*~*~*~*
Late the next day, Ice periodically checked Penny’s cabin while standing in the deep shadows of the woods. When he saw her lights flip on, he knew she was finally home. Recalling his promise, he whispered into the night, “As you requested, my dear Penny, You can start counting down the minutes until we’ll be seeing each other again.”
Once the woods were filled with the sounds of the late night, Ice quietly entered his prey’s home. As before, the hunter within came forward and he sniffed the air. Her scent was much stronger than before and he knew she was in the house. This time as he approached her bedroom, his exceptional senses allowed him to hear the deep breathing that told him she was in a deep sleep.
Like a cool breeze, he silently appeared in the bedroom and found his target lying in her bed. He took a moment to examine his prey. Her covers had been kicked off and she was hugging a body pillow so tightly as if it was a life preserver. His mind quickly shifted from the pillow to the silk and lace that draped his target’s curves. Given its design, his head instantly snapped to the spot next to her, expecting to find the man she had worn it for. Someone had invaded his territory and he instantly adjusted his plan to kill him first to get him out of his way. But when he found her bed empty, he wondered if her visitor had already left the cabin. He took in a deep breath and found no other scent in the room other than Penny’s, informing him that no man had been in this room recently.
As Penny squirmed in her sleep, he watched the material of her nightgown gently flow around her. He couldn’t imagine a Human man standing her up and not indulging in what she had to offer. The mystery of her missing date would never be solved because he knew he would be the last man to enter this home while she was alive. He squatted beside the bed and let his instincts take over.
As he leaned toward her to strike, she stirred. For some reason beyond his comprehension, his body instantly retreated to the shadows and he silently watched as she sat up. She turned to her bedside clock and, seeing it click to two o’clock, she grumbled and said, “Right on time, as always.” She knocked the clock back with obvious frustration.
She tossed the pillow she had been hugging to the side and Ice watched intently as she got up and stretched in front of him. He couldn’t help taking a quick visual trip up and down her body, improving of her choice of night wear. He was momentarily mesmerized by the moon backlit silhouette highlighting very sexy curves and a thin layer of sweat that made her body glisten.
He knew he needed to strike, but he was curious about why she was awake and why she was alone and dressed for a night of romance. When she was directly in front of him, she stopped, turned in his direction, and squinted into the dark. Her unexpected actions made him pause. He once again went against his instincts and pressed himself flat against the wall. Although she stared right at him with her twinkling eyes, he knew that she couldn’t see him. His gift of invisibility had never failed him.
Penny scanned the shadow intensely and whispered, “Is someone there?”
Ice held his breath as her hand reached in his direction and she swiped it back and forth across the air.
“Can she possibly sense my presence?” he wondered. It would be a feat no Human or Changeling had been able to do.
Seeing and hearing nothing, she chuckled and said to herself, “Not only can’t I manage to sleep through the night, now my mind is going nuts as well.” She continued her path to the bathroom. After several minutes, she returned. Ice expected her to go back to bed, but instead she headed toward the door. As she once again passed his location, she turned to look directly at where he was standing. She squinted into the darkness, shook her head in disgust at herself, and headed out of the room.
Ice yelled at himself again for not taking the opportunity to grab her. Knowing he had all night, he decided to follow her into the other room to see what she was going to do next and test her ability to sense his presence. Since she was still in her slinky nightgown, he planned on enjoying the view.
From a shadowed corner of the living room, he watched as Penny pulled out a box of cereal from the cabinet and a bag of marshmallows, tossing them onto the counter. After she dropped a stick of butter into a pan on the stove, Ice questioned to himself, “She got up to bake?” Since she was doing it in her nightgown, he couldn’t help smiling. He liked watching the bottom edge of the lace rise as she bent over or reached for something high on a shelf.
One of the charms of this cabin was the exceptionally high, vaulted ceiling. That feature now gave him amusement when Penny climbed up on the counter to reach a large bowl perched like a bird on a high shelf. He got a crooked grin seeing that she wasn’t wearing any underwear underneath the silk and lace. Ignoring the wonderful view, he found himself reaching out as if to catch her if she fell, but his movements weren’t to save her from injury. If her body was damaged in any way before the hunt began, it would slow her down and he wanted a good, long hunt before he stopped to feed. He exhaled in relief when her feet were firmly back on the floor, knowing that he got to watch her show a little longer.
As she continued to work, she kept glancing into the living room with an odd stare—as if sensing something. After she finished baking, she cut up the treats and stacked them on a brightly colored paper plate, shoving them to the back of the counter.
After putting everything away, she walked into the living room, stopped, and stared into the corner where Ice was now hiding. When he moved to a new location to see what she would do, her eyes followed him, although she made no outward signs that she actually saw him.
He said to himself in astonishment, “Somehow this insignificant Human can sense me.”
While staring at his newest perch, she squinted her eyes and said to the wall, “I know someone is here. I can feel your stare.” After listening to the silence, she asked, “Are you a ghost?” The prospect of her cabin being haunted made her pulse race with excitement. She closed her eyes and tried to sense the spirit’s intention. Feeling nothing but a pleasant, tingling sensation she said with a smile on her face and with pure curiosity, “You feel nice, so I’m going to guess that you’re a friendly ghost.”
Ice had to cover his mouth to hold back his laughter, knowing that she couldn’t be farther from the truth. Her internal antenna was malfunctioning, because there was no ghost more deadly than he.
A brilliant smile lit her face and her bright green eyes twinkled. “Since you’re friendly, I think I’ll name you Casper.” She chuckled at her humor. She curtsied politely and said, “Welcome to my home, Casper. I hope you decide to stay. Having someone to talk to at night will be very nice.” Pointing to the television she suggested. “You have perfect timing. All of my electronics were recently hooked up so come watch a show with me.”
She walked over to her tiny couch, grabbed a white, fuzzy pillow with buttons positioned in a way that made it look like eyes. She fluffed the make-shift companion next to her and clicked on the television. She called into the air, “What would you like to watch tonight, Casper?” After a quiet pause, she announced, “Good choice. Disaster movie it is.”
Ice was surprised that his prey settled in with her ghost to watch a movie about a meteor hitting New York City. But he was even more shocked that he stayed and watched her every move until the movie ended.
As the light from the rising sun started to touch the horizon, Penny stood. She stretched, gave the pillow a hug and a kiss, and said, “Good night, Casper.” With hope in her voice, she added, “I’ll see you the same time tomorrow.”
Ice wasn’t sure what she meant by her statement, but he let her go to bed unharmed, justifying his actions by saying that he would have plenty of time to kill her tomorrow night.
Chapter 5 - Night Watch
The next day, the twins decided to take a trip into town to visit Penny at work. When they arrived in the store, they spotted her standing by the main office.
Quinn, standing next to Penny, let out a groan and announced, “Your favorite customer
s are here.”
Penny looked up at the recent arrivals, smiled, and waved them over.
Seeing the twins approach, Quinn couldn’t stop every muscle in his body from tensing with unease. He said, “They’re all yours, Boss,” and he made a quick exit. Others followed his lead and disappeared into back rooms or found something else to do.
Seeing that she was now standing alone, she called to her workers, “You’re all a bunch of chickens!” and let out a giggle. Once the twins were in front of her she said, “You two really know how to clear a room. I’ve never seen everyone so eager to find work to do.”
Tadd shrugged and replied, “It’s a gift. They’re just intimidated by my devastating beauty.”
Taylor whacked him in the arm and said, “No way ugly. It’s me that has them in a spell.”
As they started to rough house, Penny stepped in between them and said, “Boys, knock it off. If you’re going to fight, take it outside.”
They gave each other one last whack and said to Penny in unison while pointing at each other, “He started it.”
Penny rolled her eyes, but then jumped slightly when she remembered something. “I’m glad you stopped in. I made something for you last night.” She stepped back into the office and came out carrying a paper plate covered in a tower of treats.
“Excellent!” Tadd exclaimed and then shoved an entire treat into his mouth. “What’s the occasion?” he mumbled with his mouth full.
“I couldn’t sleep last night so I decided to bake.”
Tadd wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and said, “Feel free to bake for us anytime.”
Taylor, as if on cue, leaned down toward Penny and said, “If you can’t sleep, we would be happy to come over and keep you company. I bet we could find some activities that would wear you out.”
She pushed him back. “Thanks for the offer, but I wasn’t alone.”
Tadd stopped chewing on a second treat and snarled. “Who’s invading our turf?”
“If you must know, his name is Casper and he’s a ghost.” Seeing the confusion on their faces, she added excitedly, “My cabin is haunted.”
Taylor asked with a chuckle, “What?”
Penny replied, “My home is haunted by a ghost. I could sense his presence last night.”
“Is he rattling chains and moaning?”
Penny giggled. “No, he’s nothing like that. I find his presence quite calming and its’ nice to have someone to talk to.”
Taylor asked, “How do you know it’s a ‘he’?”
Penny shrugged. “I just know.”
Not liking any man near Penny—dead or alive—Taylor suggested, “If you’re lonely, maybe you should get a dog.”
Tadd smiled and added, “Or a boyfriend with beautiful brown eyes.” He batted his dark eyes at her.
She laughed at his silly expressions and said, “I don’t need a pet or a boyfriend. Casper is the perfect companion. He’s a great listener, never interrupts me when I talk, and never argues with me over watching silly movies on the TV.” Looking at the clock on the wall, she said, “I have to make my rounds.” Not wanting to leave them on their own to harass workers, she said, “If you promise to behave, you can come with me. We recently inventoried some new motorcycle gear that you might be interested in.”
After they promised to not attack anyone, she led them through the store and they teased her endlessly about her new imaginary friend. As they left with several large bags in tow, they yelled, “Later, Apple Dumpling. Say hi to Casper for us.”
The twins arrived at home carrying a few leftover treats and tossed them on the counter. Seeing the familiar paper plate pattern that Penny had used, Ice knew instantly where they got them. Although angry that they once again went to see the Human he warned them away from, his curiosity was piqued. He walked over to the counter, picked one up, and asked, “You didn’t go see Penny again, did you?” Remembering the way Penny looked when she made the treats, he smiled and took a bite, silently nodding his approval.
Knowing that Ice could most likely smell Penny’s scent on the plate, Taylor replied innocently, “We stopped by the store to pick up a few things we ordered and she was working.”
Tadd added, “We were only there for a few minutes and, when she saw us, she gave us these treats as we left.”
Ice grunted in disbelief, grabbed another treat, and left the kitchen with his typical unreadable expression on his face.
Neither of the twins liked the look he was giving and they instinctively knew he was up to something. They decided, for Penny’s sake, to be extra discrete about their friendship.
*~*~*~*
As the night before, Ice arrived at Penny’s cabin several minutes before two o’clock. And, per her previous night’s routine, he watched her stir from her sleep shortly after he arrived. Puzzled by her behavior he watched her get up. The sweat on her body again twinkled as he stared unblinkingly at another very sexy outfit—this time a white lacy tank top and matching panty. He liked this one even better than the last. After a quick check to confirm that she was alone in bed, he watched her turn in his direction.
She said with a yawn and a stretch, “Thanks for coming back, Casper. No movie tonight. I think I’m going to paint.”
He understood her statement when she came back from her bathroom in a paint-spotted t-shirt and shorts—both with holes and rips in the right places that kept his attention. Wanting to know what she was planning on painting, he used his stealth abilities to remain hidden even after she turned on the lights and laid out her painting supplies.
Over the next few hours, he stared at his prey working on the mural of a tiger ripping through the wall. She painstakingly focused all of her attention on the animal’s eyes. While she painted, she told Casper of her day at work and of the twins, which she spoke of with great affection. Ice knew she was getting too close to the twins and he would have to resolve the situation before it got any worse—that is, after she was done painting for the night.
By the time she stepped back to examine her work, even he felt the intensity of the animal’s stare. She explained to her invisible friend, “I always start with the eyes. Somehow it helps bring them to life and the rest of their internal nature just seems to flow out of my paintbrush.” Penny proceeded to explain to Casper in detail her plans for the room.
Ice listened intently to every word she said. Now wanting to see the tiger completed in his future room, he decided that her death could wait for a few more days.
*~*~*~*
Ice continued to visit Penny’s house and the days quickly turned into weeks. Like an internal alarm clock, she woke at the exact same time each night and crawled out of bed wearing different sexy lingerie. In the few weeks that he’d been watching, she hadn’t repeated the same outfit twice. Given the intriguing nightwear, he decided to investigate further while Penny was at work.
The next day after he saw her leave, he walked into the cabin. As he rummaged through her bedroom, he opened her closet to find a large collection of nighties in every color of the rainbow. When he went to her dresser, he found a drawer full of the same lace and silk. When he glanced in the corner, he found a partially opened box crammed full of even more. He laughed at the sight and exclaimed, “She’s a lingerie junkie!” As he continued to snoop through every drawer, box, and cabinet in the cabin, he didn’t find any signs that a man had ever been in the home with her. This also matched the research he had done online that showed that she had never been in any kind of serious relationship. He wondered out loud. “No male audience…she’s just a lace addict.” The thought that he may be the only male on the planet that had seen the fashion show for some reason made him protective of the collection. He pitied any fool that attempted to become personally familiar with his now claimed territory. They wouldn’t live to share the tale.
Each night he watched this odd Human. Besides the nightgown parade, where he was keeping track of his top five, he was learning more about Penny. He had alre
ady learned the basic things like what she liked to eat, movies she watched, and her favorite hobbies—the selection matching her mood. One of his favorite night time activities was when she would paint. He would sit along the wall and watch her work for hours at a time, transforming her bedroom into a jungle theme which was quite realistic and very beautiful. Initially he planned on how he was going to redecorate once the Human was gone, but those thoughts slowly faded away. Although her cabin full of color and life was a stark contrast to his dark, monotone world, Penny’s reality called to him. Even if she needed to be removed from his world, he wanted this cabin as she made it to keep a part of her alive, like a distant whisper in the dark.
*~*~*~*
As the weeks went by and Penny opened up more and more to her ghost Casper. He listened to her talk excitedly about her success with the first overnight hiking group she took into the woods. Ice had watched the entire event while hidden in the shadows, but he kept his distance because he knew that to kill her, he had to kill them all and he couldn’t risk the investigation that would provoke.
As Penny continued to talk and began to share her inner thoughts and private feelings, Ice was shocked to listen to the growing words of affection that she had for the twins. Although he knew he needed to stop their growing friendship, he repeatedly extended her execution. He justified his actions by saying that she hadn’t finished his future bedroom yet and she was a temporary reprieve for his boredom.
Chapter 6 - Phone Home
As Ice positioned himself for another nighttime show, Penny awoke, got up, and said her normal “Morning Casper,” to the shadow. Tonight she wore his favorite outfit so far. It was a short pink number made of sheer lace and tied loosely up the front. It showed off just enough to tease him into wanting to undo each tie to reveal what was underneath. He was going to enjoy the view, thinking it was a perfect balance between nice girl next door and a porn star. He cursed when she exited the bathroom wrapped in a robe.
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