It took Jessica's brain a moment to process what she was seeing. The first thing that she realized was that all of the candles she had just lit were all extinguished. That could be explained away, some freak gust of wind, shoddy craftsmanship, trick candles that Macy had bought, but the other thing that she saw could not.
There was something inside the chalk circle.
The first thing Jessica registered through her shock was that it was shaped like a man. The next thing she noticed was that it was completely and totally dark, like someone had cut a man-shaped hole in the air and filled it with nothing but blackness. The next thing she noticed was the long claws on the tips of it fingers, and the long tail that ended in a spike, and the massive teeth that protruded from its elongated skull.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. This was a prank. This was some kind of sick prank. It was one of Macy's friends wearing a monster suit. It was a trick of the light. This wasn't real. This wasn't real. This wasn't real.
Macy screamed this time, jolting Jessica back to reality. The thing in the circle's head snapped in her direction. She was pressed against the basement wall, eyes wide with fear, dark hair disheveled around her head. The thing-no, demon- opened its mouth and a horrible, earsplitting screech came from it. The girls screamed and fell to the ground, clutching their hands to their ears as the horrific noise battered against their eardrums. It was like a physical force against her body, pressing on her body from all sides and all angles. It was relentless, only getting louder and louder until Jessica was begging aloud for it to stop-
Then it did. The pain was replaced by a strange, sudden sense of calm. There was no more pressure. No more noise. Jessica felt better than she ever had in her life.
Stand up.
Jessica did. She didn't know where that thought had come from but she saw no reason not to. Alyson and Macy were also standing. She didn't pay them any mind.
Golden-hair. Break the circle.
Though the though echoed in Jessica's mind, Alyson, the only blonde, was the one who stepped forward and scratched the circle with her shoe. Jessica didn't care. Neither did Macy. Why should they?
The demon- Vasa'ec, Jessica realized, stepped out. She could see it more clearly outside of the circle, but only just a little. She could see it eyes like twin embers burning in its head. She could see the spines that protruded from its back and shoulders. If she stared long enough she could even make out scales that glittered in the low light of the room like stars in the night sky. It looked over the women one by one. When its eyes fixed on Jessica she felt a sudden, sharp pang of fear that almost sent her reeling. Then the calm washed over her and she didn't feel anything at all.
You are mine. Your only master is Vasa'ec.
