The Magic Circle

Fright Night

We were about an hour into the movie when I felt the sudden urge to fall asleep, but I figured that was because I had stayed awake too long the night before. I glanced over at Melinda who was happily involved in the movie and the bowl of popcorn. "You okay?" She asked noticing me look at her. I nodded and turned back to the tv, I didn't want to tell her about the move, but we were supposed to tell each other everything.
    "My mom is talking about moving..." I said as Melinda quickly paused the movie and set the bowl of popcorn on the coffee table before joining me on the floor.
    "What?"
    "Yeah, and not just like across town, she means a different state. She wants to go back to work, something about dad's insurance, I don't know, but, I don't wanna go." She must have sensed my sadness because she nudged me.
    "Well cheer up, maybe she'll change her mind, we're in high school now, she has to know that's like the most important time in a girl's life."
    "I don't think that matters to her, she's been asking for a while now, like, every August she'll bring it up and we'll argue about it forever and then she'll just drop it until next year." Melinda made a thinking noise but didn't say anything. "Do you wanna watch something else?" She asked sensing my mood deflated.
    "No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring this up now, I just didn't want to get in another fight with her and then suddenly we're packing to leave" I explained.
    "I get it, but I'm sure she won't make you move, that's probably why she hasn't done anything really, just talked about it. Now come on, what do you wanna watch?"
    "Harry Potter?" I asked as she glanced toward the stairs.
    "I don't think my mom is sleep yet so, probably not the best idea" she said with a lowered voice. For reasons unknown when the Harry Potter series came out Melinda's mom was extremely against Melinda reading it and when the movie came out Melinda's mom refused to let any of her children see it. Whenever Melinda asked why Mrs. Sawyer just shut down and didn't respond. I didn't peg her for the religious type but at least that made more sense that anyone thinking those spells were real.
    "Meanwhile my mom keeps buying me merchandise; did you know she said if I graduate with honors she'll take me to London, to see the set?"
    "First of all, does she realize you have to take Honors classes to graduate with honors?" I chuckled, my mom figured I was smart, and I was, but definitely not as smart as Melinda. I preferred showing off my talents in soccer. Melinda was the smart one. All the balance I humorously thought to myself.
    "Listen, I'm just glad she didn't mention anything about dressing up" I said with a roll of the eyes as Melinda broke out into laughter.
    "You mean you don't wanna be a psychic kid?" she teased. I shuddered. From age five to ten my mom would always have me dress up as a kid psychic, she thought it was a safe costume, and simple, she wasn't big on making outfits. And she always based it on the fact that my dad always told her I was special; when I was a baby I apparently never cried except before something was going to happen. One year we had a outrageous winter storm, I cried for hours before it happened. All little things, like a sixth sense, they would say. As I grew older I just chalked it up to being able to figure out the little things quicker than most, sniffing out what was wrong, always being on high alert and waiting for trouble. Psychics weren't real, just like magic.
    "Apparently our house has a secret garden." I brought my attention back to the room, my daydreaming was going to get me in trouble one of these days.
    "I hate gardens, all the weeds and...pollen."
    "I don't really mean a garden, I just mean I found this door a few weeks ago, while cleaning and I don't think anyone else knows about it." I crossed my legs and looked at her.
    "Okay, first of all, please tell me you don't want to explore it. It's Halloween and that's like, the start of every horror movie I've seen."
    "No, of course we're not gonna explore it. I just wanted to mention it because lately it's been...I don't know...." she blushed, a sign she was lying.
    "What?"
    "I don't know"
    "You do, what about it?" I turned around to see her face better.
    "Don't make fun of me okay?"
    "Never" I teased.
    "Loud, it's been loud" she explained as I tried to hide my smirk.
    "Loud? Is someone in it? Is it like music? How can a room be loud if no one is in it?" I asked as I felt Melinda glaring at me.
    "It's not funny, this is why I didn't want to tell you"
    "I'm not trying to make fun of you, I'm just questioning the logic of it—"
    "Obviously it's not logical, it makes absolutely zero sense, I'm just saying what's been going on" she said as I shrugged.    
    "Have you told your parents about it?" She gave the most serious expression, obviously the answer was no. "Maybe it's nothing, where is the room?" She chewed her bottom lip for a second and slowly looked the back of the laundry room. "Wait, it's down here?" I exclaimed jumping up as she followed.
    "I thought you said we weren't checking out" I hear the reluctance and fear in her voice.
    "We're not, I just don't know why you'd tell me about it while in the room" I mumbled as I took a few steps closer. A few more; Melinda was still by the couch, I didn't blame her for not wanting to move. Still, I felt my feet carefully moving closer.
    "There, do you hear it?" She asked as I turned my head, listening carefully for any sound. But it wasn't a sound I heard, it was a, feeling. A feeling in my ears. Regardless of how little sense it made I could hear the feelings. "See, I'm not crazy" she said as I stepped closer. "Tammie" Melinda called out, grabbing my arm as I reached for the curtain dividing the laundry room and what I assumed lead to the secret garden.
    "What was that?" I asked as I sucked in as much air as I could, feeling like myself. I didn't realize it then but every noise outside of that room had been silenced. Not the eerie kind where you know something is wrong, but the kind just before you fall asleep.
    "I don't know" Melinda answered.
    "What was it like for you? What did you feel?" I asked turning around to face her.
    "Nothing, but it creeped me out. It just sounded like the closer I got louder it got. Like a crowded room" she explained as we both looked at the curtain. "Isn't that what you heard?"
    "No" I told her as I glanced over my shoulder, I could hear it again, I could feel it again.
    "Tammie, you okay?" Melinda asked but I wasn't paying attention. I could see through the curtain and it looked so familiar. I've seen that place before, haven't I? But I couldn't have. It looked like a village, dark, a brick pathway, lights, it lead somewhere, the signs said something. I tilted my head, trying to get a better look but it was so distorted.
    "Tammie!" I jumped, Melinda's voice practically in my ear. "Are you okay?" She asked in a panic as I sat up, not even realizing I had been on the ground.
    "What happened?"
    "I don't know, you fainted, you looked over your shoulder and went stiff and then you fainted" she explained as she helped me stand up.
    "I haven't eaten much today" I told her as she glared at me.
    "Really? That's the best excuse you can come up with?"
    "Better than the truth" I mumbled but based on her expression she heard me, "I don't know, it looked familiar, like a village with a long brick path, lots of shops, dimly lit, I think one shop said...um..." I snapped my fingers, I could see the name in my head. "Something about honey, I think. Honeydew, Honeywell, honey—"
    "Dukes?" Melinda asked as the color left her face.
    "Yeah! That's the one! Why does that sound familiar?" I asked scrunching my nose at her expression. Had I said something wrong?
    "Alright girls, I'm headed to bed" Melinda's mom said as she came down stairs. "I think I got all the laundry taken care of" she said walking over the laundry room, scanning the area and then coming over to give me a hug. "It's so great to have you over Tammie, I hope Melinda is a good host" she said as I half smiled, perplexed by the lack of effect the secret garden had on her.
    "Yeah she's been great" I said as Mrs. Sawyer nodded and gave Melinda a hug and kiss goodnight and I took the moment to appreciate how much Melinda looked like her mom, from the long wavy brown hair to the almost pale skin and bright blue eyes. Most people said I didn't look that much like my mom, aside from being the same dark skin complexion she was and almond shaped hazel eyes. I was more like my father, average with a kind face and distant expression. At least anyone who knew my father said that. Anyone who just knew me and my mom found it hard to believe we were mother and daughter.
    "Night girls!" Mr. Sawyer called from the stairs and then proceeded up the stairs to his room, Mrs. Sawyer smiling as she headed up herself.
    "Now, what is Honeydukes? What does sound familiar?" I asked once I was sure Mrs. Sawyer wouldn't be returning. Melinda ran over to the computer, pulling up one of our favorite sites, a Harry Potter fan made site that listed just about every detail from the series. "Let me guess, a shop in Hogsmeade?" I joked but when I saw Melinda wasn't laughing I looked at the computer screen. Listed in front of my eyes were all the shops found at Hogsmeade, Honeydukes Sweetshop number five. "You know how impossible that sounds right? And do you know how many places are named Honeydukes?" I asked but my eyes caught the picture of Hogsmeade, just like I saw it. I felt my heart sink and lift at the same time.
    "Obviously that's not what you saw though" Melinda said her voice distance. "I didn't see anything" she added as I nodded, unable to shake off the feeling.
    "No way that's what I saw, it was nothing" I agreed as Melinda nodded, putting to end the wildest of fantasies.
    Somehow, twenty minutes later we were back to watching the movie, Melinda's mind as if the last half hour didn't even happen. I on the other hand couldn't get the image out of my mind. What was it? What happened? How did I see it? What did it mean? The nearby clock ticked ten o' clock as Melinda yawned. I didn't know if she was actually tired or hinting that she knew I was distracted. It was nothing, I told myself as I gave her my best smile and asked for some popcorn.
    As soon as the movie ended Melinda got up to start another one, but she stopped short. I followed her eyes to the clock, it still read ten but I knew at least forty minutes passed. "Maybe it needs new batteries?" I suggested but Melinda shook her head.
    "We just put batteries in there, brand new ones."
    "Maybe it's a shitty clock" I commented as Melinda waved me off. "I'll be right back, I'm gonna use the bathroom" I told her as I headed upstairs, taking two at a time.
    "Quite, everyone else is sleep" she reminded me as I switched to tiptoeing. As I came out of the bathroom and put my foot on the top step I sensed something off. It was that silence again. Utter silence. "Melinda!" I hissed from the stairs. At first I was worried she wouldn't come because whatever happened happened to her too, but she was at the bottom step in a matter of seconds. "Something is wrong." She came up the stairs and looked around.
    "It's just fog" she said as I looked at the window, not even realizing the windows had fogged up. All the windows had fogged up.
    "Not that, but, don't you hear it?" I asked as she looked around.
    "No." I searched the room with my eyes but didn't see anything out of place, but it still all felt out of place. I hurried up the second staircase, Melinda quick behind. I turned to quick, knocking over the broom, which made a loud sound on the wood floor. I waited for someone to come out and yell at us or say something but nothing happened. Absolutely nothing.
    "That's good luck" Melinda said either unaware of how unusual that was or immediately going into denial that anything was strange. A special talent of hers.
    "You can hate me for this later" I said as I picked up the broom and slammed it against the wall, once, twice, three times. I would've gone for a fourth but Melinda had grabbed the broom from me.
    "Have you lost your mind!" She hissed running to her brother's room and peeking in and then peeking in her parent's room.
    "They're still sleep, isn't that odd?" I asked as I went back to the door to her brother's room. "Are they even in there?" Again, Melinda came over to me to peek inside.
    "Of course they're in here" she stated walking into the room, leaving me at the doorway.
    "Mel" I called after a long minute of her not saying anything. Was something wrong with her too now? I stepped into the room, seeing the clock in the boys room had stopped working too. And the tv. "Melinda" I whispered, nodding toward the television. "Something is wrong." She looked like she didn't want to believe me but she knew I was right.
    "They're breathing but I can't wake them up" Melinda said sounding quite concerned.
    "Should we call the police?" I asked stupidly, Melinda running to her parents room, testing their breathing, her face paler than before. "I mean, I don't think they're dead" I said knowing I wasn't helping the situation but I couldn't think of anything else to say.
    "We should call" Melinda decided as I nodded and we both raced downstairs to the phone. As I picked up the phone my witty (and probably inappropriate) comment was erased by the lack of dial tone. I hung up and tried again, I could feel my eyes widen as I stared at Melinda.
    "What happened?" She asked anxiously as I handed her the phone.
    "It's dead" I whispered, again, fighting the urge to resist making a stupid comment.
    "We have to go get help then" she said running to the door. I would've stopped her had she managed to open the door, but it was clear the door was locked as she tried to pull. I looked around the house, my minding splitting between grabbing a knife and huddling in a corner to cry. But then, within seconds my mind cleared and I felt that same pull I felt earlier. I glanced at the basement door. Then back at Melinda who was trying to find a solution or explanation. "Where are you going?" She hissed at me as I half realized my foot was on the stair to the basement.
    "I don't know, I just...I feel something" I told her as she cautiously stepped over to me.
    "It's that room isn't it? I knew I shouldn't have shown you! You must have done something" she insisted as I sneered at her.
    "Yes, because I was away from you long enough to do all this" I snorted waving my hands as I stepped down another stair. "Maybe there will be some answers down here" I suggested knowing I was both wrong and right.
    "But this isn't normal"
    "I never said it was" I told her as I walked down the last few steps, Melinda still hesitating on the third step. "C'mon, I'm not finding answers by myself" I told her as she glanced back up. "Listen, I know you're scared, I am too, I have no idea what this pull is, but, it doesn't feel...bad" I tried explaining.
    "But you don't know what it is, you know I hate horror movies and stuff" she said as I glanced over at the curtain.
    "Yeah, I do too, but, I don't think it's anything like that. Michael Myers isn't waiting to murder us" I told her as she gave me a harsh glare.
    We found ourselves in front of the curtain. "You hear it, I feel it" I told her as she twitched, indicting she did in fact hear something.
    "Do you think that means something?"she asked half curious, half criticizing, I shrugged, knowing she wasn't actually waiting for an answer. "Do you see anything again?" She asked, this time meaning for it to be a question.
    "No" I said as I reached for the curtain, Melinda making a small noise. "Either I do this or I don't" I told her as she nodded and shook her head at the same time, making it look more like a twitch. "It's gonna be okay, whatever is back here we'll figure it out and help your family" I assured her.
    "Thanks" she said with the smallest of smiles. I nodded, swallowed hard and pulled back the curtain, revealing a large door. "Okay" she said, mostly talking to herself. "Relax" I looked over at her and she silently counted to herself and then nodded at me. "Ready" she said as I nodded and opened the door. I walked in first, not meaning to be brave, but just out of habit for adventure I figured. Or attempting to protect my friend.
    We walked just far enough in that we both jumped sky hight when the door closed behind us. "Shit" I mumbled hating myself for feeling the need to explore this room and hating Melinda a little for mentioning it. On Halloween.
    "We're gonna die" Melinda cried out as I started turned to face her and say something but noticed a small glow just beyond on the right. I grabbed her arm and marched toward the glow. I'd be damned if we died here.
    I abruptly stopped when we came upon a tub. "What is this?" I asked her thinking maybe this whole thing was some elaborate prank to prove Halloween is a terrifying holiday. Melinda was always the creative one.
    "I—I don't know" she said, her voice still low.
    "This isn't a joke?"
    "I think if I was joking I would've pulled the punchline way before this" she snapped back. I wanted to respond with a sarcastic comment but felt that pull again, this time it was a tight grip that almost yanked me down. At the same time Melinda covered her ears. "What is that!" She shouted as I steadied myself. We both looked at the tub, it was definitely this. "This may sound crazy" I started as we looked at each other.
    "I think we're beyond crazy..." I tilted my head and closed my eyes, hovering my hand over various spots on the tub, trying to pinpoint where the feeling was originating from. My hand stopped on the faucet. "Put your ear near here" I told her as she looked at me like I had lost my mind. "Please" I added, my patience short. She sighed and kneeled, down, moving her ear closer and then immediately jerking back. "So that's in then, it's coming from here" I confirmed. She nodded and I stared at the faucet for another second. "Well that settles that" I said as I stepped in the tub, Melinda trying to pull me out.
    "What are you doing?" She exclaimed.
    "Clearly this is something and if I touch it and get transported I'd like my whole body to come along, not just my arm" I told her. "You coming?"
    "NO!" I smirked at her over the top response compared to my response reminding me why we were friends in the first place. "This is dangerous."
    "I'm sure you're absolutely right and we should go back and call the cops, but I'm more than positive the door out is locked and the phones are dead, so if we want answers, it looks like this is our only way. So either I go by myself or we go together, but I'm not staying here" I told her as she looked around, her eyes darting for anything familiar. "I'm scared too" I told her, more serious this time, my voice lower. Seemingly that was the answer as she nodded and climbed in.
    "We're not...gonna tell anyone about this right?" She asked as we sat down, squeezed together in the small tub.
    "Who would believe us?" Again her eyes darted around once more.
    "Okay" she said as she reached over me, my hand already outstretched. "One"
    "Two..."
    "Three!" We both touched the faucet, and when we did all air seemed left my body. I couldn't breathe. It was like I was being contorted and spilt and bent and squeezed all at once, starting at my belly button and radiating outward. It was the most painful and confusing experience. And then just as suddenly as it came, it was gone.