chapter 5

Hank headed downstairs to get a cup of coffee...these staircases were so precarious...

It happened so fast, he barely registered it. One moment, he was stepping down, the next, he was falling down. Rolling down 21 stairs. He landed with a thud and an "opmf." First, he was shocked to have fallen, and then shocked to be alive. He stood up. A bruised arm, a bruised knee. That seemed to be all. He looked up the staircase. He felt...for a moment....a hand?

Pushing it out of his mind, he hopped in the shower, and emerged to a foggy mirror up on which "DIE" was written.


Hank pulled out Grace's chair at The Court of Two Sisters, and plunked down across from her.

"You look exhausted", she said.

"I am. I've not been sleeping."

"You can't exhaust yourself this badly with the house. Take a break", she advised.

He gave a short, bitter laugh. "Uh, it is the house, but not construction. I have some unwanted visitors."

Silence.

"The house is haunted", he said.

She laughed. "No really."

"It is", he insisted. "The same door to a little bedroom that I think used to be a nursery, it slams every night. I hear voices. And a baby crying constantly..."

She shook her head and opened her menu.

"What?"

"I just...I don't believe in ghosts", she said.

"Oh neither did I, I was always skeptical, but you can't not believe in my position."

"I'm not skeptical, or one of those people who say they never believed in ghosts, so they appear rational, when in fact they always did, I just...don't believe in ghosts...sorry." She went back to her menu.

"Tonight I came out of the bathroom to find "DIE" written in the steam on my mirror", he insisted. "I was pushed down the stairs."

"You see, you appear so sane", she started, "I don't know about you..."

"You think I made that up? Would I do that? You know me. You know me, right?"

"Not very well", she said.

"Oh come on, you know you know me. You recognized me from somewhere, from something...."

He showed her his arm.

"Oh my God! Do you need to go to the emergency room?" she asked.

"No, no, I'm fine. Just banged up."

He had something in his hand he tucked under his napkin.

"What is that?" she asked.

"I was excited about this, but I don't think I should show it to you now, if you're this hard headed about a ghost..."

"Hard headed?!"

He didn't apologize.

"Listen, do you know what happens to people who believe in stuff like that? Nothing good. Believers in ghosts and fairy tales and love everlasting wind up broken and alone and sad...", she said "Love can kill you", she added in a whisper.

"Wow, I think that's the saddest thing I've ever heard",he commented.

"Show me the thing", she said.

"No."

"Show me the thing, I won't laugh."

He pulled out a black and white photo and handed it to her.

"This was buried in my wall", he said.

"Wow, this is incredible, I love history, why wouldn't you show this to me? This is who you think the ghosts are?" she winked.

"No", he frowned. "I don't think either Tristan or Annette would have reason to tell me to die. I think it's whomever killed her."

She dropped her menu. "Tristan and Annette, you know their names already...wait, a second....KILLED her?! This woman was murdered?"

She looked at the picture closely, then handed it back quickly. She'd seen the resemblance.

"I think so. She disappeared. Despite how happy this picture looks, it seems they had a tragic end. Annette and their newborn baby disappeared. Tristan killed himself afterward."

"Oh my God", Grace said, "That's sad. Did they ever solve the murder?"

"Well, according to the state of Louisiana, she ran off with her ex boyfriend. But she never reappeared anywhere, and was declared dead after 7 years, so was the baby", he said.

"And what makes you think she didn't? I know how tempting it can be to romanticize everything and think the best of people, but it's rarely true. She probably did run off with her ex boyfriend. Tristan was probably better off without her."

"How can you say that?!" Hank was genuinely upset. "He loved her, they loved each other."

She raised an eyebrow. "You're getting awfully caught up in this. Is that really a good idea? Maybe you should let them rest in peace", Grace said.

"That's the thing, they're not resting, and they're not peaceful, they're driving me crazy every night."

She put her hand on his.

After dinner, Hank headed for the car.

"I'M driving", Grace insisted, taking the keys.

"Listen if you think I'm crazy and don't want to go out again I understand..."

"No Hank, I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I don't think you're crazy. But I do think you're very, very tired and way too caught up in this story. I don't believe it's haunted for a minute, but there's no way you're driving back to that house tonight...."

"I'm not?" He was grinning.

She held up a box. "Got a couple slices of their famous Bread Pudding."

His mouth made a giant "O".

Hank always considered motel rooms impersonal, but this one he couldn't wait to get to, and pushed the door closed behind them only moments before clothes fell on the floor.

"Do you think the walls of the Motel 6 are sound proof?" he asked, pulling the tight cashmere sweater over his head.

"Well, if not they'll learn something tonight", Grace laughed.

Hank slowly unzipped her dress, and it fell the floor.

"Your breasts..."

"Are big", she added laughing.

"I was going to say perfect." He pulled her into his arms.

Grace popped open the button his pants and his belly spilled out, grateful to be out of pants that were too small.

"Sorry", he said, turning red.

"For being hot?" she asked, pushing him onto the bed.

She took his belly in her hands. "You're so hot, so fat....

"Hot...not so used to hearing that..." he moaned, hard, and shaking with nerves and excitement.

"Just relax", she kissed him and lay him back on the pillows.

"I'm pretty full", he said.

"No way a fatty like you is full", she said.

"I'm so used to people saying that and it's an insult..."

"It's not, you're so big, and voluptuous....with a big chubby ass, fat hips, thick thighs...so sexy baby..."

"You want me fatter?" he asked.

"Perfectly round spherical", she said, opening the box.

He opened his mouth and she spooned up the cake over and over, rubbing his belly.

"I'm getting full."

"Keep eating", she said, "Will you do what I say?"

"I'll do whatever you say." She continued to feed him.

She spread his thick thighs and he moaned as straddled him, his warm big jiggly belly between her legs.

He plunged inside her.

"That's it, piggy, you're so hot...." She moaned.

"I don't want this to be just another night for either of us, Grace", he said.

As he sank inside her, he moaned, "I feel like I'm coming home."

She pulled him closer. The feel of him, smell of him, it was so familiar.

"I l..." She stopped herself instantly.

She couldn't. She'd just met him. She couldn't possibly...

"Say it", he moaned, moving against her, "So do I. Never leave me alone again."

They made love for hours, and fell asleep in each other's arms.