contacting the dead and other fun games

Ouija Board. I think we all can remember our first terrifying experiences with this Parker Brothers goldmine.

I was 8. My friend Andrea and I were playing our usual games of dress-up, feeding her goldfish and choreographing rollerskating dances to Ace of Base songs. Then, Robin showed up. Robin was your "know-it-all gutsy girl." I did not like her for the fact that she always called me a "sissy" when I didn't want to climb a tree or play football. It made me even more mad that Andrea liked her.

"Hey, guys, look what I've got." Robin proudly displayed her new game in front of her.

Any game I can't pronounce is not a game I feel like playing. Move on, Robin.

"Ooooooh! You got an Ouija Board?" Andrea's big mouth flapped.

"Yeah! Let's go in and play!"

So, we followed Andrea into her house and set the game up on her coffee table. Andrea's little sister joined us as well. Both Robin and Andrea excitedly explained the game to me and said they would go first to demonstrate the awesome supernatural effects. The girls placed their fingertips on the sides of the indicator and began asking questions.

"Okay, does Andrea like Ben?"

Indicator points to "YES."

"Ahhhhh!!! Oh my gosh you TOTALLY like Ben!! HAHAHAHA!!"

About four more questions were asked in this fashion when Robin said it was my turn. I took Andrea's spot and Robin proceeded with, "Okay, we are going to try to contact my dead Great-great Grandmother. Her name is Beatrice. I want to find out how she died. We have to concentrate really hard."

Whoa!? Wait, what? Now I'm scared. The last thing I wanted was to provide Robin with any more ammo of how chicken I was, so I pushed forward.

"Dear Great-great Grandmother Beatrice. Are you there?"

Indicator points to "YES."

"Can you tell us how you died?"

Indicator points to "YES."

"How did you die?"

Indicator points to "M. U. R. D. E. R."

"Guys, I don't want to play anymore."

"Come onnnnnn, Karen! Give me a break. We are finally making a connection." Robin continues.

"Who murdered you, Great-great Grandmother Beatrice."

The indicator moves around in circles.

"Is it someone in THIS room?"

The indicator point to "K. A. R. E. N."

"OKAY! I'M DONE!" I waved my hands in the air. "Look, I have never murdered anyone before. NEVER! I wasn't even alive when your great-great grandmother died!"

"I'm pretty sure she died last year...soooo you would have been alive." Robin always had a comeback.

'Well, I didn't murder anyone!" I ran home.

My mom had dinner for me waiting on the table. She sat next to me and asked about my day. I told her how upset I was because of the Ouija Board and I was being accused of murdering Robin's relative. My mom told me that we were going back over to Andrea's house after dinner and she would force the girls to tell me it was just a game.

I really, REALLY did not want to go through with that due to the inevitable humiliation and teasing that would take place at school the next day. However, I was curious if this was just a joke or if I had unconsciously killed Robin's dear grandmother the previous year.

Mom and I knocked on Andrea's door and both girls answered.

"Hi girls. So, Karen tells me you were playing with the Ouija Board and someone said she murdered a grandmother? Karen is really scared and it would be nice if you told her it was just a game and you made it all up."

Andrea and Robin looked at one another. Startled that a mom had to come over and reprimand them, they cowardly said, "Yeahhhhh, Karen, it's just a game. We made it up."

You would think that would have been enough for me. You would think I wouldn't have been such a gullible child. You thought wrong. I had bad dreams for a week about ghosts and angry grandmothers. To this day Ouija Boards still make me uncomfortable. Even though the new design makes it less authentic looking, the purpose is one I am not going to mess with. However, if YOU are one that enjoys the evil crafts that exude from playing this nightmare producing game then here is a friendly link to ask a cyber Ouija Board all your deepest, darkest questions! Have fun!