James Riccio eagerly prepared the elements for the ritual. Sitting on his knees, he looked over the triangle he'd scratched into the living room's hardwood floor with a red-flecked Jasper stone. Satisfied, he set the stone aside and reached for the small nylon-handled cloth bag on the coffee table. Salt, a silver coin, vervain root, and a scrap of parchment paper with the number three inscribed went into the bag, which he then hung around his neck.

He picked up a white candle and scratched his landlord's name, Dwayne Gertner's name into the wax with a straight pin. The routine was repeated with the second and third candles for Floyd and Robert Gertner, respectively. Then, he pricked his finger and allowed a drop of blood to fall on each candle. Finally, the wicks were lit, and the candles were placed at each triangle point. He stepped into its center and began to chant, raising his hands in supplication.

"Bagahi Laca Bachabe, I call thee, forsaken spirit, once a prince of angels, I cry out to thee in Lucifer's name. In the name of hell, I beseech thy aid."

He repeated the incantation and waited ten minutes. When nothing happened, he recited it again. After the passing of a quarter-hour, a frown grew on his face and creased his brow. He re-read the spell and instructions in the book and checked the bag's contents and the position of the candles. Everything was as it should be. He spoke the words again.

When he glanced at the clock, it was eleven-thirty. With a groan of unhappiness, he closed the cover and sat on the couch, the book in his arms.

"I knew this would be a waste of time. This isn't a story in a book," he said aloud with annoyed discontent. Then he wrinkled his nose as an odor of sewage filled the apartment.

"Jeez, where is that stink coming from."

The flames of the candles flickered and went out. A gray mist rose from the triangle points, rising to the ceiling and spreading from wall to wall like a dark curtain. Two child-sized, wrinkled, and clawed hands began to push the mist aside from its center. A harsh, whispering sound escaped through the rip in the flimsy barrier