Chapter 7 – Such Cruelties
We all need a shoulder to cry on. Even the toughest people have moments of emotional weakness. In those cases, all they need is someone they can lean on for support. When we're at our lowest, that's when the people around you prove their worth. The ones who stick by you are the keepers and the ones who don't – well, they're not.
He stroked the back of her head delicately as Mary pressed her lips even deeper against his, a moan escaping her lips. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him backwards on the sofa so that she fell on top of him. Mary wrapped her legs around his and she felt one of his hands drop to gently squeeze her thigh. His lips grazed against her collar bone.
"Darren..." breathed Mary, hugging him tightly. William had gone out a few hours earlier to 'see a man about a car' and no sooner had he turned the corner of the street had Mary run straight to her next door neighbour's barely legal son, Darren. After barely a week she had grown bored of William and now focused her attention on Darren who was younger, more toned and impressionable. It was easy enough for Mary to convince him to come over for a while and after assuring Darren that 'her' husband wouldn't be back for ages, he agreed. They had started with a light romantic movie but had escalated to heavy making out. Mary was enjoying herself more than she had since her death.
"Oi! What do you think you're doing with him? That's my body you're abusing!" shrieked Ingrid as she, Carmen, Tanya and Ash floated into the room through the wall. It was a shock to Ingrid to see what was essentially her grabbing up her neighbour's son. She was a married woman and Darren still lived with his mum!
Mary's eyes flashed briefly in their direction but other than that she made no indication that she was aware of their appearance. Darren obviously hadn't heard Ingrid as he continued to nuzzle against Mary's neck with vigour. Not wanting things to go further than what she had witnessed so far, Ingrid rushed to Mary and attempted to pull her spirit out of her body. Ash and Tanya didn't hesitate to help Ingrid, though Cut-Up Carmen sighed heavily before dragging herself over to lend a hand. The four of them tugged with all their might and it felt like Mary's spirit was slowly slipping out of Ingrid's body. Ingrid's body convulsed as parts of Mary's spirit flailed around in Mary's body, trying to stay in it.
Underneath the commotion, Darren was freaking out. The person he knew as Ingrid seemed to be having a fit on top of him and he was scared. He'd never seen anyone act like this before and he didn't know what to do. Darren stayed as still as he could so as not to provoke Ingrid and held his breath for good measure. The only thing that could be worse than this would be if Ingrid's husband came home and saw them.
Without warning, Noah burst into the room via the wall looking like he'd just seen a ghost. Ironic, really.
"William's coming!" he said, panicked. He had been assigned to be on look-out in case any of the higher ghosts decided to put a stop to what they were doing. Ash, Tanya, Cut-Up Carmen and Ingrid froze. Looked at Noah. Back at Mary and Darren. Darren was glad that 'Ingrid' seemed to have stopped convulsing and instead of asking if she was okay, resumed kissing her neck. Mary, like the other spirits, had heard Noah's announcement but didn't think it wrong to continue her session with Darren. If William happened to walk in on them, then so be it.
As predicted, William entered the house and made straight for the living room with a smile on his face. He had just found the perfect car for them at an affordable price. He couldn't wait to see the look on Ingrid's face when he tol–
William tried to shout. He tried but nothing came out, only a sort of strangled cry. When he dropped his bag on the floor in shock, it alerted Darren and Mary that someone else was there. Darren looked up and when he saw William standing there looking like he had just been slapped, practically pushed Mary off of him. The ghosts and Ingrid stood off to one side, watching the scene unfold. William gaped like a goldfish until Darren stood up and apologised pathetically. William shook his head slowly, not quite believing what he had just seen. His wife, the one woman he trusted with all his heart, had betrayed him in the worst way. Didn't they take vows against this sort of thing not too long ago? Not able to look at his unfaithful wife's face, William turned his head and walked out the door.
Ingrid didn't think before going after him. She hated Mary for what she had done to William but knew that her place was with him right now. She'd give Mary what she deserved once she made sure William wasn't going to do anything stupid. William picked up the pace as soon as he had slammed the front door behind him, steadily going faster until he broke out into a run. Ingrid struggled to keep up with him – his legs were incredibly long – but she somehow managed to. Maybe it was because she was in a spirit form and didn't actually have to touch the ground in order to move.
They ran down several streets, up a hill, over a fence and through a gap in a hedge before William stopped running. He collapsed in an enclosed field just off the highway and that was where he crumbled. William pulled his knees up to his chest and then buried his head in them. Ingrid sat beside him, her ghostly hand resting lightly on his back. He couldn't feel it but it made Ingrid feel better.
When his shoulders began to shake, Ingrid knew he was crying silently and her heart broke for him. She couldn't even think about plotting revenge on Mary, not when William was this upset. His pain was her pain and this cut deep. He was her husband and to see him this hurt was almost too much to bear. He probably thought she didn't love him anymore...Ingrid wrapped her arms around him the best she could, considering the circumstances. She prayed that even though William couldn't see her, couldn't feel her, couldn't hear her that he could somehow know she was there. She didn't want him to think she had given up on their love, on their entire marriage after just two months.
Ingrid held on to William while he sobbed unknowingly in her transparent arms.
Note: Ugh. I just want to get this finished so I can start on more stories! Not the best attitude, I know, but I really can't be bothered with this. I'd give up if I weren't so close to the end XD
