The usually lively atmosphere of the Alpha Omicron Phi sorority house was smothered by a deathly silence. A group of five girls sat in a circle, each seated at each point of a large pentagram, which had been drawn onto the hardwood floor of the living room in white chalk. One girl stood in the center of the pentagram, an authoritative hand on her hip, her red hair pinned back perfectly. She picked up two objects: a needle and a stark white washcloth. She handed the two objects to the girl who was closest to her, then stood, clapping her hands together and making the rest of the group jump.

“Okay, ladies. You know what to do.”

The paper and needle were passed around. Each member took their turn pushing the needle into the pad of their index finger, drawing blood and smearing it on the paper.

As the blood of four girls touched the paper, it reached the last in the circle. She hesitated, and the redhead in the center stared at her expectantly.

“Candis, I don’t think we should do this.” She said, voice wavering slightly.

“Are you a pu**y?”

“Huh?”

“Are. You. A. Pu**y?”

“No, but I-“

Candis cut her off. “Look Jillian, you can leave if you want, but if the rest of your sisters become demonically possessed, then it’s technically on you.” She scoffed, looking to the other girls. “New pledges, am I right?”

Jillian looked down, the rest of the sorority laughing with their alpha. She sighed, reluctantly took the needle in hand, and pricked the pad of her finger, watching a small drop of blood rise to the surface. She wiped the crimson substance onto the cloth, the somewhat rough material irritating the small wound.  Jillian convinced herself that this was some sort of hazing process. A joke. These girls were b****es, but being a part of this sorority was a luxury only few people got, and she wasn’t about to ruin it because a silly satanic ritual.

Candis gave a satisfied smile, and took the cloth and needle from Jillian’s shaking hand. She placed the cloth in the center of the pentagram, exposing the blood that now stained it. She stood, strutting over to a small table nearest the couch. Upon its wooden surface were some objects that Jillian could barely make out in the darkness. A few cylinders, the thinner, more similar ones seemed to be candles, while the thicker one was a large container of salt.

As Candis stepped back into circle, Jillian watched her place candles in front of each girl. Then, she took a salt shaker and poured a circle of salt around all five of them and around the washcloth with the blood on it.

“Don’t step out of your circle. If you do, then you won’t be protected from whatever shows up.” She said, feigning an ominous voice and sitting down in directly in the center of the pentagram.

“Wait,” The girl across from Jillian in the pentagram spoke up. “Why don’t you have salt around you?”

Candis, who hand begun to turn off all the lights with the remote in her hand, sighed. She spun around in her spot. Jillian could imagine the look on her face, just the expression asking Abigail if she was an idiot. Truth be told, nobody had any clue what was going on but Candis, but the rest of the sorority sister would never let the others know it.

“Because I’m the one summoning it, dumbass. Now, shut up. We have to start as soon as it’s midnight.”

The six girls sat in silence for what felt like hours. Jillian kept herself occupied dipping her fingers in the melting wax of the candle in front of her. An alarm went off and she jumped, shoving her knuckle into the flame of the candle. She hissed in pain, looking at the blister that was forming on her dark skin.

“It’s midnight.” Candis said in a serious tone. “None if you speak unless I tell you to speak.”

Candis opened a book that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Jillian watch Candis run her hand over the leather cover. She began to read, a language none of the girls knew flooding perfectly from her cherry-red lips. The reading slowing became faster and louder. The fear was present on the faces of all five girls.

“Stop, Candis this is going too far.” One girl seated on the far side of the pentagram interjected.

The red haired girl didn’t even look up from the book. She began to read at lightning speed, voice so loud she was practically screaming the words. Then, as if nothing had happened, she fell backward, lifeless on the floor.

All five of the girls screamed in terror. Jillian thought she may pass out. One ran over to the limp body on the floor and shook her violently, her hair sticking to her face with tears.

Suddenly, Candis started to laugh. The girls went silent. Jillian held her head in her hands, coming down from her panic attack.

“Are you kidding me!” The girl holding her screeched.

Candis continued to chuckle.

“Y’all are such sissies.”

They all watched Candis with scornful expressions. The large room was entirely silent, apart from Candis’s laughter. Jillian held her head in her hands, hearing the footsteps of someone leaving the room and then sniffles of a few girls who were coming down from their panics.

Suddenly, Candis made a gasping noise. Jillian lifted her head and watched as Candis grasped her hands at her throat, making loud choking sounds.

“We’re not stupid.” Jillian deadpanned. “If you think we’re falling for it again then you're the idiot here.”

Candis fell backward again. This time convulsing violently. The realization spread on the girls’ faces as they all started screaming again. Jillian was frozen in horror, watch Candis’ body rise from the floor in an inhuman way. Her bones snapped and her limbs contorted, blood gushing from the ripped flesh tearing across her body. Girls started running, and the creature followed.

Jillian sat, watching Candis, or what used to be Candis, rush through the house toward them. One by one, the creature brought a screaming girl into the center of the pentagram. Jillian didn’t move once. Not when the creature tore apart her friends. And not even what was left of her friends covered her body, matting her black hair down with blood.

The creature crawled up to her, seeking her blood next. It’s bloodshot eyes stared into Jillian’s brown ones. The creature reached a mangled out to her, but shrank back and hissed. Jillian broke eye contact with the demon that was once her friend, looking down at the salt circle that she had not moved from. The demon gave her one last glaring look, before crawling away, flinging itself out a window with a terrible screech, and disappearing into the night.

Jillian hyperventilated. Her vision went black, and she fell over onto her friends’ bodies with a thud.