Interlude: Ashley's POV

Ashley was sitting in her apartment trying to figure out the clasp in her new nipple piercings when the lights flickered. She groaned in frustration before saying "What is it this time? Chris has made it real clear I'm not his type."

The ghost woman whispered in her mind: "Come quick, Chris is in trouble!"

Ashley froze, then slowly stood up. "What do you mean 'in trouble'?"

A hesitation, then, "What has Chris told you about why he doesn't like sex?"

Ashley's blood ran cold. "Not that much. Why?"

"Someone who hurt him found him at the library. I think she's going to hurt him again."

Ashley was suddenly out the door, keys in hand. She ignored the car's unnaturally flickering interior lights as she started the car and hurriedly made her way to the library. Thoughts raced through her head as she only barely heeded traffic regulations. Why the library? Did the sadistic bitch track him there on purpose? Did she know that was his safe space, where he let himself feel ****? Ashley's blood quickened from being glacial with dread to slowly rising to a boiling, pounding tempo. If they hurt him...

Ashley pulled into a parking space in front of the library, not bothering to throw a coin in the meter as she rushed inside. She approached the librarian behind the receptionist, a steeply aged woman wearing thick glasses, and asked, "I'm sorry, do you know where Chris is?"

The librarian lifted an eyebrow as she looked Ashley up and down. Ashley was suddenly very self-conscious of her appearance, her frizzy red hair scattered everywhere, her shirt stained and slept in, her shorts only just long enough to cover the essentials. The librarian spoke. "Why, are you his girlfriend?"

Ashley blushed. "N-no?"

"Well, I hope not, seeing as he just left with some petite-looking blonde girl, holding hands. I think he left his things, though. Hold on." The librarian turned around and rummaged behind the counter before returning with a cardboard box filled with items. She hefted it and placed it on the counter. "It's not like Chris to leave his things, so I put them aside in a special box. He's such a dear, always studying for one thing or another. He's so very polite, too. Can you be sure this gets back to him?"

Ashley put her hand on the box, her blush well gone. "Did you see which direction they went?"

The old woman waggled her finger. "Now, now, dearie. If you're not his girlfriend, I don't think that's really any of your business. Green isn't exactly a good color on you."

Ashley yanked the box away from the counter, accidentally tearing it. Without looking back up at the librarian, she haphazardly gathered Chris's things and rushed back to her car, dumping them in the backseat before getting in the driver's seat. She took off from her metered parking space without a backwards glance, driving off before realizing...

She has no idea where she's going. She slows down, pulling over and idling near a patch of sidewalk. "H-hello? Are you there?"

A whisper in her ear. "Why aren't we going already?"

"I don't know which way? Do you wanna help out here?"

A short silence, then... "This doesn't make us friends."

Ashley snorted. "You got that right."

"But we both want Chris to be safe. So, fine. Let me have your arms for a bit. You work the pedals."

Ashley suddenly felt a tingling on her arms, and they started moving of their own accord. Taking a steadying breath, she let it happen, and started focusing on the pedals, controlling their speed. Between the two of them, they wove in and out of traffic with almost supernatural speed and efficiency, making their way towards an older suburban district. Just as they entered the area, her arms steered her towards a nondescript two-story house.

"Oh, she's a rich bitch."

Ashley only dimly registered control returning to her arms as she pulled up next to the house in question, her rage beginning to build again. She swung out of her car and raced towards the front door. Finding it unlocked, she burst in, and followed flickering lights upstairs into what was obviously a bedroom. Bursting in the door, she saw Chris sitting on the bed, looking dazed. Red filled the edges of Ashley's vision as she imagined someone taking advantage of her roommate.

He looked up to see her, and blinked owlishly, a bit of light returning to his face. Ashley looked him in the eyes and asked, "Where is that bitch?"

It seems to take Chris a moment to respond. "Wh-who?"

Ashley took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I heard that someone hurt you, and was going to hurt you again. Where is she?"

Ashley heard footfalls behind her, coupled with a girl's voice saying, "How did you get in here?"