Largely uneventful.

You keep waiting for the woman to show up again on the subway, but she doesn't, at least not this time. If she's there, she doesn't make her presence known. It might help that the car you're travelling in is completely empty aside from you. There's a single flickering of the lights partway through your ride, but after nothing happens for a moment, you relax and focus on making it to your stop.

The municipal library is only a short walk from the train station you get off at, so there's no need to get out your bus pass. The air is clear, and the sun is pleasant against your face. You breathe a sigh of relief as you look at the library, standing resolute before you in all its glory. To most, it's just another whitewashed brick building, but to you, it's a sanctuary of knowledge and learning, and home to all your best friends.

You walk inside and bask in the sight of the friends in question: the books. Books filled with stories and knowledge that has never betrayed you, has never let you down. You nod to the librarian, who smiles, recognizing you, before retreating to your favorite corner, pulling out your study materials. You decide to go back to Astrophysics. There's something about the concept of the Three Body Problem you're still struggling to grasp.

You're all settled in, reading happily, scribbling away in a notebook, when you hear a voice.

And everything stops.

"Oh, hi! Chris, right? I haven't seen you in a while! What's it been, three years?"

It's her. You don't remember her name. You don't even recognize her face. But that voice...

The smell of chloroform. A collar. A blindfold. A gag. Bindings. Touching. Orders. Pain. Pleasure. Her voice.

The memories overwhelm you, pinning you in place as you stare at her, frozen.

She flutters her eyelashes at you. "Oh, come on, don't tell me you forgot the girl who popped your cherry."

Tears blur your vision as you struggle to breathe. Why here? Why now? Is she here for you?

She rolls her eyes. "Looks like you did forget me. Well, to refresh your memory, my name is Emma, and I--"

She suddenly stops speaking, her eyes flying wide, her hands jumping to her neck, as if trying to pull away something that's not there. The lights flicker, and for the first time, you're relieved to see the ghost woman, standing behind Emma, holding her by the throat. You hear a whisper in your ear.

"Was it her?"

Realizing that the apparition knows what she's asking, you nod woodenly.

"Should I kill her?"

The question is asked so plainly, so simply, it takes you a moment to grasp the gravity of how serious she is.

Just as Emma's face begins to discolor, you blurt out, "N-no! Don't kill her!"

Emma suddenly falls to her knees as if kicked, gasping for air. The apparition stands above and behind her, arms akimbo. "Fine."

Suddenly, the lights stop flickering, and you no longer perceive the ghost woman. You have no idea if she's gone, but you stiffly stand up, your notes and writing utensils falling to the floor, forgotten. As if on rote, you walk over to Emma, stiffly asking, "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I think so. What was that?"

"I don't really know."

"Help me up, will you?"

You reflexively bend down, helping Emma to her feet. You realize with a start that she's shorter than you. She always seems so tall in your nightmares. She pats your arm, winking. "That's a good boy."

Your face flushes, unable to know what to call the rush of pleasure and fear that wells up from within. She giggles a little, looking up at your face. "You're so cute when you blush like that. Tell you what, help me find a book, and we can have some fun."

She reaches around and flicks your rear, causing you to flinch and leaving no mistake as to what she means by 'fun'.