The Presence

by Charlene Neil

  “I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you first if it was okay—“

  “No, no, no, it’s fine. I actually promised her the other day that I would buy her another CD, but with all the drama, it slipped my mind. It’s a very sweet gesture, though. Thank you.”

  Kayleigh set the bottle of Pinot Noir on the kitchen counter and went to a cabinet for wine glasses. Once she stripped away the wrapper, she uncorked the bottle and poured the wine. Kayleigh handed Rebecca a glass before taking one for herself.

  “I thought you might need some sort of a sedative and what better way to calm your nerves than with alcohol?” Rebecca winked before taking a sip.

  Kayleigh laughed. “You’re so right. By the way, I ordered you something for your store.”

  “Oh?”

  “A massive neon sign. It’s as big as the titanic. No one can miss it, not even the blind. You need to be more visible, for better business.”

  “Kayleigh, that’s much too generous. Please, let me pay you something.”

  Kayleigh shook her head. “Nope. It’s a gift from one friend to another.”

  Rebecca looked ecstatic. “Well, thank you, Kay. It’s such a thoughtful gift.”

  She set her glass down and took Kayleigh’s glass from her and placed it on the table. She stepped closer and pulled Kayleigh into a hug.

  Kayleigh settled easily into the embrace. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest and it was hard for her to pull away from Rebecca’s warm arms. With difficulty, she stepped back while trying hard to calm down her breathing.

  “The guy will call you tomorrow and make installation arrangements with you. You’ll see—business should pick up now.” She went to the stove and stirred the pot of food. “Dinner’s practically ready. Shall we go sit outside on the patio and relax for a bit before we eat?”

  Rebecca moved closer to Kayleigh and tried to look into the pot. “What are we having? It smells wonderful.”

  Kayleigh shivered as she felt Rebecca’s breath in her neck. “Chicken a la king. I hope that’s okay.

  “One of my favorites.” Rebecca placed a hand on the small of Kayleigh’s back. “The patio sounds great to me.”

  Rebecca quickly removed her hand and waved it in the air. “But you’ll have to show me the way.”

  “Of course.” They picked up their glasses, and Kayleigh led the way to the wooden deck that overlooked Wilderness. There was a cozy patio swing tucked in the far corner, and a small patio table with four wooden chairs neatly stashed in the middle.

  “Oh, wow. This is one amazing view.” Rebecca walked to the edge of the patio and leaned into the railing.

  Kayleigh followed and stood beside her. “I love it here. I don’t want anything to scare us away.”

  “You know, I was thinking of everything you told me. You said Sarah was sleeping when you heard her talking. Could it be that she was talking in her sleep?”

  Kayleigh nodded slowly. “Yeah, I suppose that’s possible. It’s what I thought was happening at first but….”

  “But what?” Rebecca asked.

  Kayleigh shrugged. “After seeing the weird drawings, I really didn’t believe it was possible that she was talking in her sleep.” She looked at Rebecca welcoming any reassurance to make her feel better about her current situation. “How do you explain the shower incident?”

  “It could be that your neck muscles tensed and it felt like a hand touching you.”

  “It felt like a cold claw actually, but go on.” Kayleigh made a motion with her free hand as she took a sip of wine. “I’m listening. How do you explain Sarah’s bizarre drawings?”

  “Mind showing them to me?” Rebecca eyes were luminous in in the evening light.

  “Sure.” Kayleigh placed her glass down on the table. “I’ll be right back. They’re in the TV room where I stashed them earlier.”

  After retrieving the drawings, Kayleigh took a quick peek inside the living room where Sarah was still dancing while attempting to read the lyrics that came along with the CD. Kayleigh warmed at the sight and left for the patio.

  “Thanks for coming over and being here for me. I could never tell Lindsay all these things. She’d think I’ve gone completely mad.” She handed Rebecca the drawings.

  “Anything for a free meal. At only a nominal small fee, I can also play ghost hunter.” Rebecca took the pictures and started scanning through them.

  Kayleigh relaxed a little and playfully smacked Rebecca on the arm. “You’re such a brat. Doesn’t anyone cook you dinner—ever?”

  “Nope.” Rebecca frowned as she studied the drawings. “These drawings are creepy—you got that right. You mentioned she was in a trance when she drew them?”

  “Completely.” Kayleigh stood next to Rebecca at the railing, examining the drawings with her. She felt Rebecca’s warmth radiating from her body and leaned in a little to absorb some of the comfort she was emitting.

  “Looks like some sort of a lid or maybe a square box. I don’t know. What do you think?”

  “Yeah, it does look like a box. But why would she draw so many of them?”

  Rebecca frowned. “And you said that Sarah had no idea what they were either?”

  “She was as shocked as I was about them.”

  The lump in Kayleigh’s throat made it hard for her to breathe. She’d been anxious all day, but denial had kept her at bay. Now, reality was slapping her in the face.

  “I can’t really debunk these pictures, unless Sarah dreamt of something weird and subconsciously drew dozens of them,” Rebecca said.

  “Can I put them away now?” Kayleigh shuddered before she reached for the drawings in Rebecca’s hand. Their fingers touched for a brief second, and she gasped as the sudden flow of energy between them caught her off guard.

  Rebecca inhaled sharply and let her hand drop down to the railing.

  There was a short moment of silence between them before Kayleigh left to put the drawings away. A few seconds later she reappeared, picked up her glass of wine, and returned to her spot next to Rebecca.

  They stood still for a while appreciating God’s creation—the view as well as one another’s presence. The thumping sound of footsteps on the wooden patio coming up behind them made them both jump around. It was only Sarah.

  “Mommy, when can we eat?”

  “Oh, yes, let me go dish up,” she said before glancing at Rebecca and laughing. Kayleigh leaned into Rebecca and whispered to her. “You were scared.”

  Rebecca shook her head.

  “Yes, you were.” She dug her fingers into Rebecca’s side, trying to tickle her playfully.

  “Yeah? So were you.” Rebecca fought her off as they both giggled like school girls.

  †

  After dishing up, they returned to the patio. While they ate, Rebecca and Kayleigh spoke about business and how to advertise. The wine, or maybe even the company, made Kayleigh relax completely. She couldn’t believe she’d been so nervous about the evening. After they ate, Sarah ran back to the lounge to listen and dance to her new CD.

  Rebecca laughed at Kayleigh’s facial expression when Sarah skipped the CD to the beginning again. “Maybe I should get her an MP3 player, so she can listen to her music on earphones.”

  She stood up and motioned toward the house. “Come. Give me a grand tour. Maybe I’ll find something.”

  Kayleigh got up and followed Rebecca inside. Once inside, Rebecca motioned for Kayleigh to lead the way. As she walked, she could sense Rebecca’s eyes on her. She stopped and turned around to face Rebecca, as she did so, Rebecca nearly crashed straight into her. Rebecca halted and swayed forward at the sudden stop.

  “Traffic pile up,” Rebecca muttered, sounding out of breath.

  “I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you were so close behind me.”

  “Your brake lights don’t work by the way.”

  “Keep a safe following distance,” Kayleigh teased. “Shall we start with the shower?” She headed for the bathroom, and Rebecca followed. As they
made it to the bathroom doorway, Kayleigh reached for the light switch. Rebecca quickly grabbed for Kayleigh’s hand in order to stop her.

  “Don’t,” Rebecca whispered, and in their closeness, her breasts brushed against Kayleigh’s back as their hands met. Kayleigh was surprised at how the sudden contact made her heart flip. Rebecca’s nipples were hard, and she could feel them poking her through their tops. She struggled to regain her composure as she stood still and absorbed the flow of heat from Rebecca. She closed her eyes for a second, not understanding the reason for the throbbing between her legs. She could feel Rebecca’s breath on her neck, and with her eyes closed, she turned her head to the side slowly, absorbing Rebecca’s closeness.

  Rebecca took a step back and lowered her hand. She cleared her throat. “Keep the light off. If there’s a presence in here, it might be able to make contact with us in the dark.”

  “Why do you think that is?” Kayleigh tried to calm her breathing.

  “I don’t know. That’s the way it always happens on TV, isn’t it?”

  Kayleigh chuckled softly, and as she inhaled, she snorted. Rebecca burst out in nervous laughter as well.

  “Don’t make them angry now. Remember, you must still sleep in this house tonight,” Rebecca reminded her. Kayleigh stopped laughing as suddenly as she’d started. Her eyes fixed on something inside the bathroom.

  Rebecca, still looking at Kayleigh asked, “What is it?”

  “Did you see that?” The fear was evident in her voice.

  Rebecca followed Kayleigh’s gaze to where she was looking and shook her head. “What did you see?”

  “A large shadow, it looked like a man.”

  Rebecca brushed past Kayleigh and entered the bathroom, Kayleigh right behind her. As she walked, she felt the wetness between her legs from their earlier contact, wondering how she could be aroused and frightened at the same time.

  “It’s colder in here than it is out there, but it could be that the window doesn’t seal properly.” Rebecca was trying her best to reassure Kayleigh. “It could be the wind that blew the curtain and you saw the shadow of that perhaps?”

  Rebecca stood in front of the shower and faced Kayleigh.

  “Yeah, that must be it. Come on, let’s get out of here.” Kayleigh shivered. She wanted nothing more than to get away from the bathroom before she made a total fool of herself. Being so turned on and frightened, she feared what she might do to Rebecca in the close proximity of the small room.

  “Sure.” Rebecca seemed relieved to be leaving the room.

  †

  They continued up the stairs. As they reached the top of the landing, Rebecca stopped and shuddered.

  “What’s wrong?” Kayleigh asked.

  “I feel like I’m not wanted here for some odd reason.”

  “You are wanted here, all right? Don’t get all sorts of stupid ideas in that head of yours.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “Not by you, it’s as if the house doesn’t want me here. Do you know what I mean?”

  “No, not really... would you rather we stop?”

  “I’m not backing out now and leaving you here all by yourself. I came here to help you, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.” Rebecca looked at Kayleigh’s frightened expression and wished she could find a way to protect her from her fears. At first, she had thought Kayleigh was imagining everything, but seeing her in this state, she knew some of it must be real. When she had agreed to come to dinner, she only used the alleged ghost as an excuse to spend some more time with Kayleigh.

  “This way to Sarah’s room.” She heard Kayleigh say while she followed her up the stairway.

  As they entered Sarah’s room, Rebecca winced. “My God, it’s freezing in here. Maybe you should check the insulation?”

  “I know, right? There was a contractor here today who sealed the roof and checked the insulation. He said everything was fine.”

  Rebecca walked over and sat down on Sarah’s bed. She patted the space beside her and Kayleigh sat next to her. The room was dark, but the light from downstairs made it possible for her to see Kayleigh. Rebecca touched Kayleigh’s arm gently and searched her eyes in the semi-darkness.

  “I don’t know what to say to make this easier for you. I can see that you’re upset by all the strange things going on here. I really wish I could help you, but I’m not sure how. I get a very uneasy feeling about the place and I don’t think the two of you are safe. Maybe you should find another house and just move out.”

  “No way. I love it here and so does Sarah. There has got to be another way besides us leaving.”

  Rebecca sighed and stood. “All right. Show me your bedroom then.” She watched Kayleigh’s perfect form move ahead of her and ached to touch her.

  †

  Kayleigh led the way down the passage and stepped aside to allow Rebecca to enter the room first. She watched Rebecca walk into the room and was amazed at how brave Rebecca was, knowing what she did of the unusual incidents happening in the house.

  “Have you had any experiences in here?” Rebecca asked.

  “None,” Kayleigh answered quickly. Just the thought of what could possibly happen made her petrified. She still had to sleep here tonight. She started backing out of the room. “Shall we go back downstairs and drink our wine?”

  “Pardon the pun, but you look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Rebecca laughed at her own joke, trying to lighten the mood.

  Kayleigh shook her head. “I don’t want to do this anymore. It’s making me feel very uneasy, and I still live here.”

  “You’re more than welcome to come over and stay at my place until you’ve found another house,” Rebecca said as she followed Kayleigh toward the staircase.

  Kayleigh stopped and turned around. “That’s a sweet offer, and as tempting as it sounds to run away from this thing, I’m a grown woman and I need to face whatever this is. Besides, I signed a very to-the-point legal contract which states clearly that I may not vacate the premises until the twelve months are up.”

  “Wow. That’s unusual. Did the agent say why?”

  “Apparently, previous tenants upped and left without notice, leaving the place neglected and in a bad state. The owner wanted to avoid that from happening again.”

  “Yeah... I wonder why....” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “We can find a way out of the contract for you if you want.”

  “No, Sarah and I will be all right,” Kayleigh said, her voice not sounding very convincing.

  Everything was as they’d left it downstairs, Sarah was still dancing to the music, unaware of what was going on. The only thing out of place was Rebecca’s wine glass, which had fallen over and the wine dripped like blood through the spaces on the wooden tabletop.

  “Oh, my God. It must have been the wind. Let me go grab a cloth.” Kayleigh rushed to the kitchen. Rebecca took the cloth from Kayleigh and mopped up the mess.

  Kayleigh poured Rebecca another glass in the hope that she could keep her there longer.

  “Thanks,” Rebecca said and took a long sip. She placed the glass down carefully in front of her. “How old is this house anyway? It looks like it’s about hundred years old, at least.”

  “I don’t have any history on the house. I’ve been meaning to ask the agent to give me the owner’s number so I can find out what the back-story is. I don’t think Graham will give me the name, though. It goes against their confidentiality policy.” At the mention of the last two words, she raised her hands and made imaginary quotes.

  “There’s always the municipality or the library in George, you know. I can help you search for info if you’d like.”

  Kayleigh shrugged. “I wouldn’t know where to start looking. The municipality will only give me the info if I’m the current owner.”

  “I’ll try and help you in any way I possibly can.”

  “That would be nice. I need to find old newspaper clippings too, but I don’t know where to start searching.”

  “We’ll get to the bottom of
all this, don’t you worry.” Rebecca sounded sincere. She examined her watch and sighed. “I can’t believe the time. It has just rushed away from us. I’d better leave before I overstay my welcome.”

  “You could never do that.”

  “Thanks, but I really should go.”

  After thanking Kayleigh and Sarah for the meal, Rebecca left. As her car reversed out of the driveway, Kayleigh shivered. She wrapped her arms around herself and hugged tightly. She had no idea how she was going to sleep with everything that had happened. The thought of anything happening in her room scared her senseless and she feared what Sarah might be going through. She wished she’d asked Rebecca to stay

  .

  Chapter 9

  1896

  Joshua kept his promise to treat Catherine like a jewel.

  “Honey, what are you doing?” Joshua had been in the field all morning, working with his cattle, and when he came home, he found Catherine outside by the washing line.

  She spun around when she heard his voice. “Nothing much, just helping with the washing.”

  “I told you, I don’t want you doing these things. Come inside, let’s go have some tea.” He took her gently by the arm and guided her inside the house.

  “I can’t sit around all day and do nothing, I need to do something.” She spoke while she walked beside him toward the kitchen.

  “I know, but we need to think of the baby.”

  “You are a good husband, Joshua. I know you’re just taking care of me, but please understand, I’m not used to people doing everything for me.”

  “Once the baby is born, you can do whatever you want around the farm.” He sat her down by the table and asked the cook to make some tea. “I just want you and our baby to be safe.”

  She smiled at him. “I know, my love.”

  Chapter 10

  Present day