Light_as_a_Feather

English Reflection Paper Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board Her neck crackled as it turned to face me like a bad exorcism movie. All I could see was the reflection of the fire burning in her black eyes. Her head thrusted forward slowly as if to tell me a secret. “Take his belt. Answer your phone.” Sarah whispered with a mournful stare. “I’m not playing this stupid game anymore.” I announced, backing away from the group. “Fuckin’ freaks. I’m out of here.” I mumbled as I stormed off into the dark. “What was I thinking hanging out with those mutants'” I thought to myself as I waited for Molly to return to her car to drive me home. Molly was my best friend throughout high school. We met in Art class back when she was a self-destructive, Alice Cooper look-alike. I have no idea why I have this aspiration to befriend solitary misfits. Maybe it is an instinctual desire to help others. She didn’t seem like she had any friends and I felt obligated to make her high school experience much more enjoyable. I dressed her up and took her to parties with cute boys and drinking. I figured everyone liked that kind of stuff. I started to realize after a while that she really preferred to hang out with a small group of people that looked like they belonged to the Trench Coat Mafia. I cringed at the thought. The first time she invited me to a party, I thought she was joking. I had invited her to dozens of parties and hangouts at this point, but she had never once asked me to be the tag-a-long. It was nearing Halloween, so I was a bit hesitant to welcome the idea of going to a party that smelled of hormonal geeks as opposed to an other one of my socially acceptable parties. I did not want to miss out on all of the good Halloween parties where girls dress up as provocatively as humanly possible and the guys bring beer and wait around to get laid by an other drunk Marilyn Monroe or Playboy Bunny. Finally, I agreed. I figured I would be out of there by midnight and still have plenty of time to partake in some more X-Rated teenage behavior. At 17, Halloween was all about dressing up and having fun, not meeting up in creepy cemeteries for a cheep thrill, which I began to believe was exactly where Molly was taking me. “Is this a joke' We’re buds right' You’re not going to sacrifice me to the devil or anything are you' Because just so you know, I am totally not a virgin.” I confessed sarcastically. Molly laughed. “Yeah Anni, I’m pretty sure the whole school knows that. Relax, It’ll be fine. My friends aren’t as creepy as you think they are.” She assured me as she threw the gear lever into Park. We exchanged annoyed looks before we got out of the car. “It’s this way.” Molly said pointing down an unlit path. “Super.” I groaned. After about the tenth time I complained, Molly said, “Oh, shut up. See that fire' We’re here. Maybe stripper heels were a bad choice.” We kept walking. “Maybe I would have changed my shoes if I knew we were hiking up Mt. Dracula to Camp Crystal Lake.” I teased. “This is Anni.” Molly announced to her friends when we finally approached the fire. “Please don’t sacrifice her.” She said, smiling back at me. “Hey! I’m Sarah!” A young voice eagerly announced next to me in the dark. “Anni” I responded disinterested. “We’re going to play Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board! Want to be in the middle'” she asked excitedly. “I’d rather scratch out my...” “No! You should do it Sarah!” Molly interrupted me before I could belittle her friend. “Yeah!” Sarah agreed. She laid down on the ground face up and five of us stood around her in kind of a pentagon shape. “Everyone place your fingers under the body.” Molly ordered. “What are you' The cult leader' Yes, Charlie!” I teased as I bowed to her. “Shut up. Now, everyone chant, including you Sarah, light as a feather, stiff as a board.” Molly instructed. We all complied. We chanted for what felt like half an hour and my arms were starting to fall asleep. Just as I turned to Molly to tell her that her stupid game wasn’t working, Sarah's’ body began to rise. “You have got to be shitting me.” I stammered. She rose until her whole body was eye level with the group. Sarah looked as though she had fallen asleep but as soon as her body ceased to rise, she turned to me and told me a secret I will never forget. She said, “Take his belt. Answer your phone.” I had no idea what she meant at the time but I started to piece the puzzle together soon after when my longterm boyfriend committed suicide. He called me 17 times that night but my phone had shut itself off. Of all the nights for my phone to die, it had to be that night. I worked up the courage to go to his parents house to offer my condolences and I asked what exactly happened. I don’t know if I was shocked to hear that he hung himself with his own belt. Maybe I already knew.