The shoot man

'Come here and try this with us!' You awake to your friends gathered around the coffee table in front of you. That's right... You had a small party while your parents were out of town for the weekend. Well, if you could call it that. Only four people showed up, after all. The couch you slept on has a bit of dribble from your drooling habits, but you manage to wipe the spit from the corner of your mouth with your sleeve as you sit up to see what all the yelling was about. In the middle of the table is a brownish board covered in letters and words. It seems to be made out of wood, but closer examination reveals it's a cheap plastic sheet. The words 'Hello' and 'Goodbye' line the bottom in gothic text, and a 'Yes' and 'No' are located at the top. The edges of the board seem to be burnt or darkened, but it's probably just painted that way... 'A wedgee board? Really, guys?' you mutter. 'Hey, I never got to screw around with one of these when I was a kid,' says a black shirted guy. This was Ron, your typical guy. He was holding the small, monocle-like object used on wedgee boards. What were those called? 'Haha, that's 'cause your life sucks, man...' This was said by 20-year-old Beck, one of the local stoners. He was already baked, as you could tell by his bloodshot eyes. 'Dude, are we gonna do this or what?' And Jeremy, the skater that wore the same hoodie every day, rain or shine. But there was one person who stood out among the rest, although they spent the entire evening huddled in the corner. It was a kid from school who you've seen in the halls before, but never got around to talking to. She had a short, black emo haircut with a generous amount of eyeshadow. She had a tiny, frail figure covered with dark clothing. What was her name again? Alison? You don't remember inviting her, but then again, it's nice to have at least one girl in this sausage fest. 'I really don't want to be around if you guys are doing this...' she whispers. 'It's really not a good idea....' 'Well then go somewhere else, you little weirdo. Haha!' teases Beck. You get ready to make a remark to him about being a bit nicer to her, but for some reason, you catch a glare from her that says 'Don't get involved'. You decide to go ahead and sit next to her in the corner while they continue to be dumbasses... 'Hey...' you say calmly, trying to match her aura without seeming too desperate. 'Hi...' she replies. Her eyes are fixed on the wedgee board and the young men playing around with it, asking nonsensical questions like 'What color is my underwear?' and 'Why is the sky blue?' 'Sorry, your name is Alison, right?' you ask. 'Yes.' What a short answer... She seems to be impossible to talk to. Maybe you should try prying her for more information... But then again, she already seems slightly annoyed by the fact that you moved next to her. You decide to just sit back and watch the show going on in the middle of the room. They seem to be having fun, but you didn't hear the last question they asked... 'S-O-O-T-M-A-N? What the hell is a Soot Man?' scoffs Jeremy. You hear Alison gasp, but that's not what grasps your attention first. Did the air suddenly get thicker in here? A horrible smell, like that of rotten eggs, wafts under your nose. Even the guys stopped laughing and were awestruck, staring directly down at the wedgee board. You strain to see what's so captivating, but your eyes start to burn. 'You... stop them...' Alison suddenly gasps for air, as if she's being choked. Her hands immediately raise to her throat as she doubles over in pain. '....stop....he will...' Her eyes roll back into her head and her body goes limp. 'Alison? Alison?!' you yell as you try to shake her awake. It seems like she's gone... Her small figure is that of a ragdoll. 'Guys! Come here, quick! It's Alison! She's-!' But your sentence is cut short by what you see next; a tall, lean man is rising out of the table in the middle of the room. He is completely naked, except for a thick layer of soot that made his skin look completely black. His pure, piercing white eyes gaze straight into your