Natasha's Choice

By Sharon Armell

Although desperately seeking to fit into the popular crowd on campus, Natasha feels rejection. How far is she willing to go? She has walked for months in fear and indecision. Several of her choices lead to danger, darkness, and terrifying evil. Can she find her way back to the light? Follow Natasha on her treacherous path toward acceptance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 19, 2019
• ISBN: 9781644925188

Book preview

Chapter 1

There comes a time in everyone’s life when a choice must be made. This choice is a matter of life and death. There is definitely a right and wrong decision. There are no gray areas in which to escape.

This is the story of Natasha’s choice.

Natasha started out as any middle-class child would, basically carefree and precocious. There were days on end that the worst thing that happened was a scraped knee. Then there were those days she could not explain. The first time it happened, she was exploring the wooded area that was her constant playground. She had just come upon her favorite flower, the wild buttercup, when an unexplainable fear crept over her. It seemed like someone or something was watching her. Startled, she turned quickly to confront the source of her fear but saw nothing. Extremely frightened, she quickly forgot about picking any flowers and ran for home. Her fears were instantly forgotten in the encompassing love of her parents. Her family was not rich in the sense of money, but they had a full to overflowing wealth of love. Natasha had been taught that love conquers all; so with her fears forgotten, she never mentioned the dread she had experienced in the woods.

Chapter 2

At the age of thirteen, Natasha began going through the trauma of leaving childhood behind. Despite knowing what was expected of her, Natasha, being a teenager, did the opposite. She was rebelling against the love and wisdom of her parents but had no idea why. The only thing she knew for sure was that Amanda, her best friend for the past year or so, never did anything her mom or dad asked of her. The funny thing was they hardly seemed to notice when she yelled at them to leave her alone or when she’d slam the door to her room, telling them to stay out. Her parents always let her have cool slumber parties any time she wanted. Usually, Amanda’s dad was not home and her mother, usually upstairs, never bothered to come to the basement to check on them. So naturally, the girls were at liberty to do anything they pleased. At the beginning, they had done what most twelve- or thirteen-year-old girls would do: watched movies, played video games, eat everything in sight, and told ghost stories just before going to bed.

Lately though, a few of their pals complained of boredom. Rudi, part of the original group, suggested something more daring.

Why not try to conjure up spirits with an Ouija Board?

Most of the girls thought this was a great idea except Natasha. She didn’t say so, but that suggestion sent a shudder of fear down her back. It made her remember that odd sensation in the woods.

Why we can’t just buy a new movie or a new game? she suggested.

Come off it, Natasha, you’re scared, aren’t you? taunted Rudi.

Natasha didn’t know whether to admit her fear or not, but Amanda, as always, took the lead.

Leave her alone, she’ll just do what we do anyhow!

Dropping the subject of Natasha, the girls started pooling their money so they could buy the Ouija Board. Tomorrow being Saturday, the group decided to meet at the mall to see if they had wrangled enough money out of their parents to get the board. The next day, Natasha was the last one to show up.

Where you been, Tasha? asked Amanda.

Yea, did you get any money? questioned Rudi.

Natasha handed Rudi a dollar, shrugging, saying, That’s all I could get.

She had used what remained from her allowance the week before. What she did not tell them was that she hadn’t asked her parents for anything. They would have asked why she needed more money before her allowance was due. If she had told them the truth, she would’ve had to endure a lecture on toying with evil. She had heard that song and dance before when her brother, Eric, wanted a tattoo. They told him he was playing with the occult and following a path that was extremely dangerous. Maybe that was why she was feeling so uneasy about the whole thing.

Come on, let’s go to Walmart and see what we can find, Rudi yelled.

They found the Ouija Board, but the total price was about five dollars over what they had to spend.

Whew, thought Natasha, that’s good news.

Yet there seemed to be a force that wanted them to have the game, for just as they were thinking about checking out the latest DVDs, a saleslady spoke up. She told them there was a five-dollar coupon they could clip out of the sales paper for any games that were bought that day.

Wow, that means we can buy the Ouija Board, shrieked Amanda.

Isn’t that great, guys? questioned Rudi.

While Natasha had a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach, she just nodded along with all the other girls.

Tonight would be the big tryout. They were all going to Amanda’s house. Everyone was downstairs getting all set up for the game.

Amanda and I will be first, said Rudi. Everybody sit in a circle around us so you can all see.

What are we going to ask it to do? questioned Amanda.

First, we’ll ask it to spell out my birthday, replied Rudi, don’t forget just use your fingertips.

The spinner began to move slowly toward J, then A, on to N, and continued until it had spelled out the month of January which was Rudi’s birthday month.

Oh, come on, you’re doing that, sneered Allison, one of the other girls in the group.

Well, she might be, answered Amanda, but I’m not moving it at all!

Wow, this thing really works, claimed Rudi. Who’s next? Come on Natasha, your turn.

Natasha had been standing off to one side, hoping to go unnoticed. She was not ready for the Ouija Board. She sensed that all was not as it seemed.

As always, when she wasn’t by Amanda’s side, Amanda searched the room for her.

Why don’t you guys go ahead and do it some more? questioned Natasha.

Nope, it’s your turn, replied Rudi. Feeling as if she were being led to the gallows, Natasha stepped into view.

I don’t know what to ask it or really what to do with it, protested Natasha.

Ask it who you are going to marry, replied one of the girls in the group.

Nah, I don’t even know if I want to get married, Natasha stated.

Why don’t you ask it if you’re going to be somebody important or something like that? asked Nadine, a new girl in the group.

Why don’t we do with it what we intended to do with it in the first place? said Amanda.

What’s that? questioned Rudi.

You should know, Rudi, you’re the one that came up with the idea in the first place, exclaimed Amanda.

Oh…you mean like summoning up a spirit, like my long-lost cousin, giggled Rudi.

I don’t think that’s too funny, Natasha stated shortly.

Neither do I, claimed Nadine.

Oh come on, you guys have to kidding, Amanda quipped. You really don’t believe in all that hocus pocus, do you?

Natasha desperately wanted to say yes. Her fear of being laughed at kept her quiet. Nadine, unlike Natasha, spoke quietly, but with conviction. Yes, I do.

Just as Natasha suspected the girls, all burst into laughter.

Well, if you’re afraid, Nadine, you can go upstairs with Mommy and Daddy, taunted Rudi.

No way, stated Amanda, then they’ll want to know what’s going on down here!

Don’t worry, I’ll sit over here on the sofa and read, Nadine commented. She quietly went to the sofa and immersed herself in a book. Natasha desperately wanted to do the same thing but didn’t have the same kind of courage to take a stand for what she believed was right.

Come on, Tasha, the night will be over before you do anything, Amanda demanded.

You’re going to do it with me. After all, it’s my cousin who was killed, replied Rudi.

Natasha was consumed with fear. How had she gotten into this mess? Sitting at the table, her lips clenched between her teeth to still their trembling, she put her fingertips on the Ouija Board.

All I can remember, said Rudi, was his name was Allen and he died in a motorcycle crash. We can see if we can reach him.

What are you supposed to do? questioned one of the group.

Well, I don’t know! Rudi huffed, but we’ll figure it out. We’ll ask it a question or something like we did before. Turn out all the lights, except for the hall light.

Hey, I know, said Amanda, I’ll get a candle and we can have a séance, that way everybody can be included!

Great idea, Amanda, responded Rudi.

Okay, everybody form a circle and join hands, directed Amanda.

Following the others, Natasha did what she was told. There were giggles and shrieks of laughter as their excitement grew.

I’ll do the summoning, said Rudi. No one argued with her. She started whispering her cousin’s name. Allen, Allen, are you near? We are calling upon the spirit world for my cousin Allen, who died in a motorbike accident a long time ago. Can you hear me, Allen?

All was quiet in the darkness of the room. No one spoke nor seemed to breathe.

You really think this is going to work? questioned Amanda.

Ssh, I feel kind of strange, like there really is someone close by, replied Rudi.

The candle, for no apparent reason, started flaming up as if in a draft.

Look at the Ouija Board, gasped Natasha.

There on the coffee table where the girls had left it, the piece you put