Everyone who has been keeping up with my paranormal stories knows that I have a strong interest in—as well as a healthy fear of—paranormal occurrences. I’m fascinated by the possibility that the experience of “life after death” might not be so very distant from the experience of life, and by the points at which the two intersect. When I first saw the trailer for Ouija, I was both super scared and super excited because I love a horror movie with a great premise. For me, horror stories that are rooted in reality, like finding a seemingly innocent old board game and accidentally unleashing something unspeakable, are absolute delights.

I am thrilled to have been asked by Universal and Wattpad to write a story in support of the film’s release on October 24th. Many of you who’ve read Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board have asked me if I’ve ever personally done any of the things my characters have done, like use a Ouija board. The truth is, between my sophomore and junior years of college, I spent a summer living in a dorm room in New York City that all of the dormitory residents believed was haunted. While I never felt unsafe in that room, I also never felt… alone. My friends and I thought it would be funny to contact whatever was inhabiting my room with a Ouija board. While we didn’t open the gates of Hell (at least I don’t think we did), the experience was far more profound than any of us were expecting, and I barely slept a wink for the rest of the summer.

I hope you enjoy Room 9C, and I hope you go see Ouija on opening weekend so that we can discuss! If one of your friends died under mysterious circumstances, would you dare to use a Ouija board to find out what really happened to her?

- Zoe