The Presence

by Charlene Neil

  †

  Rebecca put a comforting arm around Kayleigh’s shoulders and guided her to the patio. Once outside, she took a deep breath of fresh air. “Here’s your chance to fill in the missing gaps. I know you too well by now and can see there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “First, I heard a window breaking downstairs and then the door at the top of the landing slammed shut and locked itself. After that, all hell broke loose downstairs. I tried to open the door, but nothing I did could open it. The racket carried on for five whole minutes. Then everything went quiet and the door opened by itself again once the police came. When I went downstairs, everything was in shambles, and the burglars were outside, beaten up.”

  “Sounds to me like you have a guardian angel protecting you. I’ve never been so grateful for a ghost before in all my life. I think your ghost likes you.”

  “I know. I’ve just been in such a shock ever since. I’m exhausted, Rebecca.”

  “Come here.” Rebecca pulled her into her arms. She held Kayleigh for a long time until she stopped crying.

  Kayleigh took out her phone. “I’m going to call a guy I know who has a truck so he can come and clean up the mess. Then we’re going furniture shopping.”

  “I’ll drive.”

  After Kayleigh’s call arranging the truck, her phone rang again. She answered before putting her hand over the receiver. “Police.” She walked away from Rebecca while she spoke. After about ten minutes, Kayleigh ended her call. Sarah joined them from the kitchen.

  “Aunt Becka, last night I was shit scared.”

  “If circumstances were a little different, young lady, I would wash your mouth out with soap,” Kayleigh said with a stern voice. “You’re lucky I’m having a very soft spot for you right now. In future, I suggest you watch your language.”

  “Sorry, Mom.”

  After Sarah went back inside the house, Kayleigh faced Rebecca. “The cops interrogated the burglars and both of them gave the same story. They broke in and were confronted by a man who started throwing furniture at them. The cops wanted to know who it was, and I couldn’t tell them. The investigation is going to go on forever if they want to find the guy who beat up the burglars.”

  “This is all so unbelievable.” Rebecca hugged her again. “Even though your ghost scares me shitless, I’m so thankful to him that you guys aren’t hurt.”

  †

  After the man left, his truck filled with the broken furniture, everyone crammed into the Mini and drove to town for some furniture shopping. Kayleigh chose a new brown leather settee and a simple pine coffee table. Since it was late Friday by the time the furniture got ordered, Kayleigh was assured it would be delivered by Monday.

  “Hey, guys, you hungry?” Rebecca asked when they were back in the car.

  “Starving, we’ve only been nibbling on cookies all day,” Kayleigh said.

  “Yep, I could eat a whole cow, Aunt Becka. I’m a growing child and all my mom gives me is cake.” She giggled at her own joke.

  “I’m treating you both out to dinner. Knysna market or pizza?”

  “Knysna market, please!” Sarah shouted.

  “How about you, Kay? What do you want to do?”

  “Oh, market will be great. I’m in the mood for their nachos, but we need to go home first to take a shower. I’m filthy.”

  “Knysna market it is.”

  Rebecca drove them home, and they entered the empty lounge. Kayleigh wondered if Rebecca was feeling the uneasiness.

  “Sarah, you could also use a bath and clean clothes,” Kayleigh told her. “I’m not taking you anywhere else while you’re covered in cookie dough.”

  “All right, Mom.” Sarah rushed upstairs.

  “And no running in the house!” Kayleigh called after her. She started toward the shower and noticed Rebecca following her. She turned and raised her eye brows questioningly. “Yes?”

  “I’m going to stay with you. I don’t want to leave you alone again. I’m petrified of something bad happening to you. Whether you want me to or not. Period.”

  “Oh, you just want to gawk over my naked body,” Kayleigh said, teasingly.

  “You’re damn right.”

  “Pervert.”

  “Yeah, I know,” Rebecca said. “Now you’d better run or I’m gonna catch you!”

  Kayleigh chuckled and started running to the bathroom with Rebecca right behind her. They laughed as they ran. Kayleigh tripped over her feet and crashed down to the floor, with Rebecca falling down on top of her. As Kayleigh tried to get back up, Rebecca refused to budge, and held her down. Kayleigh was positioned underneath Rebecca, their faces only inches from one another. Rebecca lowered her face, and kissed her gently on the lips, before getting up. She reached down and offered Kayleigh her hand to help her up. Kayleigh took her hand, and as she stood, she leaned into Rebecca, kissed her back, and Rebecca unexpectedly pinched her on the butt. Kayleigh yelped and continued down the passageway, Rebecca in tow, pinching her as they went.

  When they reached the bathroom, Kayleigh started the water. With a confidence she didn’t know she possessed, she undressed slowly, all the while keeping eye contact with Rebecca. Rebecca’s heated gaze felt like tiny pinpricks on her skin. Kayleigh stepped into the shower and gasped as the hot water hit her.

  After soaking for a bit, she felt someone behind her. She turned around and saw that Rebecca had also undressed and had decided to join her. Rebecca took the sponge, and lathered the soap over it. “Turn around. I’ll wash your back,” she said in her low, husky voice. “Don’t worry. Like I told you before, nothing will happen if you don’t want it to.”

  “Maybe I want something to happen,” Kayleigh whispered as she turned and faced away from Rebecca.

  “Oh, really… Well then maybe we should make a plan…” Rebecca rubbed the sponge over her skin gently. She stood close to her, so close that Kayleigh could feel her breath on her neck. She held onto the side of the shower so she didn’t lose her balance as she absorbed the heat that penetrated her skin. Kayleigh arched her back and pushed her hips back until she felt Rebecca’s pelvis touch her from behind. Kayleigh noticed that Rebecca was cleanly shaven. Her pubic area was smooth, soft and silky. She also felt how Rebecca’s body responded to her and welcomed the movement against her.

  The sponge landed at Kayleigh’s feet. Rebecca’s lips touched the back of Kayleigh’s neck. She slid her hands to the front of Kayleigh and stroked her nipples. Rebecca’s hips thrust against Kayleigh’s soft curves. Rebecca groaned as she lowered one hand down Kayleigh’s stomach until she reached between her legs. She slipped a finger down into Kayleigh’s wet folds.

  “Oh, fuck,” Kayleigh whispered breathlessly.

  “You’re so wet,” Rebecca breathed into her ear. Kayleigh turned around, dug her nails into Rebecca’s back as she pulled her closer and kissed her greedily, water running down their faces. Rebecca returned her kiss for a few seconds, but stopped abruptly and then bent down to retrieve the sponge.

  “What? Why are you stopping?” Kayleigh asked, incredulous.

  “Not here, Kay. Sarah is upstairs and can walk in at any moment.”

  Kayleigh, still throbbing between her legs, playfully slapped Rebecca on the shoulder. “Why do you start things you can’t finish?”

  “Hey, you started it.” Rebecca chuckled. “Undressing in front of me like that.” She inhaled slowly through her teeth. “You turn me on like no other ever has.”

  The rest of the shower was difficult. Rebecca was even more beautiful with her clothes off. They washed while looking at one another. She wondered if Rebecca was imagining all the things she wanted to do to Kayleigh’s body. If her heated stare meant anything, Kayleigh would say she was.

  †

  After the shower, they went upstairs where Sarah was already fully dressed. When they were all dressed, they hopped in the car and drove to Knysna. It was still light at six in the afternoon, but the bonfires were burning, and the place was pack
ed. They strolled around and visited the stalls, while Sarah went to play on the jungle gyms.

  Sarah had already decided what she was going to eat. She wanted a vetkoek with mince—a ball of bread dough deep fried in oil which is then cut open like a bread roll and filled with savory mince. She also wanted some mini doughnuts with chocolate sauce, as if she hadn’t had enough sugar for one day.

  After looking at everything available, Kayleigh and Rebecca both had a plate of chili nachos and draughts. They sat on the grass while they ate their food, and watched the children play. The band was playing sixties music, much to Rebecca’s dismay. Kayleigh discovered Rebecca enjoyed modern music the most, and Kayleigh agreed with her that old music was a bit overrated.

  After the market they drove back to Sedgefield and bought ice-cream sandwiches at the all-night store. They’d eat them on the beach in front of Rebecca’s house. The wind had turned cooler but felt heavenly after the hot day in the kitchen, baking. Rebecca was quiet on the drive back and then had an idea. “Why don’t you ladies spend the night at my house and then go back home in the morning?”

  “Yes, please, Mommy. Can we, please?” Sarah whined. “It’s scary there.”

  The thought of going back to the house scared Kayleigh senseless. She knew the old saying that if you fall off a horse, you get back up on the horse again as soon as possible, but this was a different situation.

  She glanced over her shoulder at her daughter in the back seat, then turned to Rebecca. “Well, if it’s of no inconvenience to you that would be great,” Kayleigh said. Not only was she not ready to face another night in her house, she also wasn’t ready to say bye to Rebecca. “We just need to go and fetch Rattex first.”

  After eating their ice creams and walking on the beach for half an hour, all three of them drove to fetch the kitten, just like a family. Rattex was big enough to eat kitten food and had started playing and running around. He was growing very fast. His eyes were a luminous green and hair pitch black. Rattex had adopted Sarah, therefore he qualified as her cat. He refused to sleep anywhere else but on Sarah’s bed.

  When they got home, Sarah chose to stay in the car while Kayleigh and Rebecca went inside to get Rattex.

  Rebecca searched the whole house for Rattex before finally finding him sitting in the doorway of the shower, growling, his hair standing up straight on his back, with his tiny tail fluffed out behind him. Suddenly, he arched his back and backed away crab-style, while growling like a dog. Something was most definitely scaring him or pissing him off big time. Rebecca crouched down next to Rattex, but when she saw how the kitten spat at something, she quickly scooped him up into her arms and fled from the shower. Running past the kitchen, she spotted Kayleigh packing food for the kitten and halted in order not to show her how spooked she was.

  Kayleigh turned around and faced Rebecca and Rattex. “I have everything packed, including our toothbrushes. Ready?”

  “Oh, I’m ready,” Rebecca said way too quickly, rushed over and helped Kayleigh with one of the bags.

  “Just so you know, I can see something spooked the both of you, but I’m not going to ask.”

  Once in the car, Rebecca passed Rattex to Sarah in the back before she keyed the ignition. Pulling out of the driveway, her eyes were drawn to the rearview mirror and to the ominous house of horrors. She couldn’t get them out of there fast enough.

  Chapter 22

  1901

  From their vantage point in the kitchen, Catherine thought the man hadn’t seen them yet. She watched as he opened the screen door. He was dressed in a uniform, an English uniform. As he started to turn in their direction, Catherine crouched down to talk in a low voice so that only Carrey could hear. Tears flooded her eyes as she whispered. “Run, baby. Go and hide. Go….”

  Carrey ran through the kitchen and out the back door.

  Catherine tried to control herself. She stood up straight on shaky legs and faced him. “Can I help you, soldier?” She saw his face contort as he realized she was English.

  “Traitor. Whore,” he said in a cruel voice and then he spat at her.

  The spittle landed on her left cheek. She wiped it off with her sleeve. She feared that there might be soldiers outside and they might have seen as Carrey went to hide. He slapped her across her face and she fell backward. Pain shot through her spine when her head bounced off the floor. The soldier bent down and gripped her by the hair and dragged her outside. There were five more soldiers there, all on horseback, clutching burning torches. She hoped that Carrey had gone to hide and was now out of sight and couldn’t witness her in the clasp of these pigs. She knew she was going to die and she didn’t want her daughter to remember her like this. Pain wrenched at her chest when she realized that she might never see her daughter again.

  “Where’s the brat?” One of the soldiers, a cruel looking man with evil eyes, asked through clenched teeth.

  “Please leave her. Please!” Catherine pleaded.

  “Burn it all,” the one who held her by the hair said.

  They rode up to the house, and threw their torches into the house. Catherine started pleading. “Please don’t! Please!” she cried. What would happen to her little Carrey? She would die of starvation and cold if left there all by herself. She struggled to free herself from the soldier’s grip. He gripped tighter when she tried to fight him off. He bent down, picked up a rock, and hit her over the head. The blow brought stars to her eyes.

  Before everything went black for her, she felt the soldier pick her up and fling her over his horse.

  Chapter 23

  Present day

  “Sarah, this is your room,” Rebecca said after taking Sarah to one of the spare bedrooms. Kayleigh followed close behind them. After dropping Sarah off at her room, Rebecca led the way to another spare room right next to hers. “And this, my sweetheart, is your room.”

  She leaned close and lowered her voice. “Just for tonight you may sleep here. Next time I expect your naked body snuggled up next to mine.” The corners of Rebecca’s lips curled upward.

  Kayleigh leaned back against the doorframe. “Lead me not into temptation, for my flesh is weak.”

  “Good night.” After a quick glance over her shoulder, Rebecca gave her a long, deep kiss. Then Kayleigh disappeared into her room for the night.

  †

  Kayleigh awakened at ten the following morning, feeling a little guilty about sleeping so late. She got out of bed and went into the adjoining bathroom. After brushing her teeth and making sure she looked decent, she went searching for Rebecca and Kayleigh. She found them sitting outside next to the pool, eating fruit salad.

  Rebecca’s face lit up when she saw Kayleigh emerging from the house. “Finally decided to wake up and join the world, I see. How did you sleep?”

  “I slept very well, thanks.”

  Sarah ran to her mom and squeezed her hard. “Hi, Mommy. We missed you.”

  “Hello, child of mine. Did you sleep well?”

  “Yes, Mommy. I love my room. It’s so warm.”

  “Oh, yeah, little miss madam was up at six this morning,” Rebecca said with a chuckle.

  “I’m so sorry, Rebecca. You should have gotten me up.” Kayleigh raked her gaze over Rebecca’s body. She was breathtakingly sexy, wearing denim shorts and a white spaghetti-strap top. Her dark hair, shining in the sun, was hanging loosely, the bangs sweeping just above her eyes.

  “No. You needed the sleep much more than I did,” Rebecca said and dished some fruit salad into a glass bowl. She handed it to Kayleigh.

  “Thank you. This looks good.” Kayleigh sat down at the table. The sun was up, but the clouds were moving in. “Looks like rain.” Kayleigh sighed. “Maybe we should watch some movies today.”

  “Yes!” Sarah gave her two cents worth. “I saw you have some good movies, Aunt Becka.”

  “Up early and snooping,” Kayleigh said as she brushed Sarah’s hair off her face. “This child from my loins is an embarrassment. I do apologize, Rebecca
.” Kayleigh forked a big red, juicy strawberry and popped it into her mouth.

  Rebecca pointed at her with her spoon. “You’ve got to loosen up, chick.”

  “FYI, Mommy, Aunt Becka gave me permission to look.”

  “Watch your manners, Sarah.” Kayleigh gave Sarah a stern look.

  “Sorry, Mommy.” Sarah slouched lower in her chair, and stared at her bowl.

  Rebecca quickly chimed in. “Why don’t we all take a turn to pick a movie?”

  “Can I go first? Pleeeaaase?” Sarah pushed her palms together as she begged.

  “Sure you may.” Rebecca laughed. And with that, Sarah was gone. “Poor deprived child probably never gets to watch movies. Yet she bakes biscuits like there’s no tomorrow. Slave driver for a mom and all.”

  “Actually we watch a lot of movies, but since the move we haven’t had much time. The ghosts keep me entertained. More than enough.”

  While finishing her fruit salad, Kayleigh watched as Rattex played with the plants as if they were aliens trying to destroy the world and he just had to save the universe from total extermination.

  Rebecca’s eyes didn’t leave Kayleigh. “So for real now, did you sleep well?”

  “I slept like a baby, thanks to you and your hospitality. No nightmares. Nothing. Thanks for putting us up.”

  “I love having you around. Truth is, since I met you, life is just not the same. I used to be fine on my own, but lately I can’t stop thinking of you.”

  Kayleigh searched her brilliant blue eyes. “I like you too. A lot. Just one teensy little thing bothering me.”

  “What might that be?”

  “I’m worried about Sarah.”

  “I really believe Sarah will be fine. We won’t be flaunting it in front of her and she’ll grow up getting used to the idea. She’ll learn that love can conquer all. And as far as I’m concerned, she already likes me more than you could even imagine and she loves being here. She’s like family. We all feel like a family. You, Sarah, hell, even Rattex, and me. I don’t expect to worm my way into your life and overnight become a part of your family, but I’d like you to give me a chance. And with regards to sex, that can wait. I like what we have right here. I really don’t mind taking it slow.”