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With Love, Sheila

FAT BITCH

At this point, she was no longer surprised.

The dower eyes of a blue-eyed vixen gazed down upon the desk upon her. 'FAT BITCH' had been written upon its surface in rather crude lettering. It was early in the morning so all around her, her fellow classmates were talking. But even then, she could still pick out the giggles that were directed at her. The teasing, the chortles, the laughter; it all made her blood boil.

But she sat there, immobile and erect, just staring at the words again and again and again.

FAT BITCH

Raising her hand, she palmed the desk, then rubbed her hand upon its smooth surface. She could tell the teacher's about this, but what would be the point? They wouldn't listen; they never listen. It was best to just swallow this in and deal with it. Besides...

She'd have her revenge soon.

…

Marcus Stone.

Do you remember that name? Or do you need a quick reminder? Yes, perhaps a reminder is important.

Marcus Stone is a young man. Darker skin complexion, wild black hair, a lean appearance, and rather wide brown eyes. He lives in Sunshine Apartments, Room #319 in fact. And anyone who knows about this room will tell you the same thing.

It's haunted.

An even longer story even shorter, Room #319 is haunted by the spirit of a vixen named Sheila Thompsom, who killed herself five years ago. However, her ghost still exists within the seams of her old apartment, where she can be heard moaning and groaning and toying with herself.

A lewd ghost indeed...

Marcus couldn't sleep no matter how much he tried due to Sheila's antics, and it caused his college classes and job to both suffer. That all changed when he met the mysterious Ryoko of Ryoko's Boutique; a supposed witch who helped him deal with the ghost haunting his halls. It worked, with Marcus becoming capable of both summoning and bringing Sheila to reality...

Where they fucked.

And as they say, the rest is history.

Surprisingly, Sheila became docile after their tryst, and even maintained that docility. No more moans and groans, no more vibrating, though she still somehow finds a way to leave her panties around despite being a ghost. This is no doubt maintained by the fact that Marcus has continued having sex with her, night after night, month after month. It's difficult please a ghost as he came to learn, but not impossible.

This all leads to the now. And right now? Heh... right now...

Excitement! Excitement and joy and happiness! It all fueled through Marcus like a torrent! He was probably... no, not probably, he was indeed the happiest now than he's ever been in the entire year! And why? Because after months of studying and toiling, it was finally – finally! - the end of the school semester!

Which means nothing but sleep!

“Huaah! Yes! Aah!"

From the moment his last class ended to now, Marcus was a grinning fool. It spread from one cheek to the other, wide and excited like it was his birthday and Christmas all at once! The joy he felt could not be understated! The freedom he felt, the joy, the happiness, once again--

Excitement! The excitement to do nothing!

Such is the joys of adulthood.

With a twist of his knob and a push, Marcus opened the door to his apartment. Stepping in and closing the door behind him, he quickly dropped his backpack, walked towards his couch, and--

“Gah!"

Fell in face first.

Groaning into his couch, he smiled and hugged his cushions close, while a smile spread out upon his face. It felt so good to just lay here and soak in the smells of his couch; truly he was home!

Clack...

“Hm?"

Pulling up, Marcus stared across his living room towards the TV. It was black and void like for a moment, only to suddenly click and turn on. Despite being a digital TV with crystal clear imaging, it suddenly began to distort and scratch, like a Skype call that's being interrupted by a lagging connection. Mere seconds...

“Mar-Cus..." he heard a voice call out.

Straightening up on the couch, Marcus laid his back against it, while the distorted image on his TV screen gradually shifted to show...

Green fields.

A lake.

And a cottage in the distance.

But then the image flickered, causing a woman to appear in the center of it. She was a vixen, her fur pale white, and her long and black. So long in fact, it obscured her face. She wore not but a robe, one that was tight at around the top, yet quickly fanned out around the bottom.

Standing there on the opposite end of his TV screen, she gazed endlessly in his direction, her mouth slightly agape. Then she pushed her hand out, forcing it through the TV screen like she was penetrating a barrier. All as Marcus watched, unflinching, immobile... only to blink.

“Mar-Cus!"

She was gone from his TV screen... because she now on the couch to his right.

Marcus looked over, now face to face with the vixen who just appeared on his TV screen. The shapely specter leaned in, her mouth steadily forming a smile as she crawled closer and closer to him on all fours. In this position, he got a wide view of her masked face, not to mention the endless, boundless cleavage her robe offered him.

Sheila Thompson: the ghost of Room #319. Leaning in close, she pressed her chest up to Marcus' shoulder, while her mouth spread out into a fang-flashing smile. Her hand slid over to grip upon Marcus' wrists, where she guided his hand back over towards her chest, allowing him to grip it.

“Wel-come Home!" Sheila cried, “WeLComE hoME! wELcomE HOmE! WELcomE hOMe!"

“Heh heh... I get it, Sheila, I get it," Marcus replied.

His fingers sank into her soft bosom, pushing up against her chest, and causing her grin to widen out further. She felt so soft, so plush; as if begging to be groped and kneaded upon for hours. In return, she reached out for Marcus, desperate to do likewise. Her hand rested on his chest, kneading him softly as she leaned in closer and closer and closer.

“Mmfff...

“Mmm..."

They kissed one another, lips to lips, tongues swirling with tongues. Her ghastly moans reverberated and bounced off the walls, echoing into his ears and making him pull back. Spit ooze down Sheila's lips as she smiled, while he could feel the presence of her eyes from behind the forest of hair she had. Giving a warm smile of his own, Marcus reached out for the vixen where he placed his hand upon her cheek.

Despite being a ghost, the fur on her face still felt so smooth to the touch. They bent and slid out of the way as he gently stroked her features, while she leaned up further. Tugging at the seams of her cleavage, Sheila was just about to expose her chest, but then she reached forward to palm the lump in Marcus' pants.

“Big penis. Must fuck."

“Heh... you're already hungry for that, huh?" Marcus quipped as he gently tugged at her bottom lip, “Alright, Sheila. Um..."

He pulled away, allowing the shapely specter to quickly attack his pants, unzipping and undoing them at sonic speeds. The belt undone and the zipper down, she quickly began pulling his pants down his legs, just far enough to expose his lower half... and the throbbing penis between his legs.

“aAAHhahAHahAHahAHahAHahAahAHAhahAHahHAhahAHah! pENis FucK!"

“Heh heh... you always embarrass me when you act like that, Sheila," Marcus remarked as his hard length stood tall between them.

Drawing her hand over, Sheila draped her fingers around his shaft. As icy-cold breaths left her lips, she started stroking off his length, bringing a relaxing groan to his lips. He leaned back further upon his couch as the voluptuous vixen began working out all the stresses of the day. Yes, he was free from the confides of college for winter break, but that didn't mean he was suddenly free of Willington and its metro system. As lewd as it is to say, getting a handjob really does work wonders for undoing one's stress.

Even if the one performing the act is a ghost.

A wide smile spread out upon Sheila's lips as she stroked Marcus' cock. From her body he watched this strange aura emanate; miasma from what he remembers. It flowed off of her body and grew stronger, smelling like rotting flesh and sweaty meats. But the once repugnant odor of it had become as sweet as an aroma to Marcus, who just recognized it as Sheila's musk.

Is that strange? Maybe...

Giggling excitedly, Sheila moved over and wrapped her lips around the head of Marcus' cock, garnering a groan from him. He melted into his couch, while the shapely specter started passionately sucking his cock. Up and down her head bobbed, while muffled 'mmms' and 'mmphs' and 'sllsks' left her lips

Marcus reached down to palm the top of her head, where his his fingers grooved in between her jet-black hair. It was gentle at first... but then he gripped in hard and gritted his teeth. Without warning, he slid his cock as deep into Sheila's mouth as it could possibly go, sliding his length right into her throat! And her reaction... was muted to say the least.

She didn't buck, didn't twitch, did gag or anything; the vixen just sat there. Her head tipped to face him, but she did nothing to fight him off. She allowed him to do as he pleased with her mouth, showing off the blessings one can have when one is a ghost.

When your dead, you don't really need air, do you?

“Haaah... haaah... Sheila," Marcus groaned before gripping her head tightly and--

Pat!

Her hair bounced.

Up and down, Marcus used his hips to drive his steeled cock in and out of her mouth and throat. She was so tight, so constrictive; as if every inch of her body refused to let him go. That pressure drew groans from his lips, while Sheila palmed his thighs to brace herself against him. Aside from that, she continued doing nothing. Although...

Fuck my throat

Fuck my mouth

Fuck my throat

Fuck my mouth

“Aah...!"

Those words bounced around in Marcus' head, even though she had a mouthful of cock right now. Just another ability of the ghost; she could seemingly infiltrate his mind so long as he was in the apartment. And such a desperate voice it was, as if begging for him to treat her mouth like some sex toy.

And he did. Oh he did!

Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat! Pat!

Up and down, Marcus drove his dick in and out of Sheila's mouth. Those plump lips, the slick tongue, that moist mouth; it all guided his cock in and out, as if welcoming him in... deeper... deeper... deeepeeeer...

And Marcus kept delving as deep as he could go. His cock was sputtering now, close to that blissful high he had been working towards since the start of this. Throbbing and bucking and yearning, all as he gritted his teeth against one another.

One! Two! Three!

“Aaahah!"

Spurrrt!

“Mmm!"

Heat rushed in; hot, spicy, delicious cum. Like a speeding bullet, cum surged through Marcus' dick and straight into Sheila's mouth. Thick as well, it completely coated her mouth, before bubbling down and settling.

Marcus leaned back on his couch, breathing hard as a pleased smile spread out upon his lips. And when he looked down, his gaze befell the vixen before him, who was standing up straighter.

Ghost though she may be, and even with her hair falling over it to obscure her, Sheila gave a face of elation. He watched her cheeks move, swaying his cum left to right in a tasting manner, before finally swallowing it all down in one, heavy--

“Gulp!"

Sheila had an endless sex drive, but Marcus was living, so he did not. Even with a voluptuous beauty on her knees before him, it would take a few moments for his 'little guy' to get big again. Sheila understood that, even if her boundless lusts and spectral body gifted her an infinite libido.

So she turned away, facing the TV once again, which suddenly buzzed to life. It once more showed that green field, that lake, and that lakeside cottage. The image began distorting, but Sheila stood up, walking over towards it slowly. From her lips he could hear a talking to herself, but it was all so sudden and so jumbled and so random, that he couldn't understand her.

But then he spoke out to her.

“Sheila."

And she stopped.

“Mar-Cus...?"

He blinked.

His eyes reopened, and Sheila was standing tall before him. From the curtain of her hair he could see her eyes looking at him, glowing like lights in a black sea. He swallowed his spit, then stood up to face her.

“Sheila... why did you die?"

The room grew silent. Marcus could not hear the hum of his air conditioner, could not hear his fellow neighbors, he couldn't even hear his own breathing.

Sheila slowly cocked her head as if it was on a swivel, and let it hang there. Marcus stared back, awaiting an answer... even though he knew he'd never get one.

He tried. He tried his hardest not to, but eventually, his eyes grew strained. So...

Marcus blinked.

Sheila was no longer standing in front of him.

Gazing forward as a sigh of defeat left his lips, he saw that the phantom fox was on the other side of the television screen, standing within that field of green. She was immobile... distant... and didn't seem to care much for his question.

He knew this would happen.

With another blink, the television was off, and Sheila was gone. Oh well... he needed to take a shower anyway.

…

Just who is Sheila?

This one single question had begun dominating Marcus' mind as the days went by. Where was this mysterious place she causes to appear on his television screen, and will occasionally bring him to in his dreams? Why did she kill herself in the first place? And why hasn't she moved on?

All of these questions and more he's asked her, but speaking to a ghost is surprisingly difficult. Putting it lightly...

She never answers.

But that hasn't stopped Marcus yet from asking the questions in the first place. And while he does continue to indulge in the vices of her shapely form, his desire to know who she is – or was – has only grown in strength. Some may think it's childish curiosity, and yeah, he may agree, but it was more than that.

While the sex was great, it felt wrong to use the phantom fox as nothing more than a sex doll. Sheila's dead and is haunting her old apartment, so perhaps just working on infinite loop; like a computer program that hasn't been updated in years. Marcus wasn't sure, but he knew whatever this was went well above his pay grade. There was only one person who'd help him understand what a ghost is and how they operate.

And he's sure she probably didn't want to see him anymore.

Winters in Willington are a beautiful sight. While the cold, chilling air can nip at one, the sights of snow as it lays on sidewalks, buildings and roads cannot be understated. Here, there, everywhere, can be seen various festive decorations for the holidays. Even here in this out of the way, hidden part of the city, decorations declaring 'HAPPY HOLIDAYS' can be seen.

Mordredus Road: the strange, mysterious, and even slightly sinister road that exists somewhere near the heart of the city. Every time he came here, it exuded this eerie atmosphere, even if nothing was that out of place. The buildings just looked old and off, with a majestic design to them, as oppose to the hardcore business-minded design all buildings in Willington have.

Just what was this place and why was it here? And why did Marcus always feel drawn to this place? Weell... the answer to the last question was simple: it's because she works here.

When he was suffering beneath the haunting wiles of Sheila, there was only one person who could help him. The mysterious maiden of the curio shop; the Egyptian woman with a Japanese flair.

Ryoko's Boutique.

On a road that was strange and out of place in Willington, this building still found a way to be the strangest of them all. It was old with a Gothic design to it and tinted windows, giving it a sinister aura and air. He remembered being a fraid of this place when he first came here, but his desperate need to be free of Sheila spurned him forward nonetheless. Now? Now.

He kinda missed this place!

It had been a while since he's been here, a month or two in fact! The last time he came, it was to tell Ryoko that he had dealt with his ghost problem, though he never told her how he did it. That would be pretty embarrassing, and even strange to admit to sleeping with a ghost... and on multiple occasions as well. But even if the eventual conversation would be an embarrassing one, he stepped forward nonetheless. Whatever it took to help Sheila, no matter how strange this all was.

Well...

Marcus walked through the front doors of the building, staring down its short lane towards the curtains on the other end. How many people were put off by the curtains, he wondered. Actually, how many people come into this curious shop anyway? How does Ryoko make her money?

Stepping through the curtains, Marcus finally entered the curious shop proper, seeing that, yup, not one thing had changed. Sure, the items were different on these shelves, but aside from that, everything else was the same. Still, it garnered a gasp in awe, as he wondered just what these things were and what purpose they had. But those thoughts were quickly cut short when--

“If you think this is a hair saloon, you are gravely mistaken."

“Heh... is that your opening statements?"

“What?"

Coming down the main lain of the store, Marcus' eyes befell a woman sitting behind the counter.

She was tall, dark-skinned, with long... no... now it was short raven hair, and cold, sharp, purple eyes. Her clothing were white and red robes, like some Japanese Shinto Priestess; a shrine maiden. However, the collar was adorned with gold, and she had a tiara on her head with a green jewel in the center of it all.

However, her ears were triangular and black, and she had a slender tail that extended from her backside. She was a hybrid, a feline-human hybrid going by these extra appendages, and her age was similar to his, being a young adult. Though she was probably older... but only slightly!

He remembered her having a sharp, almost arrogant face. The kind of person who was instantly annoyed with you, even if they had no idea who you were yet. But right now, those purple eyes of hers were wide, and her tail and ears were standing up straight. She was surprised to see him... and he was surprised she remembered his name!

“Marcus?" said the hybrid with an eyebrow raised.

“Heh heh! Hey, Ryoko. Long time, no see!" Marcus replied as he came to the counter side.

“It is you," replied the catwoman as she straightened up in her chair, “It's... been a month."

“Well... a little bit longer, give or take," Marcus replied whilst shaking his hand, “Heh... um... uh..." he cocked his head, “How's it been? Your store and every thing?"

“Uuhhh... finnnee..." she replied, confused, “H-honestly, I should be asking you how everything is. When you came to me last, you sid you were able to talk with your ghost, right? The one that was... ahem..." she blushed and looked away, “The lewd one, right?"

“Heh... heh heh... heh... you... you remember that, huh?"

He sheepishly scratched the back of his head,

Yeah, it is still a bit strange what Sheila was doing, wasn't it? Most paranormal activities are supposed to be of the horrifying and even malevolent kind, right? But Sheila, well, the most she did was give him a blowjob... which is still pretty scary, honestly.

But what they did next though? Well, that's all on him.

“What... what are doing here?" Ryoko asked as she cocked her head, “Are you... uh... are you being haunted again? Or are you just curious as to the afterlife following your haunting?"

“Well... I am curious to the afterlife, I do admit," Marcus said sheepishly, “It's odd. I've always believed in a Heaven and Hell, but for it to be confirmed with an actual ghost... that's... that's uh... well..." he shrugged his shoulders, “I guess I should start going to church more often."

“Yeeeesssss... chuurrrrrrch.." Ryoko muttered as she sank back in her chair a bit.

“But that's not why I'm here," he stated, “I'm here to... talk with you about... well... something else."

“Haaaah... perhaps I should make people start to pay for my consultation," Ryoko muttered under breath as she rose back up, “But... fine. What question do you have for me, Marcus?"

“Riiight... uh... so when I came before, I was just focused on getting rid of my ghost, Sheila," Marcus explained, “But I never actually stopped to ask why she was haunting me... or, uhhh, haunting her old apartment, I guess. So... haaah... I just wanted to know... why would she haunt her old apartment like that?"

“I see..." muttered the feline, “Though... that is not a question I can answer. Only your ghost would know the answer to that question."

“I know... I figured... so... how do I make a ghost tell me?"

Ryoko opened her mouth to answer, but she just as quickly closed it to shoot him a perplexed expression. She remembered their last conversation, and how he claimed to have stopped his haunting. But the way he spoke seemed to imply that he was still being haunted in some way, and to make matters worse... sniiiffff... she could smell so much ghostly energies on him! He was like a beacon for the paranormal, even though he didn't know it! It was almost too much to even look at him, let alone speak to him!

And that's when it struck Ryoko, making her eye him up and down as if he had sprouted a second head. Marcus stared back at her, equally as confused. Had someone appeared behind him, or had he said something weird?

“By the gods... your sleeping with the ghost, aren't you?" Ryoko stated.

Marcus' face grew long and even paled slightly. While he had come to tell her that, yes, he was fucking Sheila, he thought he'd have to, ya'know, tell her first! He didn't expect the feline to accurately guess it! At least not right away!

“Uh... y-yeah... I'm uh... I'm sleeping with Sheila... is... is that a problem?"

Ryoko's response was as expected. Her eyes doubled in size, her mouth grew agape, she placed her hands to the sides of her head, and her ears and tail all stood on end. What the fuck! Was this guy for real!? He was fucking sleeping with a ghost!?

“ARE YOU INSANE!?" she shouted, causing him to flinch, “She's a fucking ghost! H... how did you even sleep with her!?"

“Well... heh... heh... s-solidification is what you called it, right? It... it really works. Heh!" Marcus said sheepishly, like a child caught sneaking sweets after dark.

“By the gods! I... I know you men are stupid, but this is beyond stupid!" Ryoko claimed, “She's not alive; she's a fucking ghost! Or were you so horny, you'd gladly stick your penis into anything if it shakes its ass in your face!"

“H-hey! This ain't all my fault!" Marcus replied defensively, “I remember when a certain hybrid gave me a charm that didn't work! If anything, it caused Sheila to solidify quicker!" he then calmed down, “Haaah... look, when I called Sheila into my living room, I did so just so I could talk her. Buuuut... one thing led to another and, well... let's just say we came to an agreement."

“What? She sucks your dick and stops leaving her panties everywhere?" Ryoko asked, to which Marcus nodded.

“Pretty much. It's not like I could have exorcised her without your help. Soooo... for the past month or so, almost every night, Sheila and I have been... well... you know... so..." he shrugged his shoulders, “Why is that so much of a problem?"

“Because she can spirit you away, you idiot!" she stated.

“Which means...?"

“Hrrrrgh! She can take you to the afterlife!" Ryoko explained, “And I don't think I need to tell you why that's a bad thing!"

“Uh... so she'll kill me?" he replied, garnering a louder growl from the catwoman.

“She'll spirit you away!" she snarled through gritted teeth, “Meaning, no, she won't kill you; she'll just take you to the afterlife! No death, you just... move on! So... in a way, I guess she is killing you..." she shook her head, “Still, you are so ignorant to sleep with a ghost! Wouldn't your brain tell you how dumb that is!?"

“It did... but I ignored it. Sleep deprivation, I guess," Marcus replied with a cheeky grin, “Although... since we've been sleeping with one another for a month now, and she hasn't tried spiriting me away, I think it proves that Sheila's not that kind of ghost. She's just... heh... she's just very lewd."

“Oh... you must be so lucky," Ryoko replied with a snarl, “With so many ghosts in existence, you're being haunted by the only one who will freely suck your cock. Tsk... your such a man!"

He would defend himself against her statement... but she did have a point. If anything, Sheila being a ghost made things even more erotic in its own strange way! Not just because she could do things no living girl could do, But uh, yeah, he was hesitant to share that much.

“If everything is going wonderfully for you, then why are you here?" Ryoko asked, causing Marcus to lean in closer.

“Like I said... is there a way to make Sheila tell me why she's haunting her old apartment? Why she hasn't... moved on, I guess? I've wondered this for a while, and I've even asked Sheila this question... but she never answers me..." he shook his head and frowned, “Haaah.. I've been sleeping with Sheila for a month now, and this question just keeps... keeps building."

“What? Your conscious finally caught up with you? You realized how messed up it is to treat a ghost like some sex toy?" Ryoko asked as she crossed her arms.

“Haah... no, not exactly... l-look I'm not trying to treat Sheila like some blowup doll," he explained, “Or maybe... it's because of that that I want to know why she killed herself and why she didn't move on. Like..." he placed his hands together as he took a more thoughtful pose, “She's just... haaah... I couldn't imagine spending the rest of my life... or... well... the rest of my afterlife locked in n apartment like she is. So I there's any way I can help her move on, help her get that eternal rest... I want to do it."

Ryoko however, continued leering at him, her expression quizzical and even a bit incredulous. Was this really the entire reason behind this visit? He just wanted to help her? She would think otherwise, especially since they've been fucking each other for the past month or so...

But Marcus didn't strike her as the type of guy who'd act like that. Sure, he may have been horny, but that aside, he did want to help Sheila. And if he was just working on arousal alone, he would have kept sleeping with the ghost and never came to Ryoko in the first place!

“You... really want to help her, huh?" the catwoman muttered as she lowered down until her chin met her desk, “This isn't some joke a friend of mine put you up to, is it? I've already had enough embarrassment having to deal with this in the first place; I don't want to go through it again."

“It's not a joke!" Marcus said defensively, “I'm being genuine! I...! Haaah... I just want to help Sheila, and figure out why she's in this position. Let's face it; you don't kill yourself when everything is going great, do you? Not unless it's accidental. So... there has to be a reason behind it. I just want to know... why?"

“Hmmmmm..."

Rising back up from her desk, Ryoko crossed her arms in a thoughtful pose and closed her eyes. This was strange beyond strange. A lewd ghost, and the man who sleeps with her that wants to help her move on. And this wasn't a case of 'I've had my fun, now let's get rid of her'; Marcus wasn't the type of person who'd do that.

He genuinely wanted to help.

“Hnngmm... hnnnmm... nhnnn... o-okay... I'll help," Ryoko muttered as her eyes reopened, “Fortunately for you, my schedule is open. We can attempt to exorcise Sheila, but... I'm not sure," she shook her head, “This'll be more difficult than what is normal. She's not like any ordinary ghost. She's... she's cognizant. She knows she's dead but... it's almost as if she refuses to leave."

“Have you experienced this before?" Marcus asked, making the catwoman shrug her shoulders.

“Yes but... ghosts like her are typically malevolent. For her to be lewd is... unique... ahem..." she straightened up again, “But... hopefully that means she won't attack or try to possesses us. Though if she's so strong as to solidify herself... among other things, then I wouldn't put it past her."

“I would," Marcus said defensively, “Sheila's just... uh... horny. She's not violent."

“Riiiiiiiiight..." Ryoko rolled her eyes, “Well, let us investigate; do you know anything about Sheila already?"

“Uh... yeah, actually, I do."

Marcus palmed at his person momentarily, before letting out an 'ah-ha' and reaching inside of his jacket. What came out were papers, all neatly folded up and stacked upon one another. Grinning from cheek to cheek, Marcus placed the papers on Ryoko's desk, while she merely looked back at him in an inquisitive manner.

“What is this?" she asked as she searched through them.

“This is as much information on Sheila as I could find during my investigations," Marcus explained, “She died five years ago... committed suicide. And in my part of the town, that's pretty shocking. A lot of the local newspaper spoke of it... though even they couldn't exactly share much."

“What did they share?"

“Someone was at least able to tell me where she was born at," Marcus explained, “A place called... Portfield."

“Portfield?"

“Yeah, Portfield," Marcus muttered as he pulled a pamphlet out of his pocket next, “This place..."

When he put it upon her counter, Ryoko grabbed the pamphlet and gazed upon its surface. Going by this travel guide, Portfield was a north-eastern town. Half-drenched in nature with its abundance in greenery and flowers, it also had a New England style to it with its European architecture. Altogether, it looked like a sleepy town, even if the photos taken appeared to be in the midst of a sunny summer or spring.

“It's a little bit up north from where we are," Marcus explained, “Just outside of Willington in fact. I was thinking about taking a bus or a train up near there... but there would be no point if I gain nothing from it. Uh..." he shrugged his shoulders, “Maybe we should... ya'know... visit it?"

“Hnnnn... you seem already interested in the idea," Ryoko muttered, drawing a blush to his cheeks.

“Well... how could I not be? I'd be lying if I said I'm not at least a little curious to who Sheila was before I started getting haunted by her," Marcus replied with a sheepish smile, “I just wish I knew more about her aside from that she lived in my apartment, killed herself, and that she was born in Portfield."

“Hmmm... waaaiit... didn't you tell me that... on occasion, Sheila will show you a place?"

“You mean the one that she sometimes projects in my dreams or on my TV? Yeah... why?"

“That place is probably real," Ryoko explained, “And it may be in Portfield."

“Huh... I figured as much, but I wasn't completely sure," Marcus muttered, “But why would she show it to me in the first place?"

“Because it probably holds some sort of emotional significance to her," Ryoko continued, “It could be a home, or a place she visited often. If you were to see it in the real world, would you recognize it?"

“Yeah... easy..." he then cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, “The way you're talking... what, do you want me to find this place?"

“Nyeh... the way you're talking... sounds like you've already thought about finding this place," Ryoko countered with a smirk.

And Marcus smirked back, even chuckled as well.

“Yeah... I have," he answered honestly, “Its been nipping at me for a while, so actually finding the place would feel like a weight off of my shoulders! Hehe! But uh..." he raised an eyebrow, “If I do find this place, what do I do then? And would Sheila even know?"

“If she's projecting this place, then she'll know when you visit," Ryoko explained, “Which can mean one of two things..."

“And those two things are?"

“Either she doesn't change... or she becomes volatile. Ghosts can be emotional, Marcus, and have far different changes and reactions when compared to us mortals. So... with all of this in mind, I must ask you..." she leaned in closer, “Are you sure about this? Are you sure you want to try this, attempt this? There's no telling that Sheila will even take. And if she's only been lewd and lustful thus far, oh... you have no idea what an angry ghost will do."

“Huh... well..."

He crossed his arms where he once again thought about this strange situation. He didn't like the idea that he was going behind Sheila's back in order to gain this information, but what else could he do? The phantom fox wouldn't explain anything to him, leaving him with no choice but to sneak around behind her back.

So...

“I want you to get yourself together, Marcus," Ryoko said, snapping him back to reality, “Right now, I see you're mostly driven by curiosity. You wan to learn more about Sheila, and not exactly help her move on. You feel some sort of kinship with her? Is that it? Beyond hat of your body?"

“Well... yeah," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, “Sheila's... hmn... like, I don't know who Sheila was before she died, of course. When she died, I was just starting high school. But... hmn... my heart goes out to her. I feel like... maybe if we met when she was alive, we could've been... friends... heh..." he smiled, “Feels kinda silly and childish saying this but... I honestly feel that way. Hnn..."

“Hmmmmm..."

Ryoko's eyes locked in on him, trying to decipher his words. She could still see the immaturity within him – he was still a young man – but she could also see the earnest desire within himself to help Sheila. Even if she told him flat out 'no', she knew he'd go through with it anyway in his own stupid way. If Marcus was anyone else, she would simply allow him to get spirited away and be done with it. But, eh, she kind liked him and his childish stupidity. He gave off the same vibe as a young man simply trying to make things right. But you know what they say...

The road to Hell is often paved with good intentions...

“Will you be free Sunday, Marcus?" Ryoko asked.

“Uhh... yeah, I'm sure I will be," he replied.

“Hmm... then I will call you later," she stated as she crossed her arms... only to look away in an indignant manner, “Do not mistake this for anything other than business! I will make plans with you in order to help you with Sheila!"

“Uuuuhh... uh-huh... I wasn't going to mistake this as anything but business... but... heh..." he smiled at her, flashing his teeth in such an earnestly powerful grin, “Thanks for all the help, Ryoko! You've been a real pal through this time! I don't know where I'd be without you!"

It made her blush.

…

Welcome to Sleepy Portfield.

Sleepy was right.

The fog.

The mist.

The gray skies.

The rain-slick roads and grass.

The quiet tones.

Marcus felt close to falling asleep, even as he stood up.

Portfield was a coastal New England town, and boy, did the travel guide do it no justice... probably because it lied. There were no vibrant flowers, no smiling people and families, even the statues and fountains looked tired and dreary! Buildings were silent, roads were quiet, the people walked around with nary a conversation on their lips, and even the fountains seemed to spew water at a subdued pace.

But Portfield was a surprisingly spacious town as well. While most would immediately think of the commerce district – which was where Marcus stood now – there were more than a few other areas of entrance within the fishing village. The dock itself, with its myriad of simple boats docked, all meant for fishing and little if anything else. There were also a few air fields that looked straight from some World War 2 movie resting on the outskirts of Portfield, though they were all left abandoned and ravaged by time.

But most striking of all – and perhaps most depressing – would be the abandoned school within the heart of the town: Portfield High School. Portfield High – or just PHS – looked no different from your typical two-story teaching complex. It had a large parking lot, spacious fields for football and track, an indoor basketball court, and the main buildings itself. But it was all left alone, eroded and worn down by rain and wind. Its once opulent concrete surface was marred, windows were shattered, and anything not nailed down had probably been stolen years ago.

Just what happened to this place? And was Sheila around when it was all still up and running?

Sheila...

Marcus stood alone on a sidewalk, his phone in one hand while his eyes casually took in the sights around him. He had spoken with Ryoko extensively of how things were going to go down, and the two both planning a trip here to Portfield. He arrived first, wishing to get a feel for the land and see if he could locate Sheila's mysterious place. Which means it's time to imitate all those detective stories his father used to watch. Soooooo...

Where's the first place you always go when looking for answers? The bar, of course! And even at this time of day, there were patrons drinking their sorrows away.

Abseil's Bar and Grill appeared to be the town's local pub, though Marcus wasn't really sure. With a town that one could easily walk from one side to the other in under ten hours, he doubted it had many restaurants to go to. Abseil's even sat near the town's square, with the central fountain visible from its windows. So without hesitation he walked in...

And was immediately met with quizzical eyes.

Look, Marcus is learning to become a lawyer, so reading people is kind of an important skill for him to have. While he was yet to master it, he could tell when other people were looking at him in a strange manner. For sleepy Portfield where everyone knew everyone, this young man stuck out like a sore thumb. And all he could do was smile back in a sheepish manner as he walked for the bar counter.

Boy did he feel out of place.

“Good afternoon, sir," said the woman at the counter – a bovine – as he sat down, “You're a new face. Mind me asking what you're doing here?"

“Me? No, I don't mind at all," Marcus said with a smile, “I'm just uh... well... guess I'm just visiting."

“Visiting? Huh... no one visits Portfield unless they live here, or if they have family who live here," said the bar tender as she raised a hand, “But I've been living here for years, and I think I'd recognize a face like yours. You're not... related to the Gavins, are ya?"

“Me? No... uh... no..." Marcus shook his head, “No, I have no family here. But I guess you can say I have a friend, uh... well..." he shrugged his shoulders, “Do you know a Sheila Thompson?"

Clank!

Marcus' eyes doubled in size upon hearing the sound of someone dropping a fork in their plate. He was hesitant to look around and see who dropped it, as if worried that he wouldn't want to look at the person who dropped it. So instead he drew his eyes back up to the bartender before him, who gave him a crossed look at her fists sat on her hips.

“Sheila Thompson? Are you talkin' about the same Sheila Thompson I'm thinkin' about?" she asked, with Marcus shrugging his shoulders.

“Maybe?" he replied, “Is she a vixen? A bit tall? Black hair?"

“How do you know those things?" the bartender asked, causing Marcus to straighten up.

“I met Sheila years ago," he lied whilst averting his eyes, “She uh... hah... she helped me in a trying time, so... I'd like to think of her as a friend. So ummm..." he sighed, “When I heard of her death, I was surprised. I know she died years ago, but I wasn't aware at the time. I've come to pay my respects."

When his eyes returned, Marcus watched the woman's face flash between disbelief and curiosity. She seemed to know Sheila, which means she could probably tell if his words were true or not. Marcus didn't know if the vixen was a helpful woman or not in life, so his lie could be easily picked apart if he was wrong. So he was quick to add on--

“Did you know Sheila?"

The bartender cocked her head at him.

“Of course I knew Sheila. Everyone knew Sheila," the bartender claimed whilst shooting him a sly glare.

He could hear vitriol in the woman's voice, which made him shiver. Marcus almost didn't want to ask her about it... but he needed to know. So...

“You don't sound like you like Sheila all that much," he muttered. She cocked her head.

“Let me ask if you don't mind. That 'helpin' Sheila did for you. Was it of the sleepin' kind?"

His eyes grew wide as a sweat dropped down his brow. That was more than enough for the bovine to get her answer. And yet, Marcus spoke anyway.

“Sleeping... kind? Wh-what do you mean by that?" he asked, to which the bovine sighed... but it wasn't her who gave him the answer.

“Sheila... was a hussy," came a gruff voice from behind.

It jolted Marcus in place, who looked over to his right. Sitting beside him was a large ox, one who appeared to be similar in age to the bartender herself. His frame easily dwarfed his own, which further made the young man shrink in place. But the ox didn't appear violent or malicious... he was just big.

Big and critical.

“You shouldn't talk negatively about the dead, Hank," said the bartender, though the ox waved it off with a 'bah.'

“That's what she was, and I'd be a liar calling her anything else," said the ox – Hank – as he drew his eyes over towards Marcus, “So you bein' a 'friend' of hers, must mean you're well acquainted with that side of her. Though..." he leered in closer, “You are a bit young, ain't ya?"

“B-believe me, we didn't... I...! Hnngg...!" he scrambled momentarily in place, “What do you mean by she was a hussy?"

“Haaaaah... Sheila was... interestin', to put it lightly," said the bartender, “She was born here, grew up here, went to school here. But in her high school years she... she uh..."

“She started sleeping around," said the ox bluntly, “We all thought she was just some strange... quiet little girl. But in reality, she was sleeping around with men behind the backs of their girlfriends... even wives. And in a town as small as Portfield, once word got out about it, everyone knew what was goin' on. She didn't have much of a choice but to leave, cuz no one wanted her here anymore!"

“I...! I uh... I..."

Marcus stopped as he thought about their words, trying to decipher them. The acid in Hank's voice was strong enough to shake the young man, who was trying to figure out why anyone would speak of Sheila in such a way. He didn't know her well in life, but from what he heard, she was just a quiet, out of the way woman. But this ox called her a hussy, and claimed she was sleeping around with men... even married men.

He didn't know Sheila when she was a live... and yet... this was still a lot to take in.

“I don't... I..." Marcus mumbled before shaking his head, “Sheila's family? The Thompsons? Are they still here?"

“Tch... after what their daughter pulled? I don't think they would even want to stick around in this town any longer," the ox groaned with a shake of his hand.

“The Thompsons left not too long after they buried their daughter," the bartender explained, “I think it was boiling up for a while – their eventual leaving, that is – but Sheila's death pushed them over. They left their old home at the Sterns Creek, and never looked back."

“So Sheila is buried here...?" Marcus muttered, to which the bartender nodded.

“Of course she is; she was born here. And her family comes to visit every now and then, but her parents are living the RV life now, and her brother is... well gosh... I'm not quite sure where her brother is; it's been so long."

“I... I see... I..."

“Now then... how exactly do you know Sheila?" asked the ox in an incredulous manner as he leered at the young man.

He didn't get the chance to answer, for the door to the bar suddenly opened up.

“Marcus!" shouted a voice from the entrance, annoyed, “There you are! I've been standing out there for ten minutes waiting for you!"

“Huh? Ryoko?"

Looking over to the entrance, his eyes befell the catwoman, who glared at him with her ears and tail straight. The anger she exuded was palpable from sight alone, causing his heart to race like he was a child caught in the act of doing something naughty. Even if he didn't know Ryoko on a personal level, the glare alone was enough to make him stand up tall.

“Come on!" she snarled as she pointed towards the exit with her thumb, “Let's get going!"

“R-right...!"

While he didn't like being on Ryoko's bad side, this was a perfect out for the situation with the ox and bovine. Quickly getting off the bar stool, Marcus rushed for Ryoko's side, exiting out of the bar with her as they walked for the town's fountain.

“Tsk! I thought you were better than that? You just come into town and immediately go to a bar?" the catwoman snarled, “What are you? An alcoholic?"

“N-no... it wasn't like that," Marcus said as he scratched the back of his head, “I was just... ya'know... investigating; asking if anyone knew who Sheila was since this is her home town. It's pretty small, so someone's gotta know who she is, right?"

“And what did you learn?"

“I learned that... uh... well..." his shoulders slumped forward, “I learned that they think Sheil's a hussy."

“A hussy?" Ryoko repeated as her tail and ears fell, “Huh... I see... so..." she looked way, “Considering her modus operandi, perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised."

“Yeah but... hah... they seemed to really dislike her," Marcus muttered, “At least that ox did. It sounded like they ran her out of the town for sleeping with a lot of men... even married ones. Hmm..." he looked over his shoulder to the bar, then back towards Ryoko, “I only know Sheila as a ghost, so... hearing them be so angry at her just uh... I don't like it..."

Ryoko turned to face him, her eyebrow raised. She could read the disappointment on his face, and how it made him feel. Sure, he wasn't in a romantic relationship with Sheila, but their time together had created some relationship between them. And while Ryoko wasn't sure what their relationship was exactly, she could see how painful it was to hear someone speak so lowly of her. It made Ryoko take in a deep breath and then sigh.

“We may learn some things about Sheila you might not like, Marcus," she said, “If you wish to stop now, we can stop now. I won't even charge you for bringing me on a wild goose chase. Ultimately, Sheila is your ghost... the choice is yours."

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead, Marcus looked down as he tried to decide for himself if he did want to continue. They could easily stop, and nothing would change. He could just go home to Sheila, and she'd easily make him forget about everything.

But...

Something strange happened. Hearing those people talk about Sheila like that, call her a hussy... that only reinvigorated Marcus. Now more than ever, he wanted to help the phantom fox, and figure out why she was the way she was.

So he brought his gaze back up, looking Ryoko in the eye with great resolve. He wasn't going anywhere.

“No... let's go try and find that place Sheila often brings me to," Marcus said in a firm manner, “And I think I know where to start..."

Ryoko nodded.

“Then lead the way."

…

Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. This was the place. This was the place! Sterns Creek was the place!

Standing here on this slight grassy incline, Marcus gazed to the distance. He'd seen this land so many times, both in his dreams and on his television screen. A riverside house, lovely green fields, majestic blue mountains, and a shimmering lake. This was the area Sheila would show him frequently.

However...

What he saw before him was anything but amazing.

The lovely green fields he thought of, were now swampy and murky, with many brown splotches of mud here and there. Take a step forward, and the land would bubble at your feet as you sink down. Good thing he brought boots.

The Majestic blue mountains? Maaaayyybbeeeee they were there, but they were invisible thanks to the opaque fog which laid around them. If he stared hard enough, he could see some of the soft outlines of the mountain in the distance, but absolutely nothing else.

And the shimmering lake? It was a far cry from the clear and reflective lake Sheila showed to him in the past. Part of this was again due to the fog, which covered it in a thick blanket of mist one could barely see through. But even then, the lake appeared disheveled and dirty, with signs that trash had been haphazardly tossed inside, or perhaps washed downstream from other areas.

Marcus would often wonder about this place when he was at work or at his classes, but now that he was seeing it in such a sorry state, he kind of wished he never came here. His imagination... or, well, Sheila's imagination, was a far better alternative to this! Were the images she showed him fake, or was that how this place used to look in the past? Marcus could only wonder.

“Gah... this place is putrid," Ryoko bemoaned from behind, causing Marcus to look over his shoulder towards her, “It's cold and clammy... and the mud is so... GUH! Good thing I wore boots today, or else I'd be calling it quits right now!"

“Heh heh... thanks again for helping me, Ryoko," Marcus said as he faced her, “I couldn't have done this without you."

“Well... yes, you are right," said the catwoman as she crossed her arms, “But I am curious to see how this ends, so let us keep going," she gestured for the structure in the distance, “That building... is it a home? Does it look familiar to you?"

“Uh... yeah," Marcus muttered as he stepped closer, “This is the building I often see in Sheila's images... but it's all..." he waved his hand through the air, “All... yeah... it's all fucked up..."

“The one you see – the one Sheila shows you – is pulled from her memories," Ryoko explained, though Marcus already came to that conclusion, “In there, we may find answers to the questions you seek."

“Hmm... then let's go."

Marcus once again took lead point, his expression sharp as he stomped through the marshes towards the decrepit home. Ryoko followed behind, not too pleased with her surroundings, but silently impressed by Marcus' resolve. She was thinking he merely saw Sheila as some spectral sex doll, but the emotions he showed said otherwise.

The anger, the passion, the need for answers; he was a man on a mission, and it actually made her smile.

Though said smile faded as they finally came to the front doors of the house.

It was a simple home, and it stood at two stories tall, with a garage to the left and a front porch. There were signs here and there that it once was lived in, with its clear sign of a car that would be parked outside the garage, and a faded dirt road that would return to the main town,

That's all that one could all remotely 'good' about this place.

Time had not been kind to the home. Its windows were shattered, wooden planks were bending, breaking, or gone altogether, and the door wasn't even on its hinges. Stepping forward, their feet pressed and crushed a wide variety of litter, from cans to bottles to paper and who knows what else. Then there as the smell, which caused Ryoko to choke and stop. Marcus kept walking however, eventually stepping through the doorway to stand inside.

It was dark in here... good thing his phone had a flashlight on it.

“Wow..."

When the bartender told him that Sheila's family left, he thought they would have, ya'know, packed things up and cleaned out the house... but no. While many things had been cleaned out, there were still obvious signs that someone lived here. A couch, some tables and chairs, even a few photos were mixed in the ground with all the trash. It was horrible. The Thompsons couldn't even be bothered to sell this house?

They just left? Like that? Got into their RV and drove off for greener pastures? Damn... what were they going through here for them to leave so suddenly? And why? Because their daughter was a supposed hussy? Portfield was a small town, yeah, but for a whole family to be ostracized because their daughter was allegedly sleeping around... that was extreme.

There had to be something else! Something no one was telling him!

And there was...

“By the gods... Marcus! This place is fucked!"

Looking over his shoulders, his eyes fell on Ryoko, whose own eyes were wide with shock. She looked one way, then the other, and back again, while her breathing started getting faster and faster. Marcus looked back with an eyebrow raised before saying,

“What are you talking about?"

“Hrrrgh! You've been fucking a fucking ghost for months now, and you still don't have a sixth sense!? What the hell is wrong with you!?" the cat snarled back in a frantic manner, “It's like we're standing in the middle of a prison meant for executions! Haaah! I... I need to start purifying this place, and fast!"

Drawing up her hands, Ryoko removed the trench coat she wore on her body, revealing the garbs of a Shinto Priestess beneath. It was red and white in color, fixed to her chest, but baggy in its sleeves and pants. How had she hidden all of that, Marcus wondered, though he didn't get the chance to ask as Ryoko stepped forward.

Reaching into the sleeves of her uniform, Ryoko pulled out what appeared to be a wand. It was a light brown in color, and at the end, it had paper which flowed around the tip. Look, Marcus doesn't know much about Shintoism aside from what TV and the internet had taught him... which wasn't much! But even he could see how serious Ryoko was.

“What's going on?" Marcus asked, watching as the catwoman waved her wand left and right.

“I'm warding off the paranormal," Ryoko explained, “This place is caked in paranormal energies... gghnnn! It's quite thick and choking! It's been a while since I've experienced something so strong!"

“But you have experienced something like this before... right?"

“Weeeeelll..."

THUNK!

Ryoko stopped and Marcus did likewise. Their eyes growing in sizes, they first looked at one another, only to both turn and face the entrance they walked in through. The door had been closed. The door which wasn't on its hinges in the first place, had somehow been closed. This detail did not go unnoticed by the both of them.

“Marcus...?" Ryoko whimpered slightly, her heart racing.

“I uh... umm..."

Taking in a deep breath and then holding it, Marcus stepped for the door and grabbed its rusty, aged knob. He twisted it... it rattled... but it did not budge. He slammed his shoulder into it too... but it did not budge. And then he slowly seppedback, his body shivering in place as he realized something... something bad.

“Uh-oh..."

“'UH-OH'!? NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR 'UH-OH!'" Ryoko shouted, jolting him in place.

“H-hey! I'm just studying to be a lawyer! Isn't this more your position!?" he snapped back, “Ryoko, what the hell is going on!?"

“Hrrrggh! Haaaah! I... I misunderstood this place!" she claimed, “It's not like other places! This building is--"

“Mar-Cus..."

Again, the both of them stopped. Ryoko tried to figure out who called out his name, but Marcus knew immediately. The gap in between, the chilling tone, the ghastly infliction? It was--

“Sheila...?"

Looking past Ryoko, Marcus gazed upon the staircase in the distance. There, he could see the flowing white robe that belonged to a certain shapely specter. She stood at the top of the stairs, and when he stepped forward, she quickly flowed backwards as if being carried by the wind, vanishing from sight.

“Marcus...?" Ryoko whispered as she looked over her shoulder towards the staircase, “That voice... was it?"

“Yeah... it's Sheila..." he answered whilst stepping forward.

Taking lead point, Marcus headed up stairs with Ryoko in tow. The second floor was much like the first, being filled with trash. But the walls... the walls were littered with graffiti. And even though the graffiti was written in a wild and sloppy manner, it was still perfectly legible for the two.

FAT BITCH.

It went on and on and on, again and again and again. All along the walls it was written, guiding them to the door at the end of the hall.

FAT BITCH FAT BITCH FAT BITCH

“What the...?" Ryoko whispered, while Marcus' eyes leered in.

“Shame me..." he muttered, which further confused the catwoman.

He didn't explain, and instead kept running down the hall with Ryoko following behind. And even though the hall wasn't any longer than a few yards, they just kept running... and running... and running! The hall seemed to stretch on for a near eternity, while the writing on the walls grew wilder and crazier!

FUCK ME!

SHAME ME!

FUCK ME!

SHAME ME!

FAT BITCH!

ADULTERER!

WHORE!

SLUT!

MARCUS!

WELCOME HOME!

WELCOME HOME!!!

_ WELCOME HOME!!! _

It seemed to go on forever... but the hall eventually came to a halt. Here they stood at a closed door, their hearts racing in their chests. Once more, Marcus took lead point, grabbing the door by its knob, and twisting it slowly.

It didn't fight. It slid open, revealing a bedroom on the other end. A pristine bedroom on the other end. The floors were white with a blue rug, the bed and its blankets were neatly folded, there was a desk with a closed laptop on it, a bookcase filled with books, and a wide number of dolls on the ground. Most striking of all however, was the window... and the fact that looking through it, one would see endless blue skies, the beaming yellow sun, lovely green fields, and a majestic mountain range.

“Impossible..." Ryoko muttered as she hugged her wand close to chest, “This place is so fucked..."

But Marcus said nothing as he walked into the room, coming to the bed. Resting on its surface was a book. Its surface was black, but written upon it in bold, gold lettering with a cursive style was--

“The Nocturne Grimoire. 7th edition," Marcus said aloud before looking over his shoulder towards Ryoko, “Do you... know anything about this?"

“The Nocturne Grimoire?" the catwoman repeated, “Yeah... I know about it. It's a book about witchcraft. Not as... infamous as something on... let's say Wicca, but witchcraft nonetheless. Usually, people who are trying to get into witchcraft buy one of these books, but it goes over their heads."

“Is it real?" Marcus asked, to which Ryoko shrugged her shoulders.

“Anything can be real if you believe in it hard enough," she answered.

It was a confusing reply... but Marcus understood what she meant. Even if this was a bunch of nonsense to him, it wouldn't be nonsense to someone else, and he knew who that 'someone else' was. But he wanted a little bit more confirmation, so he checked the book more thoroughly, where he realized it had a bookmark. Opening to the page in the book, his eyes ran along its chapter title.

“Life After Death," he said aloud, “Huh..."

“Life after death?" Ryoko repeated, “Is that what the book says?"

“Yeah..." he said whilst showing her, “Life after death... you think... hmm..." he stared back at the book, “Do you think Sheila studied this book? And that's why she is so powerful as a ghost? She retained consciousness after death... and refused to move on to the afterlife. Heaven or Hell... she refused to go to either."

“Restless spirits are nothing new," Ryoko replied, “But they are usually unaware that they are dead. They are like... recordings, playing on an infinite loop. Exorcising them means making them realize this... but Sheila knows it, and she refuses to leave. Perhaps this book did teach her how to retain consciousness after death, but..." she shook her head, “No mere book could do something like this, at least, not one you'd buy at your common book store. Not unless--"

“You believe it will..."

Marcus... didn't say that.

Her eyes once again growing in size, Ryoko clutched her wand close to chest as she quickly turned around. The both of them faced the door to the small bedroom, gazing through it to stare down the hall they just ran through. It was small again... normal. Gone were the writings on the wall, and all the trash. It looked like any other hallway... just with a woman standing at the end of it.

Sheila...

She stood tall, her hair covering her face like usual, but through them, her eyes glowed like lights. They beamed at Marcus and Ryoko, causing the catwoman to shrink back s her heart raced. But Marcus... he knew Sheila, so he courageously stepped forward as his hand reached out or her.

“Sheila!" he cried out, but she remained still... immobile...

“Mar-Cus..."

She cocked her head at him... and now his blood started to turn cold. There was something wrong with Sheila. This aura, this vibe... it was a far cry from the lewd ghost she usually was. What he felt from her now was...

Malicious...

“Sheila...?"

He and Ryoko blinked.

Sheila was gone.

“Do you hate me?" her voice whispered into his ears.

“Sheila! You know that's not true," Marcus said as he looked up and around in search of her.

“Then why are you here?"

“I just... I just want to help you!"

“Help me...? No... no...

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no

no no no no no no no no no.

yOU wANt tO exORciSE mE!!!

YoU WanT TO gEt riD Of ME!!!

YOU WANT TO KILL ME!!!

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!"

“AAAAAHH!!! SHEILA! PLEASE, STOP!!!"

Her roars... no... they were screams! Her screams howled all around them, forcing Ryoko and Marcus to recoil in pain as their hands clamped upon their ears in an attempt to fight it back. But it did nothing! The roaring, the screaming, the howling, it forced its way deeper into their ears before...

Nothing.

Just like that, it stopped. No screaming, no roaring, no nothing.

Marcus rose up first, peering towards the doorway, before drawing his eyes over to Ryoko at his side.

“Are you okay?" he asked, to which she nodded.

“Y-yeah... but ooowwww..." she muttered as her ears fell flat on her head, “I know I look human, but these cat ears aren't for show. My ears are stronger than yours, so that really, really hurt."

“Sorry..." he apologized, his face growing long, “I didn't... I've never seen Sheila act this way before. I didn't even think she could be this way. I..." he closed his eyes, “This was stupid."

“Yes, it is," Ryoko replied as she walked forward, “But we're stuck here now."

“What do you mean?"

“Sheila is more powerful than I originally believed. We're... we're not in the real world anymore, Marcus. To explain it lightly, we've been sucked into her consciousness..."

“We're... inside Sheila's head?"

“In a way, yes. Think of it like... being stuck in a snow globe," Ryoko shook her head, “By the gods... Sheila is an incredibly powerful force. For her to do this... I'm almost at a loss..."

“Well... what do we do to get out of here?"

“We can't leave until we deal with Sheila... either she lets us leave, or we exorcise her," Ryoko explained, “That's the only way we can leave..." she puffed up her chest, “Remember when I said she could spirit you away? That's what's happened. We're no longer in a realm of life or death. We're somewhere in between."

“And she's the only way out... huh... so what? We have to find her?"

“Yup... that's all there is to it. Either we find her and try to make things right, she keeps ups here for all eternity, or she just kills us."

“Haaah... fuck... this is really going over my head," Marcus muttered as he rubbed his temples, “But at least she hasn't killed us yet, so there's that. Maybe... haah... we just need to find Sheila, that's all. Once we find Sheila, I can fix things, I know I can."

“So sure... huh... well... where do you think she's gone?"

“If she has all of Portfield inside of here... and after what the people at the bar said..."

Marcus stopped and pulled in, his eyes closing shut as he thought back to what the bartender said about Sheila.

She was born here, grew up here, went to school here. But in her high school years she... she uh...

She started sleeping around

“High school years..." Marcus said as he pulled his head up, “We need to go to the high school in Portfield. I'm sure that's where Sheila is at."

“Well... we're not getting anywhere just standing here so..." Ryoko pointed towards the door, “Lead the way, Marcus."

“Right on."

Together, they left Sheila's bedroom, exiting out into the halls of her home. As noted before, the trash was gone and the graffiti on the walls, which continued on as they walked downstairs. Without all that trash in the way, not to mention the years of wear and tear, they could see that the home was a quaint one. Marcus himself found it familiar, soon realizing that, yes, this was the same building Sheila had brought him to in her dreams. The same building in the same time of day at the same moment. Like a memory frozen in time.

But this time, he wasn't drawn to the lake by a siren's call. This time, he could freely move about. This time, he looked over towards a nearby shelf where photos laid. Curious, he walked over towards one and picked it up.

He saw a family... a family of foxes but...

Their faces were blurred out.

It was impossible to tell who they were, but he could pick out one from the rest. A girl in the center, giving a peace sign. Yes, that's it. It was Sheila.

“We need to hurry, Marcus," Ryoko said, “The longer we stay in here, the harder it will be to leave," she looked at the photo briefly, then back to his face, “I understand what you feel... but if we are to help Sheila, we must move."

“Yeah..."

He put the photo back.

…

Perhaps it was the sunlight, or maybe it was the lack of fog but... Portfield looked so beautiful right now!

They had walked back to the main city from Sheila's old home, taking in the sights that this little 'snow glob' kept them in. The sun was bright and strong, the grass was green and lively, the mountains stood tall in the background, beautiful flowers grew all around them, and the air...

The air...

The air was oddly still. No wind blew through them, though Ryoko hugged herself close like she was shivering.

It was springtime in Portfield, or at least, springtime in this instance Sheila had created. Marcus wondered if spring was her favorite season, or if she just remembered her home best like this. It was a beautiful place, but...

Where were all the people?

As they walked through this landscape and headed into town, Marcus and Ryoko saw not one person. Was this the norm for worlds created by a ghost? Or was this all deliberate? He thought about asking the priestess at his side, but he got his answer when he heard--

“Talking?"

Straightening up, both Marcus and Ryoko heard talking! But not just a conversation between two or three people, but instead a conversation between many people! It was too numerous to pick through, but as they came closer and closer to their destination, it became louder and louder! And eventually...

Portfield High School. The talking was coming from Portfield High School.

Marcus and Ryoko stood on the outskirts of the school campus, gazing in to see a wide number of students. Boys, girls, humans, beastkin; they all conversed with one another like any normal school day. Marcus stepped forward... only to stop as he realized something.

These people looked weird.

Picking up his pace, he walked up closer to the students, called out to them too, but they ignored him. When he finally came up to one, he reached out for his hand, only for--

“What the!?"

His hand went straight through their body.

He tried touching this individual again, only for his hand to once again flow through them. Looking down at his hand, Marcus gawked at himself in disbelief, before drawing his gaze back up to the face of the student in front of him.

Where he saw nothing.

No eyes.

No nose.

No mouth.

No features of any kind.

No nothing.

His hands clamped over his mouth, stiffing a cry of shock as he stepped back. Despite having no face, the student before him continued speaking, and even more shocking, he could understand them.

“Sheila is such a whore."

Marcus stepped back, stopping only when he accidentally walked into Ryoko. But she said nothing, instead grabbing his hand to help ground him in reality.

“Relax, Marcus," she said in a soothing manner, “These are just apparitions. They are not real people."

“I know that but... uh... his words..."

He cut himself off as he looked down, and then swallowed his spit. Listening in, Marcus realized that the student before him was not the only one calling sheila a whore; they were just one of many. The giant conversation they were hearing? The voices of the students around them? All of them were echoing what this one student said. They called Sheila a whore, a fat bitch, a slut, a skank, a hussy, and who knows what else.

It was draining to hear.

“Sheila is close. I can feel her presence," Ryoko claimed.

Marcus nodded.

“Yeah... let's go."

Their eyes locked in on the front doors of the school proper, with Marcus once more taking lead point. Walking through the doors, the talking of the students now reverberated off of the walls and bounced into their ears. The louder tones meant it was even easier to hear them, making the slander against Sheila that much harder to ignore. The way they called her a 'fat bitch' or 'slut' or 'whore' made Marcus' blood boil. He even wound up a fist and threw a punch...

Which only caused him to faze through an individual.

He sighed in defeat, while Ryoko gave him a look of concern.

“It's just a mirage... they're not real," she said in an attempt to comfort him.

“Maybe but... their words aren't," Marcus retorted, “And all of their words are directed towards Sheila. But..." he shook his head, “This is Sheila's world, right? Her consciousness? Is this what she thinks about herself?"

“I... I can't answer that. I'm a witch maiden, not a psychiatrist..."

Marcus looked at Ryoko, nodded, then stared back down to his hand. Sheila did have a kink in the bedroom, one he remembered all too well. Her mantra of 'Fuck me, shame me', and how she chants it again and again and again. He just thought she was a kinky bottom; he didn't think it had some deeper implications with her psyche!

Every time she told him to shame her... was that how she truly felt about herself? It made his stomach fold.

But his moment of reflection did not last for long, and once it passed, Marcus stood straight with even greater resolve. Nodding in Ryoko's direction, he started jogging through the halls once again with Ryoko at his side. Left and right, they looked through the droves of apparitions in search of Sheila, but as they delved deeper into the school, the more warped reality became. Walls started to distort, doors began disappearing, and the light of the sun was slowly drowned out by shadows.

“Where are...?" Marcus muttered, only for his voice to trail off as Ryoko stepped forward.

“She's near..." she said as she raised her hand, “Through there..."

Before them, floating on a platform nearby, was a door. There was no floor to walk upon, meaning if they were to get to the door, they'd need to leap. That was a daunting task, for below them was nothing more than a spatial gap of shadows and darkness. Who knows where they'd go if they fell down into this void.

But Marcus stepped forward nonetheless, much to Ryoko's surprise. Grabbing his shoulder, she stopped him while saying,

“What the fuck are you doing!?"

“I'm... going to the door?" he answered, as if she was the confusing one.

“Marcus! If you fall down there, I can't get you!" she stated, causing him to look down.

“Maybe but... you said Sheila is through that door, right? Well... we need to get through that door," he retorted, “I can't sit here all day and do nothing. I... we've got to do something."

“We can figure out something else to get to the door," Ryoko claimed, “So don't do anything stupid!"

Marcus took in a deep breath, then looked over towards the door. Chest expanded out, he wondered what they could possibly do to get to that door, only to look down at himself. That's when Ryoko's words replayed in his head.

“Anything can be real if you believe in it hard enough," Marcus said, taking Ryoko aback, “I believe nothing bad will happen... therefor..." he looked at her with a smile on his face, “Nothing bad will happen to me!"

“Wh-what!? N-no! Marcus, that is not applicable to this moment!" Ryoko shouted as she watched him step forward, “Stop there you fucking idiot! You'll fucking vanish!"

“I don't believe I will," he said as he looked down towards the void, then back up towards the door, “I won't. Sheila wouldn't do it to me. So..."

He took one step froward...

And he didn't fall.

He took another step forward...

And he still didn't fall.

Upon a bridge of air, Marcus walked towards the door in the distance, with Ryoko gawking in shear surprise. She couldn't believe this was happening! She couldn't believe this was working!

And it's exactly that disbelief which caused her to pull back.

Ryoko knew if she took a step forward, she would fall into the void! So she pulled back, watching as Marcus stepped upon the floor outside the door, safe and sound.

“Marcus!" she called, causing him to look over towards her, “I'm going to sit here; I can't risk trying to cross the void!"

“Well... what do I do?" he asked as he looked at her.

“Just... you know Sheila, so you'll know what to do," she answered.

He opened his mouth to say something, but the words never came out. Instead he swallowed his spit and nodded, then dragged his eyes over towards the door knob before him. He could feel a presence bursting through the seams of the door; something sat behind these walls. It made him shiver, but he'd come so far already; he wouldn't stop now.

Marcus twisted the knob of the door. It opened slowly... audibly...

Eeeeaaaaaarrrrrnnnn...!

And on the other end was a classroom. Modest and simple in size; he had been to a classroom like this a hundred times in his life. Teacher's desk, random glob, marker board, rows of desks, windows, and...

And...

This desk. This one desk. This one desk in the center. This one desk in the center at the back of the class. The other surfaces were smooth and clean; this one was not. It was scratched and marred and messy. Written upon this desk in black ink with such bold yet crude letter was--

“Fat bitch..."

“Mar-Cus..."

“Sheila?"

His gaze cut towards the front of the classroom, but he saw nothing.

“I...?"

So he looked back...

Where he came face to face with a vixen.

She was younger than he was. Her fur was a brilliant shade of red and white, her hair was black and it came down to her neck before stopping. And... huh... she had this cute blue hairband in her head.

In fact, she was a very cute young woman. Her rounded cheeks, her pointed noises, her eyes... her beautiful, indigo-blue eyes. But it was all placed upon a very, very sad individual. She sat at the desk, alone in this classroom save for Marcus, staring down at the horrible words directed towards her.

FAT BITCH

She quivered in her seat... even looked like she was on the verge of tears... but she didn't cry. She just sat there, wallowing in her own self-pity. Marcus, piteous towards her, reached out his hand for the vixen. And he whispered her name.

“Sheila..."

So this is what Sheila looked like when she was alive? She was so... cute. While he couldtell this Sheila was younger than the ghastly Sheila he knew, he wasn't sure how much she would grow as the later years came by. Nevertheless, seeing her like this only served to make him more regretful that he'd never got to meet the living Sheila. Never got to hear her voice. Never got to feel her warm touch against his own. Never got to know her.

“When I was in school... I was bullied often," Sheila's voice rang into his ears, “I was shy... and quiet... so everyone thought I was weird. And because of that, I didn't make much... or any friends."

“Sheila..."

“So I started reading strange books..."

“Like the Nocturne Grimoire?"

“Yes... but..."

Marcus blinked. When his eyes reopened, there were two other students standing up behind Sheila. Like all the others, these two female students had no faces to speak of. They just loomed over Sheila like towers, making the young vixen shiver.

And then they spoke.

“What are you? A witch?"

“That's stupid. You're stupid."

“And fat."

“And ugly."

“You're going to Hell if you keep reading those books."

“You're probably going to Hell anyway!"

“Hey! Shut the hell up you stupid brats!"

Marcus' blood was boiling, but his words fell on deaf ears. They couldn't hear him, and even when he slammed his hands on the desk, they didn't react. He was nothing more than a viewer to the events of the past.

“I just wanted friends," Sheila's voice echoed into his ears as Marcus placed his hands upon the desk, “I only wanted to make friends. I only wanted to make friends. I only wanted to make friends. I only wanted to make friends. But all I did was make people hate me."

“Sheila..."

“So I thought one day... what if I did something that a shy, weird girl wouldn't do? What if I got my revenge?"

“Re... revenge?"

Marcus blinked.

The classroom was gone.

“Gaaaah! Aaaahhh! Sh-Sheeeillaaaaa!"

“Aaahnnn~"

He was standing in some storage room, one with a lot of books in it and a few desks and tables. It was dark in this room, with only the setting sun for light as it pierced through the windows. But it was those noises he heard that had Marcus turning around.

His eyes fell upon a horse. He was naked from the waist down, his hips driving back and forth, back and forth. He was fucking a certain young vixen. She had her skirt open, her shirt was pulled up to her chest to reveal her chest, and her mouth was opened as she let out moans to the wind.

Once again the ghost in this situation, Marcus walked towards the two. His eyes looked first towards the horse, where he saw that... yeah, he had no face. Huff...

Then his eyes looked down towards the vixen. Her blue eyes were glowing, and she had this smile on her face. But it wasn't a smile of sexual joy, it was more a smirk of cocky superiority. All as she took this horse, pound for pound for pound.

“I started having sex with the boyfriends of the girls who bullied me," Sheila whispered into Marcus' ear, “I was always self conscious about my breasts and butt, but the boys didn't care. In fact, they loved it; they couldn't resist. Didn't matter if they were in relationships, if I said they could grope my chest, or that I'd suck their dick... they'd always fall so quickly."

“Sheila... but..."

“But what? Can't you see it? I was happy."

“This... made you happy?" Marcus asked incredulously as he watched the young vixen fuck get fucked over a table by the faceless horse.

“Well... it did... for a little while... at first, I slept with men out of vengeance towards those who bullied me. But then, I began to grow bored of it. I pitied the boys, but desired more to quench my thirst. So I got that 'more'. I moved on to bigger prey. I slept with boys who weren't from my school. I slept with married men. I slept with teachers. I thought it would be harder, but the allure of my body was still enough to ensnare many."

“But why? Why would you? You got your revenge, right, Sheila?"

“I did... but... somewhere along the way, I had grown addicted to the sex. How... pitiful, isn't it? Marcus?" the young Sheila on the desk turned to face him, looking him directly in the eye, “I've had so much sex... but I've never made love."

“Never made...? Is that is? Is that why? Is that why you haven't...? You couldn't...?"

Marcus blinked.

“GAH!?"

He was no longer in the storage room, nor was he in the classroom. No, he was standing on a platform, one that floated in a void of doors and hallways and words, yes, words! They spread out against the shadows, bright enough to read, saying the same things over and over again and again and again.

FUCK ME!

SHAME ME!

FUCK ME!

SHAME ME!

FAT BITCH!

ADULTERER!

WHORE!

SLUT!

MARCUS!

WELCOME HOME!

WELCOME HOME!!!

_ WELCOME HOME!!! _

“Mar-Cus."

“Sheila?"

Turning around, his eyes befell her. Or... his eyes befell the young Sheila. She stood there with her head held low and her body slumped forward, completely immobile and. But he felt a presence emanate from this Sheila No, this wasn't an apparition of Sheila's past, this was the real Sheila.

“There..." said the phantom fox, “Now you know why I am the way I am. Is that not why you came here? To learn of me? Marcus? And now that you know... are you going to get rid of me? I thought you were different, Marcus. You didn't run away from me. I thought in some strange, weird way that you cared. But I see now you don't care. And now... now you and that cat are--" Grab! “Huh?"

Sheila looked left, right, and then up. Marcus had placed his hands on her shoulders, grabbing and holding her in place. Then she brought her gaze up, her indigo-blue eyes meeting Marcus' face. He was resolute, stern, serious; a far cry from his usually sweet and kind face.

“Mar-Cus?"

“Sheila... Mmmff!"

“Mmmmf!?"

And he kissed her.

He kissed her hard.

Marcus' lips pressed up against Sheila's lips, kissing her in a powerful way unlike ever before. Her indigo-blue eyes doubled in size, surprised by how voracious he was. He didn't just kiss her, he grabbed her, he held onto her! His arm clung around her waist, holding on tight as if she'd slip from his grasp. And Sheila herself was still so surprised, she couldn't move!

But his tongue slid inside his mouth, dancing along with hers, swiveling, swirling, sliding. Sheila felt her defenses melt, more and more, further and further. She groaned against him, her wailing voice sliding into er softer gasps, and her hands clinging desperately to his person.

Sheila began kissing back, and before she knew it, the two were fervently smacking lips at one another like lovers who had spent years apart. He was pushing into her, pressing into her, guiding and dictating the pace of this growing tryst... and she allowed him to do it.

Sheila had never felt so warm before, so alive. Being a ghost, the shapely specter was cold to the touch, though not cold in the typical way. It's not like his body was cold, but more as if his soul was cold.

Things were different now.

“Mmmf! Mmmfff! Mmffuaah! Haaah~! Marcus... what are you doing?" Sheila asked as he stepped forward, pushing her back.

“Sheila..." he replied as his hands raised up to rest on her cheeks, “Take me to your bedroom. I'm going to make love to you."

Her face twitched and her head cocked.

She heard him correctly, right? He said he was going to... make love to her? Had her consciousness affected his brain? Or was she so emotional that she put words into her own head?

No. That's not true at all.

He was walking closer and closer, giving her this sharp, serious look that only he could give. He wasn't lying at all, and it left Sheila's heart racing. Yes, her heart; that thing that hadn't beaten in over five years. In fact, that's the best way to put it...

For the first time in five years, Sheila felt alive again.

“Okay..." she whimpered softly, her lips curling into a smile as her indigo-blue eyes gazed deep into his brown ones, “B-but... if you're lying to me, Marcus... I'll keep you here forever..."

Behind her, a door suddenly appeared. It opened up as if by an invisible force, revealing the quaint bedroom he and Ryoko discovered. Marcus smiled.

“Oh Sheila... you know I'm bad at lying..."

Then he took her hand, and guided her inside.

“Mmmff!"

“Mmmm!"

They couldn't even get through the door before their lips met again, passionately kissing as the door closed shut on the void of shadows behind them. Marcus fell back on the bed first, laying there with Sheila crashing atop him. Her tongue was so much more lively than it usual, and the texture was different as well. A ghost can do amazing things with their tongue as Marcus had come to learn, but Sheila wasn't a ghost anymore... or at least, this Sheila wasn't a ghost.

She continued proving her realism as her vulpine tongue slicked and slid along his own. Her breathing also trickled down his flesh, something the ghastly Sheila could never do... because, ya'know, she can't breathe. Coupled with the weight barring down on him, the feel of her warmth pressing against his own, and yes, even the beating of her heart, helped to sell the illusion that this Sheila wasn't a ghost, but a young woman who's never felt true passion before.

True passion... ah...

Their lips broke, allowing the two to catch their breaths as they stared into each others' eyes. Sheila's indigo-blue gaze was bright, her cheeks red with blush, and her expression was dripping with arousal. Marcus had never seen her in such a way before. Fitting herself on his lap, the shapely specter placed her hands upon his chest and leaned in close, causing her buxom chest to seemingly expand.

He was used to Sheila being so much larger than him, but this younger Sheila came to a similar height to his own. She must have hit a massive growth spurt following her high school years. Another difference? These clothes.

Sheila always wore the same thing; flowing white robes. He didn't know why she wore it, but that didn't matter. But this young Sheila? She was different. Her chest was covered in this white, button up shirt which clung an inch too close. Atop her shoulders was a blue, denim jacket, and on her legs was a denim skirt. White socks stretched up to her thighs, and brown boots on her feet nearly came up to her knees.

In life as she was in death, Sheila was,.. remarkable. Her frame may have been larger than usual on a girl her age, but he wouldn't call her 'fat' or anything like that. She was rubenesque, voluptuous... thicc. Placing his hand upon the shapely specter's thigh, Marcus could feel her smooth fur brushing out of the way, and the plumpness of her flesh as she squeezed and kneaded her.

His exploratory hand stroked up and down her thighs, causing her to lean up straighter as a heat flushed through her form. And then both hands came to a halt, right--

Smack!

“Aaauhn!"

Here!

Hands under her skirt, Marcus gripped tightly upon Sheila's ass, his fingers squeezing in to coax more moans and groans from her lips. This was different from the sex she's had before. The way he touched her, groped her, kept building Sheila's pleasure higher and higher. He wasn't like one of the boys at the school, who cared only about their own selfish pleasures. No... Marcus cared about her.

“Mar-Cussssss..."

His hands trailed around to the front, then came up to the denim jacket on her shoulders. Fingers curling beneath her chin, Sheila gave him an embarrassed and apprehensive look, but did nothing to stop him. Up and up and up the jacket slid, and once it was tossed aside, Marcus' hands returned to grab her shirt. Button after button was undone, the garment grew looser and looser, and before Sheila knew it, the shirt was slowly being pulled aside to reveal the blue bra she wore beneath.

“You like the color blue, huh?" Marcus whispered as he hugged her in close, “Hnnn... I never knew that..."

“Maarrrrr----CUuussSSSS..."

Her voice was getting weirder... she was starting to sound like the Sheila he knew.

His arms wrapped around her waist, Marcus dove his face between her cleavage. Eyes closed shut, he took a heavy whiff of her body, smelling her unique odor and scent. Sheila smelled like... pinewood. Huh... he wasn't expecting that.

Softly her hips rocked on his lap, Sheila felt the ever swelling manhood between his legs. Perhaps it was just her shift in size, but Marcus seemed bigger than usual. This lump was longer and more rigid, as if jumping to escape its confides! Sheila reached down to release him of is agony, but--

“Nuh-uh-uh!" Marcus grabbed her wrists, “Today, it's your turn."

“MaR-cUS...?"

He turned Sheila around, causing her to face the wall as her back met his chest. Her face was dazed like she was in a dream, while his hands slid around to start groping and kneading at her body. One hand cupped around to grip her chest, squeezing upon her tit through her bra, and causing her to groan out loud with need and pleasure. Marcus' other hand stroked upon her stomach, sensually dancing along her belly... before extending even lower.

His hand slid under her skirt, causing Sheila to stiffen up in place. Coercing her thighs open, Marcus began palming at her cunt through her panties, feeling the heat resonate from within. She groaned against him, but his lips began kissing at her cheek, making her groan... and moan... and shudder. But nothing compared to the feeling of his hand sliding under the waistband of her panties.

Her thighs closed in, but not hard enough to stop him... so Marcus kept going. Index and middle fingers both began dancing along her labia, coaxing louder moans and yips from Sheila's lips. He was toying with her body, something she's never experienced aside from her own philandering hands. But Marcus? He explored it. Groping and kneading her chest, kissing and breathing into her ear, while slowly exploring the depths of her womanhood.

His finger slid in, making Sheila yip... and the shudder... and then groan. Leaning against her lover, the vixen let out an airy moan as he explored her depths, wiggling and sliding and brushing her finger along the ridges of her folds. The deeper his finger pushed, the wetter and looser she became, meaning he could push his finger in even deeper.

Again.

And again.

And again!

“Haaah~! Haaauuuh! Haaauuhnn~!"

Sheila flinched, her hands gripping both of Marcus' wrists. But once again, she made no attempts to stop or even slow him; she was instead bracing herself against him. Still fitted upon his lap, the shapely specter ground herself even harder against his lap and cock, while her head leaned back and her pussy quaked.

“Maaarrrr—ccccucucucucucucucussss!!!" she cried out through gritted teeth.

He didn't answer her, instead bringing his hand over to her back. It took a few moments, but he eventually undid the clips of her bra, allowing the blue garment to fall loose around her chest... and then fall off entirely.

Her breasts exposed to all around, Marcus once again took a gander at how lively Sheila's body was. The ghostly pale fur which was now red and white, the bright eyes which were now an indigo-blue, and now, her busty chest and hard pink nipples. Bright pink too; not the pale pink he was used to.

But Marcus remained silent, and instead gripped upon her chest with his hand. Cupping her tit into his palm, he gingerly groped and kneaded her, causing more shudders to flow through her body and moans to leave her lips. Amid his lustful groping and loving touches, he continued kissing and snuggling up close to Sheila, his tongue sliding into the inner shell of her ear while he whispered,

“You're so beautiful..."

And that – perhaps more so than any touch thus far – is what really set her off.

“N-no~! Nyoooooh-hooooh~! D-don't say that ~~! M-Marrcccuuusss! Marrrcuuusss!? Aah~! Aah~! Ahn! Aahn~! AAAAHHH~~!"

Her knees buckled.

She pushed her chest out.

A cry left her lips.

And...

Squirrrrt!

Haaaah... that was so damn loud...

Marcus held Sheila close, feeling her shake and shudder as she was rocked by such an overwhelming orgasm. Her loud moans slid into desperate pants, while her pussy clinched around his finger whilst showering it in her glossy nectar. Marcus said not a word, instead focusing on hugging Sheila near and letting her ride out this climax for as long as she possibly could.

Though he did poke her a bit... ya'know... just to draw out this orgasmic high for a little bit longer.

A little... bit... longer...

“Haaahhahahhahahahaaaa~~~!!!"

Sheila fell slack into his arms, needing Marcus to support her for she was incapable of holding herself up. He hugged her, kissed her, groped her still... all as Sheila melted and melted and meeeelllllttteeeeeedddd...

“Maaaaarrrrrcuuuuuusssss..." Sheila groaned whilst turning to face him.

Her face looked... desperate. Oh so damn desperate. Placing one hand on his chest, the other hand dropped to his crotch, groping his hardened lump through his pants. His dick jumped in response, while he looked first to her stroking fingers, then up towards her needy face.

“Big penis... must fuck..." Sheila whimpered.

Marcus swallowed his spit... and then he nodded.

Remaining still, he opened his legs up wider while Sheila fitted herself beneath him. Zipping down his pants, she freed his cock more and more... which sprung from its confides with an audible--

Fwip!

Sheila had revealed his happy hard-ons multiple times in the past, but now things were... different. With her indigo-blue eyes wide and her youthful features so cute, it felt like he had a completely different yet similar woman down between his legs. Even Sheila herself acted different, as her eyes grew wide in genuine surprise with what she had before him. She was mesmerized by Marcus' cock, which drove her to say--

“You're so beautiful..."

And now it was hist turn to blush... but with this being Marcus, he chuckled in a sheepish manner before saying,

“Aw shucks, Sheila. Heh... you really make a guy feel special."

She smiled, blushed too, her hear warmed by how kind and loving Marcus was being, even in a situation like this. His earnestness that was bordering on shear, childish stupidity, and his good-nature soul that showed her no malice, even when she trapped him here... haaah...

If only she was a live when they met... could things have been different? Sheila wondered that...

But she didn't voice it out, not now at least. Instead she wrapped her fingers around his length, gently stroking it up and down to keep it up at full mast. Marcus groaned audibly, watching as she looked up at him with such desperate, pleading eyes.

Back, forth, back, forth, up, down, up, down; gain, and again, and again.

“Haaaaah... Sheila..."

Opening her mouth, she first licked the tip of his cock, once, twice, thrice. Every stroke had him groaning, while Sheila pushed on more. Her mouth opened wide and her indigo-blue eyes looked towards his pelvis. And then...

“Mmmffff..."

“Haaaah..."

Her lips wrapped around his cock, and her head began bobbing. Up and down, back and forth, softly, slowly. Marcus gripped the blankets beneath him and his head turned up, letting loose a loud yet deep moan that reverberated off the walls.

Her mouth... her wet and warm mouth. It surrounded his cock as she bobbed her head up and down, lathering his dick down with spit and then some. Reaching down, Marcus palmed the middle of Sheila's head, making her ears twitch as she smiled. It felt good to please her lover in such a way, to make them genuinely happy, as oppose to what she's done before with previous men she's slept with.

Feeling his body getting hotter, his balls surging, his need rising; it imbued within Sheila this sense of accomplishment that she's never felt before. She wasn't experiencing the thrill of vengeance, nor did she feel the cocky superiority she associated with casual sex. She truly felt like this was something... more.

But...

“Sh-Sheila..." Marcus whispered as she palmed her head and scratched behind her ear, “Almost..."

“Mmmfff.... mmmm... Pop! Aaah... almost? What do you mean by... almost?" she asked, looking at him with her head cocked.

“We're making love, remember?" he replied with a teasing chuckle, “So..." he gently stroked her cheek whilst guiding her to stand up, “What position would you like?"

“What position would...? Haaahnn..."

Sheila shivered in place, her cheeks turned red and she looked away. How would she do this? What would be the perfect position to make love in? She's... never thought about it before. It would need to be something she'd consider romantic but... what sexual position could you call 'romantic'? Doggystyle? No... she'd want to look him in the eye while they made love. Sooooo... either missionary or cowgirl. And really? There was only one position that she could think about.

“We're... ahem... we're making love, right? So... um..." she patted her bed, “And it would be selfish of me if you did all the work while we were supposed to make love to each other. So... l-lay on your back. I want to ride you and... hold hands while looking you in your eyes."

“Hmm... of course, Sheila."

He leaned back on her bed, his back meeting her bedpost, his brown eyes staring into her indigo-blue ones, and his hand reaching out for hers. Excitement funneling through her, Sheila quickly moved forward, practically tackling Marcus to her bed and drawing laughter from the both of them. The laughter exploded into furious kisses, as she pinned him beneath her. He didn't fight back, instead indulging in the makeout session as Sheila ground her mound against his rock-hard penis. But the kissing was not to last as they both needed to breathe... besides, that wasn't the point of this anyway.

Pulling back, Sheila looked down between her thighs, seeing Marcus' rigid manhood looking back at her. Glistening with spit, his dick looked far more daunting now than it had ever before. And Sheila herself desired it far more than she's ever before. It caused her to swallow her spit, feeling both apprehensive yet excited.

Just.

One.

Push.

So she grabbed his cock,, pulled aside her panties, and angled everything up. And then...

Just...

One...

Push...

“AAAHHUUUHHNNNN~~~!?"

What the hell!?

Did she cum!?

From penetration alone!?

Yes!

Sheila came, showering Marcus' cock with feminine jizz that trickled and sprayed. He opened his mouth to speak, but the phantom fox's cunt was tighter than its ever been before. It clinched and gripped, squeezing hard upon his manhood and refusing to let go, and milking, stroking it, pulling it in deeper. Yes, deeper.

His cock was reaching sooooooo deep! Having finally recoiled from her orgasm, Sheila palmed her stomach, reaching up to her navel where she swore Marcus' dick reached up to. He was far from the most endowed paramour she's ever had, and yet his modest size was enough to bring her to climax from penetration alone.

But that's the power of making love. Those other men were just trysts, but Marcus was her lover.

“Marrr... Cuusssss... Maaaarrrrr----Cuuuussss..." Sheila groaned, her wailing, ghostly, phantasm voice having returned.

“You don't have to say a word," he replied as he grabbed her hands, holding it into his own... and then locking their fingers together, “Just... enjoy it, Sheila. Just enjoy it."

“Ooookaaaaaayyy ~~" Thwap! “Aaaahnnn~~!"

Marcus' cock launched up, kissed Sheila's womb, and then fell right back down. Her legs wobbled, jello-like, almost incapable of keeping herself up. Almost. Look, Sheila was not going to miss out on this amazing feeling, this rush, this pressure, this pleasure! It may have taken her a few seconds, but she began bouncing down to meet Marcus, impact after impact after glorious, glorious impact!

“Aaaahhh~! Haaahahh~! Marcuuusss ~~~! Maaarrrrrcuuuuusss~~~!"

They've done this before! Yes! They've done this before! This position! Of her riding him! Only instead of being on the floor of his apartment, they did it in her bedroom!

She's dreamed of this... in her youth... of having a lover who having gained her trust, she brings into her bedroom. What? Even before she started sleeping around, she had a lewd imagination. But to make passionate love? Huh... that's something different.

And now she was doing it. Five or so years after her death, but hey... better late than never...

The longer this went on, the more relaxed Sheila became. His cock was no longer the overwhelming, dominating force she felt it as being when this started. Her hips rocked and rolled, taking his dick in deeper and deeper with every impact. He'd thrust up, she'd bounce down, and soon, the room was mixing with their lustful moans and groans.

“Aaaaahhh ~~! Haaaahhnnn~~~! Maaaarrrcuuuuusss~~~!"

“Sheilaaaa~! Nnngghh! Sheeeilaaaa!"

When fucking like animals, you lose yourself to the primal fury of it all. When making love as lovers, everything is far slower, far more passionate, but no less grandiose. Watching Sheila bounce up and down on his penis, was like watching a hypnotic dancer perform for him nd him alone. Up and down she fluttered, her desperate eyes locked on his face, her pouty lips open and moaning, her sumptuous breasts bouncing and bouncing and bouncing!

Whether young or mature, alive or dead; Sheila was truly a beautiful woman.

And that beautiful woman was shuddering.

“Marrrrr-Cuuuussss ~~~!" she groaned, her head shaking in disbelief, but incapable of denying the inevitable, “I'm gonna~ Haaahh~~~! I-I'm gonna cum~!"

Marcus smiled.

“I'm gonna cum too," he replied breathlessly, “Haaaahh... so... don't hold back, okay?"

“Mar-Cus..."

Sheila shuddered. She bit into her bottom lip. She puffed out her cheeks. Her nostrils flared. And then...

“Waaaaaah-haaaaaahhh!!!"

She began crying.

Without warning, the phantom fox dove in, hugging Marcus close and digging her face into his neck. His hands reached down for her buttocks, gripping it tight and squeezing in, where he said nothing. Instead he smiled, chuckled, even teared up a bit himself. His cock was harder now than it had ever been in its entire life... but it wasn't to last.

This wasn't to last.

“Haaaaaaahhhhhh~~~!"

Even with Sheila screaming near her ear like she did, Marcus felt no pain. All he felt was pleasure. Surging, roaring, glowing pleasure.

“Aaaaahhh!"

Squirrrt!

Splurrrrt!

It was hot. Ooooooooooooh, it was sooooooo hot. So thick, so voluminous, and so hot.

Oooooooh... sooooooo... hooooooot...

Marcus' climax roared into Sheila's body, making her shudder and tense up, even as she hugged him close. And he held her back, refusing to let a pint of his seed go to waste anywhere but inside of her. Squeezing her, kneading her, groping her, holding her close.

It kept going.

And going.

And going a little bit more.

Like he was tanking the entirety of his balls inside of her cunt.

She shuddered more against him, groaned just as audibly, and refused to leave or budge an inch. Not until she felt his climax stop... not until it was all over.

But for as amazing as it felt, for as pleasurable, and earth-shaking, and mind-blowing as this orgasm was... it didn't last forever. Nothing lasts forever...

Not of the living, anyway...

Sheila felt Marcus shudder beneath her, and she rose up to check herself. Legs spread, cum oozed out of her cunt and fell upon Marcus beneath her in a thick and gooey string. The two watched it, only for Sheila to puff out her cheeks and start chuckling.

“It's so hot, Marcus..." she whispered, “Aahh... you're... burning me up..."

“Heh... hah... I... heh... I have that affect on women," he replied with a jokey mile.

She positioned herself above him yet again, their faces just a few inches away. With her own smile on her lips and an alluring look in her eye, Sheila moved in, pressing her lips to his lips. He met them, and they kissed one another.

But this kiss was slower than the other ones they shared. Passionate too.

If their first kiss was shared between two lovers who haven't seen each other in a long time, then this kiss was the opposite. This kiss was like lovers who knew... they may not see each other again.

It was passionate, yes... but also sad... melancholic. Neither side really wanted this to stop, but they knew it would have to.

They knew...

So the kiss came to a halt, with Sheila pulling back. And when Marcus' eyes opened, gone was the young vixen whom he made love to. In fact, gone was her bedroom as well. Replacing it was the shapely specter who visited him every night without fail. The long black hair that covered her eyes, the white robes, the pale fur and mature figure.

But...

It started being filled out with color. The once pale fur became white and red, her flesh gained a pigmentation, and her hair fell from her face, revealing her lovely indigo-blue eyes.

This was Sheila.

The real Sheila.

He wondered what she looked like in life before she died, and now he was witnessing it.

Reaching out for her, Marcus gently palmed Sheila's cheek, causing her to smile as she nuzzled back.

“You're a beautiful woman, Sheila."

“You're beautiful too, Marcus," she replied, her voice no longer static and glitched, but sounding more ethereal, if not outright angelic, “I'm happy I got to meet you, whether it be in life or in death."

“I feel the same way, Sheila... I..." he cut himself off as he looked down, only to stare back a few seconds later with a more serious face, “Sheila... I want you to move on. I didn't come here to exorcise you forcibly, and if you want to stay, I'll let you but..." he shook his head, “I wanted to learn more about you, and hopefully convince you to move on. Being a ghost... haah... hah... even a powerful ghost like yourself. It can't be fulfilling."

Sheila looked down, her expression become more sorrowful... more regretful. Saying nothing, she laid her head down, resting it into his chest as she took in a deep, deep breath.

“When I was living... I was a resentful woman," Sheila muttered, “I used to... question why everyone hated me. What had I done to deserve such a thing? So I slept around... out of vengeance... out of a need to prove my superiority... but in the end, I grew bored of it. And when it was all said and done, I realized that my actions had caused more damage than it had done good. I was estranged from my family, my community hated me even more, and I had nothing to show for it. I could give my body to so many, but it matters not if you do not have their heart. When I went to college, I could not escape the stigma that surrounded me. But when I moved to Willington to live on my own, I fell to an even worse trap... loneliness. I had nothing. Not love, not friendship, not even my family. I was truly alone."

“Is that why you...?"

“I used to read so many stories of people overcoming great challenges. But... not everyone can do it. Not everyone has that strength within them. I didn't have it, so I... hghhnn..." she shuddered, then shook her head, “I didn't mean to kill myself. But I also didn't desire to keep living either. So that night, I gambled with my life. I had medicine, and I took a few too much. And when I went to bed that night... haaah... I never woke up. But my resentment kept me alive... or it kept my spirit alive. Knowledge of the occult mixed with my own unresolved tensions, kept my spirit bound... tethered to the apartment. I haunted the people doing that which I knew best."

“Pleasuring yourself?"

“Hmmmff... more or less... I've never been that good at pleasing myself, honestly. And then... huh... you came along. I haunted you for so long... but then you called out to me. You invited me in. And I came. And you fucked me. Heh... heh heh... heehehehehehehe!"

“Heeeey! It's not that funny!"

“I think it is... heehee! You were really horny! Like one of the men I've fucked in my past. I could have taken you away, you know."

“Hgghghh..."

“But you didn't stop. We didn't stop. Hee-hee. Big penis. Must fuck. Fuck me. Shame me. Indulging in those acts with you... hhnn... I watched you go to work and classes every day. You spoke to me often, even snuggled up to me after sex. You treated me like your lover, Marcus. I've never felt that before..."

“Sheila..."

“Marcus...?"

“Yes?"

“If we met when I was alive... would we have been friends? Lovers even?"

It was a difficult question to answer. If Sheila never killed herself, he wouldn't have rented her room at Sunshine Apartments. He probably wouldn't have rented any apartment at Sunshine Apartments, since the only reason why he could get Room #319 was because of how cheap it was due to her haunting it! So if Sheila was alive, would they have ever met in the first place?

But that's not the question at play here. If she was alive and if they met through some force or higher power... would they have been friends? Lovers even?

“Yeah..." Marcus answered, “Yeah, we would have. I'm not sure if I would have spoken to you at first. You're so tall and beautiful, heh, I'd be too shy to speak. But... I know if we did talk... we'd be friends, Sheila. And if we could be, we'd be lovers even."

“Mmm... hee... hee... hee... oh Marcus... I'm going to... miss you..."

“I'm... heh... I'm..." he rubbed his eyes, “I'm gonna miss you too... I'm gonna... Sheila..."

A bright light began emerging. Stronger and stronger. It flooded the air around them, making it impossible for them to see. But... Marcus wasn't scared. A bit worried, yes, apprehensive, of course. But scared? No... he wasn't scared.

He was...

He was...

Haaah...

Blinded by light.

…

“Marcus... Marcus...! Marcus! Get up!"

“Huh? What? Whuzzat!?"

He sprung up... only to recoil as a surge of pain roared through his head. It was like he was suffering several headaches, all at once! But just as sudden as the pain was, it just as quickly began subsiding. Gazing around towards his surroundings, he saw that he was in a strange room of some kind. It was derelict, falling apart at the seam, there was a bed frame he was leaning against, and some trash here and there, but none where he sat.

Upon closer inspection, he realized he was in Sheila's bedroom. But it was no longer lively, instead being just as gray and as dismal as the house was when they first arrived. It took him a few moments to realize what was going on.

“I'm... back...?" he muttered in disbelief.

“We're back," a certain catwoman replied.

In front of him was Ryoko, giving him a concerned look... though he was trying to figure out why he was feeling a slight draft at his lower half. Well, looking down and he saw why; his pants were still off following his tryst with Sheila, with the only thing to cover his modest being this mysterious blanket that appeared from nowhere.

“Guah!? I-I'm naked!?" he said in disbelief, “Wh-where's my pants!?"

“Over there," Sheila muttered as she pointed over to a nearby desk, where his pants had been neatly folded.

“D-did you do that?" Marcus asked, to which Ryoko shot him a look so confused, he thought he'd sprouted a second head.

“Like hell I did!" she replied, “I found you like this! Hurry up and put on your pants, Marcus! We're back in the real world!"

“We... we're back...?"

He stood up, much to Ryoko's horror.

“WHAT THE HELL!? PUT ON YOUR PANTS WHEN I'M NOT HERE, YOU DUMB-FUCK!!!"

Quickly turning around, Ryoko palmed her face while her ears perked up, listening to Marcus as he scrambled about to put on his pants. It didn't take him long to make himself modest, though as he stood in the room, he once again scanned his surroundings. This was Sheila's bedroom, but now ravaged by time. And when he looked out of the window, all he saw was fog, mist, and the nighttime sky. This wasn't Sheila's conscience... this was the real world.

“We're back...? Huh... we... we are back," Marcus said as he scratched at the back of his head “I can't believe..." he turned, facing Ryoko, “What happened?"

“You tell me," the catwoman replied as she looked back at him, “I was waiting outside the door, thinking Sheila had killed you and I was trapped... but then this bright light came pouring through the door. It enveloped me, and before I knew it, I was back in the real world. I didn't sense anything anymore... and when I came upstairs, I found you in this room."

“This room... it's... it's Sheila's room..." he muttered before shaking his head, “So... you said you didn't sense anything. Does that mean that Sheila is...?"

“Look, Marcus, I don't know what happened," Ryoko answered, “You're the one who spoke with Sheila, so only you could answer this question. But if I were to go by my own instincts and knowledge of the occult and paranormal... yes... I believe Sheila has... moved on. But that can only extend as far as this place. She could very well have returned to your apartment."

“Hmmm..."

“You won't know until you return..."

“I... hm... no... Sheila's gone now... I know it," Marcus said as he looked at Ryoko, before gazing back out towards the window, “I..."

His voice shifted, and Ryoko could hear it. The cheerful young man she knew him as, was placed aside for something more somber. He even stood straighter with his hands behind his back, and took in a deep, deep, deep breath.

“I know this may sound weird," he muttered, his voice dry and almost hoarse, “But... I'm gonna miss her..."

“Marcus..."

Ryoko reached out for him, but she was never the best at comforting others, so she just stepped back while saying,

“I'll give you.. some time to yourself..."

Marcus nodded.

“Thanks..."

…

There's this one Nicki Minaj song that he remembers, because when it came out, his sister wouldn't stop playing it for an entire summer straight. But even in a song that he could sing backwards and frontwards due to his sibling's repetitive nature, there's one line that always stuck out to him.

Cause everybody dies, but not everybody lives.

He thought it was a cool line at first, and as he grew older, he saw it as a warning. Yes, death is inevitable, but what's truly scary, is not living a life worth living in the first place. And yet, even when he came to that conclusion years ago, it wasn't until today that he saw it in motion.

Marcus pitied Sheila. She made mistakes in youth that would end up affecting the rest of her admittedly short days. And while she may not have intended to kill herself, there is no denying what happened that night. When she went to sleep, she never woke up...

Haaah...

Marcus heard once how it's wrong to use someone's death as a reason to change his own wy of thinking. That it equates a person's soul to nothing more than a lesson that needs to be learned, or something along those lines.

And yet...

In the face of death, it's almost impossible for someone not to look inwards upon themselves, not to get introspective and think about the life they're living. And as Marcus slowly made his way home, that's what he did; he thought about his life. Nothing extreme, mind you... but...

Tomorrow, he was going to call his parents... and tell them he loves them. He was also going to go over to Ryoko's store, and reeeeaaallly thank her for everything she's done for him. She was invaluable, and quite literally opened his eyes to a new world he only ever thought of in passing.

Life and death. Ghosts and specters. Heaven and Hell. The Afterlife. In such a short amount of time, Marcus became privy to all of this, and then some. But with Sheila gone, and this knowledge acquired, he had to wonder...

What now?

Marcus wasn't the kind to think existentially about his life. He woke up, he went to school or work, then he went home, ate, and went to sleep. Repeat ad nauseam. Sometimes he'd have days off, sometimes he'd even have a vacation if his family invited him to one, but most of the time, life went like this.

But tomorrow, after he calls his parents and Ryoko, what will Marcus do this? Then again... maybe he was counting his chickens before they hatch. It was time to see if Sheila finally moved on, or if he was jumping the gun. Well... time to find out.

Sunshine Apartments. Room #319.

Eeeeeeeaaaarrrrrrnnn!

Click!

The lights came on in his apartment, allowing him to gaze around. And when he steped in, he--

“Huh..."

Something felt odd.

His apartment, it felt warmer than usual. He's never felt it so warm before, and that's saying something, because he originally rented this room halfway through Summer. And yet now was when it felt warm.

No, not warm. It felt normal.

“Sheila... she..."

He felt... crossed. On one hand, he knew in his heart that Sheila had moved on, and yet, a part of him wished she hadn't. Just one more night, wouldn't that be nice? But he knew one more night would be come another 'one more night' which would become yet another 'one more night'. And in that moment, the real 'one more night' would never come.

So as much as it saddened him, this was for the best. To just stop things now...

It had been a long day. Waking up early, riding out to Portfield, talking with those people, finding Sheila's house, getting trapped in her conscience, and then everything else. Usually, it's the ride home that's the quicker one... but not today. The ride back to his apartment felt like the longest ride in his life.

But now that it was over, his body slumped over, tired and exhausted. On unsteady feet, Marcus wobbled towards the couch... and then fell face first into it.

“Mmfff! Hmmmnmnnmm... ooooh... that's good..." Marcus groaned, his hand reaching out for his cushions, “I am going to sleep hard to... what...?"

He pulled his head up, where in front of him laid a silver pair of panties. A familiar pair of silver panties. They were--

“Sheila...?"

He picked up the panties, holding them up in disbelief. But before he could speak, a piece of folded paper fell out.

His hands trembling, Marcus picked up the piece of paper and unfolded it to read its contents.

And...

His eyes quivered...

Just something to remember me by-

With Love, Sheila

Marcus gawked, his voice getting caught in his throat. A part of him wanted to cry... but instead he began chuckling. And then those chuckles turned into laughter. Falling back into the couch, Marcus palmed at his head as he gave a mix of laughing and sobbing. Again, and again, and again.

But it didn't last for long, before simmering down to just smile from cheek to cheek.

Tomorrow... tomorrow was going to be a good day!