Robert was once again on his bike.
I was behind him on my broom with Leeann bringing up the rear in a taxi. Since she wasn’t on the motorcycle with Robert, I hoped that it meant she was going somewhere else.
No such luck. She was at my house, standing on my porch before I got there.
Robert left the door unlocked and Leeann walked right on in, although Robert was no where in sight.
He stepped out the bathroom. “Hey there!” She said when she saw him.
“I had no idea you lived here,” she said.
He laughed, but I was insulted by her tone. “What do you mean by that?” He asked.
“I never thought I’d actually be inside. I always found this house to be a little creepy,” she said.
Robert looked around, “It’s okay.”
Robert reached down to grab a drink as Leeann turned her attention to the painting behind the couch. I wondered what she saw; the ordinary painting or the ghostly parallel scene.
“So, have you seen her yet?”
“Who?” Robert asked.
“The fortune teller?”
“What are you talking about?” Robert asked walking toward the couch; sounding like he was losing patience with Leeann and what she might have been implying.
Robert put his drink on the table and sat down. Leeann sat down next to him and began, “I heard that a fortune teller used to live here,” she started.
I sat listening closely, very interested in what stories were going around about me.
Leeann continued, “She was new to town, but one night during a half moon, she burned to death right here in your living room. Some say that she was a witch and can sometimes still be seen flying around town on a broom.”
Up to that point, Leeann’s story was factual. It was the first time that he had heard of me. I hoped that her story would help Robert finally believe in me.
But then her story took a silly turn, “Now…every half moon, she’s said to appear to anyone who is near. If you look at her directly, she bursts into flames and will burn your eyes out.”
“Burn your eyes out, heh?” Robert said. “Why would she burn your eyes out?” He said making the urban legend sound every bit as silly as it really was.
“I don’t know…that’s just the way the story goes.” Leeann shrugged.
Robert stood up, “That story would actually be a little creepy if I were crazy enough to believe it.”
“Well some people do,” Leeann said, sounding offended by his tone.
She recovered quickly. “You mind if I take a look around?” She asked.
“Knock yourself out,” he answered.
Leeann toured the guest room and the master bedroom before returning. “Yep, definitely creepy,” she said as if she were trying to confirm it.
Robert was not amused. In fact, he seemed a little irritated.
Leeann picked up on his mood. She leaned in as if she wanted to give him a kiss, “What? You don’t like my little ghost story?”
Robert backed away.
“What’s the matter?”
“I just get irritated by people and their beliefs in such silly things.”
“Well, I didn’t say that I believed it,” She said defending herself.
I smiled at Robert’s response, hoping that he would ask her to leave.
“Is that a reason to ruin a perfectly good evening?” She asked.
“I just don’t feel like hearing any more tales.”
“Well what do you feel like doing?” Her voice was flirty and seductive.
“Anything that doesn’t involve talking,” Robert said. I picked up on his insult, I could tell that he wanted her to just shut up, but I don’t believe that Leeann picked up on it.
In fact she turned and walked toward the master bedroom. “Well…you have a nice big bed in here,” she said as if it were just an observation.
Tell her to leave! I demanded, but of course Robert did not hear.
Instead he followed her to his bedroom in what seemed like a trance; eagerly anticipating what Leeann had in mind.
I should have headed toward the basement at that point, but I was too annoyed to attempt any alchemy. I went to the guestroom instead.
It wasn’t until I was snuggled under the covers that I realized that I could hear every giggle and the soft whisper of every word that Leeann and Robert spoke. I could even hear every movement on the bed. My annoyance elevated to anger. I decided to try and escape to the spiritual realm for the night.
