The satin bedsheet cooled my heated skin as I sprawled naked on my back. I appreciated the cool sheets as it contrasted the heat generated by the red wine flowing through my body. The bed rocked as Nolan climbed over me, the warmth of his skin against mine secured me in the familiar.

I allowed him to nestle between my legs while his body weighed me to the mattress. I had only a few sips of wine, but already the liquor shot through my veins and its heat throbbed between my legs.

Nolan's manly scent became delicious enough for me to crave his lips in a kiss. I expected his cool tongue to taste like aged red grapes, but it hadn't ... only sweeter.

In my mind, the words, "What are you doing, Rhea?" interrupted my pleasure. I pushed it away and focused on the power of his hips as he sank deeper into me. I let out a moan and he responded with one as well. With a few more thrusts his moans matched mine in rhythm.

Drowning in bliss, the sinister thought of our broken future was kept at bay even though it tried seeping in. I opened my eyes to pleasure-filled deep blues and slid my palms over soft skin and hard muscle. My aim was to drink him in through all my senses and let ecstasy rest there the way the sweet and dry flavor of wine rests on one's tongue.

I hoped to soak in the feeling and wished his pleasure would last forever, and replace all my fears about the future of our relationship, my mental state, and my career.

But as my eyes closed, she appeared. Her stringy red locks reached out like silky tentacles ready to wrap me up and drag me to hell.

I gasped and forced my eyes open, just as Nolan's head disappeared lower down my torso, leaving a trail of wet kisses and soft nibbles along the path. My lids grew heavy and I fought against the weight.

I focused on the magic of Nolan's wet muscle as I cradled his head between my legs. My own voice rattled in my brain, "You don't want this."

I argued telepathically with the voice, "He's happy. Making him happy keeps the pain away." I gave up on the struggle with my eyelids as the heaviness won the battle, and before I knew it, I was swimming in an ocean of darkness.

At first, the gentle rocking threatened to lull me to sleep, but like a baby on a treetop the bough broke and down I fell. The hollowness in my gut reminded me of the cellphone and its impact, but in no time, I realized it was the harsh sensation of free-falling that tugged at my insides.

Nausea overcame me, and suddenly trying to hold in my stomach contents became priority. Still, surrounded by utter darkness the feeling of dropping vanished and became replaced with a sense of floating.

I hated the darkness, but its vastness hadn't yet triggered the panic of claustrophobia.

Was I upright or upside down?

Was I here or there?

What was happening?

I looked over my shoulder at nothing at all, but far in the distance she stood. She too floated in midair, and for a split second I wondered if her body mimicked mine, like a mirror. Without a proper light source, I could only make of her face that it looked a lot like mine but different.

Her eyes were wide. Her mouth agape. Her head ... strange.

"You're broken." Her lips didn't move when she spoke, but her voice was clear. "You don't want this. You have to leave."

I shook my head in confusion. "What?"

"Now!" Her unearthly growl rattled my ears.

I sat up in bed, pushed Nolan aside, and tried desperately to catch my breath. "What happened?" Confused, I reached out for something to grasp and found Nolan's forearm. The dim lights from the kitchen lit up the space and slowly brought me back to reality.

Was I dreaming?

"You're fine," he assured me. "Take a deep breath. Relax. It's only the wine." His chest and shoulders glistened with sweat, and he struggled to catch his breath as well.

"I'm scared," I confessed, rubbing my temple that began to ache.

"You're fine." He stroked my shoulder. "I'm here, Rhea. I'll make sure nothing happens to you. Okay?"

I glanced around the room. I recognized the items, yet everything seemed unfamiliar. None of my beloved books sat on the bookshelves like they did in my room at home. The sheets and mattress didn't feel right and were less comfortable than my own. Even the smells...

I wanted to go home.

For some reason, I wanted Mom. I wanted to hear her tell me I was fine and everything would be okay.

"I don't know if I can do this, Nolan." I pushed myself to the edge of the bed to place my feet on the floor.

"Sex?" He shifted in bed. "Okay. We don't have to."

I shook my head. "I mean all of this."

"Okay—" He huffed. "Okay."

"I just want to go home." I finally shifted to look at him.

When he made eye contact, I recognized the disappointment and sorrow. He slowly nodded and looked away. "Maybe we can continue this conversation in the morning, yeah?"

"Yeah." I nodded, scanning the room, trying to piece together what led to all this.

"As of now, are you okay?" His voice was gentle, soothing.

"Peachy." I nodded, wiping a stray tear from my eye.

"Peachy cobbler?"

I shook my head, confused. "I can use a drink."

"That I can provide." He slid to the corner of the bed, but before he fully stood, a dark spot in the corner of the room grabbed my attention.

My eyes widened. "There. Look!" I pointed to the bar counter where I had sat earlier. "Something's there. You see it?"

Nolan stared but shook his head. "I don't see anything."

"It's a dark ... thing. A shadow." I grabbed my chest in horror. "Maybe it's her. That girl."

Nolan stood in all his naked glory, not concerned one bit with the darkening shadow. "Let me get you another drink. It'll relax you. Trust me." He dismissed my concern and headed toward the kitchen.

The shadow quickly manifested into a dark, opaque silhouette that darted across the room. Nolan paused, and I could have sworn his head darted in the phantom's direction as it zipped into the kitchen. 

I only had a split second to comprehend what was happening before the silhouette darted to the wine bottle, knocking it off the counter. I flinched as the glass bottle hit the floor and shattered. Dark red liquid pooled where it landed.

"What in the bloody hell—" slipped out of Nolan's lips as a whisper.

So, I wasn't crazy. "You saw that, didn't you?"

He stared at the spot for a while, worrying me, and causing me to stand. I refused to go anywhere near the kitchen, Nolan, or the glass. I pulled the satin sheet from the bed and secured it around me more for comfort than modesty.

"I—how did?" He stuttered. "The wine."

"I told you I saw something." I pointed to the counter where the silhouette manifested. "It's a woman that looks just like me. I think she's haunting us. Maybe she's haunting this room or the entire studio."

"Rhea," Nolan finally turned to me, "take a deep breath. Calm down, alright?"

"But you saw it, didn't you?" I took a step forward. "You saw the shadow."

He shook his head. "No. I didn't see a shadow or a woman. What happened was the bottle fell off the counter." He ran his hand through his hair. "I must've placed it too close to the edge." He groaned in frustration. "Relax, Rhea. I'll clean it up. Cleaning up messes is my specialty."

~~~

Are Rhea and Nolan being haunted? What are your thoughts?