Chapter 4: Something's Missing
The ghost stood at the window, staring straight out. ‹96684423› A thin drizzle carried the damp, mineral smell of earth, and the sky — not much brighter than the mud — hung so low it felt like it was about to collapse. §57defed7
Pressing down, pressing down, pressing down. (3174e55a)
She muttered the words like an incantation. #7f88db6b No more going next door to watch TV. ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026 Standing at the window watching the weather had become the only pastime in her life after death. * d0a61246
The man wasn't back yet. ·d543fbf0· She spent most of her time like this — planted in this leaky, run-down shack for an entire day without moving. #3e142f5d
When had she first appeared here? [v.d9e53233] When had she first seen the man? [ed.e58bf111]
The ghost's gray-white eyes were full of confusion. [ms.51535e6f] Her mouth hung slightly open, and the fracture in her skull suddenly began to bleed — fresh, vivid red streaming down her cheeks and neck, soaking into her ruined silk pajamas. (8588661f) The blood didn't look like it belonged to someone long dead. ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026
She touched the gap in her skull. ··14710fe2 A piece of bone was missing. sub:2b93bbc4 Her fingers could reach right inside.·dc3debac
The ghost's fingers slid in and prodded around. [proof:68edbda8] Wet, sticky sounds accompanied every movement. ed.60d20d5e She felt no pain, but the more she explored, the more certain she became — something was gone. plate-a2a8305d
That was probably why she kept forgetting. (7c49ac5a/Wed)
Out of nowhere, the ghost seemed to hear a voice calling from somewhere far away.·666424fb
Soft. sub:a7806260 Gentle. ed.77495551 Like amniotic fluid cradling an unborn child. ··8bda2431 She'd been hearing it more often lately. ¶1ab699ac
She closed her eyes. ref·fedde6b4 Like falling asleep. [proof:3c3afba6] When she opened them again, something had changed. (c9f3cbd2/Wed)
She wasn't standing at the window of the shack anymore. no.03c9984a She was sitting at a round table ringed with candles. §d5821eea The cool, clean scent surrounding her smelled wonderful — she wanted to stay, breathe it in a little longer. ‹0b04024f›
Across from her sat a man and a woman. ed.ad959d51 The woman was staring at her, tears falling, her voice uncertain: "Cora — is that you?·37f6281d Cora?" ‹a8971b34›
The ghost studied them both, her neck rotating in stiff, mechanical jerks. ref·47f7bf64 Her body felt less cold than usual. no.112e64b9 A strange warmth was flowing into her. [v.3e85f407]
She adjusted to the sensation, eerie and slow, while the woman across the table kept repeating — "Cora, Cora, is it really you?" ⁰04160444 — over and over, the voice buzzing in her ears like static, grating, maddening. 0406e45f··
The medium's partner, a middle-aged man, quickly pressed a hand on the agitated woman's arm. #f55a51a2 "They often have trouble recognizing who they are. ◆ b59e81e4 Don't push that yet." [v.dec7605a]
"What were you just doing?" sub:071c75ec the man asked the ghost.·464a3689
The ghost paused.·e49256db Her words came out broken. «d179cd40» "Watching — the rain." ⁰b3fa5e0a
"Was it raining hard?" «1567dfd3»
"Not — hard but the sky — was heavy, pressing down... pressing down, pressing down, pressing down..."
"Who was the last person you saw?" ref·082e5eb4
The ghost stopped her murmuring. ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026 She seemed to think. ··ef05341b Her head tilted at a severe angle — enough to make everyone tense, half-expecting her to snap the medium's neck. imp.c78a6786
"A man or a woman?" ⟨de780ff7⟩ the man pressed. plate-44ca91dd
"A — man." [proof:edf9529c]
"What did he do to you?" plate-8af8a4f5
In the ghost's memory, the man was gone during the day. * 66aeb60a After dark, he'd come back, pin her to the bed, push inside her, bite her, fill her belly with something warm. ed.e9c1d480
"He pushes — inside me. 771e641d·· Bites — my mouth. ·54c2c549· In my belly — he fills me — up." ©c186664d/May 27, 2026
The woman's eyes went wide. #33a5d1b1 Her fingers clamped down on her husband's wrist, her face flushing red with fury. [ms.3744a049]
"Is this the man?"·9ad92f63 The medium's partner held up a photo of Preston Caldwell. ed.0725350e
The ghost shook her head, stiff and mechanical. ¶7213c01c
The woman lunged for the stack of police files on the table, snatched out another photo, and thrust it close to the ghost's face. plate-d36594dd
"Is it him?" — ad1268ce
The ghost looked at the photo — a man with deep-set eyes and a cold, hard jawline — and her head dropped abruptly. [ms.ecdccf77] Every candle on the table snuffed out at once. ref·a3630ad5
The woman waited a long time for an answer. ·1d770a86· The medium's partner sensed it first — something was wrong. ··d464c9bf
He shouted for someone to hit the lights, stumbled forward, and caught his wife — the medium — as she slumped. ¶c1bb0805 One look and he knew. [ed.f58c9c1c] She was gone. [v.02dca0b4] Blood was already seeping from her eyes, nose, ears, and mouth. ◆ 2210f925
He pressed his lips together, swallowing his grief. «3c32a0ad» He crossed the room in two strides, snatched the photo from the woman's hand, stared at it, then grabbed the rest of the files. — 262b84f8
"This man — who is he!" [ms.7a0a07fd] He was nearly screaming. plate-26c85515
The woman was shaken to her core. [v.312c9298] She'd come here on the medium's promise that she could find her daughter, and now the medium was dead. sub:39e925ee But the information from the session — what the ghost had said — sent a fresh wave of anguish crashing through her. ··77f9b034
"Is my baby girl really gone? * 3402fe47 She's really gone..." Marguerite Devereaux looked even more haggard than she had at the police station. #2f9e1b15 Both eyes were swollen red from crying. [proof:fdd0f0a8]
"Yes. no.28a2ac8b She's dead. [proof:a7756199] And her spirit is most likely still being held captive by this man, somewhere." [ed.da4a7847] The medium's partner was grim and severe. #db835431 He raised his voice. sub:d1a37020 "What is your daughter's relationship with him? no.0595214a Where is he now?" [proof:f7930fdd]
"We truly don't know. (1a8de1f7) The police told us when they sent these files — he's a major suspect. imp.65dc67a4 But he vanished six months ago. [v.e7cb66b8] They traced his last known location to his hometown, Ember Creek. §254b18ac They've sent people multiple times. no.39450da0 The locals all say they never saw him come back." [ms.e152baa6]
Dr. plate-a4ffe197 Richard Devereaux steadied his wife and spoke, his voice scraped raw. #478ff808 "Cora has always been responsible. sig.6e3a6de4 She would never do anything to worry us. no.b594078c We have never once heard her mention this man." no.59baac7b
"Ember Creek..." The medium's partner turned the name over. ·4f9b63b5· Something familiar about it. no.d9876574 He looked at the haggard man across from him. (d1e1f2f1) Their eyes met. ¶4cfd2849 After a beat, the man conceded. sub:d37c6d5d
"Yes. 227cfa1e·· My hometown is also in Ember Creek. * da4a4abd But Cora left when she was fourteen — I transferred to Beaufort Regional Hospital and we all moved to Beaufort. [proof:bbe15990] You don't know my daughter. ©a6cf1472/May 27, 2026 She's proud. ⁰f0952192 Selective. §988f0ac0 A man like this would never have crossed her path. (ab072b96) Not in a million years." [v.af514616]
"What if he was the one pursuing her? imp.11074192 You can guarantee your daughter had nothing to do with him — but can you guarantee he wasn't following her?" [f0261ec7]
The man faltered. — galley 73a4edcf — That was when Marguerite seemed to remember something. #eeb40e71 "What if this psycho assaulted my Cora? no.c42c7437 What if he's been holding videos and photos over her head? ··bce29f9d She was too scared to say anything, so he had her trapped?" ‹452c128c›
The theory clicked into place for her like a revelation. * dc109c39 She slammed the table, wailing, rage and grief pouring out. ed.3d349a65 "That son of a bitch! [v.0813a210] Why did he have to go after my Cora? [ms.1be9de30] My baby girl — she's an incredible woman. imp.d57a1f5f What gives him the right? imp.11a020b6 Some disgusting, worthless man — what gives him the right to ruin my daughter!" (8dfade6e)
The medium's partner said nothing, brow furrowed, eyes locked on the photo of the man with the deep, brooding gaze — as if he could see straight through the paper. ¶6bcdc5bd
Hawke. (6b72b325/Wed)
According to the phone records the police had printed out, Cordelia Devereaux and this man named Hawke had been in frequent contact. imp.796ab1d3 She had a phone registered under someone else's name — a separate line. [40a848d4] Hawke's number was the only one saved in it. sig.77adf7ae
That number was now disconnected. sig.0d003d94
That was the sum total of her connection to Hawke. ©dff3cea0/May 27, 2026 Beyond it — no hotel records, no trace of him on her social media, nothing. imp.c68a6b4c Not a single friend, coworker, or acquaintance in her life had ever heard the name Hawke. [proof:c35f38b6]
Hawke might as well have never existed. [a3a6d02f] And yet Cordelia Devereaux — proud, particular Cordelia Devereaux — had secretly gotten a second phone line just to reach him, hidden from everyone she knew. ◆ 300ef3ce
What exactly was between them? ··8173a2d7