Soul Ritual

Mara had always been an unapologetic geek. Even at nineteen, she still spends most of her time watching anime, and her room is still covered in anime posters. Wherever she go, she always prefer wearing her favorite anime shirts, with her dark hair tied back in its usual ponytail. Mara is someone you could say is good-looking, but her personality and choice of clothing can be off-putting to some people.

Ellie, Mara’s best friend, was the exact opposite of subtle. At twenty years old, she spends most of her time glued to her phone, endlessly scrolling through gossip, drama, and whatever nonsense is currently trending online. Although overweight, Ellie is far more fashionable than most people expect, usually wearing trendy outfits that make her dark skin stand out naturally. She can be loud and nosy, and somehow always knows things she probably shouldn’t.

Twenty-one year old John was the kind of guy who could get along with almost anyone. He’s tall and naturally good-looking without putting much effort. John rarely takes anything seriously and is always joking, especially whenever things get awkward. Even when he should probably be concerned, he usually just laughs it off instead.

Clara was by far the quietest of the group. She’s an eighteen year old trans girl who tends to keep to herself, usually just listening while everyone else talks. She is very pretty, has a long black hair, and likes wearing cute outfits. She doesn’t speak much unless she’s spoken to first, but around her friends she’s comfortable enough to just be there.

Mara’s parents are usually away for vacations and it became a common routine for the four friends to have sleepovers at her home. Right now, the house is calm in the absence of Mara's parents, filled instead with the low hum of a fan and the scattered presence of her friends who had long since made themselves comfortable. Her friend, Ellie, was scrolling idly before pausing on something that caught her interest. “Hey, look at this,” she said, holding up her phone. “Some weird ritual thing I found online. It’s supposed to be spooky or whatever.” It wasn’t presented as anything serious, just weird instructions for a spooky ritual that she found randomly online. Ellie has no idea what it does, but it sure can make the night interesting. John shrugged and grinned. “Sure, why not? Sounds fun. I’m in.” John agreed to do the ritual, and Clara, silent as ever, just nodded.

The chant itself was simple. “Okay, repeat after me,” Ellie said, reading from the screen. The friends' voices overlapped unevenly at first, then settled into a shared rhythm as they were able to get the hang of it. But that's about it. As expected, nothing happened, not even a flicker in the air. No shift in the room. No sudden chill or creeping sense of unease.

When they finished, the friends just couldn't help but laugh about how silly they looked and the time they wasted. “That was so stupid,” John chuckled as he released his hands. Ellie laughed too. “We looked like total idiots. Totally worth it though.” Clara simply went back to watching TV without a word. John reached for a drink as soon as they released their hands. Ellie skimmed through her phone again, back to doomscrolling. With their sleepover ending, Mara can't help but sigh at how uneventful things were. “Ugh… that was it?” she muttered quietly to herself.