Awakened with a Touch Page 4

  The interrogation wrapped up quickly after that, and she didn't mention any of this to the professor. He was pleased that she'd already written up her own synopsis of the day before and left it on the desk in the library for him. "Would you like to view the kitchen footage with us?" he asked gently.

  She hesitated; it was going to be graphic and embarrassing, and standing in there with them while they saw her completely exposed would be torture, but knowing they were in there watching while she waited outside wouldn't be any better. Besides, part of her was dying to see what it looked like to have sex with a ghost, and she followed him down the hall to the cramped equipment room.

  Carson and Jerome sat at the long counter, with a stack of monitors in front of them. They were all ten inch, except the large one in the middle, which allowed them to scan multiple rooms at once and then switch any interesting footage to the larger, center screen for easier viewing. Carson was wearing headphones and listening intently. Jerome's eyes flicked restlessly from one picture to the next.

  Both stopped and looked over when April and the professor entered. There were only two seats so they moved to stand behind the techs, and Dr. Marlowe asked Jerome to bring up the kitchen on the main screen.

  "Sure, one second," Jerome said. His dark eyes dropped to the keyboard in front of him and he began tapping. The familiar room popped up on the large monitor and the picture cycled rapidly on fast forward. It went black for periods of time as the lack of motion allowed the cameras to power down, but periodically, it would snap back on for no apparent reason.

  "I thought they stopped recording when nothing was happening in the room?" April asked, as he continued to scan forward minute by minute.

  "Usually, yeah, but it can be set off by motion or sound, and whenever the appliances kick into high gear, it sets them off." He let it run until April saw herself enter the kitchen and then he slowed it to normal speed. "This it?" he asked casually.

  "No, that's when I first got home. Nothing happened until I came back down a couple of hours later," she said. Her hands were freezing and her stomach churned, making her feel slightly sick, as he did something that caused the scene to jump two hours. There was still nothing but it cycled rapidly, and in less than a minute, she saw herself again. "There!"

  He switched it to normal speed and everyone watched in silence as she took her leftovers out of the fridge and put them in the microwave. Her yesterday self was dressed a little nicer than normal, in a flirty skirt that stopped halfway down her thighs, instead of her usual jeans or yoga pants. Well, at least she was going to look decent for her first exhibition, she said to herself, feeling resigned.

  When John arrived, it was immediately obvious. Her entire demeanor changed and her face lit up and grew animated as she chatted to empty air. It looked kind of surreal and April wasn't sure what to think. It was obvious that she wasn't just talking to herself; her eyes constantly found a spot of a certain height to orient on and there were pauses in her manner that made it clear she was listening, even though the sound was muted. Not that it much mattered in the kitchen, anyway. The cameras were high up, and with various interference from appliances, it was unlikely much would have been heard while they talked quietly. Unlike the EVP equipment which were more sensitive.

  The scene changed rapidly and she couldn't help but stare. It wasn't the first time she'd seen herself spanked on camera, but she still watched with interest. When it began, her skirt was covering part of her ass, though in the bent over position, it had slid up to expose her bare thighs and her panties. On the video, there was no one there but her, of course, which meant his body blocked nothing from the camera. Something held her flat to the table, even though she struggled to get up. That same something, or rather someone, began to spank, and it held the attention of everyone in the room.

  They could see color appearing on her upper thighs, peeking out from under the cotton panties. The expression of open-mouthed dismay she made on screen when her panties were yanked down to her knees made her wince. Jerome inhaled sharply and Carson shot a glare in his direction, which he barely noticed because he was so intent on the film.

  Her tan skin darkened to a burgundy blush as an invisible hand flattened her ass cheeks. The imprint of his large fingers was clearly pressed into her skin with every swat and they could see each impact as she silently yelped and pleaded for it to stop. She was embarrassed to see the fuss she made, and while she watched quietly, her face colored with shame.

  The problem, of course, was that no matter how determined she was to accept the punishment stoically without kicking and struggling, once it really started to hurt, she completely forgot the cameras were rolling. Spanking had a way of reducing her to an unthinking state where all the emotions and animal instincts took over. She kicked her legs and squirmed desperately as he punished her, showing humiliating flashes between her thighs as the camera scanned past and then returned.

  It almost looked like she was having some kind of seizure, the way she thrashed around, but the darkening of her skin and the wide open-mouth shouting her pain made it clear something else was going on. The most difficult part was getting closer—the part when he moved past the punishment to the sex, and when it started to happen, she cringed. It looked…bizarre was the only way she could describe it.

  Her legs were pushed apart and they all watched as 'something' pressed into her body, parting her lower lips and sinking in until it caused her entrance to gape obscenely. "Holy shit," Carson breathed, barely a whisper but loud in the cramped room.

  The professor cleared his throat but said nothing, his eyes fixed on the screen as the show continued. April, however, had seen enough, and she turned away, unable to watch any more. It was too much, too graphic, and she was nearly in tears with the mortification of seeing her body undulating beneath her lover's invisible body while her most private parts were on full display.

  How was she going to make herself do this for two more weeks, she wondered? "April? Do you need a break?" Ben asked gently. His eyes were fixed on her with a gentle sympathy. Carson half-turned in her seat to look at them.

  She inhaled a ragged breath and shook her head without looking at him. "No, Prof-Ben, I'm fine. It's almost finished, anyway. About another two minutes, I think," she said, though it was more guess then certainty. She'd been a bit foggy with pleasure by that point and couldn't really have estimated how long it had gone on.

  Suddenly, there was sound to go with the picture. Carson had accidentally bumped a button while watching the two of them and the sounds of flesh slapping and loud moans spilled from the speakers. April covered her face as the technician flailed at the keyboard hurriedly to cut it off. She looked almost as embarrassed as April did, with her cheeks flushed bright red.

  April's eyes were drawn back to the screen, peeking between her fingers to watch, as it mercifully went silent again. John had confessed to enjoying taking her from behind so that he could slap her ass, and that he liked it even more when she was red and hot from being spanked. That she enjoyed it, too, was obvious from the sounds of pure pleasure they'd briefly heard.

  She sighed and looked away, but she couldn't block out the memories of it or the effect remembering had on her body. By the time it was over and the kitchen was empty, her face was practically glowing with heat. Jerome switched the recording off and there were several moments of complete silence in the small closet.

  Chapter 2

  Carson was the one to finally break the silence. "Well, that was…uh…something," she said. Oddly, her tone was muted and not filled with venom as April would have expected.

  "Don't start, Car," Jerome said, interrupting her, in case she was setting up for some nastiness.

  Carson spun in her chair to face April, only to find April wasn't looking at her or the monitors or at anything, really. She'd turned to face the back corner of the room, as if trying to get as far away from the embarrassment as she could get in the tiny room.

  April's shoulders were hu
nched, and while she wasn't crying, she was close to it. Miserable, not just over what they'd seen, but over the realization that it was only the first of many graphic shows she'd promised to perform.

  "Hey, you okay?" Carson asked. There was a hint of nervousness in her voice, like she wasn't entirely sure how to deal with an emotional woman.

  April took a deep breath, and then a second, before slowly turning around to face the group. "I-I'm okay. I mean, not really, I'm kind of humiliated, but I'm getting used to that. I'll survive," she said. A slightly hysterical laugh bubbled out of her.

  "It wasn't that bad," Carson said. Clearly lying, but, oddly, it seemed she was trying to be nice for a change.

  The professor seemed to finally find his words, snapping his head around to look at April with excitement. "Bad? It wasn't bad at all. This is incredible! I'm sure this is the first time anyone has ever captured a paranormal entity having sex with a living being on camera. It's a shame that the camera kept moving, of course, but even so, the coverage was excellent," he said.

  Jerome snickered, shaking his head and going back to work without looking behind him. April wondered if he was avoiding looking at her specifically and suspected he probably was. His laugh, however, was clearly directed at Marlowe's reaction to the tape.

  Carson rolled her eyes. "Professor, I was trying to make her feel better about the whole naked and getting fucked on camera thing. Not everything is about the job, ya know," she said.

  "Oh. Oh, I'm sorry, April. I wasn't thinking; of course, this had to be very difficult for you," he said, immediately switching to a kind and solicitous tone. He did his best to dampen his enthusiasm for her sake, though she could still see it lurking. She wasn't surprised when he hustled her out of the room so he could watch it a second time, and he, at least, was probably not watching because it was pornographic.

  She wondered if she should be insulted that, when faced with her body naked and writhing on camera, he was more interested in her invisible partner. Probably, but it was kind of a relief to know that at least one man watching it wouldn't be thinking about how turned on he was.

  Once the team was finished with her, she was free for the day. They still had their own work to do. Carson returned to the EVP recordings, while Jerome scanned every room's footage for small incidents that had nothing to do with her. There were other spirits active in the house, and they often acted out when she was upstairs or busy elsewhere. Probably because John was generally by her side and too distracted to keep a tight rein on them. The professor pulled a kitchen chair into the equipment room so he could watch the footage of her debauchery again, this time, in slow motion while he made notes.

  None of that required her presence, and her excursion the day before had given her a taste for being out of the house. Since she wasn't allowed to leave by herself, she'd spent most of her stay inside the grand mansion, but today, she decided to take a walk around the grounds. The exercise, she thought, would help her burn off some of the agitation she was feeling and maybe relieve the cabin fever somewhat. Besides, it was a beautiful, crisp day outside.

  She kept her eye on the time and made sure to head back inside at noon, to catch them before they left, but she enjoyed the walk, especially when she found an overgrown garden full of wild roses and statuary. She had brought her cell phone with her, and at the far end of the grounds, she tested to see if she could get a signal. There was nothing, and she sighed and slipped it back into her pocket. She'd try the front later; down by the gate might work.

  It was relaxing, stretching her legs and poking around, and it was only when she headed back that she realized how much stress she'd been under. The pit in her stomach finally unclenched enough for her to breathe easily. It wouldn't last, of course. The next two weeks were going to be miserable and there was no way around it, but just stepping out for a while had helped and she was able to put a smile on her face as she greeted the leaving team. "Have a good afternoon, April," the professor said, waving as he got into the van.

  Jerome was carrying a box out and he nodded at her with a slight smile as he passed her at the door. Carson was the last one out and they stopped, face-to-face, just inside the entrance way. April stepped to the side silently to let the girl pass, but to her surprise, Carson hesitated.

  "I'm sorry I was a bitch," she said finally. "Slut shaming isn't cool. I mean, not that you're a slut. I just—I was pissed off, but it wasn't your fault. You got a really lucky break and I was jealous, but I'd also hate to be in your shoes right now so—" She shrugged. "I'll stop giving you a hard time."

  April's mouth dropped open in surprise, but before she could say anything, the tech darted out the door and jogged to the van. Probably on purpose to avoid having to discuss it. Carson seemed like the type of person who avoided discussing anything emotional. Still, April found herself absurdly grateful for the support of the only other woman around. She wasn't entirely sure if Carson felt pity for her because of being locked into a contract that had her spilling her sex life on a stage, or if it was because she'd fallen in love with a man who was dead long before she'd been born. Either way, it would be a relief not to have to deal with the constant snark, and both were reason enough to make her miserable.

  She fixed a light lunch for herself, choosing to eat it in the formal dining room because she couldn't manage the thought of having lunch on the table that had played such a vivid part in her début. She knew she'd end up unable to eat as she stared at the table top she'd practically memorized during her long and painful spanking and what followed afterwards.

  The dining room was calm and as yet had no memories, pleasant or otherwise, to affect her appetite. She hadn't done more than glance inside before, but now, her eyes panned across the room curiously as she ate her sandwich. The dark wood of the long table gleamed, perfectly matching the molding and frames, but the most interesting part of the room was the fireplace. It was tall enough that she could have stood inside easily and wide enough to lie lengthwise on the floor of it. But the brick backing and floor had been scrubbed clean at some point, and now, there wasn't the slightest bit of soot to show it had even been used. The pile of logs and the metal grate that held them were obviously nothing more than a prop.

  She'd never lived in a house with a fireplace but had always wanted to. They seemed homey and relaxing in stories, but not this one. It was far too grand for her taste. The media room off the library however, had a lovely small fireplace which had clearly been used often, though probably not recently. She liked the idea of lying with John on the couch and watching the flames flicker, and it suddenly occurred to her that, in another two weeks, the house would be hers.

  She'd known it, of course. It had been her main reason for taking the job and putting up with everything until John gave her a better one. But the two reasons were connected and she couldn't have one without the other. The knowledge that all of this would be hers to do with as she pleased hit her, and she put down the sandwich with numb hands.

  It would be her home, if she stayed. She would own everything. She could redecorate if she wanted or…but of course, there were some limits there. John seemed incredibly picky about what was done with the house, and though the deed would be in her name, he'd still rule. She sat in silence for a minute, taking that in before finishing her lunch with quick, efficient bites. She left the plate on the table for later. She had something more important to do. With her phone in her pocket and plenty of battery charge on it, she headed out the front door and down the driveway. At the front gates, she checked for a signal and, to her relief, if she stood right there, nearly touching the iron bars, two bars flickered into sight.

  There were cameras at the gate, but they were cheap security models that didn't pick up any sound at all, and the quality was just grainy black and white. She'd checked with Jerome earlier to be sure. She could call her grandmother and have a private conversation. No one, living or dead, would be listening.

  Of course, it wasn't the most comfortable place
to have a conversation. She sighed and settled down cross-legged on the gravel to make the call, anyway. Her grandmother picked up the phone before the first ring finished. "Hello, Chepota," she said with no hesitation.

  April laughed, startled. "I'm usually the one who does that to people, Appo," she said.

  "Mmm, where do you think you got it from?" the woman snorted. "So, you've fallen in love with a ghost and you're not sure what to do, yes?"

  April sighed; she suddenly realized why other people got so uncomfortable when she did that to them. She couldn't blame them for avoiding her; it was unnerving. "Yes. I mean, basically."

  "I thought as much," her grandmother said, sounding neutral. "Well, you'd better tell me the whole story."

  So, sitting on the uncomfortable gravel driveway, staring out between the iron bars like a zoo animal, April told her everything. She started with the phone call she'd received, even though her grandmother already knew about that, and continued to the present. Since it was obvious keeping things from her grandmother, who, after all, had the same talents she had, was pointless, she merely trimmed the more graphic details.

  "Oh, April," her grandmother said with a long sigh. "This is a very complicated web you've gotten caught up in."

  "I know. I couldn't help it. It's not—he's not like regular spirits. I promise I'm not holding him here," April said.

  "I believe you, April. But this path you've set for yourself is not going to be easy," the woman said. She sounded worried and sad, too.

  "Tell me what to do, Appo. Please, I can't—I don't know." April's voice broke and, suddenly, she was crying.

  "You're too old for me to tell you what to do now, April. I'm afraid you'll have to make your own choice here. If you had let me teach you—"