It started out of boredom. A few young girls hanging out, no money, and no cars to go places. All they had was their imagination and dolls but there's just so much you can do with lifeless toys. Kagome remembers laying their with her friends on the living room floor, trying to brainstorm something new to do. It wasn't long before one of the girls suggested the Ouija board.

That was the first time.

Nothing happened. They ended up disappointed and decided to go outside to play. When she had come home and her mother asked what she did at her friends, she told them about the Ouija board and how it was suppose to summon spirits but it did nothing. Her grandfather who was listening came in with his eyes wide and livid. He told her that she should never play with the 'cursed' Ouija board. That it opens portals for demons from hell to come through.

Kagome tried to explain that it didn't work. It was just a child's game but her grandfather pressed the issue. 'It is dangerous' he said. It only brings misfortune. Maybe it was fact that her grandfather was so serious about it, or maybe that it was forbidden that she started to regain a interest in the Ouija board.

Kagome's grandfather had always been knowledgeable in spirits and demons. Everyday he would tell her something new that her mother would dismiss as 'his tales'. Things like how she should never stare into mirrors too long and how she should never take anything from yard sales because you never know what 'history' an item has.

Even though her mother always told her that her grandfather was just strange, in her young mind she couldn't help but think that what he was saying was fascinating. It made her imagination run wild. The more her grandfather put limits on her, the more Kagome wanted to break them, just to see if the things he said would happen. She wanted to see the spirits he talked about and wanted to feel this 'spiritual power' that her grandfather has.

As she grew older, she seek her grandfather out and asked him questions about the spirits and the underworld. He was delighted to tell her everything. Like how he use to be an exorcist, how he saw the spirit of a boy that had died in his old home, and even how he wrote a book on fighting demonic energy.

On her 12th birthday her grandfather gave her a chain that had 'spiritual power'. He gave it to her with this soft smile while he said 'This chain will protect you from anything dark. Keep it with you at all times.'

Kagome never took the chain off. It made her feel powerful and loved. She respected her grandfather and he gladly read to her about spirits. She was his disciple he would say with a joking smile. Kagome took it serious though. She listened to her grandfather and didn't break his rules even though she wanted to.

That all changed when her little brother Sota died. It had happened so suddenly. It was on his 12th birthday when Sota decided he wanted to go to the beach to celebrate it. Kagome worked hard with her mother to cook Sota a feast of his favorite foods. They traveled for five hours to get to the closest beach. They ate and then Sota was pulling her by the hand to get in the water with him. He wanted to swim. She told him to wait. She wanted to let her stomach rest. She watched as he got into the water without her...She remembers smiling and thinking how strange it was that he was already 12.

One minute he was there, the next he wasn't. There was no scream. No struggle. He was gone and in place there was a cloud of red. The next thing Kagome knew they were screaming about a shark and for everyone to get out of the water.

She just sat there. Her eyes still staring where her brother was like she thought he would just pop up and start to cry when he heard there was a shark. He's awfully afraid of them. He would run to his big sister for comfort. He never popped up. Kagome didn't accept it either.

She sat there for a very long time and it took her sobbing mother to get her up. Kagome remembers just sitting in the car and saying 'why are we leaving? We have to get Sota. We can't leave without Sota.' It took a few days before Kagome cried. It took a few days to hit her. When it finally sunk in, she was eating dinner. It was just her mother and grandfather eating with her. There was that empty space next to her. Taunting her.

She left her food, went into her brothers untouched room, laid in his bed, hugged the stuffed cat he always slept with and wept.

The despair was great but Kogame was not broken. Not like her mother was. Once she accepted his death, she couldn't accept not doing anything. She had to talk to him again. She had to have her brother. That shark may have killed her brother but Sota wasn't gone. He couldn't be gone. If she's learned anything from her grandfather it's that life goes on.

Without her grandfather knowing she had bought her own Ouija board. Day after day she would play with it, calling to Sota, wanting to talk to him again. She even went to the library to find more books about spirits and contacting them. All her effort came up short. She never got a response from Sota, or any spirit for that mater.

The first time was because of curiosity and boredom. Now it's out of desperation and she can't stop. It's become a habit, an obsession. She can't stop trying to contact Sota. She can't let him rest and she knows what she's doing could cause more harm than good but...just one last time. She wants to hear his voice and hold him. She wants to tell him that she's sorry she didn't get in the water with him. That she wasn't there with him when he died.

There's a part of her that doubts that her grandfather has any sense. That everything he told her was a lie. Surely if the Ouija board was as dangerous as he said it was, something would have happened by now. Nothing has. She pushes this doubt to the back of her mind. If she doubts it, then that means she doubts there's spirits...She doubts that Sota is out there and she can't doubt that.

So she continues to play with the board. No one knows of her deeds. She hasn't told her friends, and she certainly hasn't told her grandfather. Her mother is dealing with Sota's death in her own way. Sota isn't something they talk about. But all she wants to do is talk about Sota.

No one dare touch his room. Which is where Kagome does all of her Ouija board practices. She is sure she's the only one who still goes in there. This night is different though. This night has gotten her to reflect on her actions and how the fruit of her work seems to be in vain.

Because this night she can't get into Sota's room to play with the Ouija board. Kagome, age 17, tried to get into her brother's room only to find that her mother was in there. It was late at night and she appeared to be sleeping in his bed. Kagome can't do it in there but there's no way she would be able to get any sleep if she didn't try to contact Sota.

So that is why now, as she reflects on all of this, she is setting up the board in her room. Kagome has never done it in her room but since she hasn't gotten much luck in Sota's room it probably doesn't matter where she is. She moves about her room silently, skilled from doing this so much at the late hours of the night. She grabs her black and white candles candles and lights them, adjusting them in a circle around herself and the board. They burn with a stillness that she's use to.

"I have to admit it is a bit strange doing it in here..." She muses as she turns off the lights and sits down in the circle. She takes a deep breath before she puts her hands on the board. She glances around the darkness for a moment, the light from the fire illuminating her face. She takes another deep breath. "Sota are you there?" no response. "Sota...or if any spirit is here, let me know." Nothing. "Sota...talk to me.." Silence. "If anyone is there...please talk to me." Her hands don't move.

"I just...I just need answers." No one will talk to her. So she will talk. Like she always does. "...I'm looking for my brother Sota. If anyone is listening, please interact with me. I need to know someone is there..." Nothing happens.

"...My brother died a year ago. He was eaten by a shark on his birthday. He wanted me to get into the water but I had told him no..." She doesn't know why she's going so into it now. Saying it hurts. "Don't you see?...Don't you get it?" She feels her eyes water and her hands shake. "Please..." Her voice cracks. "I miss him."

Her words hang heavy in the air. She swallows and thinks that maybe she should start cleaning up-

"Ah!" Kagome's eyes widen when the piece she was holding is jerked forward roughly. She certainly didn't do that. Kagome's surprise soon turns to excitement, she can feel her heart beating faster, a hope in her chest.

"Is someone there?!" Kagome says with a bit too much enthusiasm. She almost squeals in delight when the piece moves to say 'yes'. Its movements are jerky. "Are you Sota?" Kagome holds her breath only to yelp when it's shoved over to 'no.' "oh...Well that's okay. Thank you for responding to me! Who are you?" She adjust herself, noticing how the air has gotten quite cold.

This is amazing. She's never been so excited in her life. Her grandfather was right! Spirits are real! All her work wasn't in vain! This may not be Sota but it gives her hope that she can reach him.

Kagome brightens when she realizes that the spirit is now spelling something out, using the piece. Maybe it's spelling out its name! She licks her lips as she reads the letters out loud it lands on.

"S. H. U. T. U.P." It stops. She stares at the board for a while before her eyebrows furrow. "...Shut up? Did you just tell me to shut up?" the piece jerks to 'yes.'

Well. It seems the first spirit she's found is a very rude one. "That's not very nice." She glares at the board. "I was just asking who you are! Why did you tell me to shut up?" The piece starts to move quickly again. So she reads the letters out loud.

"Y.O.U.R.E.A.N.N.O.N.Y.I.N.G." She process all the letters. "Well I'm sorry I'm annoying!" She feels her eyebrow twitch. "I'm just trying to get a hold of my brother! You know what? I was happy that you contacted me but now I wish you never did. You're not helpful at all. You just want to insult me."

"T.O.O B.A.D." It starts to move around quickly again. "A.L.L Y.O.U. D.I.D. W.A.S W.A.K.E M.E. UP." It jerks. "S.T.U.P.I.D"

"Hey don't call me stupid!" Kagome doesn't really know how to react. She's never gotten a response. She wasn't expecting the first spirit to be a butt head. By the way its acting...maybe it's a child spirit? She didn't wake the spirit up...but do spirits sleep? Kagome's anger leaves her as she's taken over by curiosity...that is till the spirit spells another 'stupid'.

"you know what? I don't have to take this. You're obviously not going to answer any of my questions. So why don't you just go away and back to sleep? I'd like to talk to someone who is more useful."

"I.A.M. U.S.E.F.U.L"

"Oh yeah? Prove it. Tell me where Sota is."

"N.O.T.T.E.L.L.I.N.G."

"Ha! That just proves you're useless!"

Kagome's eyes widen when the whole board shakes. She may have made it angry. "I.K.N.O.W.T.H.E.A.N.S.W.E.R"

"Then tell me."

"W.H.Y.W.O.U.L.D.I.T.E.L.L.Y.O.U. S.I.N.C.E I.M. U.S.E.L.E.S.S"

Kagome sighs. She really thinks that she may be talking with a child spirit. "...Okay, I'm sorry I called you useless. Could you please tell me where my brother is if you know?"

There's a pause. Then it moves to the 'no.'

Kagome feels like throwing the board. "What do you mean no?" It just goes to no again. "Ugh just go away! I don't want to talk to you. I want to talk to someone else."

"T.H.E.R.E.I.S.O.N.L.Y.M.E." The board jerks. "T.O.U.G.H.L.U.C.K."

"That's it. I'm ending this. I know you're lying. You're not the only spirit here. Sota is out there. I will find him." It goes to the 'no.' "Oh yes. I will. Goodbye to you butt head spirit!" It jerks to 'no.' again but she's not having it. She pushes on the piece, biting her lip when there's a force keeping her from pushing it too goodbye. With all her strength she shoves it over to goodbye and the force leaves.

"Jeez...The first time I get a spirit..." She trails off. The spirit was a jerk but it wasn't all for nothing. She got a reaction. She can communicate with the dead. She will just have to keep trying till she finds a spirit that wants to help her or Sota. Kagome blows out all the candles and puts away the board carefully in the box before placing it under her bed.

She climbs into her bed and pulls the covers up. There's a chill that has been left from that spirit but she's not afraid. It almost brings her comfort. It's proof that it happened. She cuddles with her blanket and falls asleep not feeling the glowing yellow eyes that are staring at her from the darkness.

I'm new to the fandom and it's pretty late considering how old this anime is but here I am. This one is short but this is a story i've already been working on so you don't have to worry about it updating. I will also be working on my other stories so these are more to hold you off and entertain.

Till next time!