Too Broke For Afterlife

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A pentagram, of course.

Noah hands the bag to Clemens who gets up and starts pouring it onto the ground.

"Oh Noah, I do have one more question."

He sighs and looks at Isabella. 

"Yes?" 

"Okay, let's say hypothetically that ghosts are present..."

Both Nox and Walter glare at her. 

The red headed woman mouths a stop but Isa ignores her. 

"What would happen? Would the realms mix or something?"

Noah blinks a few times. 

"I honestly don't know. Maybe. Should we make an anti ghost prayer before we start to make sure we're-" 

"No!" 

Everyone turns around to Nox and her loud exclamation. 

"We would be wasting time, let's get started already!" 

God, somebody's impatient.

Clearly scared of Not, Noah raises his hands. "Okay okay! To summon a being from another realm, we need an artifact or an offering. Did you guys bring a dead goat or...?"

My insides pull together. Gross. Simply imagining killing a goat and carrying it to the warehouse makes me want to throw up.

"No, we've got something much better."

Nox takes the crystal from Clemens' crate and carefully puts it down in the middle of the circle. 

"Okay, what is this?" Noah bends down to the gem to take a closer look but Nox pushes him away.

"None of your business."

"But I have to know!" 

"No, you don't, dipshit."

While Noah and Nox are arguing, Isa leans over to me and whispers. 

"Okay, I'm honestly scared. Do we really have to do this?" 

"Don't worry, we will only be talking to Satan, we are safe," I repeat what we have been told.

"So you believe that Noah guy?" 

I shrug. "No, but the others. They said it would be like a phone call. Don't worry, okay?" 

Isabella nods, not seeming fully convinced.

Finally, the squabblers quiet down and find their seats.

Now sitting around a wonky pentagram with the crystal in the middle, Noah takes a deep breath. 

"I will speak the spell. Nobody may interrupt me, okay?" 

We nod one by one and Noah closes his eyes.

The warehouse falls silent. 

Then Noah's voice rises. 

"Attenrobendum eos,

ad ligandum eos,

potiter eos,

coram me."

My eyebrows pull together. This sounds...familiar.

He repeats.

"Attenrobendum eos,

ad ligandum eos,

potiter eos,

coram me."

Wait, isn't that from that one TV show? Superunnatural?

Oh my god.

"Attenrobendum eos,

ad ligandum eos,

potiter eos,

coram me."

I shake my head and grab Isa's attention. She looks at me confused.

I don't know how to gesture This spell is from a TV show, Noah is scamming us again so I just roll my eyes.

The warehouse is silent again.

And it stays silent for a good minute.

The others seem to grow impatient.

"Did it not wo-"

"Attenrobendum eos,

ad ligandum eos,

potiter eos,

coram me."

Frustrated, I let my head sink into my hands and look down at the pentagram.

Clemens is really not an artist, one of the peaks is definitely longer than the others.

I concentrate my eyes on the salt and - wait. Is it moving?

My eyes form slits, trying to see the single grains.

And...yes. They are moving.

One by one, they are slowly rolling towards me.

What is this? Is the floor uneven or something?

"Attenrobendum eos,

ad ligandum eos,

potiter eos,

coram me."

The grains gain speed and the first ones stop only a few inches in front of my feet.

I grab Isa's arm and finally she notices as well.

Our surprised faces grab the attention of the others as well.

Well, except for Noah, his eyes are still closed.

"Attenrobendum eos,

ad ligandum eos,

potiter eos,

coram me."

Six times. He said the spell six times.

Meanwhile, half the salt has reached their end position in front of my feet and the grains start piling up.

I get up quickly but Noah interjects.

"No! Sit down again!"

I slowly sink on my crate as the rest of the salt comes closer.

"What is happening," Isabella wants to know, her voice is shaking.

"Apparently, Satan has chosen Parker as his host."

"HOST?" Isabella screeches, I'm frozen in fear.

"Yeah, host. He will take over Parker's body so we can talk to him. What did you think how this works?"

I look up at Noah and throw a death glare at him.

"You did this on purpose, admit it!"

He grins. "So you do believe in my powers?"

I shake my head. "I will kill you, Noah Henderson. Trust and believe."

All the salt is now at my feet, forming a small mountain.

And if I'm not mistaken, there is smoke coming out of the middle. 

"Take this."

Suddenly, Nox is standing in front of me, trying to hand me the crystal.

"No! Make it stop!"

I want to get up but then Clemens' strong hands are pressing me down again.

I try to fight him off but he is stronger.

"Let me go!" Panic is rising inside of me.

Being the host of Satan? That does not seem like a good idea. Not good at all.

"Guys!"

I look at Isa. "Help me!"

She looks terrified but gets out of her seat.

"Guys, this seems really dangerous, is there no other way?"

The smoke is getting thicker and I can feel the heat. 

It fills my lungs and I cough.

"Take it." Nox forces the crystal into my hands. Then she bends over and whispers into my ear.

"Don't be scared, you'll be fine. Trust him. And give the artifact back to him."

I look at her, not believing what I just heard.

Give Satan the crystal? Didn't we steal it from Jasper for a reason? And how can she know that I'll be fine?

"No!" I scream, my last attempt at saving my own life.

But it's too late already.

All of a sudden, the floor beneath me opens like a trapdoor and me, my crate and the salt fall into the abyss.

Isabella's and Noah's screams are the last things I can hear.