Presence Ch. 03

I lay still in his arms for a while, my head against his heaving chest, feeling his heart beat. Then suddenly, I started giggling.

"What?" Kenji asked, raising his head to look at me.

"Nothing," I smiled. "Just... wow."

Kenji started laughing along with me.

"Yeah..." he kissed the top of my head. "...wow."

* * * * * *

Later in the day, we arrived at the apartment building where the mysterious Pinky lived with her husband.

"Remember," Kenji said before ringing the bell. "Don't give her any information about what's been happening in the apartment. She wants to be able to sense everything herself."

"Okay," I nodded.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

He rang the bell, and I could immediately hear footsteps on the other side. When the door opened, I couldn't help raising my eyebrows in surprise. I had had many ideas on how this woman may look, but none of them were even close to the actual thing.

She was in her early fifties, still quite beautiful. She was of average height, had a round figure and shoulder-length strawberry blond hair. She was dressed in black pants and a silk blouse, and looked very classy and elegant. So I was utterly stunned when the first thing she did was to point at my neck and exclaim:

"Damn! Check out that mother of a hickey!"

I gasped and covered my neck with my hand. Kenji snorted and pursed his lips, holding back laughter. She giggled and leaned over, pulling my hand away.

"I had a boyfriend once when I was sixteen who gave me hickeys like that" she said as she took a closer look. "Where does the time go?"

She smiled dreamily, then her smile faded a little. She must have noticed the other marks on my neck. Without commenting on them, she held out her hand.

"Long time no see, Kenji. And this, of course must be Ash. Glad to know you, I'm Pinky."

"Hi." I shook her hand.

"Don't you look good enough to eat," she said with a wicked smile, looking me up and down. "What I wouldn't give to be able to see what the two of you did last night... Oh, wait! I can!" she said, closing her eyes.

My mouth fell open and my face turned tomato red.

"She's just kidding," Kenji laughed. "She pretends like she doesn't, but she does have some decency."

"Yeah, and boy, does it suck," she chuckled and stepped aside to let us in. "Come on inside, kids. I'll make us some coffee."

We were seated at her kitchen table, eating cookies as she poured coffee for us. She sat down, and took a sip from her cup.

"Okay, I gotta ask," I said. "How did you get a nickname like 'Pinky'?"

"Well," she chuckled, "this one time in the eighties, the spirit of a fourteen-year old girl sort of latched on to me. She had died in an accident. The poor thing was so sad about things she had wanted to do but never got a chance... so I decided to help her out, like taking her to concerts, things like that. And, something else she always wanted to do was to dye her hair neon-pink. And I couldn't dye her hair, so I dyed my own. That was the last thing on her list. She crossed over after that, and I became permanently known as Pinky."

"Wow. A ghost can latch on to someone? I thought they stayed in one place."

"Sometimes they're attached to a place, other times it's a person. A loved one, or simply someone they come across. They want something to hold on to. So," she said cheerfully. "Kenji said you needed my special services."

"Yeah," I nodded.

"Well, you came to the right place. Give me your hand, kiddo."

I placed my hand in hers. She closed her eyes; after a minute, she opened them again, with a startled look on her face.

"Damn..." she breathed. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes again, this time for a little longer, maybe ten minutes. When she finally opened her eyes she released my hand and shook her head.

"Did you see... everything that happened?" I asked her.

"I saw bits and pieces. I will need to visit that apartment. You have a seriously determined stalker, Ash" she said darkly. "Let me just..." she leaned over and traced a finger over the marks on my neck.

"Have you ever seen anything like that?" I asked.

She lowered her hand.

"I have seen a lot of things," she said. "But no, I have never seen anything like that."

Silence fell for a few minutes, then Kenji cleared his throat.

"So... how do you want to do this?"

"Well..." Pinky pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I think the best thing would be to go there during the night."

Kenji looked up.

"Wait a minute, are you sure about that? It could be dangerous. I've been there, I felt how strong he was."

"Yes, so I think it's best to do this at night. It will be easier for me to get through to him."

Kenji sat silent, a skeptical look on his face.

"Look, Kenji," she continued, "I really think this is the best course of action. Trust me, I know what I'm doing. I've dealt with many malignant spirits before, and I've managed to assist every single one of them to the other side. But I could use your help, if that's okay with you."

"What, you'd think I let you go up there alone? I'm disappointed in you, Pinky."

"Such a gentleman," Pink said fondly.

"Kenji... If you're going, then so am I."

Kenji turned to me, a surprised look on his face.

"Ash... you don't have to..."

"This issue is not open for discussion" I interrupted him. "If you're going, then I want to come with you."

"Then I guess you're coming." He smiled softly and laced his fingers with mine. We sat there for a minute gazing at each other, until Pinky's voice made us both start:

"You two are so damn cute!"

I looked away with an embarrassed smile, but kept holding on to his hand.

"Now," Pinky stood, and began clearing the table. "I don't think it has to be all that late when we do this, something like 11 p.m. will suffice. I suggest you two go home and rest. Helping a spirit cross over can be emotionally draining."

We stood and moved to the door.

"Thanks," I said, turning to Pinky.

"It's my pleasure, kid."

"I hope you're right about this," Kenji said, patting Pinky on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," she smiled. "I can handle it."

* * * * * *

When we finally did take Pinky's advice and got some rest it was because we both passed out from post-coital exhaustion. As soon as we got home we were all over each other. We had sex twice, got a shower, had something to eat, had sex again and then finally fell asleep.

This was new to me. And I don't mean just being horny for someone. This was more than that. It was like now that I finally had a taste of Kenji I simply couldn't get enough. When our bodies were joined it was as if every single cell of my body was crying out in pleasure. The feeling was just... perfect.

When it was time to go and pick up Pinky, we reluctantly hauled our asses out of bed, got cleaned up and headed out. We picked up Pinky at her place and drove to my apartment. I wasn't thrilled about going back there, but I was hopeful that maybe Pinky could fix this and I could have my home back.

As we pulled up outside the building and got out of the car, Pinky closed her eyes and stood still for a moment.

"I can feel him very strongly, all the way out here. Anger... hatred... sadness."

She opened her eyes and looked at Kenji.

"It's intense, I'll give you that."

We went inside. As I was about to unlock the door I took a deep breath. Kenji placed his hand over mine as I pushed the key inside the lock.

"You don't have to."

"I know. It's okay. I can do this."

I tried to give him a reassuring smile, then I opened the door. Pinky rummaged through a big bag she'd brought, and pulled out a votive candle in a glass holder.

"Don't turn on any lights," she said as she lit it. "This candle will be enough. There's a reason things like our friend here mostly go bump in the night: they like the dark."

We stepped inside. Almost instantly the door swung shut behind us with a bang. Startled, we stared at it for a moment, then Pinky handed the candle to Kenji and stepped inside the living room. Like Kenji had done before, she slowly paced around the room, sometimes stopping to touch something or close her eyes in deep concentration.

"You weren't kidding," she said after a few minutes, glancing at Kenji. "His energy is so incredibly strong... it's spread out, into the walls... the ceiling..." She turned to me. "His obsession with you is... I can't describe it. I can hear him whispering about you. One moment, he's talking about loving you for all eternity and the next he says that you're a liar who deserves to die."

Kenji placed a hand on my shoulder, and at the same moment a framed picture flew off the wall. Pinky turned to Kenji.

"I think it's best if you don't touch Ash for now... He doesn't like it, and he's already pissed off enough without us making it worse."

Kenji nodded uneasily, and let his hand rest at his side.

"Yeah... I feel it, too."

Pinky closed her eyes again, then moved towards the bathroom. She peeked inside.

"Blood came up out of the toilet..." she muttered. "...and you found something. Something that wasn't supposed to be here... The card... with his blood on it. You found it in the cabinet."

"I thought it was a dream," I said quietly.

"No... I don't think it was. He made it happen."

She closed the bathroom door and took a deep breath. Then she moved towards my work room.

"He wants us to look in there."

Kenji and I followed her. When I stepped inside I quietly gasped. Several of my sketches and some completed designs were thrown in a heap on the floor, some of them ripped apart. My drawing table was turned over. On the wall facing the window, was written the word 'MINE', in big, black letters.

Looking away from the word on the wall, I stared at my ruined work on the floor.

"Ash...?" Kenji's worried voice broke the silence.

"I'm okay," I whispered. "I can do them over again, it's okay."

It wasn't okay. I poured my heart and soul into my work. It hurt like hell to see them lying there like trash. Taking a deep breath, I turned away and we all left the room.

"Okay," Pinky said, standing in the middle of the living room. "I think that it's best we got down to business now. I'm going to help him over to the other side."

Placing her hands over her chest, she closed her eyes with a deep breath. She stood completely still for a long time, almost as if she was asleep standing up. Then suddenly, her face began to twitch and her body started shaking. She made a pained noise in her throat.

"Pinky!" Kenji placed his hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes. Pushing Kenji aside, she marched up to me, gripping my arms with surprising strength.

"Mine!" she growled. "Get it through your head that you're mine! I'll make you pay for deceiving me, for making me think you wanted me. I'm taking you with me, and we will be together forever whether you want to or not!"

Kenji grabbed her wrists and tried to pry her hands away from me.

"Fight him, Pinky!" he yelled. "You can do it! Fight him! Force him out!"

"Get... out... leave... my... body...!" Pinky groaned, and then fell down on her knees, panting.

"Are you okay?" Kenji asked, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah..." she said weakly, getting up. "He slipped in through my defenses... that's never happened to me before."

"Maybe we should stop now."

"No... I want to give it another try. You help me this time. Hand Ash the candle and give me your hand."

Kenji linked his hand with Pinky and they both closed their eyes. As I stood there watching them, I suddenly felt a strange feeling inside my stomach... and then I was lifted up into the air, flying towards the work room. I caught a glimpse of Kenji and Pinky's startled faces, and then I was dropped on the floor of the work room, and the door swung shut.

I stumbled up on my feet, rushed to the door and tried to open it, but it was stuck. Not even the handle would move. I could hear Kenji pounding on the door from the other side.

"Ash! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I..." I turned my head. "Oh, shit!"

"What? What is it?"

"Fire!"

I'd still been holding the candle when I was dropped on the floor of the room. Somehow, the flame hadn't been extinguished and the pile of my ruined sketches had now caught fire, fueled by the wax from the candle.

I moved towards the fire to try and stomp it out, but I was thrown against the wall, and hard slaps rained over my face. I fell down on the floor, and an unseen hand closed around my throat.

"No...!" I managed to croak. Then I felt another hand grabbing on to my hair, and my head was banged hard on the floor.

Dizziness flooded my head. Everything seemed to be floating. I was vaguely aware of shouts, bangs... and then a shrill, ringing sound. I could feel heat. The pressure from the hand on my throat. Stinging smoke in my nostrils. I couldn't breathe. There was an excited growling in my ear... and then I was swallowed by darkness.

* * * * * *

Everything's black.

"Ash!"

He killed me.

"Ash! Wake up!"

He really killed me this time.

"Wake up!"

Kenji...

"Baby, please! Wake up!"

Kenji!

Coughing and gasping for air, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was Kenji's tear-streaked face, smiling with relief, clasping my hand. We were outside the building. I was lying on a stretcher in an ambulance, and oxygen mask over my face. I could see firemen and people moving around in the background, and Pinky, hovering anxiously by the ambulance. I weakly raised my free hand and gave a little wave, and she smiled at me.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine," a medic said reassuringly to Kenji who nodded, not taking his eyes off me. I squeezed his hand, and drifted off to sleep.

* * * * * *

"So, what happened?"

It was the next day in the afternoon. I was sitting up in my hospital bed, not in too terrible shape: mild smoke-inhalation and a concussion (again) from when my head was banged on the floor. Pinky was sitting in a chair, and Kenji was sitting on the side of the bed, his arm around me.

"Well," he said, kissing my forehead, "I managed to break the door down while Pinky pulled the fire alarm. You..." he stopped and cleared his throat. "You were lying on the floor, passed out. I was afraid you... " He pulled me a little closer. "The fire had spread, to the walls and your drawing table. I picked you up and got you out, and Pinky got the fire extinguisher from the hall and used it on the fire. It was out when the fire department arrived. Your work room is pretty messed up now, but the rest of the apartment is undamaged."

"Ash..." Pinky stood and moved closer. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault. I underestimated him. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." I smiled at her. "It's okay."

She brushed a few tears off her face and smiled.

"So..." I took a deep breath... "Is there nothing that can be done about...?"

"No, I still think I can help him cross over, but I'm going to be smarter about it this time. I have contacts. With their help, it should work. But it's best if you and Kenji don't join us this time."

"Thank god for that."

Pinky left a moment later. Kenji stayed a little longer, still holding me. I burrowed a little closer to him and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"You know I was thinking... regardless of whether Pinky and her friends manage to get rid of Ryan, I'm going to move out. I can't live there anymore, I need a fresh start. I was kinda hoping it would be okay if I stayed at your place until I find a new apartment?"

"Weeell, I don't know... I guess..." he said with an exaggerated sigh. I pinched his nipple through his shirt.

"Ouch!" he laughed. "I'm kidding! You know you can stay as long as you want. If it were up to me, you'd never leave."

"Thank you," I whispered.

He placed his hand in the back of my neck and let my hair fall between his fingers as he kissed me.

"Anytime."

We were quiet for a minute, then Kenji said:

"Have you realized it yet?"

I looked up in surprise.

"What?"

"That you're braver than you thought."

"Oh, that..." I put my head back on his shoulder. "I don't know..."

"You were nervous about going out with me, and you did. You were afraid to go back to the apartment, but you did."

"Well... I wanted to be there. In case anything happened to you."

"You faced your fears. That's bravery. Don't you agree?"

"I guess..." I gave a small smile, then cleared my throat. "Did I ever tell you, that when I gave a statement to the cops about what Tim did to me, one of them... indicated that because I wasn't a woman I should have been able to stand up for myself if my boyfriend was beating me up. He basically said I had myself to blame for letting him do that to me."

Kenji tensed up.

"Let him! You didn't let him do anything! That's complete and utter bullshit!" he hissed between clenched teeth.

"I know, but... it wasn't so much what he said, but the look on his face that got to me. He looked at me like I was the most pitiful thing he'd ever seen. The exact same way that Tim used to look at me. And sometimes... there was a small part of me that thought they were right."

"They're not...!" Kenji began, but I silenced him with a finger on his lips.

"I know that now. I know they're wrong. I've come to realize that, lately."

"How come?"

"Because of you. Because of the way you look at me."

For a moment he didn't say anything at all, he just stared at me. Then, smiling, he pulled me close and kissed me again.

* * * * * *

In the end, I never did leave Kenji's apartment. Months passed, and I decided to stay permanently with Kenji. Why would I want to leave? I was perfectly happy where I was, and he was more than happy to have me there.

I had always thought that it would be scary, being in a real relationship after all this time, and that it would take a huge effort to adjust, but it didn't. It was surprisingly easy. Kenji made it easy. I don't mean that it didn't take any effort at all, but it always felt right.

What happened with my stalker ghost after that night when the fire broke out is something of a mystery. Pinky went up to my apartment with three other mediums a few weeks later to assist him to the other side, but except for some lingering energy, they couldn't sense him. He simply wasn't there anymore. He was gone. Pinky and her friends couldn't say why, but the had theories that he somehow managed to cross over himself. I didn't really care why, I was just happy that Ryan was gone for good.

Matt and Jeff were glad when they found out we'd gotten together, though sometimes they complain that our cuteness level is disgustingly high. This coming from the guys who give each other Eskimo-kisses on a regular basis.

* * * * * *

It was in the morning on a Sunday. Kenji was between my legs, his mouth on my cock and his fingers inside me, making me squirm.

"Please...! Now..." I moaned.

Pulling his fingers from my body, he wrapped my legs around his waist and pushed inside me in one thrust. Crying out in pleasure, I threw my arms around him. He made love to me so slowly it was almost torture. I pushed my hips up and pulled at him with my legs and hands, trying to make him go faster; he just smiled and slid in and out of me with frustrating slowness as he kissed and nibbled the side of my neck. Only when he had built us up both to the point of pain did he begin to thrust faster, and it didn't take much for us both to explode at the same time, with loud cries.

"Oh... god..." I panted.

"Uh-huh..." Kenji agreed weakly, then pressed his lips against mine. We kissed lazily for a while, then Kenji rolled off me and pulled me into his arms. I was almost dozing off, when Kenji said quietly:

"I love you."

My eyes shot open and I looked at him in stunned silence.