A Spell Gone Wrong

         The man slowly traversed through the dark and vast cemetery. The moon is covered with dark ominous clouds leaving little to no light in the sky. Each step is accompanied by heavy breathing and various unknown sounds in the distance.

         "I'm nearly there," The man said to himself as his eyes gazed upon a lone gravestone. The man was middle-aged, with tired determined eyes. He wasn't a tall man but he also was not short. He had a slight belly but would not be defined as fat or even chubby. His hair was messy and uneven almost as if he had tried cutting it on his own at some point. Getting to his knees he removed the dirt from the stone and smiled slightly. The name Eleanor was engraved on the stone.

         "My beloved, it has been so long. I am sorry I have not visited in so long." He takes a deep breath pulling out a locket. The locket looks pristine but the chain is rusted and damaged. He opens the locket and sees an old picture of a woman. Her delicate features bring him warmth. Her smile brought back memories of all the times she used to laugh at his jokes. He closed the locket and clutched it tightly in his hand.

         I couldn't come back--not until I knew I would be going back home with you. Every day has been so hard without you. I know the spell will work. It has to work" The man says softly making a circle in front of the gravestone. In the circle, he drew a pentagram. The man opened his bag and brought out 5 candles and placed them carefully on each point of the pentagram. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a lighter running his finger along the engraving. "To Eric, With Love Eleanor" The words echoed in Eric's mind as he began to light the candles.

         "Okay, and now I give a piece of myself" Eric pulled out a knife from within his bag and carefully cut the palm of his hand allowing blood to drip in the center of the pentagram. The blood slowly began to seep into the earth. "I give a piece of my love" Eric pulled out a long strain of blonde hand and placed it in the center of the pentagram, the hair slowly falling into the blood-soaked earth. "And finally, a gift given to me by my love" Eric held the lighter to his chest and placed it in the center of the pentagram. The lighter slowly began to dissolve into the earth, and the candle's life blew out. All Eric could do was wait. The clouds slowly began to shift and the light from the moon illuminated the grave. Eric sighed. He felt defeated. Part of him knew that the spell would not work but he had to try, he just had to. As he began to stand he looked beyond the gravestone. There was something in the distance, the image was faint but he knew something was there.

         "Hello? Who's there?" Eric said rising to his feet. His eyes widened as the figure emerged from the darkness of the cemetery. It was his love. It was his Eleanor. Eric couldn't smile fast enough but there was a hint of disbelief in his mind.

         "Eleanor, is it really you?" Eric slowly began to walk forward hesitating slightly.

         " Eric, it is good to see you again love," Eleanor said calmly. She moved forward slowly, her body glowing brightly.

         "It worked! The spell worked!" Eric was ecstatic as he ran forward toward his love. His arms stretched forward to hold her once again. She extended her arms ready to embrace him once again. And connect holding each other close once again. "I have missed you so much. I didn't think I would ever see you again" Eric said softly, his eyes closed. He rested his head upon Eleanor's shoulder.

         "Shhh. It's okay. I'm here now Eric. Just let all your troubles drift away" Eleanor said as she rubbed her hand along Eric's back. Her voice seemed to echo throughout the cemetery. The sounds of the night grew quiet.

         "It's hard to be troubled when I am with you," Eric said as he moved his hands along Eleanor's back. It was then he felt something. It felt like a cord of some sort coming from her back. He placed his hand on it and felt it carefully. The texture was strange, almost like a lump of wet flesh. Eric stepped back slightly looking over Eleanor. He then realized that the woman before him although did look like Eleanor had some differences. Her eye was once a warm brown, that allowed those who truly loved her a way into her heart, and was now replaced by dark soulless pupils. Her face was also too perfect. Eleanor had a few blemishes and a small mole on her chin but this thing's face was pale almost white.

         "No, you aren't Eleanor. You are not my love" Eric said in a scared tone.

         "But I am Eleanor. This is her body. This is what she is now. I am what you wanted Eric. I am exactly what you summoned." She said slowly moving forward towards Eric. Eric then noticed that her mouth did not move when she spoke and her legs remained still as she approached. She just moved without any sort of means to do so. The cord that was in her back was noticeable now but as he tried to see where it went his eyes seemed to gloss over making it difficult to perceive where it went or what was on the other end of it.

         "No! You are NOT her!" Eric yelled quickly moving back towards his bag. He reached into pulling out a book but as he looked up from the bag he could see the face of the thing that called itself Eleanor. Eric yelled falling to the ground, the book falling out of his hands.

         "Eric, please. We can be together again. You just need to trust me" She said extending her hand toward Eric. Something about her words seemed almost true.

         "Why should I trust you? You take the appearance of her and you ask for trust" Eric's brow tightened as he eyed the hand in front of him.

         "I only take this form because it is who I am. We went to the lake together and when I fell in you jumped in with me so I wouldn't feel as dumb for falling in. Eric, it is me. Please" She said calmly. Eric was at a loss for words. Nobody was at the lake that day. Only he and Eleanor would know that. He reached out his hand slowly touching her hand and feeling a familiar warmth that he had yearned for. "Do you understand now?" She says in a knowing tone.

         "I--I do," Eric said slowly rising to his feet. "I--I wish to see you. I need to see what you look like" He stammered slightly. He could feel his heart trying to escape from his chest.

         "If that is what you wish," She said releasing Eric's hand. Eleanor slowly began to be pulled away from Eric. He could see her slowly transcend up toward the cloud-filled sky. A moment passes and the clouds open up as a ray of light shines down upon him. Eric looked up and saw multiple lights fixated on him and all he could do was stand there and look up.

         "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," Eric said softly as his body slowly began to tear. Each piece of him slowly ripped apart from itself and into nothingness. All he could do was weep. But they were not tears of sadness. They were tears of joy because he knew that he would get to see Eleanor again. {/center}