"And now, we'll need to place these six candles in the center of the table," Carmen directed as Amber and Shelby helped set up the long purple candles Madam Vadoma had given them.

"I can't believe the AcaDec room just happened to have a circular table," Amber mentioned while dusting off her hands and looking around at the eerie old room.

"Yes! Academic Decathlon really came into clutch tonight!" Shelby cheered.

The trio had decided to hold their seance in the old classroom where the Decathletes would sometimes hold their practice. The sun began to melt into a hazy pink and orange horizon by this point, and the girls knew the janitor wouldn't be coming by this side of the building anyway as the majority of the classrooms there had long been abandoned.

"Gosh, there's so much dust flying around right now," Shelby wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes, forcefully holding back a sneeze.

"Of course, we just finished moving that table and three chairs that hadn't been used in God knows how long here," Amber said. "I hope we see more than dust tonight."

"We will, I have a good feeling about this," Carmen reassured them. "These classrooms used to be used back in the eighties. Remember the graffiti in the stalls a few doors down?"

"Yeah, the most recent message I saw had 1980 written underneath," Shelby said.

"That means this room here— well, any room on this side of the building really— will have strong residual energy," Carmen explained. "The more I think about it, the more that old hallway we crossed the other day reminds me of my dreams. Rain her classmates walked through that hall and sat in these classrooms all the time. Rain had some of her most intense moments in this area, too."

"Right! Like her fight with Sloane," Shelby pitched in. "Alright, well I brought my mom's lighter. Shall we get started?"

Amber's mind was elsewhere, however. "Hold on, there's something I need to take care of first. Could you girls wait here?"

"Oh nooo way, is Amber actually scared?" Shelby giggled.

"No. I just need a moment.. alone, before we start."

"Ok, just don't take too long," Carmen said while passing Shelby a flashlight to help her light the area as she mounted her dad's camcorder on a tripod. The sun had completely set. The only sources of illumination came from the lonely moon and Shelby's flashlight.

Amber stepped out, left the door slightly ajar, and made sure no one was following her before walking down the hall and turning the corner towards a flight of stairs going up. She knocked on the wall three times. A tall figure emerged from the top of the stairs and stared down at her.

"It's me," Amber whispered. She glanced back once more before heading up. "We're just about to start."

"Are you sure it's ok for me to be here?" Hayden scratched the back of his neck nervously and gave Amber a worried look.

"Yes, we need someone to keep guard. You're not scared, are you? You don't need to stay if you don't want to." Amber reached for his arm to comfort him. It was a good thing there was hardly any light, otherwise, he'd see her blush.

"No. I want to keep you safe. And your friends too, of course. My only question is, why do I have to stay all the way over here?"

Because I don't want my friends to think that I, Amber Wright, need a man to depend on for safety! Because I want you to be involved, but I don't want my friends to know that I could be so softhearted as to want you around me so badly.

"I... I haven't told my friends I've been filling you in on our investigation. I don't know how they'll react, so it's safest if they don't find out you're here."

"Oh, I see. I was worried I'd upset some ancient unspoken rules of a seance."

"Pfft, what rule? I don't think that matters. Look. If anything, you can stand right outside the door and guard us. I just don't want you freaking out and blowing our cover."

"Yes ma'am, I am at your service," Hayden saluted her with two fingers before following her down the stairs.

"Gosh, you're such a dork," Amber rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"See you soon," she whispered and smiled softly before closing the door.

***

"We are gathered here tonight to contact the spirit of Rain Wilson," Carmen began in a clear and firm voice. Her voice echoed in the abandoned room.

The girls held hands around the round table with their eyes closed, where the candles cast distorted shadows onto the walls far behind them.

Then the trio started to chant. "We seek justice for your wrongful death. Commune with us, Rain Wilson, and move among us."

"Rain, if you can hear us, please make your presence known," Carmen stated, keeping her eyes closed.

They waited. And waited. In this unnerving darkness, the only presence they felt was each other through the circle of hands.

Silence. Apart from the flickering of the candle and the dripping of wax, their incantation was met with solemn silence and emptiness.

"Commune with us when you are ready, Rain," Carmen said authoritatively. "We are here to help you."

After a few more minutes of dead silence, Carmen decided to be more assertive. "Rain, are you here with us? Make your presence known."

They waited. Eyes closed. Nothing.

"Rain, if you are here, make a sound," Shelby ordered.

A crow cawed outside and suddenly flapped away from its perch in desperation.

"Shelby, I'm the medium—"

A slow knock was heard at the door— not once, but twice. The girls snapped their heads to the door and their eyes shot open. The door was still closed.

Amber's heart raced until she remembered Hayden. Was he the one knocking? Two knocks wasn't their signal, though. If it was him, he would've used their code of three knocks— a single knock followed by two rapid ones, not two slow bangs.

"Everyone close your eyes," Carmen whispered. The girls did as they were told.

Shelby gulped, suddenly feeling her body go cold. She almost wanted to leave the room, but the thought of someone... something blocking the  door sent chills up her spine. How would they know it was Rain for sure, and not.. something else?

"We seek to communicate with Rain. Are you Rain Wilson? Knock twice for yes, once for no," Carmen directed.

The trio awaited. Whatever was behind the door knocked once... followed by another knock.

Amber's breath hitched and then released.

"If you are indeed Rain Wilson, please come in and join our circle tonight."

The door handle shook as if whatever or whoever was behind the door struggled to open it.

Amber wondered if Hayden had finally lost his wits and was trying to join them. Shelby's heart pounded, worried that the janitor or some random teacher was playing a prank on them.

The door creaked open slowly yet loudly. Even though they weren't supposed to open their eyes, Shelby couldn't resist. She squinted one eye while taking a sneak peek with the other. One of the candles flickered. Its flame wasn't strong enough to light the entrance, and all she could see was pitch darkness.

Carmen's camcorder, which was set on night-vision, recorded bright ghost orbs flying by amongst floating dust.

It's so cold all of a sudden, Amber realized. She held Carmen and Shelby's hands a little tighter.

"Are you in pain?" Carmen asked, her eyes still closed. Her question was met with silence.

"The candles..." Shelby murmured.

The girls opened their eyes. Three of the six candles had gone out.

"Is that a yes?" Carmen said.

The other three candles remained lit. Two knocks were heard on the desk behind Carmen. Carmen gulped. That was a yes.

"Communicate through the candles from now on," Carmen directed. She knew that more subtle indications of a spiritual presence took less energy for a ghost. "You can all ask questions now, too."

Amber said clearly, "Are you in physical pain?"

Three of the candles suddenly lit back up, making all six of them lit.

"That must be a no," Carmen said.

"Are you in emotional pain?" Shelby questioned.

Three of the candles went out. The girls looked at each other and nodded.

"Do you need our help?" Amber asked.

The candles stayed as they were.

"We are here to help you," Carmen said, holding back tears. "I know you, I've been dreaming of your life. I know the pain you've been through.. before you... before you passed. I want to know, is my dad with you? Is Joel Larson with you?"

"Easy there, one question at a time," Amber reminded her gently.

"Sorry."

The candles lit back up.

No.

"Is he in heaven?"

The candles stayed lit, and Carmen's heart dropped. "Is... is he in.. hell?"

Shelby and Amber passed each other a worried glance. Carmen focused on the candles.

Nothing changed.

"Do you know where he is?"

Nothing.

"Is he even dead?" It was a hopeless question. Carmen knew he was dead, she'd seen his body. But what if it wasn't him? What if whoever found him confused him for another addict? He didn't look like the father she once knew. Without makeup, he had dark circles under his eyes. His tan skin looked so much paler than before, and the body was fragile and bony with marks and bruises on the inside of his elbow. That corpse could've easily been mistaken as his. But that would mean he abandoned Carmen and her mother... and she wasn't sure which was worse.

Three of the candles flickered out in response.

"He's dead," Carmen choked out, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Carmen..." Shelby said sadly.

Carmen sniffed. She had to continue the seance, she knew this wasn't about her.

"Do you remember how you died?" Carmen asked.

This time, something peculiar happened. The three flames reignited, then went out, then came back.

The girls looked at each other in confusion.

"Did you kill yourself?" Amber asked. Shelby and Carmen held hands tighter, unsure whether such a direct question would upset Rain's spirit.

The candles remained lit. No.

"Did someone murder you?" Shelby went this time.

The candles flickered out. All six of them. The extinguished flames left everyone in pitch-black darkness.

Suddenly, someone began to whimper.

"Rain..? Is that you?" Shelby turned her head in either direction. The whimpering sounded so close, almost as if it were coming from right next to her.

"Rain, are you still here?" Amber's voice echoed. "Have we upset you? I'm sorry if we did, we're only trying to help. We need more clues to find your killer. Do you know who killed you?"

Carmen's hands trembled. She trembled so violently, that she almost slipped away from the grasp of her friends.

"Carmen! You told us breaking the circle of hands was dangerous!" Amber panicked and tightened her grip around her palm.

All six candles flickered back on to reveal a slouched-over Carmen with her thick curly hair draped over her face.

Rain doesn't know who killed her, Shelby realized when the candles lit up. "Carmen, what's the matter with you?"

Carmen's body was slouched over and limp. Her hands felt cold.

"Carmen? Are you ok?" Amber tried to restrain the desperation from creeping into her voice, but she could hardly hold back.

Suddenly, Carmen twitched. That's when they realized where the whimpering was coming from.

"I... I can't remember..." Carmen drawled. Her voice sounded slow and slurred, almost as if she was drunk.

"Can't remember what?" Amber asked. What on earth was going on?

"How... they.. killed me. I know, I know they killed me— I wasn't ready, I wasn't ready so why? Why me?" Carmen shook and sobbed.

"Rain," Shelby's eyes lit up. "She's communicating through Carmen."

"Rain, try to remember," Amber coaxed. "Go back to that final night. Who were you with? Where were you?"

"I— I don't know. I was at home, then I was in a.. in— in a car, but I saw so many faces," Carmen, or Rain, choked out between hopeless sobs. "I saw so many faces and no one helped me. No one saved me, why didn't they save me?"

"It's ok if you can't remember your last night," Shelby said gently. "Could you at least tell us about the events leading up to it? It could help us figure out who hurt you."

Rain sniffles before smiling into the distant darkness. "One of my last good memories was with Joel..."