The Presence

by Charlene Neil

  “A fifth of a teaspoon per meal? Cheap round. Not only is the nurse going to have a rough night, aren’t you heading for a rough couple of weeks ahead yourself?”

  “I doubt Ronda is going to be able to raise the kitten all by herself. If she permits it, I’ll have to take him home and nurse him. Once he’s big enough, I’ll have to find him a proper home.”

  “Why don’t you keep the kitty?”

  “That all depends on Ronda, I suppose. But if she doesn’t want him, I might,” Kayleigh said and warmed at the thought. “I’ve always wanted a black cat.”

  “Witches’ cat,” Rebecca joked and put her hand on Kayleigh’s leg.

  “It will go with the witches’ brew that’s bubbling away in the kitchen.”

  The hand on her leg made her muscles tense. The wild fantasies she’d had on the way home had left her defenseless against Rebecca’s pull. The warmth flowed from between her thighs, making her ache for more. Desire took over, and she leaned back on the couch. Rebecca’s hand sent tingles up her thigh, so much so, Kayleigh was sure she was going to explode with need. Her breathing quickened as she placed her hand on top of Rebecca’s hand. Very slowly, she started to slide Rebecca’s hand upward, toward the warmth between her legs.

  Rebecca lowered her eyelids and looked like she was scrutinizing the hand that was moving up Kayleigh’s thigh ever so seductively. She closed her eyes and groaned softly just as Sarah came in balancing a tray with three bowls of soup. Luckily, she was focusing so hard on the tray that she didn’t notice what was happening. Kayleigh shifted away from Rebecca, and Rebecca put her hand back in her own lap before glancing sideways at Kayleigh. The look in her eyes was that of pure lust and it had Kayleigh biting her bottom lip before turning her attention to Sarah.

  God, what had she been thinking, acting that way with Sarah in the next room?

  Kayleigh quickly jumped up and took the tray from Sarah. “Careful, honey, don’t burn yourself.” She placed the tray on the side table. “Next time you should call one of us to help instead, okay?”

  “Yes, Mommy. I just wanted to surprise you guys.”

  “Thanks, sweetie. This smells and looks great.” Her appetite had gone, and she had no idea what to make of what she’d just done.

  Sarah disappeared back toward the kitchen and returned with another tray. “Look, Mommy, we even baked bread.”

  “Wow. You guys are great.” Kayleigh stared at the freshly baked bread on the tray. “Geez, Rebecca, you’ve really outdone yourself. All domesticated and all.”

  Rebecca shook her head. “Couldn’t have managed without Sarah’s help.”

  After dinner, they all helped to clear the dishes. Rebecca washed up while Kayleigh dried and Sarah packed them away. It didn’t take long to finish and by that time it was Sarah’s bedtime.

  “Time to get ready for bed,” Kayleigh said.

  “But, Mom, I’m not tired.”

  “It is already past your bedtime and you have school tomorrow so get going.”

  “Okay.” Sarah frowned and headed for the stairs.

  “I’ll be up to tuck you in in a minute.”

  Kayleigh heard her daughter grumble and she laughed. “She’s afraid she’ll miss out on something.” She patted Rebecca’s hand. “I’ll be right back.”

  †

  After tucking Sarah in and coming back down to the lounge, Kayleigh and Rebecca sipped on their beer in silence for a while. Rebecca sat on the single couch and Kayleigh speculated that she was afraid that she would make another stupid move.

  “So… did you see or hear any ghosts this evening?” Kayleigh asked in order to lighten the mood.

  “Nothing. Thank goodness,” Rebecca said.

  They sat in silence for a while.

  “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me.” Kayleigh spoke softly. She felt like a fool and really needed to hear from Rebecca that everything was all right.

  “Please don’t say you’re sorry, but I’m not sure what you want from me. I must warn you, Kay. I’ve been burned badly once before. You know Maria left me for a man, and I seem to keep forgetting that I promised myself I would never get involved with a straight woman again. You don’t have any idea what you’re putting me through here.”

  “I don’t understand what’s happening, Rebecca. I have these feelings for you. But I’ve never been with a woman and….” Her voice drifted off.

  “And?” Rebecca sounded calm.

  “Nothing. Listen, thanks for everything you’ve done for me today. I’m really tired and it’s getting late.” Kayleigh swallowed as she tried to hold back the tears. She’d never been this confused before. She stood up and led the way to the front door. It had stopped raining. At least Rebecca would be able to drive home safely.

  †

  No matter how hard she tried, Kayleigh couldn’t get to sleep. She felt so much for Rebecca, but starting a relationship with her might not be the best idea. What if they made love and Kayleigh decided it wasn’t for her. Then she would hurt Rebecca by rejecting her and that would mean the end of their friendship. Or, the other scenario… what if Rebecca decided Kayleigh was too inexperienced for her? Before she gave in to sleep, she decided to back off and leave Rebecca alone. But still, her final thought was of Rebecca. What was she thinking of right now? About Maria, perhaps?

  Chapter 14

  1897

  Catherine screamed and panted as she pushed so hard, it felt like the veins in her head were going to pop. Something burned like fire between her legs. She yelped in pain. Then she heard a sloshing sound and felt a sudden release. She lifted her head and tried to see the baby. The baby was lying still, not breathing and not moving.

  “What’s going on, Evelyn?” she asked in a weak voice.

  The doctor came storming in with his little leather suitcase. He immediately grabbed the baby and started to resuscitate.

  Catherine cried out. “Please save my baby. I want my baby… please,” she sobbed.

  Joshua crouched down by her head and cried with her. “Please, Lord, save our baby. Please, God.” He buried his face in Catherine’s hair and cried.

  Chapter 15

  Present day

  Sarah had choir practice before school, so by seven o’clock, Sarah was already dropped off at school and Kayleigh was on duty. She kept looking at the CD shop, but Rebecca wasn’t there yet. Faith appeared exhausted when Kayleigh relieved her, but she still offered to return again the following night to look after the kitten. Ronda’s cat was far more awake and seemed stronger than the previous day.

  Kayleigh called Ronda and told her she could collect her cat as soon as she was ready and in about fifteen minutes, Ronda was there. She cooed when she saw her cat and agreed that the kitten should stay with Kayleigh. It was too small for Ronda to handle and Mittens showed no interest. After she’d settled her bill, she left with Mittens in her arms.

  Rebecca passed Ronda on the way in. Kayleigh’s heart started racing again and she had to work hard to keep her composure.

  “I couldn’t sleep last night. I felt so bad after what happened. I was acting childish and weak and that’s not me. I rushed over here this morning to tell you how sorry I am about my behavior.” The words poured from Rebecca before Kayleigh had a chance to interrupt.

  “I’m also sorry. I acted without thinking. I guess I got lost in the moment, and it was wrong of me.” Kayleigh blushed and briefly glanced away in embarrassment. When she returned her gaze to Rebecca, her friend’s face had reddened, too. Kayleigh liked seeing Rebecca blush. “I’d better go feed the kitty. Do you want to watch?”

  “Ooh, yes please.” Rebecca followed Kayleigh into the surgery where the kitten was sleeping in a warmer.

  Kayleigh took the syringe, withdrew a small amount of stomach juices out to confirm the tube wasn’t in the lungs. Then she drew up two ml of ready-made formula and inserted it into the kitten’s stomach very slowly.

  “Is that it?” Rebecca seemed stunned. “Tha
t seems so simple. Maybe you can take the kitten home with you and keep it there tonight?”

  “That‘s a brilliant idea. It’s warm enough.” Kayleigh took a ball of cotton and dipped it into some warm water before wiping it softly over the kitten’s perineum. It stimulated the kitten to pass urine and stool since Mittens wasn’t there to lick her.

  “Have you thought of a name yet?”

  “How about Houdini?”

  Rebecca laughed. “Houdini sounds like a great name. This kitten however looks like it’s going to be a monstrosity. How about Rattex?”

  “Rattex. Perfect.” Kayleigh stroked the kitten.

  “Coffee?” Rebecca offered.

  “I would love some, thanks.”

  Rebecca disappeared off to her store and returned ten minutes later with two steaming mugs of coffee. They drank while talking about their businesses. Rebecca was happy that her business kept picking up pace, aided by the kids stopping in after school and hanging out at her store.

  After they’d finished their coffee, Rebecca went back to work. Kayleigh slogged through another busy day. Since it was Friday, she decided to call Faith and cancel her shift for the night so as not to inconvenience her weekend. She also asked Faith if she’d like a permanent position as her receptionist and helper with the animals, which Faith accepted eagerly, saying she would start Monday morning.

  Kayleigh wrapped the kitten up in a warm blanket and put him inside a carrier box. She’d feed the kitten at home for the weekend and bring him back to the office on Monday so that Faith could help with the feedings during the day.

  At three that afternoon, Kayleigh locked up and went to see Rebecca. She waited patiently for Rebecca to finish with a couple of customers. As soon as they were alone, Kayleigh said, “I’m leaving now. Am I going to see you over the weekend?”

  “Why don’t you and Sarah come over for breakfast tomorrow?” Rebecca suggested.

  “That sounds great. What time?”

  “How about eleven,” Rebecca said.

  “Cool, see you then.”

  “Okay, goodbye and have a great evening,” Rebecca said.

  “Bye.”

  Feeling oddly sad, Kayleigh left the store to pick up Sarah from school.

  †

  Kayleigh made cheeseburgers for dinner, which they enjoyed on the patio. Sarah was excited about the new addition to the family, no matter how hard Kayleigh tried to explain that the kitten might not live with them permanently. Sarah stayed close to Rattex and refused to let him out of sight.

  After dinner, Kayleigh hopped into the shower, trying to figure out the last time that there had been any abnormal activity. It had been a month. Thank God. As she stood under the hot water, she thought of the hand that had touched her neck and wondered if she and Rebecca would have become so close had it not been for the incident. It was then that she heard a voice whispering. She tried to listen closely. It sounded like a man’s voice. Kayleigh suddenly went ice cold, but decided to remain calm. If she were to get to the bottom of this, she would have to face the thing that was harassing her. She closed the taps and stood very still in the shower, shivering.

  “Hello?” she asked softly. There was no response. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She was breathless with fear, but didn’t move. She reached out for the towel and slowly wrapped it around her.

  The whisper became more recognizable now. “Catherinnnnne…” it said with a deep, desperate sound to the voice.

  “Who’s Catherine?” Kayleigh managed with a shaky voice. My God, I’m going mad. Kayleigh listened for another minute, but there was no response.

  The voice stopped as quickly as it had started. Kayleigh scanned the room, but didn’t notice anything unusual or see any shadows. The only sound was that of her rapidly beating heart in her ears and her own ragged breathing.

  While looking over her shoulder, she hurriedly brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom and then ran up the stairs to her room. Sarah had brought the kitten in its carrier up to Kayleigh’s bedroom and was singing “Who let the dogs out” to him softly.

  Despite what had happened in the bathroom, Kayleigh couldn’t help but be amused. “Not a suitable song, sweetie pie. Run a quick bath, I’ll look after the munchkin.”

  “Ah. No, Mommy. Please, can I bathe tomorrow?”

  “Nope. Now. Move it.”

  Sarah jumped up and ran to her bathroom. Kayleigh had never seen her child so excited about anything before. Caring for the kitten would teach her responsibility, which was a great thing. She thought about Rebecca and that she would see her again the following day. Her heart skipped a beat. Only this time, it wasn’t from fear. Her stomach made those weird and wonderful twists, making her belly feel tightly knotted. Then her thoughts went back to the shower and the voice.

  First Carrey, now Catherine, she thought. And the voice belonged to a man. How many ghosts are there within these walls?

  Chapter 16

  1897

  The sound of a tiny little cough was followed by the sudden cry of a baby.

  “It’s a girl!” The doctor lifted the baby up in the air, upside down, and placed her in Catherine’s arms.

  Catherine sobbed. ‘Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much!’ She looked at her baby and then up at Joshua. His eyes were red and filled with tears. “Isn’t she beautiful?”

  “Apart from you, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen.” He touched Catherine’s cheek and kissed her on the forehead. He turned to Evelyn. “Thank you.”

  “I’m afraid Miss Catherine did all the work,” she said.

  “And thank you, Doctor.” He used both hands to clasp the doctor’s hand.

  It took the doctor another hour to deliver the placenta and then to sew Catherine up. She had a second degree tear and was still bleeding.

  When the doctor was done, he washed his hands, and went to sit on the bed beside Catherine. Josh sat on the other side of Catherine, staring at his baby. The doctor looked at Catherine.

  “It appears you had what’s called placenta previa. The placenta was too close to the opening of your uterus and when you started having contractions, a small part of the placenta separated from the lining of your uterus, causing a massive rupture in the blood-rich tissue, which was why you were bleeding. You are lucky to be alive.”

  The doctor looked at Joshua. “If you hadn’t found her when you did she would have bled to death, along with your baby dying.” He touched Catherine’s hand. “You must rest. Tell Evelyn when you need to use the restroom. She must assist you for a while. Just until you’re stronger.”

  He then turned to Evelyn who was standing by the end of the bed. “You did a great job. Well done, Evelyn.”

  Chapter 17

  Present day

  Sarah jumping on her bed awakened Kayleigh at nine in the morning. Kayleigh was exhausted. She’d been up every two hours the night before, feeding Rattex. She’d tried feeding the kitten with a miniature bottle, and he’d suckled well. So she had removed the gastric tube during the night and kept pushing the kitten to feed with the bottle. He managed five milliliters per feed already, so he’d be strong enough soon to go longer between feedings.

  “I want to sleep. Why are you so cruel?” Kayleigh shoved her face into her pillow to avoid Sarah’s foot in her face.

  “Get up, Mommy. We’re supposed to go to Aunt Rebecca’s, remember!” Sarah cried.

  “I’m up. I’m up.” She dragged herself out of bed and went down to the kitchen to make some extra strong coffee. Sarah stayed with the kitten. Kayleigh took both cups— her coffee and Sarah’s Milo—upstairs so they could drink it together while admiring their sleeping newborn. As she reached the top of the landing, she turned left to pass Sarah’s bedroom when a rush of cold swept right through her and into the room. The handyman that had been there a month ago said there was no problem with the insulation. Kayleigh turned toward the room and saw a little girl looking out of the window. The girl was about half Sarah’s size
and had pitch black, long hair. She was too short to reach the windowsill and had to stand on a stool to see through the window. Kayleigh froze on the spot. She walked slowly into the bedroom as if afraid she’d startle the apparition.

  “Carrey?” she asked softly.

  The little girl twisted her head around and saw her and then as instantly as she’d made her appearance, she evaporated into thin air. Kayleigh, unnerved, took a deep breath to steady her pounding heart. The bedroom now felt warm. The cold had departed along with the little girl.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Her heart still hammered away in her chest, and her legs felt weak with shock. She took a big sip of Sarah’s Milo to get some sugar into her system because she felt like she was about to collapse on the floor.

  “Mommy, come! The kitten’s awake!” Sarah called from the other room. Kayleigh shook her head and walked on shaky legs back to her room, all the time looking behind her to see if the little girl had returned. Carrey was gone.

  †

  They reached Rebecca’s house just after eleven.

  She met them at the door. “Good morning, latecomers.” She gave Sarah a tight squeeze. She turned to Kayleigh and took a step closer. She wrapped Kayleigh in a loving embrace. It felt to Kayleigh as if an energy field enveloped them and pulled them together.

  “Where’s the little guy?”

  “Hmm?” Kayleigh was still tingling from being in Rebecca’s arms.

  “The kitten?” Rebecca asked.

  “Oh, he’s in the Jeep.”

  Rebecca carried the box containing the kitten into the house while she led the way up the stairs. Her house was located in Myoli Beach, just down the road from Lindsay and Judy. Only a small hill separated the house from the beach. It was roomy with more windows than walls, giving the place a light and spacious feel. The smell of bacon and coffee drifted from the kitchen and mingled with the fresh sea air. Kayleigh felt a pang of guilt as she realized they spent all their time at Kayleigh’s house and never at Rebecca’s, due to circumstances. It was hard for Kayleigh to be away from home, because Sarah had to be in bed at a certain time on school nights, and most weekends she had homework or projects to do. The strange happenings in her house also didn’t help the matter.