Three Naked Men in a Room

by Pil Lee

“Where’s Hugh?” said Simon.

William looked up. “I’ve rung his mobile twice but there’s no answer.”

Peter wedged his underpants neatly into the side of his bag. “Well I’m not waiting for him,” he said. He rolled off his socks and twisted them into a tight knot.

He cracked his knuckles firmly then strode to the table where William was straightening the ouija board. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

The three of them took their places and reached out to hold hands around the green velvet circle. They closed their eyes, breathing deeply and exhaling slowly. A chill crept around the small room, and their breath started to mist and coalesce.

Simon spoke firmly into the air above the table. “We ask your forgiveness for disturbing you, but we have come again to speak with you and beg a bounty.”

For a long time there was no sound and Simon made to speak again when a burst of static pierced the silence. Even though they had been expecting it, the three men jumped and their hands clenched tightly together. They held their breath and opened their eyes to see the mist had darkened and thickened, and a small orange light could be seen burning within the hazy mass.

“What is your bounty?” a booming voice intoned.

William bent forward eagerly. “We have a new need,” he began, when the voice cut him off.

“Four,” it said, louder than before. “Four.”

The men looked at each other. “Um, sorry?” said William.

“The circle shall be four,” the voice boomed.

“Hugh’s late,” said William nervously. “I left a message on his voice mail but he hasn’t turned up.”

There was a deathly silence and Peter shot William a vicious glance.

“We beg forgiveness,” he said, leaning in towards the orange glow. “One of our party has been unavoidably detained.

“ There must be four,” said the voice. It paused, then announced “Three will not be tolerated.”

“Not tolerated?” whispered William. “What’s going on?”

“Three will not be tolerated,” the voice said again. The room began to shake.

The three men clutched hands tightly to keep their grip. “He’ll be here any second, I’m sure,” said Simon, but the voice called out even louder than before.

“Three will not be tolerated.”

A deep rumble seemed to rise up towards them through the floor, and their chairs swayed.

“Keep hold,” said Simon desperately. “We can’t let go or it will get out.”

“We’ll have to get another person,” gasped William, trying to keep his balance. “God knows when Hugh will turn up, he’s got so far to come.”

“Don’t let go!” said Simon. “That would be the end of everything.”

“But we have to get someone else fast,” said William, as the walls started to ripple and furniture crashed to the floor.

“Well what do you suggest,” said Peter. “I can’t even use my mobile if we have to keep holding hands.”

“We’ll have to go out,” said Simon. “Go out and get someone else.”

“But we’re naked,” hissed Peter, glaring at them both.

“We’ll have to go out,” said Simon again as if Peter hadn’t spoken. He tried to speak calmly, projecting his voice above the rising chaos. “We’ll have to carefully leave the table and get out of the room and find someone else without letting go of each other.”

Peter started to shake his head violently but William nodded, tightly gripping his hand so he couldn’t escape. “He’s right,” he said. “It’s either that or let the demon out.” He spoke directly to Peter. “We have to do what Simon says.”

Peter clenched his teeth and refused to look at them both, but they pulled him up with them as they rose.

“I’ll have to climb across the table,” said Simon. “Hold tight.”

“But you’ll go through it,” said William, nodding his head at the light.

“As long as we don’t break our circle, it can’t escape,” said Simon. He stepped onto his chair then up onto the table and, as the others watched in fear, stepped through the centre and jumped off the table beside them.

He looked back at the table where the orange light glowed fiercely, unchanged.

“Okay,” he said. “Now out we go.”

They six-stepped across the room together, but at the door Peter dug his bare feet into the carpet and hung back.

“I can’t,” he said. “No way.”

“We have to,” begged William. “We’ve got no other option.

As if to punctuate his words, another roar came from the table behind them. “The circle shall be four!” and plaster began to crack and shower down from the trembling ceiling.

“You see,” said William. “Let’s go!”