Nine Letters Long Read Online Free

how Laura Bruce from Year 12 found out her boyfriend was two-timing her.’
    â€˜Crap,’ says Alex.
    â€˜No, it’s true. A spirit told Laura that, and it was right.’ Poppy pauses. ‘The next day she caught him with his tongue down someone else’s throat. Now all the girls are doing it.’
    â€˜What? Sticking their tongues down her boyfriend’s throat?’
    â€˜No, Alex, you smartarse. Séances. Everyone’s. Doing. Séances.’
    Evie sits there listening, a thousand thoughts flying through her head. Shit. A séance, she thinks. Should I? Poppy’ll think I’m a straightarse if I say no. What’ll I say?
    â€˜Evie?’ Alex has been watching her.
    â€˜Hmm?’ Evie pretends she hasn’t noticed.
    â€˜Do you … you know, feel okay about doing one?’
    â€˜Oh, a séance?’ Evie stares at her knees. ‘Oh yeah, I’ll be …’
    â€˜Pop?’ Alex butts in. Evie hears the tone in her voice. ‘Poppy, I don’t know, maybe it’s not such a good idea.’
    â€˜Eh?’ Poppy answers. There’s a second of silence before Poppy adds, ‘Oh. Yeah.’
    â€˜Oh, don’t worry about me.’ Evie shakes her head. ‘It’s just – silly stuff. I’m sure it’s a load of crap anyway.’
    â€˜See!’ Poppy eyeballs Alex. ‘She’s not freaked out. Are you, Evie?’
    â€˜Noooo,’ Evie lies.
    â€˜Sure?’ Alex frowns. ‘Absolutely positive?’
    â€˜Yeah,’ Evie nods. ‘Let’s do it.’
    Â 
    Evie takes the pizza boxes out to the recycling. She needs the air, and a few seconds to herself. Leaning against the garage wall, she takes slow deep breaths.
    â€˜This is nothing,’ she says to herself. ‘Don’t read anything into it. It’s silly fun, that’s all.’
    But, as Evie walks back into the house, a familiar hum sings quietly in her head. Tonight she chooses to ignore it.
    Poppy has Alex cutting out letters of the alphabet into little squares. ‘The numbers have to be bigger,’ she is telling her. ‘We have to be able to see them.’
    â€˜How do you know all this?’
    â€˜I looked it up on the Net.’ Poppy spreads out the letters and the words ‘YES’ and ‘NO’ around the dining table.
    â€˜Aren’t there rules and stuff with a séance?’ Alex asks.
    â€˜Don’t know,’ Evie lies.
    â€˜Nah,’ Poppy says, walking over to the light switch.
    â€˜Hang on,’ Alex calls. ‘I’m turning on the lamp. I’m not sitting here in the dark.’
    Alex frowns at Evie and mouths ‘Are you okay?’. In return, Evie shrugs. It’s too late now. Still the voices duel in her head. ‘Why am I doing this?’ ‘Relax, it’s just a bit of fun.’ Evie feels her hands and feet starting to sweat. ‘I shouldn’t be doing this. This isn’t a good idea.’ ‘Calm down. Stop being so uptight.’ Evie takes off her thongs, wiping the soles of her feet on the carpet.
    â€˜Okay. So does everyone understand how it works, then?’ Poppy asks.
    Evie hasn’t heard a thing she’s said.
    â€˜Alex?’
    â€˜I’ll just go with it, Pop.’
    â€˜Evie?’
    Evie nods.
    â€˜Evie, are you sure you’re okay?’ Alex asks aloud this time.
    Poppy stops and faces Evie.
    â€˜I’m just being stupid,’ Evie sighs. ‘Okay. I feel better now I’ve said it. Let’s do it.’
    â€˜We can stop at any time, Evie,’ Poppy tells her. ‘You just let me know. I’ll be in charge.’
    The girls place a finger on a glass that sits in the middle of the letters.
    â€˜I’ll lead,’ Poppy whispers.
    The others nod.
    â€˜Is anyone there?’ Poppy asks. ‘Is anyone there to talk to us?’
    Silence.
    â€˜Is anyone there?’ Poppy asks again.