Just for Fun

"Oh my God, Jen, nobody's going to interrupt your lame-ass séance. And how many times do I have to tell you to stop hanging things with nails? We have those little sticky hooks for a reason."

Jen rounded in a flash, holding both the framing tack and "do not disturb" sign steady against the door as she dug in for a battle against her sorority sister.

"First of all, it's a summoning, not a séance. Second, those hooks suck and you know it. Also, we wouldn't have to make our own fun if we were still allowed to host parties, Mary."

"Don't look at me. I would have never hit that police car if Susan hadn't t-boned the Dean."

"You hit a parked police car, Mary. With its lights on. Besides, neither of you would have had an issue if you hadn't decided to go to Arby's while drunk off your ass."

"Beef 'n Cheddars are good for hangovers."

Jen, at a loss for words, could do little more than stare in disbelief, then turn back to her hammering, making sure to be as loud as possible while driving the incredibly thin nail a fraction of an inch into the door. While she was still rather annoyed at her idiot sisters for getting them banned from having parties for the rest of the academic year, a small part of her was a bit glad to be able to do something other than get trashed and dress like a whore for Halloween.

She had always wanted to do something like this, but never had a chance in high school. She was pleasantly surprised when Liz made the suggestion the week prior, then downright stunned when Amy and Kat joined in as well. It seemed as though they were all motivated by a similar vague interest in spooky occult things, so it had been rather difficult for them to agree on what they actually wanted to do. In the end, it came down to following external links from an online encyclopedia. They were going to summon a demon.

Of course, they all knew that was just a pretense. If you could really summon demons using spells linked from a free online encyclopedia (that anyone can edit) and materials from the baking section of the local supermarket, the world would have been long since overrun and subsequently ruled by teenage girls. No, the order of business for the night was to get a bit tipsy, sit in the dark basement and scare the ever-living shit out of each other until someone turned on the lights. All-in-all, it sounded like a good time. There was just something about that mass hysteria generated by frightened women that got her heart pounding in ways nothing else could. She used to love going to haunted houses for that very reason, but there did not seem to be any good ones within a couple hours of the university. As such, they had to scare the hell out of themselves.

The house was already quieter than usual for this time of night on a regular day, much less a holiday. Quite a few of the sisters had already left for parties elsewhere. Unfortunately, there really wasn't another good Halloween party anywhere on campus since they got banned. Halloween was always their thing. Most of the girls that hadn't moved on to other parties elsewhere left with friends or boyfriends the moment class went out, and some even took advantage of the weekend to go back home to see family. It would be a quiet night indeed, which Jen hoped would add to the spook factor. She felt a bit bad for anyone who was staying, though. Their inevitable screaming was probably going to get a bit annoying.

Content with her poorly hung sign, she opened the door and went down to the basement to check on the preparations. The other three were down in the basement, moving around various stored furniture and making room for a large round table they had stolen from the den for the event. It was big and heavy, but looked significantly more occult than the other options. It was just a dark-stained wooden table with thick, ornate legs, but it was vastly better than a fold-up or a poker table, even if the poker table did have drink holders. Jess stood nearby, mindlessly watching her clothing tumble in the last few minutes on the dryer. She had been rather annoyed at having her laundry night interrupted by their festivities, but Liz had managed to convince her to only run her delicates. It was a bit of character growth for the otherwise ritually routine Jess.

"Are drinks ready?"

"I have brought libations for the black sacrament." Amy held up a large white box with a spout, excitedly presenting the barely wine as it sloshed around inside the sealed cardboard.

"You better not have been partaking of the 'libations' without me."

"Nay. Just pre-gaming."

"Oh, Jen, we could only find three of the nice wooden chairs. We already took a vote, and unanimously decided that you get the camping chair."

"Thanks for your consideration, Kat." She beamed at Jen sarcastically. "At least I get a cup holder."

True to expectations, she saw the green fold-up camping chair laid out for her next to the table. It looked absolutely ridiculous, but that would hardly matter once they turned the lights off. Turning her attention to slightly more important things, she set herself to the arduous task of finding somewhere to put six dozen tea candles. Turns out, some things are just never sold in small numbers. She ended up scattering them throughout the basement in small little clusters of six, partially as a nod to the occult, but more because that was how they were wrapped in the package. One package was left on the table so they could put one at each of the vertices of the pentagram Liz was busily trying to draw with salt and a bendy straw. Given how small tea candles were, it was probably best to put off lighting them until they were ready to go.

"What's still left to do?"

The other girls looked up from their various tasks, exchanging quick glances at each other and the various goods they had laid out before shrugging in near unison.

"I'm going to go get changed, then."

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. I'm going to finish up this...Tibetan salt art and go get into costume."

Jen bounded up the stairs, slowly becoming more excited about the events of the night. She made her way to her small, somewhat messy room, closing the door behind her. She had never been too particular about picking up after herself. She kept things clean enough, but bits of clothing and other odds and ends occasionally found there way onto the floor. And stayed there. Her clothes today would join their siblings in the jumbled mess in the corner.

She stripped quickly down to just her underwear, discarding her top and pants haphazardly. Much to her dismay, her deep summer tan had already faded away almost entirely, leaving her almost cream-colored. Were it not for the handful of barely visible lines around her white bra and panties, one might not even realize that she had ever been tan. This late in the season, the only hint that she had ever seen the sun was the light dusting of freckles that covered her cheeks and nose. Her well-faded tan contrasted nicely with her dark green eyes and straight raven-black hair that bounced gracefully about her shoulder blades and modest (but perky, she told herself) bust. She had always been much more proud of her long, fit legs anyway. She liked to stay in shape and, unlike most of her sisters, appreciated the value of weight training. Even she had to admit that it showed, particularly in her firm-yet-feminine stomach and ass.

Of course, with the night's activities what they were, none of that really mattered. To show exactly how little that mattered, she went straight for her costume for the night, pulling a long and unbelievably unflattering black robe from her closet. It was technically just a bathrobe, but it was the best she could do with the amount of time she had to prepare. At the very least, between its relaxed fit and plushy material, she would definitely be the most comfortable witch in the basement tonight. To complete the ensemble, she slipped into a pair of house slippers, feet wiggling contentedly in their fluffy comfort.

She left her room, bumping into Amy in the hall. The slim redhead looked somehow more ridiculous in a jet-black crop top and mini skirt. Clearly, she had gone with more of a modern aesthetic. Between her choice of dress and her natural slight build and curly red hair, she almost looked like a character from a b-grade horror movie that may or may not be adult in nature.

"Basement gets pretty cold, you know."

"That's what the wine is for."

"You do plan on remembering this, right?"

"I'll be fine. I'm half Irish."

Jen looked her up and down pointedly.

"Really? Just half?"

"The other half is Scottish."

They walked down the stairs together, rounding the corner and down another flight to the basement.

"Close the door behind you, Liz already beat you back down."

"How did she get back so fast? She was still working when I went up."

"See for yourself."

"It's not that bad, Kat."

Kat was already at the bottom of the stairs, waiting to flick the stairway lights off. She seemed to have taken the two-day shipping option and sported a rather cheap-looking witch costume, hat and all. To be fair, the tall brunette did already look a bit the part. Between her curly brown hair and rather long nose, she was the most witch-looking among them. Her deep tan, no doubt a feature of the very same genes that provided her nose, was the only feature that really didn't fit the look. That was not to say that she was at all hard on the eyes, but hers was a more acquired taste - lanky, elegant, and sharp-featured. At the moment, her features were a bit softened by her valiant-but-futile efforts to suppress a laugh.

As the pair reached the bottom of the stairs, they finally saw what had caused her reaction. Liz huffed about, trying to keep her long sleeves from sweeping any salt off the table. She stood uncomfortably in what Jen could only assume was her high school graduation gown, unless she secretly had completely atrocious taste.

"It's black. It's a robe. It works, right?"

The only thing that kept Jen from bursting into immediate laughter was more than a bit of jealousy. It may have been from high school, but no woman should ever fill out a gown like that. The polyester pleats of her robe were stretched flat by the enormity of her bust and breadth of her hips. Somehow, the ridiculously busty blonde had managed to make a graduation gown look like lingerie. Seriously, those had to be F-cups. Suddenly feeling more than a little inadequate, Jen forced out her waiting laughs. That would show her for being well-endowed.

"Shut up! I had it, it's free, and it fits."

"Barely."

"You look like you're about to pay an after-graduation visit to your favorite teacher."

"Yeah, you really should just wear that next year when there's guys around."

Fortunately, Amy stepped in to re-track the conversation.

"Anyway, ladies, I present to you the centerpiece for tonight's festivities."

With a cardboard box and a flourish, she produced and in one motion, slammed into the center of the salty pentagram a goat skull. By the looks of it, an actual fucking goat skull. That or a very, very convincing replica.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"THE INTERNET! And that's not all."

She rummaged once again through the cardboard box of mystery, procuring a dark wide-mouthed jar.

"Blood!"

"What kind of watch list do you end up on for buying blood on the internet?"

"It's just pig's blood. People use it in cooking all the time."

She set the bottle down on the table with a thunk.

"What's it even for?"

"The ritual, of course."

"There's no blood in any of the instructions we found."

"I don't know, we'll just throw it in at some point."

"Oh, speaking of, do we have everything else ready to go?"

"I have the printouts over here."

Kat placed what looked like a stone guacamole bowl filled with lawn shavings in the middle of the table next to the increasingly out-of-place goat skull.

"What's that?"

"Sage."

"Is this just dried sage from the spice isle?"

"It's not my fault they don't sell bundles of sage at the grocery store."

"Yeah they do, in the produce section, next to the mushrooms."

"You can't burn fresh greens."

"You can with a torch."

"Alright, enough. The sage is just for the smoke. I don't think it matters if it's chopped and comes in a little red bottle."

The other girls laid out the remaining few components on the table as Jen busied herself lighting candles. Upon further inspection, six dozen candles may have been a worse idea than she originally thought. She probably could have stood to leave a couple dozen in the bag and save them for...whatever tea candles were actually for. Presumably, they had something to do with tea, but she had only ever seen them inside cheap decorations. Truly the mysteries of the universe were multitudinous. At least there would be plenty of light. Ambient as darkness was, they were reading instructions as they went.

"I think that's about it. Everybody ready?"

"Hell yeah."

They each took their seats at the table, Jen sinking quite noticeably into her camping chair while Liz flicked off the lights. As the room went dark, the atmosphere really did transform. What had originally felt like a cheap joke now looked pretty respectable, all things considered. She hated to admit that the goat skull really helped pull it off.

"Jen, light the sage."

"Already?"

"It's supposed to purify the room and chase out any foul energies."

A quick click on the lighter, and it lit up, burning surprisingly well and quickly.

"Oh, I can see why. It smells terrible."

"I get the impression this isn't supposed to be done indoors."

"What next?"

"It says we're supposed to clear our minds."

"I have just the thing for that!"

Amy nearly exploded from her seat to fetch the box of whine and glasses, filling each in turn and immediately passing them out. It was unsurprisingly rather simple and unnecessarily sweet, though what else could one expect from wine that came out of a box? If nothing else, it helped to clear out the smell of the burning sage. Jen glanced around the room, looking at the poorly lit faces of her friends as they drank. Corny little pass-time or not, it was obvious that they were all smiling. In truth, it seemed as though they had all forgotten that they were even down here for a reason, a problem that did not abate as glasses ran empty and refilled.

While all their housemates were nominally sisters, some were obviously closer than others. Over the last year, Jen found herself growing much more fond of the small group they had assembled in the basement. Through the clarity of alcohol, a small part of her brain started to wonder if they were all equally invested in their Halloween plans, or if it was just an excuse to get together. It didn't really matter, but it did bring a smile to her face as she watched her friends banter, shooting in her own quips whenever it felt right. They became gradually louder and less clever as the box emptied until, at last, the last drop was squeezed out with the aid of Liz and Kat doing their best to crush the box between them. With a quick tip of the head, Amy polished off the bottom of the last glass, sighing dramatically before setting the glass down with a bit too much force. Petite as she was, it was little wonder that she was quite a bit further along than the rest of them.

"What's next, Kat?"

She struggled slightly to read, the combination of darkness and alcohol making the small font look even smaller.

"It says we're supposed to clear our minds and concentrate on the ritual."

"We already did that."

"No, we just got tipsy. We still have to quiet down and focus."

Amazingly, the room actually fell silent. Jen half expected Amy to make some drunken interjection, but she actually closed her eyes and looked like she was trying to concentrate. The other girls had apparently already joined her, so Jen followed suit. As time dragged on, she actually started to appreciate the silence a bit. She had never been one for meditation, but she could get behind this. She tried a few times to concentrate on the ritual they were supposed to be doing, but just ended up finding her mind wandering. It's not like they were really doing magic, so it wasn't really a big deal. Believing was half the fun, though. She nearly jumped out of her chair when Kat broke the silence.

"To you we implore, daemon who follows, we bring you to form, and beckon you forth. In your service here, Katherine, who speaks."

A moment of silence, interrupted by the sound of an elbow striking ribs.

"Elizabeth."

"Amy, who is a bit drunk."

Even through the darkness, she could feel her sisters' ire.

"Jennifer."

"Bound to our will, we choose your form. Sisters, whom do we wish to summon?"

"Do we need a name?"

"No, it just says the type of demon."

"Like what?"

"It says, as an example, that we could summon a demon of wrath."

"Can we ask for more wine?"

"At least pretend to take it seriously."

"Fine, a demon of lust."

The room fell silent until Amy spoke again.

"You know you're all thinking it. It's what we would all be doing if those idiots hadn't ruined it for the rest of us."

Silence reigned again until Kat responded.

"Are there any objections?"

More silence.

"Lust shall be your creed, and pleasure your price. What does it look like?"

"Head of a goat."

"Burning red eyes."

"Giant cock."

"Amy!"

"You were all thinking it."

"Moving on. Jen, what do you see?"

"Enormous furred body."

"Pervert."

"You're one to talk."

"Enough, both of you. Liz, sprinkle the ash in the center of the table."

"Ooh, add the blood."

"I'm not pouring blood on the table."

"Then I will."

A brief struggle ensued between Liz and Amy, resulting in the bottle coming open and spilling out a huge cloud of dark powder.

"What the hell is that?"

"Blood, you idiot."

"Why is it a powder?"

"You didn't think they'd sell you actual liquid blood, did you?"

"What are you supposed to do with dried blood?"

"I think you mix it with oats and-"

"Sisters, please. Focus."

"Bound by our magic, summoned by our will, make your answer known."

They waited with baited breath, even Amy staying quiet as they watched and listened. Disappointment crept onto their faces, starting with Liz. She seemed to be really getting into this.

"Bound by-"

Katherine was interrupted by a monumental crashing sound from above. Jen could feel herself scream, and nearly fell out of her chair. Liz had somehow managed to stand and wave her arms in panic, while Amy had pulled herself into a ball.

"Oh shit, what was that?"

"It sounded like it came from upstairs."

"Maybe Dee dropped that stupid fucking kayak of hers again."

"In October?"

"It doesn't matter. All our screaming probably scared them as much as they scared us."

Liz laughed. "Yeah, probably. What comes next?"

Kat cleared her throat before continuing. "If this place does not suit you, change it to your will."

"Hey, that wasn't in meter."

"Shut it, Amy."

"Does anyone else smell burning?"

"You're just going crazy."

"No, Liz is right. It does smell like burning."

"That's just the heat turning on. It is October, after all."

"It's not supposed to smell like that."

"That's the way it always smells."

"I'll check the furnace. I certainly don't want to be down her in the dark if something goes wrong. Lord knows this place is old enough."

Jen got up from the table, grabbing one of the conveniently ubiquitous candles to go check on the furnace. She wasn't entirely sure why she was doing this. She would never tell her friends, but she wasn't exactly an HVAC technician. If she was being honest with herself, she just wanted to get up for a bit. She was starting to get freaked out a bit. In a good way, of course. She was certainly enjoying herself, but the butterflies in her stomach demanded a bit of a stroll. She performed exactly the extent of the inspection that her father had taught her: the pilot light was on, and nothing that was not supposed to be on fire was on fire. Looked good over here. Then again, she did have to admit that it did smell pretty bad.