Chapter 6: Come Back 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The sky hung low and dark, like nightfall had come early.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ‹96684423› A thin rain pattered down, landing on the man's work shirt — washed so many times the electrician's logo had faded to a ghost.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ §57defed7

He sat inside a leaking shed, unblinking for what felt like forever.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ (3174e55a) His eyes were empty, fixed on nothing.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ #7f88db6b His rough fingers scraped and picked at the tabletop.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ©4a563b5d/May 27, 2026

After a long time, blood seeped from beneath his fingernails.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ * d0a61246 When he finally spoke, his voice was so wrecked it sounded like the act of making sound was agony itself.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ·d543fbf0·

"...Come back, Cora.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ #3e142f5d Come back."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [v.d9e53233]

In that dim room, every candle flame snuffed itself out at once.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ed.e58bf111]

The medium's head dropped straight down.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ms.51535e6f] Blood — bright red — started pouring from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ (8588661f)

Drip.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ©42c9e860/May 27, 2026 Drip.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ··14710fe2 Each drop splattering fast against the backs of her own hands.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ sub:2b93bbc4

The ghost felt her body go cold — violently, instantly cold, like she'd been flash-frozen solid.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠·dc3debac She couldn't move, couldn't do anything.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [proof:68edbda8] She was standing behind the medium, and then she wasn't — she was somewhere else entirely, a place she didn't recognize, and before she could process it, her body plunged into a deep, black pool.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ed.60d20d5e

Water forced its way into her nostrils, her mouth.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ plate-a2a8305d Just when the agony peaked — when she was desperate to lose consciousness — all of it vanished.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ (7c49ac5a/Wed)

Gone.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠·666424fb Every trace.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ sub:a7806260 She heard a crack of thunder so massive it split the air, tangled with howling wind and sheets of rain outside.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ed.77495551 Lightning strobed the gray room white.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ··8bda2431

The ghost realized she was lying with her head in the man's lap.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ¶1ab699ac Dark blood kept running into her eye sockets, then sliding down her face.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ref·fedde6b4

He stared down at her — intent, focused, completely absorbed.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [proof:3c3afba6] His lips pressed together.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ (c9f3cbd2/Wed) When he saw her eyes open, he lowered his head and licked the fresh wound on her scalp.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ no.03c9984a

Wet, sticky sounds filled the silence.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ §d5821eea When he lifted his head again, blood smeared his lips and tongue.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ‹0b04024f› Something white and viscous mixed with the red at the corner of his mouth — he was chewing on something he'd scooped from inside her skull.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ed.ad959d51

The ghost looked at the sated, desire-glutted expression on his face and felt an overwhelming urge to kiss him.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠·37f6281d

"Cora."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ‹a8971b34›

"You're back.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ref·47f7bf64 Don't be so cruel this time."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ no.112e64b9

"Come keep your dog company."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [v.3e85f407]

"He's been waiting for you."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ⁰04160444

Images flashed rapid-fire in front of the ghost's eyes — used condoms knotted and discarded on the floor.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ 0406e45f·· Him weeping silently in front of her.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ #f55a51a2 His strong body stripped bare, shaking on all fours at her pale feet, voice wrecked, begging her for something.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ◆ b59e81e4

A woman's voice answered — cold, threaded with reluctant tenderness.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [v.dec7605a]

"Good boy.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ sub:071c75ec Puppy has to behave."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠·464a3689

"Look at you.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠·e49256db What have I ever not given you?"‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ «d179cd40»

"Dial back the possessiveness.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ⁰b3fa5e0a I don't like you like this."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ «1567dfd3»

"Keep it up and you're going back to Ember Creek.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ref·082e5eb4 I don't want to see you anymore."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ©5f17674e/May 27, 2026

"I'm not marrying him — what, you think I should marry you instead?"‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ··ef05341b

"It's not like you don't know what you are.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ imp.c78a6786 Basically no different from a dog.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ⟨de780ff7⟩ And it's not like marriage means I'd stop letting you fuck me.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ plate-44ca91dd You're still my favorite puppy."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [proof:edf9529c]

"Pres doesn't even compare to you.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ plate-8af8a4f5 In my mind, he's not even worth calling a dog."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ * 66aeb60a

"Can you just be good?‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ed.e9c1d480 Please?‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ 771e641d·· Don't make this hard for me."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ·54c2c549·

The ghost's mind blurred.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ©c186664d/May 27, 2026 She swayed, eyes opening under some crushing pressure, and found herself still standing at the window of the leaking shed.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ #33a5d1b1 The thin rain was still falling outside.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ms.3744a049] Everything was quiet, as if none of it had ever happened.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠·9ad92f63

Behind her — she didn't know when — a man had come up and was holding her tight, kissing her.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ed.0725350e

"You keep wandering off.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ¶7213c01c I almost couldn't find you."‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ plate-d36594dd

He bit her ear, his lips pressed to the shell of it, teeth scraping slowly up and down her cold skin.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ — ad1268ce "We've got a TV now.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ms.ecdccf77] So just stay home from now on, okay?"‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ref·a3630ad5

"You're dead.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ·1d770a86· Just give me everything.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ··d464c9bf I'm begging you..." His voice cracked back into that ruined rasp, and she didn't hear the rest, because he shoved her hard against the table by the window.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ¶c1bb0805 Her pants came off in one yank.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ed.f58c9c1c] Something thick and long pushed inside her.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [v.02dca0b4]

The ghost gripped the edge of the table.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ◆ 2210f925 Her nightgown was shoved up her back, and then his body was flush against hers, skin to skin.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ «3c32a0ad» He gripped the back of her neck, pressed down on her waist, and drove into her — again, and again — his face buried in the crook of her throat, chasing the most primal thing inside him.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ — 262b84f8

After a while on the table, he moved her to the bed.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ms.7a0a07fd] Her body was spread wide beneath him.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ plate-26c85515 He pressed himself as close as he could get — nothing fancy, nothing performative.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [v.312c9298] What he wanted, what he always wanted, was to kiss her while he fucked her.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ sub:39e925ee Lips and tongues tangled together.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ ··77f9b034 Sometimes a single time meant kissing her a hundred, two hundred times before he was done.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ * 3402fe47

The ghost couldn't fully understand what the man was doing to her body, but those flashes — the sounds, the images — had stirred something strange inside her.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ #2f9e1b15 A heaviness.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [proof:fdd0f0a8] Like something was about to crack open her chest.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ no.28a2ac8b

She owed him something.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [proof:a7756199]

She didn't know what.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ [ed.da4a7847] But she was certain she owed him.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ #db835431

The feeling alone was enough to make her throat clench, a sob already building before the thought was even finished.‌⁠‍‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‍⁠‍‍‍‌‌‍‍⁠‍‍⁠ sub:d1a37020