The candle flame flickered as another gust of wind rattled the apartment windows. Tim sat cross-legged on the floor in front of the coffee table. The Ouija board rested between his knees, its faded letters glowing softly in the candlelight. The storm outside had grown stronger, thunder rumbling through the night like something enormous shifting in the sky.

Pumpkin sat a few feet away, watching with sharp, suspicious eyes.Tim picked up the planchette and turned it slowly between his fingers. "Alright," he murmured to himself. He had seen this sort of thing in movies countless times. Usually it involved a group of teenagers daring each other to try it. Someone would move the piece as a joke, someone else would panic, and eventually the story ended badly for everyone involved, but Tim was alone.

And honestly... he was bored.

He placed the wooden planchette on the center of the board. The small piece rested over the word HELLO. Tim hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling a little silly. Still, the storm outside and the dim candlelight made the moment feel strangely appropriate. He rested two fingers lightly on the planchette.

"Uh..." he began awkwardly. His voice sounded small in the quiet apartment. "Hello?"

Nothing happened. The planchette remained perfectly still. Tim waited a few seconds. Rain tapped against the window. Thunder rolled in the distance.

Pumpkin shifted uneasily, flicking his tail. Tim chuckled softly.

"Yeah... figured."

He leaned back slightly, about to remove his fingers from the board. Then the planchette moved. Just slightly. Tim froze. The small wooden piece trembled beneath his fingers as if nudged by a faint vibration. Tim frowned.

"Okay," he said slowly, "that's weird." He lifted his fingers off the board. The planchette stopped. Tim stared at it for a moment.

"Probably just the table," he muttered.

The storm again, he told himself. The building was old. Things shifted when thunder shook the structure. Still... He placed his fingers back on the planchette.

"Alright," he said, trying to sound calm. "If... anyone is there..." He paused, feeling ridiculous.

"...hello?"

For several seconds nothing happened. Then the planchette moved again. This time it slid slowly across the board. Tim's breath caught.

The piece glided toward the upper corner of the board. It stopped on YES. Tim blinked. A nervous laugh slipped out.

"Okay... that's definitely strange."

Pumpkin let out a low, uneasy growl from across the room. Tim glanced at the cat, then back at the board.

"Alright," he said quietly. "If someone's there... what's your name?"

The planchette trembled beneath his fingers again. Then it began to move slowly and deliberately.It slid across the letters one by one.

S... Tim leaned forward. E......A chill crawled up the back of his neck. R.....The storm outside boomed with thunder. E....Pumpkin's ears flattened. N

.....Tim's fingers felt strangely heavy on the wood. I......The planchette moved without hesitation. T.....Tim's heart began beating faster. Y

....The piece stopped. Silence filled the apartment. Tim stared at the letters spelled across the board. SERENITY.

"Serenity," he whispered. The candle flame flickered violently as another gust of wind struck the building. Tim swallowed.

"Okay... Serenity," he said slowly. "Are you... a ghost?"

The planchette shifted again. It slid toward NO. Tim frowned.

"Not a ghost?" The piece moved again immediately.

W..O..M..A..N

The planchette stopped. Tim blinked. "A... woman?" Across the room Pumpkin hissed suddenly. Tim turned toward the cat.

"Hey, relax," he said quietly.When he looked back at the board, the planchette had moved again.

B..E..A..U..T..I..F..U..L

Tim stared at the letters. Beautiful. A strange warmth spread through his chest. "That's... specific," he said with an awkward laugh.

The board remained still for a moment. Then the planchette began moving again.

L..O..N..E..L..Y

The word settled beneath Tim's finger, lonely. Tim felt something twist gently in his stomach. "Well," he said quietly, "that makes two of us."

The candle flame flickered again. The storm continued raging outside. Tim found himself leaning closer to the board without realizing it. "Where are you?" he asked. The planchette moved again.

N..E..A..R

A small shiver ran through him. "Near?" Tim repeated. The piece slid again.

C..L..O..S..E..R....

Closer. Tim laughed nervously. "Alright, that's a little creepy." The board fell silent again. Seconds passed. Tim considered stopping. This was probably nothing more than his imagination. Maybe he was moving the piece without realizing it. That was the logical explanation. It had to be. Still...

"Can you see me?" he asked.

The planchette slid immediately to YES. Tim's heart thumped harder. Pumpkin growled again from the couch. The cat's eyes were fixed on the empty hallway behind Tim. Tim turned slightly. Nothing was there.When he looked back at the board, the planchette was already moving again, slow and smooth.

V..I..S..I..T

Tim leaned forward. The piece continued.

T..O..N..I..G..H..T

The planchette stopped. Tim stared at the board. "Visit... tonight?" The apartment suddenly felt colder. Outside, lightning cracked across the sky again.

Pumpkin hissed loudly. Tim forced a small laugh, though it sounded hollow.

"Okay... that's enough horror movie stuff for one night." He lifted his fingers from the board. For a moment nothing happened.

Then the planchette slid slowly across the board one final time. It stopped on a single word. WAIT Tim frowned.

"Wait?"

The piece moved again. One last message.

S..O..O..N..

Soon? The candle flickered violently. Then the planchette stopped moving completely. The board fell silent. Tim sat there staring at it, unsure what to say.

Across the room Pumpkin continued staring toward the dark hallway, his fur bristled and his tail twitching anxiously. Tim finally leaned back, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Okay," he murmured. "That was weird."

But somewhere deep in the quiet apartment, something had heard him and it had answered.

Tim woke with a sudden jolt. For a moment he didn't know where he was. The room around him was gray with early morning light, the kind that slipped weakly through storm clouds and made everything look dull and distant. The television was still off. The candle on the coffee table had melted down into a hardened puddle of wax.

Tim was lying awkwardly on the couch, one arm hanging over the side. His neck ached. Outside, rain continued to fall steadily against the windows.

The storm hadn't gone away. He blinked slowly, trying to collect himself. His mind felt foggy, like he had slept too hard or too little at the same time.

Then he remembered the board. Tim sat upright immediately.

The Ouija board still sat on the coffee table exactly where he had left it the night before. The planchette rested quietly in the center, not moving.

Pumpkin was curled on the opposite end of the couch, watching him with half-open eyes. For a long moment Tim simply stared at the board.

Had that really happened?

The memory felt strange now in the daylight. Less frightening, almost surreal. It could have been a dream, maybe. His mind playing tricks on him after watching too many horror movies during a thunderstorm. He stood slowly and walked to the window.

The sky outside was dark and swollen with clouds. Rain poured down the glass in long streaks while wind rattled the building occasionally. The storm looked like it might stay for most of the day. Tim rubbed his face and yawned. Part of him felt embarrassed about the whole thing. Talking to a board in the dark like some kid trying to summon ghosts.

He glanced back toward the coffee table. But another part of him felt something else, disappointment. He frowned at the thought.

Last night the board had promised something. A visit. Something strange and mysterious had seemed just within reach and nothing had happened.

The apartment had stayed quiet and empty, just like always.

Tim walked back over to the table and looked down at the board again. Pumpkin lifted his head.

"You're giving me that look again,"

Tim said to the cat. Pumpkin blinked slowly but didn't move. Tim sat down in front of the coffee table.

"Alright," he muttered.

He placed two fingers lightly on the planchette. The wood felt cool under his fingertips. For a moment nothing happened. Outside, thunder rumbled softly through the sky again. Tim cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Hello?" he said. The board remained still. He waited a few seconds.

"Serenity?" he tried again. Still nothing. Tim leaned back slightly with a small sigh.

"Guess it was just-"

The planchette moved. His breath caught. The wooden piece slid slowly across the board.

H..E..L..L..O..

T

im stared. "Okay..." he whispered. The planchette remained beneath his fingers, perfectly still again. "You're back?" Tim asked. The piece shifted immediately. Y..E..S.. Tim felt a strange excitement bubbling in his chest. "That's... good," he said quietly.

Pumpkin let out a small unhappy sound from the couch. Tim ignored him.

"Where did you go last night?" Tim asked. The planchette moved again.

W..A..I..T..I..N..G..

Tim frowned. "Waiting for what?" The piece slid again.

Y..O..U..

A faint chill passed through him. Tim swallowed. "You said you were going to visit." For a moment the board was still. Then it moved again.

S..O..O..N..

Tim felt that same strange warmth in his chest again. He leaned closer. "When?" he asked. The planchette glided slowly beneath his fingers.

T..O..N..I..G..H..T..

Tim blinked. "Tonight? The piece shifted again.

Y..E..S..

Lightning flashed outside, briefly lighting the apartment in pale gray. Pumpkin stood up on the couch, his fur slightly puffed as he watched the board. Tim's heart was beating faster now. "How?" he asked quietly. The planchette moved again.

D..R..E..A..M..

Tim frowned. "In a dream?" The planchette slid again.

N..O..

Then again.

R..E..A..L..

Tim felt a shiver crawl down his spine. "Real?" he repeated. The piece moved again slowly,

B..E..A..U..T..I..F..U..L..

Tim's face flushed slightly. The board continued.

F..O..R.. Y..O..U..

Tim laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... that sounds nice," he said. The storm outside rumbled again. Rain beat harder against the windows. Tim realized he was smiling. He hadn't smiled much lately. "When will you come?" he asked. The planchette slid again.

W..H..E..N.. Y..O..U.. S..L..E..E..P..

Tim felt another chill run down his arms. "Tonight?" he asked again.

Y..E..S..

The piece paused. Then it moved one last time.

W..A..I..T.. F..O..R.. M..E..

The planchette slowly drifted back toward the center of the board, and stopped.

Tim sat there for a long moment, staring at it. Outside the storm continued roaring through the city. Pumpkin watched the board with wide eyes.

Tim finally leaned back on the couch. His heart was still beating faster than normal. "Alright," he murmured quietly. "Tonight."

For the first time in a long while, Tim actually felt excited about the coming night. He had no idea that somewhere far beyond the world he understood, something had just opened its eyes and it was very hungry.

Night returned slowly. The storm never fully left the city that day. The sky stayed heavy and gray, the rain falling in long steady sheets that drummed against the windows. Tim spent most of the afternoon doing very little. He attempted to play a game for a while, but his focus kept drifting. His eyes kept moving back to the coffee table.

The Ouija board remained there, silent. Pumpkin avoided it completely, choosing instead to sleep on the far end of the couch or near the kitchen where he could watch the room from a safe distance. Tim noticed, but he tried not to think too much about it.

By evening the apartment had grown dim again. The clouds outside blocked most of the remaining daylight, turning the rooms into deep shadows long before night officially arrived. Tim ordered dinner but barely touched it. His mind kept returning to the board's message. When you sleep.

He had laughed at the idea earlier, telling himself it was just part of the game. Something his own imagination had probably created. Still... the anticipation lingered. By midnight the storm had softened to a gentle rain. The apartment was quiet except for the occasional distant roll of thunder.

Tim stretched on the couch and rubbed his eyes.

"Alright," he murmured to Pumpkin. "Let's see if your ghost friend shows up." Pumpkin responded by jumping off the couch and disappearing into the bedroom. Tim chuckled softly. "Traitor."

He turned off the television and stood. The apartment fell into near darkness again, lit only by the faint glow of streetlights bleeding through the rain-streaked windows. Tim walked into the bedroom and changed into a loose T-shirt and sweatpants. Pumpkin sat on the bed watching him carefully, his yellow eyes reflecting the dim light. "Relax," Tim said, climbing under the blankets. "Nothing's going to happen."

The cat remained alert. Tim turned onto his side and closed his eyes. For a while he simply listened to the rain outside. Sleep came slowly.

Eventually his thoughts drifted away and the room faded into darkness.