“This is ridiculous... What are we even doing here?!”, he whispered.

“Shut up, Tommy! It was YOUR idea!”

“SILENCE!!”, commanded the dark shrouded figure at the head of the table.

The two boys abruptly stopped arguing and nervously looked, first at each other, and then at their girlfriends. Except for the distant sounds of carnival fanfare, all in the tent was now silent;
Deathly silent... Any remnants of the playful vibe the four had shared just moments earlier, was now completely gone. In its place, an uncomfortable presence... Dread. The air, itself, felt heavy somehow. Yet, spirals of smoke from burned incense wafted upwards in mesmerizing patterns like spirits searching for their release.

“It’s an interesting thing, communicating with the dead”, the voice continued.

The light from nearby candles revealed very little of the figure’s features. But when his hands were brought together, the four youth knew their chance for escape had just passed.

“Let’s begin…”