Page 3 of Ghostly Touches

What an appropriate setting for a necromancer. I move along the perimeter of the cemetery, ignoring the faded headstones. If I pay attention to them too much, my mind turns to dark thoughts. One specifically keeps haunting my consciousness, no matter how hard I try to ignore its presence: I belong here, buried beneath the earth.

The monster in me disagrees. Of course, it does. It has an instinct to survive.

AGhostmust remain of sound mind, body, and soul…

Oh, howunsoundmy body and mind are these days. As it has been for three decades. I swallow my disgust and push the thought away as I patrol the area. Inside, Theodon is watching over Viktor’s body. Hopefully the necromancer won’t mind we broke in, we can’t have more than a few people knowing we’re here. We’re supposed to move between worlds unseen. If noticed, we’re supposed to disappear without a trace.

Just like the Ghosts we are.

Headlights brighten up the dark and lonely street. I freeze as the car comes ambling towards the house. The music is so loud I can hear it blaring from here. When the car comes to a stop in the gravel driveway, the headlights turn off, and all goes silent. Crossing the property, sticking to the shadows so as not to be noticed, I approach the vehicle.

When I get close to the house, I tap three times lightly on the glass to let Theo know we have company. I’m sure it’s not necessary. He would have heard the music blasting in the car as it came up the driveway. All the same, I do as requested and alert our leader. I take a step back into the darker shadows when the car door opens. When it shuts and the woman we’ve been waiting for appears, my feet freeze in place.

She’s tall. That’s the first thing I notice.

The second thing my eyes take note of is her curves. And take note I do. My eyes trail slowly over her black tank top clinging to large breasts. Its short crop allows me to glimpse rich brown skin over a waist that narrows ever so slightly. The thin wrap-around skirt clings loosely to hips that flare out, and thanks to the slit up the side, I catch sight of shapely legs.

A warm feeling starts in my head before moving down my neck into the rest of my body. Tension coils in my gut while I stare at her walking towards the front door. Her hips swing side to side like the pendulum of a grandfather clock, hypnotizing me. The heavy, delightful jiggling of her breasts sends the heat that’s cruising through my veins to a veryspecificarea of my body.

I force my eyes to her face. Air catches in my throat.

Her oval-shaped face houses large eyes, a small nose, and full lips. Atop her head are a mass of thick, dark curls. The hair not pulled up falls down her back in utter chaos. She turns her head slightly to the side as if listening to something. Her mouth pulls downwards into a frown as she comes to a stop a few steps away from the side entrance to her house.

That’s when I notice I’m vibrating.

I’m so used to shaking by now that I didn’t notice it at first. But I certainly do now. It’s not a full body shake that starts in my bones, but rather a curious trembling of just my skin. Well, some of my skin. The affected areas where I’m clearly no longer just a man vibrate to communicate needs and desires to both myself and to any similar monster in the area, as if I’m one of them. I know all the various vibrating patterns my body can make. I also know what triggers them. Usually, it’s nothing good. So, as I stand here with my skin vibrating in a new pattern while the monster in me stirs, I try not to panic. This is why Theo said to keep outside,awayfrom the necromancer who could help us.

My mouth waters as the vibrating increases. My fingers, and claws, twitch at my side.

Control it, Kwil, I warn myself as I stare at the woman whose attention is elsewhere.

“Huh, maybe it’s a good thing you snuck away from the group to stay behind,” the woman says, breaking the silence around us. I know I should be worried that I can’t see who she is talking to, but that’s not what I focus on.

Her voice...

A shiver of desire, so strong it nearly brings me to my knees, shakes my body harder than any of the vibrations my skin could make. My dick stirs to life. Not once in the course of thirty years since I’ve become thisthinghave I grown aroused. Yet now, in the shadows of a rundown manor surrounded by the dead, my body comes to life. I’m afraid to look down. I’mdifferentdown there since I was bitten and turned by the dreaded Tangleling creature. I’ve never seen myself hard, but I can imagine how grotesque it looks. Still, I’m so overcome with lust that a brief vision of her naked beneath me, writhing around in pleasure, nearly has me coming undone right where I stand.

Yes, the sinister voice in my head whispers.

No! I need to look away. I need to stay hidden and as far away from this woman as possible. I shake my head, trying to dispel the image.

Taste her, the voice whispers.

No! I squeeze my eyes shut as I fight the urge to stomp over to her and take her there on the sidewalk. It could never happen. Even if I wasn’t a monster.

AGhostmust relinquish all worldly desires and must not succumb to the temptation of the flesh.

I may have once overindulged myself between the legs of a woman before becoming a Ghost, but since then I’ve vowed to abstain from that type of activity. I ignore the fact that I am a walking, talking, broken vow.

AGhostmust remain of sound mind, body, and soul.

I shake my head, hating the reminder that replays what a failure I am.

Go to her,the monster whispers. My mouth waters as I stare at the necromancer.

We are one and the same, the monster and me. I am him and he is me. We are… it. The broken words and feelings I get, it’s all me but twisted with monster-like instincts. I’m not completely gone though. I can still feel right and wrong. I still have rational thoughts. I know that walking towards the necromancer is wrong. So terribly wrong.

I need to get away from here. From her.

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