By Marlo Frank ’22

I was home alone when the door opened, revealing the face of my excited friends, ready for a sleepover. They were kind of scared too, because we were gonna do Bloody Mary that night. But our giddiness was overwhelming and I liked a good scare. As they ran up the stairs to my bedroom, my cat Pumpkin leaped over to greet them. ”Hey Pumpkie-Pie!” cooed Trisha. “He likes you more than me, even if you don’t smash compliments up his nose,” I said to her. I lift up my phone to look up scary Bloody Mary poems or stories, and this one popped up:” Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was white as snow. Anywhere that Mary went, it would surely go. She brought the lamb to school one day, and the kids all laughed and jeered. The children took her lamb away and she choked on tears. Mary had a little lamb, its fleece was red as blood. She took the little body home, and swore she’d hurt them good. Mary knew that lamsblood called, things ancient and hidden and deep. As Mary painted signs of old, never did she weep. Mary had a little lamb, it made her something scary. Now I dare you to look in a mirror as you whisper ‘Bloody Mary’.” Squeals filled my bedroom. I kick the cat out of the room and grab the T.V. remote. As the MovieMasters screen blinks to life, I ask the question. “Who’s ready for scary movies? We need to get in the mood for Bloody Mary.” “Let’s watch Nightmare on Elm Street ! Please, Shay?” pleaded Agnus. “Fine. But after, we get to watch The Exorcist. It’s super scary, and perfect for hyping us up!”

So a few terrifying hours later, were finished watching scary movies. As we migrated to the bathroom, I feel strange. Not sick or hurt, but strange, like someone was about to prank or scare me. Sure enough, Trish jumped on and tackled me. “What?! Your a jerk!” Everyone collapsed into giggles for the next ten minutes. As we close the bathroom door, I felt a jolt of energy go through us. “Um, did anyone feel that? Or am I just scared…” When no one answered, I started to worry. Then, they all turned at the same time and said, “She’s here.”….”Pfffft.” Agnes started to giggle, and then burst into hysterics. “YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN YOUR FACE!” “Ugh, you guys are idiots. I’m not scared, and we need to start soon or shell get scared away!”

The lights are off, and we’re freaked out, trying to tell ourselves that it’s fake and we have nothing to worry about. Then, we start to chant. “Bloody Mary, come to me, come to me, come to me.” Nothing happened, and we were so happy. As Trisha says, “See, I told you guys she wasn’t real,” we start to leave. But when I was going out the door, a cold and rough hand gripped my forearm. The last ting I remember was my friends banging on the closed door and a voice like gravel screaming, “Bloody portal, Bloody portal, TAKE THIS SOUL!” Then, darkness.

I wake up to a dull pain all over my body. The ground is damp and hard as concrete. As I push myself up, pain vibrates through my left arm. When I look down at it, it’s twisted at a not normal angle.”Ohmigod. Oh. My. God.” As I freak out about my dislocated, broken arm, I realize I still have to worry about Bloody Mary. From what I can remember, my friends weren’t on my side of the door. I hear something slither behind me and I whip around. Nothing. Just the barren, gray, scary plaines of land behind me. I can see the frame of the mirror-portal, and my bathroom behind it. I go towards it and try to go through it, but it was as strong as a marble pillar. “Ugh, why would I skip gym so many times? I never meant for this.. this thing to happen.” When I turn around I see her, clear as day. Rotting gray flesh. Mutilated limbs and face. Blood dripping. Drip. Drip. Drop.