His Father deserved it.

The room was dark and grungy, the slightest bit of sunlight shone through the small windows, revealing the dust floating around like a swarm of flies. I could barely breathe properly without inhaling the particles. “I feel like we should be wearing masks in this place” I coughed.

“Yeah no kidding.” Falon breathed heavily while brushing the dust out of his auburn waves. There were shelves on each wall filled with old vhs films, random artifacts, and ancient books. “We really aren’t supposed to be here.” Theia stammered.

“Oh shut up Theia, your killing our fun.” I teased. Theia was always the do-good kind of girl. Every time me and Falon tried to bring her anywhere with possible risk, she would be skeptical to the point where it would become obnoxious, but she’s been a part of our little friendship pact since kindergarten.

“I'm just saying, sneaking around an old witch cult library is not the best idea. I'm really not trying to bring home a demon spirit or some odd entity with me.” Theia muttered.

“This isn’t a witch cult library Theia” Falon remarked.

“Actually i think it is” I intervened as I brushed off a vhs video case with a large red pentagram on the front. “How to- child sacrifice.” I read the title.

“What the hell” Falon Gulped.

“I do not want to find out what's on that film whatsoever.” Theia held up her hands. I didn’t either, I placed it back on the shelf. The three of us continued to explore the forsaken room. It seemed more like a prison cell. The more I looked, the more disturbing it became. I noticed chains bolted to the wall, they had locks attached to them. Pictures of young infant boys crying, were scattered on the floor.

“Look guys” Falon held up a terrifying looking doll thing with button eyes and needles lodged into its chest. “It’s a voodoo doll.”

“Yikes,” I mumbled. “Poor girl is probably dead”

“Witchcraft just gives me the creeps” Theia shivers. As I continue to scan the shelves, I come across a little black book. Just like almost every other book and vhs video in the cell, the book had a red pentagram on it. It was titled ‘The book of luck’. It seemed as if the book was calling to me, I heard the whispers in my head “Serene, Serene, Take Me Home”. I tossed the book into my satchel, I wasn't going to sit this one out. About an hour of snooping around the cell had passed by, and the sun was making its way to the horizon. “Whelp, I’ve seen enough,” Falon yawns, “what do ya say we call it a day and head out of here?”

“God, finally.” Theia Rejoices.

“Yeah, I'm pretty tired.” I agreed. We head back up the stairs, which lead out into a small grove of naked deciduous trees. The colorful autumn leaves crunched beneath our feet as we walked back to Falon’s 1981 Lincoln Mark.

“So Serene, how did you hear about that place?” Falon quickly eyes me while he carefully maneuvers through the trees and onto the gravel road.

“Well wouldn’t you like to know?” I teased.

“Actually I would love to know,” Theia added “ it's a bit concerning.”

“Oh my god did you guys see that?” I pointed out the window to absolutely nothing, anything to distract them from telling them the truth of how I found the place. Some things are best kept to oneself.

“See what?” Theia mused.

“I could’ve sworn I'd seen a bear.” I conceded.

“I don’t know what drugs you’re on, we don’t have bears here” Falon began, “The wildest animal you’ll see around here is a frat boy.” I laughed hysterically. Theia giggled a bit too. Falon definitely was the comic relief of our squad, without him, me and Theia would not hit it off on our own.

“You’re stop Serene” Falon taps my shoulder, I had dazed off.

“Oh, right.” I open the door, “I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow?”

“Of course what else would we be doing?” Theia assures. I gently close the door and head into my house. I was definitely more than eager to flip through the little black ‘Book of luck’ I had discovered. As I enter my room, I throw my jacket onto my ‘catch all’ chair, then throw myself onto my bed. As I pulled the book out of my satchel, I could feel a strange energy surrounding it. I wasn’t quite sure whether it was good or bad, but I was bound to find out. I open to the front page. “Write your desired amount of money, on the first 6 pages, in the bottom left corner, write your name, on the following 6 pages in the top left corner, write ‘confirmed’ on the last 6 pages, in the middle”. This must be some sort of manifestation book, and I was definitely into that kind of stuff, so why not. How much money did I want? A million? No, too much, I'd be overwhelmed with that amount. Ten thousand? I think I could go a little higher than that. Twenty thousand? Perfect. I carefully followed the instructions, making sure every word was spelled correctly. I was relieved the instructions didn’t require me to draw my own blood or anything sketchy like that, considering the large red pentagram on the front page. Once complete, I carefully slid the book under my pillow.

As I woke up the next morning, I noticed the little book from under my pillow had somehow disappeared. I checked under my bed, it may have fallen. Nothing was there. I checked in my satchel, empty. As odd as it was, I had to leave it be and proceed to get ready for school. While doing so, I had a little thought to check my bank account. I Unlock my phone and open up the app. I couldn't believe my eyes, an extra twenty grand had been added. I felt overwhelmingly happy. Then, I felt scared, this was too easy, it didn't sit right. I didn’t have time to dwell on it right now, I couldn't be late for school.

I approach Theia at her locker, she looks... wrecked. “Are you okay Theia?” I was a bit concerned, considering there was not one day that Theia went without looking like a queen. “Honestly, I don’t know Serene.” She began, “I really wish I never came with you and Falon to the old cell, some sort of evil spirit has attached itself to me, or something.”

I raise my eyebrows, “really? Why do you think that?” I was curious, maybe it had something to do with me signing that book, after all, it did seem too easy to be true.

“I just couldn't sleep, every time I tried, I heard whispers.” She muttered, “the kind of whispers you don’t want to be hearing.” I felt bad, She looked distressed, I should've never brought her to that place. “I'm sorry, Theia.” I apologized, she wasn’t going to come with Falon and I to the cell, but I had pressured her. “Is Falon here yet?” I glance at the clock. “Class starts in like two minutes.”

“No idea.” Theia shrugged, “maybe he brought back a demon too.” The first bell had rung. English was first, it was one of the few classes i had with Falon, we sat next to each other, but he wasn't there yet, I felt lost without him. Ms. Kavoski, begins to call attendance.

“Serene Fletcher.”

“Here.” I raise my hand.

“Falon Klok.” She carefully scans the room. Then calls his name again.

“Falon Klok?” The door abruptly opens, It's him. Thank God he’s here.

“I’d appreciate it if you were on time for my class Falon.”

“I apologize Ms. Kavoski.” He replies. She nodded at him in surprise, Falon was usually never late but when he was he always had a clever little excuse, that would make the whole class snicker. He had his head down, and part of his long auburn hair covering his eye, something was wrong. I shoot him a text.

“What's wrong?”

“My Father came home last night.” He replied. That couldn't be good, I knew about how his father was verbally abusive to Falon and his mother. He was a wealthy man, and was always away on “business trips”. He was barely home, but when he was it was never good news.

“What did he do?” I reply.

“Can we just talk after class?” He replies.

“Sure.” I text back.

About an hour later. the bell had rung. “Don’t forget that Shakespeare hand out is due tomorrow, I won’t make any exceptions beyond that time.” Ms. Kavoski announces as we all exit the classroom. “Hey,” I whisper to Falon, “you wanna talk about it now?” Falon glances at me then nervously looks around.

“Can we talk somewhere more private?” He mutters.

“Custodians room?” I imply. It was the place our squad would always go when we wanted to escape all the chaos that went on at this hell hole of a school. “Custodians room.” Falon nods in agreement. “So what's going on?” I asked. He slowly pushed his hair away from his face, revealing a bruised eye. I gasped.

“ I know, I’m just as shocked as you.” He mumbles, “this is the first time he’s physically hurt me.”

“But why did he do it?” I questioned. Yes Falon’s father, Eric, had a way of tearing them apart, but only with words. I always thought he was all bark, no bite.

“He Burst through our doors at like 11:30 pm,” Falon continued, “He was yelling at me calling me an ungrateful son of a bitch, and accusing me of blowing twenty grand on his credit card. Like yes, I have access to my parents credit line, but I would never do such an idiotic thing, I only ever use it for educational purposes and sometimes on new clothes her and there.”

Twenty grand? This was on me, it had to be. A coincidence? I think not, this was black magic at its finest. I was planning on keeping my little treasure a secret, but not if it was at Falon’s expense, I had to tell him.

“I need to tell you something Falon.” I swallowed and looked down at my sweaty palms. “ I may have had something to do with that missing twenty grand.” Falon confusedly narrowed his eyes at me. “How?”

“Well, you know when we went to that witch cult cell yesterday?” I began, “I found a little book, titled ‘The Book Of Luck’ , and I brought it home. It instructed me to write my desired amount of money. Anyways, I wrote down twenty grand, and when I woke up and checked my bank account today, right before my eyes, I was rich. Or at least I thought I was before you told me about this.” I shake my head, “god I knew it just seemed too damn easy.” Falon blankly stares at me for what seemed to be forever. I just know he’s probably pissed. He then begins laughing hysterically. I frowned at him, this was not the reaction I expected at all. “You're not mad at me?”

“If anything I'm mad at you for not sharing with me,” He catches his breath. “If that book magically took money out of my jerk of a father’s bank account, who the hell are they gonna trace it back to? My father makes that much in 2 weeks, he can suck it up.”

He continues to laugh, which makes me laugh. “So we are doing a squad road trip then?” He jokes.

“Lets actually do it..” I imply, we both stare at each other's wild eye’s in silence.

“We shouldn’t tell Theia about this, keep it on the down low.” He whispers.

“I'm down if you are.” I smile.

“Say no more.” He grabs my hand.