Cherie's Sister Arrives

Suddenly, the tranquil scene is interrupted by a sharp knock on the front door. Cherie startles, her eyes snapping open as she looks up from her book, a mix of surprise and curiosity on her face. She places her bookmark carefully between the pages and sets the novel aside, wondering if it's another neighbor come to say hi.

She makes her way to the door and with a turn of the knob, it swings open, revealing a familiar face that brings a wave of joy and surprise.

"Cherie! It's so good to see you, Sis!"

Cherie's eyes widen in surprise. "Alexis! What a surprise. Come in."

Alexis steps into the house, her arms open for a warm embrace. Cherie wraps her arms around her sister, feeling a rush of affection and nostalgia.

Pulling back, her eyes sparkling, Alexis says, "It's been way too long. I'm in town for two weeks on business, and I just had to stop by and see you all."

"It has been too long. We've missed you. How have you been?"

"I've been good," Alexis sighs. "Just busy with work. How are you? How's Chad? And the kids?

Cherie smiles. "We're all doing well. Chad's work is keeping him busy, but we're managing. The kids are growing up so fast; it's amazing to watch. But tell me more about your trip. Where are you staying?"

Alexis rolls her eyes. "I'm at this hotel downtown. It's not bad, but it's not exactly home, you know?"

Cherie pauses for a moment, thinking. You can tell she wants to invite her sister to stay with them, but there's some hesitation. Apparently Alexis has some boundary issues and doesn't mind...helping herself when she wants something. Making up her mind, she asks, "Why don't you stay with us? We have plenty of room, and it would be so nice to have you here for a while.

"Oh, thank God. I was hoping you would say that. That would be amazing. I did NOT want to stay in a hotel for 2 weeks," Alexis beams.

" But... there are some ground rules," Cherie says. "First, no taking my things without asking. You know how I feel about that. And second, no trying to... influence the kids or make any moves on Chad. I know how you can be, and I want you to behave yourself and respect my family.

"Of course, Sis. They're my family, too. I promise to be on my best behavior."

Cherie studies Alexis for a moment, trying to gauge her sincerity, but decides to trust her sister's assurance. She grabs her phone, her fingers dancing across the screen as she sends a quick message to Chad, her mind already racing with plans for the coming days.

Reading the room, and more importantly, the minds of the people in it, you can sense Cherie's pleasure at having her sister here, but tempered with wariness. She hopes Alexis means is sincere. It would be so nice to have her here, but I can't help feeling a bit anxious. And she is right to feel that way, as Alexis has no intention of behaving herself. She loveds her sister, but she's also jealous of her and the life she's created. She would love to help her loosen up a bit. And if Chad just so happens to want to play...

Suddenly, Alexis' eyes open wide, turning in your direction, and you know she sensed you. "Oh! Cherie, you have a guest!"

As Cherie finishes her message, she turns back to Alexis, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah, that's usually what it's called when someone visits for a couple weeks."

"No, I mean you have a spirit, a poltergeist."

Cherie's smile fades. It's not like she doesn't know you're haning around, but it's something else when someone else just walks in and says she can feel it. "Um, yeah. How did you know?"

"I can feel him." She tilts her head to the side, studying the area you're in, though it's clear she can't actually see you. "Male. Hmm, he's not angry. If anything he's..." She pauses for a moment and you see the word "horny" in her mind, but what she says is, "...friendly. Right?" she ask you.

Wanting to confirm Alexis' opinion of you being "friendly," you make the lights in the room flicker briefly. Cherie looks up at the lights quickly while Alexis' smile gets bigger. "Thanks, Mack," she says, then immediatly looks startled as she realizes she knew your name. Cherie looks at her curiously until she explains. "His name is Mack. No idea how I know that." Surprised yourself, you flicker the lights again in confirmation.

You ponder this turn of events. Alexis could easily turn out to be an ally in corrupting Cherie, but she lacks subtlety. If she alerts Chad to what's going on, it could be all over. On the other hand, it seems she would be willing to...distract Chad for you. Options, options, options.