12 hooded figures stood in a circle in a clearing surrounded by pines. The light of the full moon the only source of illumination, not enough to see the individual young faces beneath their hoods.

“Where’s Rachel? She was supposed to bring the doll!”, said the tallest of the figures, the apparent leader of this proceeding.

“I am here”, came a rushed voice as the last of the thirteen stepped into the clearing.

“Did you bring it?”, the taller figure asked expectantly.

“Yes, yes I have it here.”, Rachel answered.

“Then let us begin. Place the doll in the center and then join the circle.”

Rachel placed the doll onto the ground in the center and then stepped back to join the others, closing the last gap in the circle.

“There is power in us and there is power in lies! Let us bind to this doll the fate of the one who has berated and bullied us all!”, the leader began.

“Cast back your hoods and let the moon shine bright upon you. Let all here see who would cast this curse and speak the lie. I shall go first.” There was a brief pause as the leader Meghan pulled back her hood, then in a monotone voice she spoke, “Water is dry.”

She looked to the girl on her right. Sarah pulled back her hood and spoke in a similar monotone voice, “The sun brings us darkness.”

The next girl removed her hood and spoke, “The Earth is flat.”

Around it went, each girl speaking a bold faced lie until it reached Rachel, the last of the thirteen. Let this lie be the one to seal her fate, she thought to herself. Pulling back her hood, her eyes glinting in the moonlight she spoke, “Julie is nice to us all.”

The doll began to glow with an unearthly light, its eyes appeared to twinkle, then the glow faded away. The curse complete, Rachel retrieved the doll. She gave the doll’s hair a sharp yank…

Across town, Julie screamed at the sudden pain. Her hair, she was sure, had been yanked but she was in her room alone. Poor Julie, her world was about to get a lot more dark…

[The end]

This is my entry for Day 13 of the 31 Days of Halloween Challenge hosted over at Flutter by Literature. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Check out my entries for the first 12 days here:

1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8—9—10—11—12

Have a spooky Halloween!

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