron's quivering voice called in the dark. "Are you guys okay? What happened?"

"We're okay," Casey said, lighting the lantern.

The light blazed across the tree fort, illuminating the inside as if a full moon was just beneath its roof.

"It's over?" Jean asked skeptically.

"It's over," Casey assured him, smiling wide. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the plastic indicator dance with life. As it spelled out words, he read them aloud for the others. "I'm in the stars, the trees, and the wind. I'll be watching you. Remember flaming spheres of light like the sun. Tim."

Heads were bent with respect. It was silent, until Clive said, "I'm really sorry I was so mean to you, Tim. Rest in peace."

Duane nodded and stated, "Rest in peace, Tim."

"Rest in peace," the other three mumbled.

Ron's face lit up with excitement. "Look! The fort wasn't damaged! It's like the whole thing never happened."

"But it did," Duane said, sliding the Ouija board back into its box gently.

"Yeah," Clive agreed with a nod. He looked thoughtful as he dropped to the floor to sit Indian-style. "And the message was received. I know it will be hard to change but I want to change. I'm tired of being the bad guy."

The others nodded solemnly and sat in the circle Clive had started on the floor.

"What now?" Jean asked Clive.

"Don't look at me," Clive responded, humbled by the night's events. "For now on, I don't give the orders. Power can blind a person if it's in the wrong hands. For now on, we're just five friends who like the same things; we're equals."

Casey smiled again, this time from ear to ear. "All in favor...say aye!"

"Aye!" five voices rang in the silence of the night.

"Who! Who!" an owl called back to them.

The boys laughed and gave each other high-fives. They talked excitedly into the night about the changes they were going to make. Jean wanted to join band now that the others wouldn't pick on him for it. Duane planned to help his parents more often around the house, because they'd had him late in life and needed his help. Ron and Casey discussed the hikes they would take in the future.

Clive's announcement was the biggest surprise of all. He intended to ask Stephanie Hebert out on a date! He'd only teased her because he thought she was cute. He told the others that he'd made a mistake when he'd ruined her blouse at the dance. He was going to apologize to her, and he hoped she'd give him a second chance.

"I don't see why not," Casey replied to Clive's announcement. "Everyone deserves a second chance. Tim gave us a second chance."

"And that's something I'll never forget," Clive responded enthusiastically. He felt like a completely different person. He hoped that he could be a better person. Ironically, he owed it all to Tim Anderson. Change, Tim had spelled on the board. Who would have thought that Tim could help Clive from the other side? They'd all thought that Tim wanted revenge but they'd been mistaken. Tim, even in life, had only offered help. Clive knew that change took time, but after a night like this...he was willing to put in the time.

 

The End

Copyright 2007 - Sheila Roy