Originally Written 2019, Adapted 2024

Warn: [ lite horror ]

Prompt: You have made a large Ouija board on the floor in front of the fireplace as a decoration. Your roomba has been randomly summoning demons and then sucking them up Luigi's mansion style. You have been passively watching this happen for about a week now.

submitted to r/WritingPrompts by [DELETED ACCOUNT]

-----

I've always loved design. it's what drives me, there is nothing more beautiful than a thematically designed room.

So I incorporated it into my life in as many ways as possible, from my job as a home decorator to my monthly redecorating of my own house.

I was especially excited for October next month, I had ordered a huge Ouija board rug to put in front of my fireplace, it would really bring the whole room together.

Eventually the day came, it finally arrived. I spent the whole day setting everything up, a stand with black candles, a roaring fireplace, ghosts hanging from the ceiling, even a little handmade paper-mache pumpkin to put on top of the rumba.

With the Ouija board rug, the whole room came together. I stood back with a sense of satisfaction, drinking the whole aesthetic in. Another successful redesign.

A few days later I started hearing weird noises in the middle of the night, a growl here, a yipe there, I thought it was just the neighbors dogs. until about a week in I heard a scream, no, an unearthly howl.

I jumbled out of bed, grabbed the bat from the closet and ran down the stairs.

Then I saw it. illuminated by the glowing letters on the rug, a withing amalgamation of mouths, limbs, and other bodily parts stitched together in a way that can only be described as unholy.

With a gaping hole crowded by rows and rows of teeth, its head turned towards me. its red eyes glared as a chill entered my very core. it released one last earth rending scream... as it was sucked into the Roomba?

As the light faded from the letters I froze in place.

"what the fuck was that?"

Unable to move for the longest time I just stood there, scared out of my mind.

I watched, waiting for the terrifying monster to crawl out of the metal shell I called a Roomba. I only snapped out of it when the Roomba stopped moving and began to turn, the letter on the rug below it began to glow.

The Roomba is summoning demons! my head instantly jumped to the conclusion as I dashed forward. I safely reached the Roomba and switched it off. the glow immediately vanished.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

I sat there, staring at it. breathing deeply I began to calm down, as the Adrenalin slowly receded I began to think of what to do. I first wanted to burn the thing, but who said that would kill whatever the hell was in it.

I decided if it was trapped in the Roomba, let's keep it that way, and that way far away from me.

There was a forest about 20 miles away from here so let's go bury it there.

Removing the pumpkin from the top I notice the Roomba's odd shape, its bulging.

How many demons are in this thing? I hope I won't find out.

Picking it up I went out to the car and put it in the passenger's seat.

I raced along the roads until the end of my small town, after that I slowed down, each bump in the rocky road seemed as if it would release the unholy concoction of evil upon me.

Eventually I made it. grabbing the shovel out from the trunk and picking up the Roomba I made my way into the forest.

Every little noise made me freeze, staring at the Roomba in my hands, waiting.

Eventually I was deep in the forest and I found a small clearing, perfect.

I began digging, deeper and deeper. I went until the moon was high in the sky. I carefully set the Roomba down in the hole.

I picked up a shovel full of dirt and moved it over the hole. I watched in horror as a large rock fell out the dirt as I turned the shovel.

I hear a sickening crack as the rock hits the Roomba, a screech escapes.

I turn and run. I can hear them all, screams, howls, croaking, a garbled symphony of terror and hated. I can feel them, those red eyes, like daggers in my back.

my breath runs, my throat jagged and my lungs ache, but I still do not stop, I don't look back, I just continue running.

I jump into my car and turn the keys. I pound down on the gas pedal as if my life depended on it.

As the car comes to life, I look in the rear-view mirror, dear god I wish I hadn't, but I did. in the forest I can see innumerable pairs of glowing eyes, a particular pair of red eyes shines with anger.

I travel down the road at breakneck speed, the car jumping up and down on the rocks as if it's being shaken by those things.

I pass the town and continue driving. I don't know where I'm going, but it's sure as hell going to be far away from here.