Follow Cherie

Cherie collapses onto the bed, her face buried in the pillows, her whole body shaking. She is waiting for the sound of Chad’s footsteps, for the confrontation, for the end of her life.

You manifest beside her, not as a vision, but as a calming, atmospheric weight. You drop the temperature of the room just a few degrees, a soothing chill that cuts through her hot panic. You wrap your essence around her, smoothing out the jagged edges of her fear.

You don't just calm her; you reframe. You whisper into her mind, not in words, but in the raw sensation of the thrill. You make her heart rate stay high, but you turn the fear into a dark, electric high.

He saw you, you nudge her thoughts. Mike saw the real you. And he protected you. He is your accomplice now. You have a secret with the wolf, and the 'Sentinel' is still outside, barking at a shadow.

Cherie’s breathing begins to level out. The tears of shame dry, replaced by a strange, tingling heat in her chest. She rolls onto her back, looking at the ceiling where she knows you are. A shaky, defiant breath escapes her. She isn't destroyed; she’s liberated.

"You... are a naughty, naughty ghost!" she exclaims, before giving you a resigned smile.

She quickly puts herself back together and heads downstairs to start making dinner.