Lewd Legend

[DeliciousMaiden]

Closed for FireyIce


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She was the ‘new kid on the block’, the latest recruit to the real estate team and of course expected to be asked to make the tea, file the papers and do the lunch run, despite the fact she was taking on the role of a fully qualified realtor having completed her business course with a distinction. But it wasn’t this fact that alienated her somewhat from her colleagues. Of course they resented that someone should be foisted on them from Head Office with her shiny qualifications, but a worse crime than that was the fact that she was the daughter of the company MD. As such they could not even accuse her of having no experience, for ever since her teens she had worked alongside ‘daddy’, shadowing him, learning the business until she could actually pursue the studies she needed to be a successful realtor and, if the gossip were to be believed, one day take over that ‘top job’ when her father retired. This small town branch for some inexplicable reason had been chosen as the ‘nurturing ground’ for the company’s ‘up and coming talent’ and, perhaps unsurprisingly, her colleagues were somewhat less than pleased by the ‘favour’ shown to them by this selection!

She started with a modest portfolio, but had secured a couple of early sales, which naturally led to an expansion of her responsibilities. She worked steadily for a couple of months until she was allocated “The Bailey Place” as it was termed in the office. This property had been empty for more years than it had been occupied. Tenants had rented in on occasion through the years, yet the actual duration of occupancy tended to be days rather than weeks and never months …

”See what you can do with that … “

She was told.

” … and if you can’t sell it or rent it out, then perhaps you should oversee renovations to make the place more marketable … why not even move in for a couple of nights … get the feel of the place… “

The suggestions seemed reasonable enough, yet she had the feeling that there was something she didn’t know … that she was being set up somehow. But how bad could it be? It was clear that for some reason this property had been unmarketable. One non-profit-making property in her portfolio wouldn’t be enough to jeopardise her success unduly, yet it seemed that the others had high hopes that somehow that building would be her downfall.

It wasn’t until she was working late and after having slipped out to get a coffee she returned to find her computer opened at a web page she had never seen before … Lewd Legends and Fuck Ghost jumped out the screen at her. She reached out to click the cross at the top corner of the screen and realised that somehow this page and several similar had been saved into her favourites! Exasperated she clicked and read:

"An obscure and perverse legend that was brought to our attention by a anonymous woman. The woman worked as an historian and stumbled upon the legend one day whilst researching her local town….

A ghost born from sexual desire. It is said that if you conjure up a fantasy in your mind that deeply arouses you and then whisper the words..fuck me.. three times in a row you will conjure the ghost. It has been suggested that every ghost summoned is vastly different to the other and that its actions and nature are based on the thoughts of the one that gave it life…

Our historian friend was a little curious and, perhaps helped along by loneliness and a strong drink, she tested the legend out. Imagine her surprise when some invisible force manifested around her, binding her hands with invisible bonds before living up to its name. The woman was not very forthcoming with the exact details of her assault but she did tell us that it lasted for several hours…

Dare you try the legend for yourself?"

What kind of joke this was now, she wasn’t sure until she scrolled up and saw a photograph of the allegedly haunted property … The Bailey Place …

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Cassidy Weston

She made no comment about the web pages that had been left for her on her computer the following day, in fact Cassidy didn't even give her colleagues the satisfaction of deleting the saved favourites. Instead she focused upon looking through the Bailey file and was shocked to note that the details were over 2 years old. Sifting through the notes she could see that the place had deteriorated since then and that even the sizeable garden had gone without any attention all that time! And then when she called round the companies who usually did work in that area, she found that she came up with dead ends. Time and again, she got thinly veiled refusals, even when she suggested a landscaper take a look at the garden.

... curiouser and curisouser...

By late morning her mind was made up. Tidying her desk, she closed down her computer, making sure to password protect it with a password known only to her this time. Picking up her brief case and folder she knocked on the office of her boss to inform him that she wouldn't be returning to the office this afternoon as she was going to have lunch then swing by the Bailey Place and make an initial assessment of the property. She didn't miss the look of surprise her intention had on Neil Bradley, the Director of that branch, but neither did he attempt to stop her as he headed off to have a 'working lunch' in a hotel outside the town and therefore, she assumed, beyond any gossip. After working late the night before, she did not rush over her meal. Then over coffee she made some calls. Working with her father she had built up a range of 'contacts', practical as well as financial or real estate contacts. After only a few calls she had landscapers, electricians, builders and decorators on standby. They were all sworn not to inform her father that she had been in touch and told them that she was working on a 'personal' project. Knowing she had secured a potential workforce, she knew that she now had to actually go and inspect the place.

Never for a moment did she give any credence to the ghost stories she had read about the previous evening. Articles like that were so easily faked.
And she suspected that there was a conspiracy against her being successful which would explain the outcome of the calls she had made that morning.
In fact all this 'nonsense' made Cassidy all the more determined!
In truth this was to be a personal project.
Selling or renting this property would prove her skills and value as a relator!
And as ever she was driven to succeed, at any cost ...

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff Williamson looked out of the two story house from the balcony down onto the small town that he has known for the majority of his existence. He could tell it was in the mid afternoon as the people traveled back to work from the restaurants. Though he couldn't feel it, he always enjoyed the spring time, especially since this winter was extremely harsh. Not that it bothered him, being a ghost had some perks after all. He was thinking about how the last year had been. It seemed that the visitors that he did get had been fewer and fewer over the last decade. There were the typical school kids that always wanted to see the house during Halloween and some of those that tried to stay the night as a dare or to get lucky. Lately though, no one had been staying in it overnight.

It had been years since the last couple tried to move in and they were gone before half of their boxes were even in the house. It was decades before that where a couple could even make it a week. Jeff pondered why this was as he leaned against the railing in his three piece suit. What had the latest story been about this house? How much of the truth has been changed over the last 100 years? Maybe one day he would find the answers, though he wasn't in a hurry to seek them.

Jeff thought back to that fateful night where the story had originated. He had somehow managed to come home early from his shift at the plant and saw his wife in their bed with another man. To say that it angered him would be an understatement. They hadn't even been married for a year and this is how she repaid him with the love he showed her. He thought back to that fateful night and started to remember going and getting his gun and shooting both of them in the bed. Then he remembered the police showing up and getting into a shootout with him, killing a cop before he himself was fatally shot. He never understood why he was the only one of the four to never go into the afterlife but it didn't seem to bother him anymore. He could only imagine how skewed the story must have been by now.

Much to his surprise, he saw Cassidy start to open the old, rusted gate and make her way up to the house. He could see her black hair blowing in the slight breeze. "Just when I thought that today was going to be just another day," Jeff said to himself. "I may as well go introduce myself to this one." And with that Jeff made his way down to the door and slowly cracked it open for her as she got even closer.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Cassidy Weston

Cassidy left her paperwork and files in the car. She took her handbag with her key equipment and stood looking up at the house. She could imagine that it had been impressive in its day. Sadly, now, the place was terribly neglected. Even getting through the gate took care. It creaked and the rusty powder came off on her fingers as she eased it open. She turned pull the weathered metal closed behind her before advancing up the uneven and overgrown path. She had yet to reach the front door when slowly it opened, the hinges, presumably metal, somehow still held the door in place, the heavy wood seemed to groan in effort, yet by the time she got to the doorstep the house stood wide open. For long moments Cassidy stood taking in what had just happened.

”OK … “

She murmured to herself, forcing herself to accept the occurrence without jumping to any hysterical conclusions. Dipping in her handbag she took out a tiny digital recorder and flicked the switch. This would be much easier than taking notes and would enable her to keep her wits about her. Pressing the button she spoke as she glanced back.

”Gate, rusty. Hinges functional, but rooted in rotten wood.
Garden overgrown. Pathway uneven. In need of relaying.
Fencing gaps and missing panels – security of premises compromised.”

Just hearing her own voice in business mode calmed the threat of nerves. She advanced and examined the door from both sides before stepping through it.

”Front door in need of replacement. Surround seems secure.
Survey of woodwork throughout necessary.”

It was strange that the door seemed to be hung in a solid frame with the necessary locks. How it happened to be unlocked and even opening was a mystery.

”Check for through draft.”

She dictated briefly as she finally turned to take in the view of the hall way of the house that she had to market successfully.

 

[FireyIce]

To say that the house had seen better days would be an understatement. Jeff knew this all too well as he helped make this house from the ground up. What people wouldn't know is that it should be a lot worse off than what it was. It seemed that during every natural disaster the house would take some damage, but not as much as one would expect. If one asked Jeff he would say that it would be from his handiwork, not wanting to admit there may be a magical protection over it since he still resided in it.

There had been times when people would try to restore it to it's former glory. One could tell that there was more added to the house as far as plumbing, electrical work, and so forth were added and more recent than the foundation. One of the things Jeff could never comprehend was the fact that technology changed and that the old ways were far gone from when he was growing up.

Jeff waited for a while before Cassidy came in. He was wondering if she would try to destroy this house or help fix it. It wasn't until she came in and was already talking to her electronic device before he became furious and slammed the door shut with a lot of energy that he had stored in him. He noticed her reaction and then slowly moved his finger down her gentle spine, giving her chills as he whispered for her to leave.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Cassidy Weston

The house was unkempt and unloved, yet with her business head on, Cassidy could see much possibility for what must once have been a magnificent house.

"Structural survey ... check for damp, electrics ... survey of roof, gutt -"

She jumped as inexplicably the heavy door slammed shut with a force that seemed to reverberate throughout the empty house. She stood frozen for long moments then turned around slowly as if searching for a logical explanation, but finding none. A chill went down her spine, as if ice had been dragged down it and made her shiver visibly.

" ..... leave ... "

A single word seemed to hang in the air. Audible, clear, yet so fleeting that she must surely have imagined it? She was definitely unnerved, her eyes searching for the person who must surely be playing tricks on her. Hesitantly she stepped forward, her eyes darting nervously from one side to the other as she did so. She doubted, given the local stories, that there were squatters in the property, but she could imagine that the house might be a convenient shelter, or somewhere exciting for children to play. The first thing she had to do was ensure the house was made secure! She raised the voice recorder to her mouth and only then realised that it had been running all the time. With a sigh of frustration she dictated.

"Make house secure - contact Johnsons."

Even to her own ears her voice sounded shakey and less sure.
She clicked the machine off and put it into her handbag.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you want to scare me away.
I'm my father's daughter...."

Her best guess was that it was someone from the office, or someone her colleagues had arranged to wait for her and scare her. Her leisurely lunch had given them plenty of time to set her up and who knew what tricks and props might have been set up here throughout the years.

"Why would you want this place to go to wrack and ruin?"

She murmured as she stepped forward and made her way to the first room.
Nothing about this house made sense, but just because she could find no explanation didn't mean that there wasn't any ...

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff was surprised and a little perplexed. Lately if something like this had happened to some teens or a different couple they would be working on their way out the door. He had decided that either this young lady was very determined and found it quite interesting.

"Perhaps I'll just watch and see what she thinks of this place," Jeff said to himself. He had decided that he would watch from a distance but not too far to where he couldn't do something if he didn't like what was going on. For some reason he had a very hard time picking up on why she was here, wondering if it was for business or for herself.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

It wasn't that Cassidy wasn't affected by the strange events, but her determination, or bloody-mindedness as her father often accused her of was stronger than her fear; for the moment anyway. She made her way into the first reception room standing in the middle to turn in a slow circle taking in it's stone surround.
proportions and the original features which she was surprised and delighted to discover. She stepped closer to the open fireplace and ran a hand across the
"This'll look amazing when it's restored ... "

She murmured, but did not take out the dictaphone to record her thoughts. Her eyes lingering as the swept around the room, she turned and advanced into the second reception room set behind the first front room. This she imagined might have been a salon or library or music room. Again her eyes took in the proportions, the features, but there was something about the place that almost suggested that it was 'stuck in time'. She walked towards the large doors which she assumed had been modernised so that they opened out onto the garden; the garden beyond was a jungle, which seemed such a shame.

Similarly she explored the opposite side of the house ... a front reception room similar to the first she had explored was discovered then two further rooms which might have been a dining room and perhaps a small study. The most run down part of the house seemed to be the kitchen, a room that was found to run along the width of the right side of the house. It was obviously an addition, built on at a later date to the original lay out. She supposed originally the kitchen was in the basement and that meals would be brought up by servants. Relocation of the kitchen would have been essential, but she didn't approve of how it had been carried out. She gave a sigh, her disapproval obvious. It was pseudo-modern in that it would have been modern at the time of construction, but now seemed dated and incongruous in the otherwise charmingly featured house.
Belatedly she took out her voice recorder.

"Charming front reception rooms, right back reception room with garden access, to the left two smaller reception rooms all with period features."

She hesitated.

"Kitchen extension ... unsympathetic development ... refurbishment for rental ... for sale ... consider structural appraisal and redesign of left reception rooms ... subject to costings... "

She flicked off the machine.

If it were hers, she would make one of the back reception rooms into the kitchen and the other a dining room. She wandered back into the two rooms in question considering that open plan would be too modern for this property.
She gave a wistful sigh.

"Stick to business Cassidy .... "

She admonished herself. Rather than getting carried away by the ghost stories, somehow she found her imagination running riot as she imagined what the house might once have been like. Despite having been raised to calculate outlay against profit, despite the high proportion of modern properties her father's company dealt with; identical 'boxes' without personality that were mere commodities to be bought and sold for profit; despite all that, Cassidy had an interest in history and a real love of historical buildings and it seemed such a shame that this house had been sadly neglected for decades...

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff was a little surprised that this young woman had decided to stay. Apparently she wasn't as easy to scare off as he would've imagined. He watched as she started walking around the first floor, trying to see what she was finding that was so curious. For once the silence was throwing him off, making it hard to find out what she was thinking as she gracefully and gently ran her fingers across the mantle of the fireplace. When she did speak, he was fairly pleased with how she was describing everything, as to give a sense of hope to the idea of the house being restored. Jeff never really did like how the kitchen was remodeled and attached to the house, however, the idea of gutting part of it out was enough to enrage him a little bit. It wasn't until Cassidy got to the old study and library that he could tell that she was infatuated with the rooms. He started to head up the front stairs, passing right by her and giving her a fresh new chill while she was looking at the rooms.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Reluctantly Cassidy left the rooms she had been studying and walked back down the hall to the staircase. She knew there was a basement and that it must have been abandoned for years, but she was more interested in the floor above. A light hand on the banister, she turned and took the first few steps, carefully trying out the each step to see if they were sound.

The chill that passed through her halted her in mid-action. This wasn't a draught. The sensation was altogether different; it seemed to touch freeze her core, yet as she touched her own skin it seemed as warm as ever.

"Don't you want me to go upstairs, then?"

She found herself asking the silence.

"Sensible, Cass ... you don't believe in all that remember... "

She was being foolish speaking aloud, but it was the only way she knew to try to summon her courage and continue upwards. Every step, was slow, deliberate, wary even. It wasn't that she feared the structure of the staircase, quite the contrary, it seemed much sounder than she could have hoped for. Finally she found herself at the crest of that flight. She hesitated, wondering where to go first.
She stood, silent, listening, waiting almost. Half expecting a chill, a slam, something ...

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff watched as Cassidy slowly made her way upstairs, seeing how careful she was going up each step. The upstairs was fairly simple with just two normal bedrooms on each side of the hall, a bathroom on one side and a grand master bedroom at the very end. With the way the house was designed, there was no mistaking the double doors leading to the master bedroom was the focus of attention. Gathering from what he had been seeing from this remarkable and lovely lady, he had an idea of how she may react to the master bedroom with it's design and the fact that the balcony had a wonderful view of the garden below and of the town.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Cassidy looked around. The doors stood half open so that with just a brief inspection she realised that there were two bedrooms and a bathroom. The grander double doors suggested something much more spectacular at the end.
She smiled, unable to quell the anticipation of discovering what lay beyond those doors, but with effort, she decided to put off that treat until last. Both bedrooms were generously sized. She entered each and took in its dimensions before moving to the windows and looking down upon the front garden and the garden beyond.

"These windows have to go ..."

She commented, disliking the modern glazing that was functional, but ruined the whole character of the room. The second room was much the same, the windows here too would have to go, but she didn't take out her recorder, sure that she would remember just what needed doing. It was then the turn of the bathroom.

"My God ... "

Was her exclamation upon discovering the dated, yet modern-at-the-time-of-fitting suite.

"All wrong ... crazy.... "

She murmured. Ghost stories aside, it was scandalous what they had allowed to happen in this property. Taking out her digital recorder, she dictated somewhat exasperatedly;

"Bathroom ... nightmare ... "

She smiled at her lack of professionalism, then tried again.

"Bathroom needs refurbishing sympathetically ... period character of the upstairs needs re-establishing throughout. Windows to be refitted, décor, features and furnishings if let ... "

She clicked off the machine, stowing it once more before turning and heading towards the double doors. Both seemed solid and even ornate with what much be original detail as she carefully eased the doors apart surprised momentarily at the ease of their movement.

"Oh my God.... "

She stood, truly stunned as she took in the dimensions and detail of the Master bedroom. Slowly, reverently, she advanced. Ignoring the somewhat dilapidated double bed that remained in the room, instead she saw the potential, imagined what the place might have been ... Awed she began to move around the room, a hand touching an ornate feature her and gently stroking the surface of the stonework there. And then she saw it ... the balcony. Her hands went to the handles and again the double doors opened with ease ... Stepping out she looked down, upon chaos and overgrowth a sight so far removed from what it was intended to be that strangely she felt sorry for the neglect the house had suffered.

"You just need some love ... a bit of care ... "

She murmured before remaining silent for a long time.
Eventually she took out her mobile phone and dialled.

"Hi daddy? Sure ... it's going fine ... well, the usual ... not liking having to put up with the boss's daughter, but nothing I can't handle ... yes ... of course... sure ... tell mom I'll be up when I get chance ... but listen ... there's this property ... supposed 'white elephant' ... "

She told him using the description for an unsellable/unrentable property which drained resources rather than bringing it in.

" ... well of course I've had it put in my portfolio ... "

She laughed, listening with a smile.

"... but this place ... it's ... it's amazing ... "

She enthused as she turned back to look at the Master room from that opposite perspective.

" ... well .. it might be the place I've been looking for ... "

She smiled as she listened to her father's questions.

"Price wise it'd be a steal, but ... you did give me a budget daddy .. "

Cassidy knew what she was doing as she turned on the charm.

" ... Even if you give me the mid-range price, that would give me enough money to carry out the refurbishments I'd need ... 'course if you gave me the highest ... "

She laughed.

" .. just a first viewing ... and I've not checked out attic or basement yet, but ... "

She hesitated.

"There's just something about this place ... like it needs me ... or someone like me who will actually take care of it ... "

She had the grace to blush at her father's observation.

"No ... not going soft ... but even you know a home is different to sale ... and ... somehow this feels more like home than sale ... "

A brief exchange of assurances that she would tread carefully and keep him informed and with a quick exchange of 'love yous', Cassidy rang off ...

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff cocked his head as he watched Cassidy pull out her phone and talk to her dad. Was she really thinking of buying this place and fixing it up for herself? He felt a little conflicted with the idea. On one hand he liked the fact that she would be fixing it up, on the other hand it seemed like she would be very lonely all by herself.

"Maybe she was alone," Jeff thought to himself. "Perhaps she would be a good fit for this place." He looked over her lovely body and watched as the sun radiated off of her body as she stood outside the balcony.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Cassidy lingered on the balcony, but finally checking her watch she knew that she should continue her inspection. She secured the doors leading out onto the balcony and then walked through the bedroom, back to the landing. Looking upwards, she searched for an indication of an attic. Knowing houses of this period, they almost always used their roof space for additional rooms, sometimes for staff. With a frown she located the place where the stair way must have been and noted that it had been replaced by a 'modern' square covering with an 'eye' to hook down. It was likely that access was now facilitated by a metallic ladder which pulled down. She wasn't really dressed for exploration which meant she would have to clamber upwards. What would the basement access be like, she wondered, then headed downstairs, more rapidly than she had made her descent and returned to the hallway and the door which led downwards. Reaching out she found the switch, though it clicked uselessly. She would have to bring a torch and perhaps some battery powered lamp for her first inspection.
She definitely would need to have a professional inspection carried out, but she wanted to explore both the attic and basement before anyone else got to see them.

With a sigh she retraced her steps and went back to the main reception room which looked out into the garden. It was so overgrown that its true dimensions could only be seen from upstairs. There would be much work to do out there, but she also wanted to make sure that the fencing was solid enough to make the place secure.

"... ok... measurements ... "

Even if she were to keep this place for herself, Cassidy would need to know exact sizes for when it came to decorating and furnishing. Unfortunately the sparse furniture which was left would need disposing of. In fact to get this place as it deserved to be would take her father's top budget and then some. Taking a notepad and pen from her handbag along with the digital measurer which, being a realtor, she never left home without, she began to place the machine against the walls, activating the laser beam to bounce off the opposite wall until it blipped and the measurement was recorded. She would work her way back through the rooms and record all the figures she needed for making plans and calculating initial costs ...

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff could tell that it was getting later as the sun was slowly starting to set. He was very intrigued by Cassidy. He couldn't remember the last time he saw someone look at the house with such care and finesse.

"Perhaps she isn't like the others that have been here before," he thought.

It wasn't until he saw her start recording her measurements that he had a huge inkling to help her. He slowly went to one of the curtains and slowly moved it out of the way so that she could benefit from having more sunlight. He hoped that this wouldn't be as intimidating as the door slamming shut earlier in the day.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

Cassidy worked deftly, systematically. Unlike her peers who had obviously only been doing this beginning their work with the company, she had been assisting her father since she was old enough to press buttons and copy down numbers.
She was meticulous and thorough in her notations. Time and again the red light of the laser danced from wall to wall as she pressed the button, the bleep emitting that the measurement had been recorded so that she could check the numerals and write them down.

The two smaller rooms were duller than those at the front. She barely noticed as she automatically concentrated on the job in hand. Again she measured, her machine beeped and she looked at the gauge, focusing carefully to ensure she read the digital figures accurately. Then she saw it. She had actually been looking in the direction of the window when the curtains moved! Cassidy stared, doubting her senses, at first. Yet she knew what she had seen. It wasn't the fluttering of fabric in a breeze; the curtains actually seemed to gather and move deliberately aside, their movement enough to allow more of the fading sunlight to enter the room. Looking down again, the digits were much clearer. And so she wrote them down cancelling the screen before looking upwards and glancing across at the window once more.

"I should have thought of that myself."

Her voice was hesitant as she spoke into the empty silence. She wasn't going to do the old cliché and ask, "... is there anybody there?" ... that would just be playing into the hands of anyone who had tried to set her up. Yet it was the very subtlety of what she had observed that to her made gave it more credibility. She walked over to the window and ran her fingers through the dusty fabric, looking round more to verify that there was no physical explanation for the movement she had witnessed, rather than because she expected to see some apparition materialised.

"Now where to ...?"

She questioned aloud. She only half believed that there was some... thing ... some ghostly presence there responding to her ... but somehow she was more curious than frightened. She was stood out in the hall now. The door of the kitchen was half closed. It was the natural choice for the next room to measure.

"Do you hate that kitchen as much as me?"

Her voice was slightly louder as she looked around not actually expecting a response.

"If I rip it out, I won't need to measure it... So ... what do you think ... kitchen or upstairs...?"

Would she be given a 'sign' as to what the house or what any ghostly occupant thought about her plans?

 

[FireyIce]

There was a bit of surprise as Jeff heard Cassidy ask her question. Was she not that skeptical he thought to himself? She had been a bit of a quagmire to Jeff. She wasn't as afraid or timid as he thought she would be. And now she was asking him for advice. Ever since the kitchen had been remodeled decades ago, Jeff had always hated it and thought that this young girl had enough determination to somewhat restore it to a better liking. Thinking briefly about it, he slowly opened the door to the kitchen in reply to her question. He watched as she slowly made the way to the kitchen and stood off to the side as she entered the room.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

She was surprised when the door opened. She had expected it to slam shut, to indicate that whatever presence there was wanted the kitchen, a sacrilegious 'add on' removed completely. And then she realised the way her thoughts were running. She had asked a question, believed an answer would be given. That wasn't at all like her usual logical self. Despite her best intentions had she allowed herself to be carried away with the ghost story idea; perhaps she had just interpreted a 'coincidental draught' as a response.

Shaking her head, she actually laughed as she stepped towards the kitchen door, pausing in its threshold. There was no through flow of air there at all.

"There can't be that many drafts even in a place like this ... "

She commented, to herself this time.

"So ... either I'm going mad, or ... "

She stepped into the room and stood in the middle looking round, not quite sure what to think, much less what to do next. The door had opened so slowly and deliberately and then the curtains really had seemed to have been moved aside and of course there was the front door ...

"OK ... I can make sense of this ... "

She was getting used to talking to herself.

"Well ... maybe not sense ... "

She conceded ...

" ... so ... concentrate, Cassidy ... kitchen...?"

She turned slowly and took in the garish dilapidation.

"So ... no removal ... we're renovating ...?"

She mused aloud as she ran her plans for the rooms over in her mind.

" ... I might want to ... knock it around a bit though ... "

She murmured as she moved to the windows looking out upon the wilderness that was the back garden.

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff gave it a bit of thought as Cassidy looked around, talking to herself. Thinking that she has been putting so much love and care into looking at the house itself, he decided that she might make the right choices. Besides, hearing the conversation with her father on the phone it was very obvious she was interested in owning this place for herself. Jeff walked up to her as she stood in the middle of the kitchen and slowly leaned towards her, his mouth barely inches from her ear as he simply whispered the word "remodel" in her ear.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"remodel!"

She heard the word and felt a breath upon her neck.
Instinctively she turned, searching the emptiness, then turning back, having turned a full circle, eyes wide and shocked.

"I ... I guess I can't accuse you of not making your choices clear ... "

Her voice shook and her eyes darted around, but found nothing upon which to focus.

"... so ... you do exist ... ?"

She concluded shakily.

" ... a sitting tenant ... how's that going to work ...?"

A ghost, a male ghost judging by his voice was a complication she had not truly ever believed she'd have to consider, much less deal with.

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff decided to at least make his presence be know. As he had been thinking over the course of the inspection he decided to use just his voice for right now and not his physical form.

"Yes, I do exist," stated Jeff firmly. "I've been watching you see the ideas and plans you have for this place." Jeff watched as Cassidy was looking around, trying to find where the source of the voice was coming from. "What are your intentions with my house?" inquired Jeff.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"Yes, I do exist,"

A strong male voice confirmed. The clarity of his words stunned Cassidy, but this time rather than try to find a rational explanation she simply accepted that she was being spoken to from ... from wherever this spirit was.

"I've been watching you see the ideas and plans you have for this place."

She hadn't been crazy. He had been by her side throughout her visit.

"What are your intentions with my house?"

Possessive ... demanding ... and not the way she was used to being spoken to.
But she had to admit he had 'prior claim' and was at least being reasonable.

"Right now, I'm not sure ... "

She responded honestly finding it difficult to talk to ... nothing.

" ... I never believed the tales ... I'm too rational a person to believe in spirits and ghosts and all that nonsense... "

She smiled in self mockery.

"Yet here I am ... here we are ... "

 

[FireyIce]

"If you don't believe the stories or if you're too rational, why are you speaking now?" asked Jeff. "Wouldn't you look crazy talking to nothing if someone were to see you like this?"

He walked past Cassidy, allowing for a drift to be felt as he asked the questions. He also opened a few drawers to show that he did exist, just that he was hiding his form for the time being.

"It would be a shame to see someone so talented to sell this place to someone who may not even care for it," stated Jeff.

 

[DeliciousMaiden]

"If you don't believe the stories or if you're too rational, why are you speaking now?"

She watched a first one drawer slowly opened ... and then at the opposite end of the kitchen another.

"Wouldn't you look crazy talking to nothing if someone were to see you like this?"

Cassidy felt a waft of cool air pass by her. He was obviously making a point that she wasn't imagining things, though he couldn't know that driving her crazy had been exactly what her colleagues had intended.

"It would be a shame to see someone so talented to sell this place to someone who may not even care for it,"

She laughed then.

"Stalking me around the house, ok, your house and listening in on my conversations too ... "

She accused good naturedly.

"You have no idea just how much others would love me to go crazy, or at least appear to be ... and despite your eavesdropping, you have no way of knowing what level of talent I have, or not."

Her work life was still far from perfect. With a sigh, she stood and crossed to the kitchen door and left the garish kitchen walking down the hall and sat on the lower steps.

".. besides ... I doubt daddy will fund buying a house with a sitting tenant ... "

She assumed that he had followed her

" ... much less the idea of his little girl moving in with a man ... "

Yup, her personal life was non-existent too. But enough of her own problems, back to dealing with her obvious insanity as she asked;

"Anyhow ... don't you usually scare visitors away from here. We haven't been able to sell or rent this property in years, possibly decades before that?"

 

[FireyIce]

Jeff slowly followed behind Cassidy as she walked from the kitchen to the front stairs, watching as she subconsciously swayed her hips. He leaned against the wall across from the stairs, looking at her face and seeing the sadness as she talked.

"I have seen people try to sell my home in the past. I've never seen any take detailed notes and give some thought to what should be renovated, if anything. Most people only want to sell this place to boast about how good they are," said Jeff.

Though she couldn't see him, he walked to her and sat down on the floor as he looked at her. "I do possess this house, that is true. In the past I've scared away kids, vagabonds, and many others. Most have deserved it. None of them seemed to care about the creation of the house, just selling it. I see you seeing this as a home, not a quick way to make money." Jeff slowly moved a few strands of Cassidy's black hair back as he spoke.