Hello, my loves! How about that the end of that last chapter? Definitely a deeper mystery to unravel! I'm back with a new chapter! As always, so much love for my girls Tm12Brady, ClaymoreQueen6176, GoldenGirl1920 and wwechristina for your continued support! If you're enjoying the story, please feel free to leave a review!
OK, now let's find out what new info Christine and Denise can unearth. Enjoy!
Chasing Ghosts
Riverside
Cherry felt her entire body engulfed in a warm, peaceful feeling. It's the way she felt whenever Drew was near her. But her mind felt like she was floating on a light, misty cloud. She had experienced this sensation before as a child. Halfway in between the awake and dream worlds. These were the times she was most susceptible to being contacted by spirits.
That realization jarred her, and she felt her breath quicken and that familiar cold sweat form on her forehead. And the tingling on the top right of her head started flaring up. That's when she looked around and saw Shelby standing beside her. Cherry jumped, but Shelby put her hands up and begged, "Leslie please. It's OK. I'm not going to hurt you or your babies. That's why I had you come in as the observer. I needed you to see what happened."
Cherry shook her head, "No, Shelby. I still don't understand. You and Bobby…murdered. So much blood. It was so awful. But I still don't understand what you meant by set it right. I wasn't able to see who did it, but it's an open and shut case based on what you told me. Right?" Sadly, Shelby down "No. And I can't tell you what happened. They won't let me."
Cherry was confounded, "Shelby, who is they?" Shelby cried, "The death people! They won't let me and Bobby be together until it's been made right in your world. The anniversary is coming up soon and the window is closing again!" Cherry felt tears form as she asked, "In my world? You mean in the living world? I don't understand, Shelby. What window? I want to help you but my babies…"
Shelby touched Cherry's cheek, which started to turn ice cold from the caress of the undead, "No harm will come to them or you. You were able to travel back in time through the jukebox and my bracelet because you possess a special gift. You can see things and talk to those that others can't. But your gift isn't strong enough to see the whole picture. But you are surrounded by those who can help you. And the travel will not hurt your little ones. Your husband and friend are so sweet to protect you. They love you and I can see why. But I need you to help me. I've waited over fifty years to be with Bobby so we can move on together. Please, Leslie!"
Cherry felt those vapors from the dream reappear with a cold wind. "Here Comes My Baby started to play, but in reverse and morphing into a sinister warped sound. She started to panic as Shelby's form started to fade away, "Wait, Shelby! What do you mean by those who can help? Who can help me?" With that, Shelby and the mist disappeared as if being sucked through a cyclone, leaving her in darkness and silence.
Then, with a flicker of that familiar neon light of Scooter's, a mystified Cherry looked around only to see the menacing form of the black fog that had stood before Shelby and Bobby and murdered them. The faceless figure only towered over and laughed at her with a growl. Cherry, now with angry tears streaking her lovely face, cried and screamed at it, "Goddamn you! You killed them! Why? Who are you? Answer me, you bastard!"
Cherry felt a hand take her shoulder and she jumped awake in her bed. She flailed and hollered as Drew put his face to hers and whispered softly, cupping the back of her head, "My Love, it's me. It's Drew. Baby, please calm down. I'm right here with ya and I love ya. Cherry, please." Her chest heaving and struggling to breathe, Cherry blinked and her eyes finally focused on the face of her husband. She heard his words and looked at him.
She sobbed, "Drew! You're here! Oh god!" She threw her arms around his neck and wept on his shoulder. Drew soothed her hair and comforted her, "I'm here, my sweet Love. I just felt like something was wrong and I had ta be with ya. I can't explain it." She raised her head up and kissed his whiskered cheek, "Oh Drew! I need you! Please don't leave me!" Drew held her closer, "Love, I'm not going anywhere. I love ya sa much, Cherry."
Cherry's hands went to Drew's chest, circling his large muscles under her fingertips. Her fear turned to relief to outright lust as she reached up to plant a deep, sensual kiss on his lips. He gladly reciprocated, his tongue plunging into her mouth to find hers and his fingers finding her curves. Her hands went straight to the object she needed. She fondled his now aching hard on through his boxer shorts.
As she stroked him through the material, she let out a seductive yet desperate whimper, "Oh Drew. Please make love to me. I need you, Baby." Drew stopped what he was doing and looked into her eyes. He pressed his forehead to hers, exhaled and growled, "I need ya too, my Love!" He reached for the hem of her white tank top and pulled it over her head. He leaned it to kiss her, allowing her back to slowly sink in to the mattress.
His mouth came to her large, full breasts and, as he started licking her left nipple, he swiftly removed her shorts and panties at the same time. She sighed as he sat up on his knees to remove his boxer briefs. She was practically begging, "Please hurry, Baby! I want you, Daddy!" He grabbed round her thighs and jerked her body close to him. She gasped as he placed his engorged head at her entrance and said, "Your Daddy's right here, my Love."
With that, Drew snapped his hips and buried himself deep inside her heat with a rough, deep, pounding thrust. Cherry raked his arms with her long red nails as she moaned, filling her love fill her up with his large gift. She wrapped her legs around his waist, urging him to penetrate her with even more intensity.
Drew threw her left leg over his large shoulder and spread the right one wider as he drilled into her walls at a fever pitch. His groans matched her as he rapid fire drove into her over and over until with a loud, whimpering grunt, he came like a rushing river deep within her womb, creating her own seismic orgasm that left her screaming and quivering. Their powerful lovemaking had been quick, desperate and beautiful, just what both of them need at that moment.
Cherry raised her head from Drew's chest and started to cry, "Drew, I'm so sorry! I don't know what happened…" Drew quickly withdrew from her and pulled her up from her back into a safe and warm embrace. He whispered in her ear, "Ya have nothing ta apologize fer, my Love. I know. I know everything. But I need ta hear it from ya. Let's get cleaned up and we'll get ya some tea. Then, ya can tell me everything. I promise I'll believe ya and I'll listen."
Nationwide Arena, Columbus Ohio
Sheamus had just checked into his hotel in Columbus before heading to the arena for the Sunday house show. He just received Christine's text after his worried inquiry about Cherry: "Drew got home and is with her now. Denise and I are snooping and looking for answers. Too much to type, but there is something strange going on. I love you."
He shook his head as he read this and ran into Randy and Krystal in the hallway. Randy had a knowing look on his face, "I'm assuming you know about what happened this morning." Sheamus ran his hands through his ginger hair and sighed, "Yeah. I'm just glad she's gonna be OK. Vince is pissed Drew left tha road, but the old fart can get over it."
Krystal looked very concerned, "I just hate I'm not there with her. I know something was happening with her yesterday!" Sheamus put his arm around her shoulder, "There, lass. Don't beat yerself up over it. Cherry knows ya got a new job ta do. Plus, she's got that very large idiot taking care of her." Krystal shrugged, "I know I just have a bad feeling. But either way speaking of my job, I need to go meet with Adam. Check you guys later."
Sheamus and Randy nodded and waved at her. Randy looked at Sheamus and asked, "Let me ask you something, man. Something has been bugging me since yesterday. How well do you know Lady?" Sheamus blinked, "Well, pretty well. Since the formation of tha Angels." Randy continued, "But did any of you know anything about her before that?"
Sheamus shook her head, "No. Kevin recruited her like he did Cherry and Phoenix. In fact, her private file is the one I can't get into. But I really haven't had a need fer it. Why?" Randy looked around and spoke softly "Listen, the last few days, I've been getting a weird vibe from her." Sheamus looked confused, "Weird vibe? In what way?"
Randy informed him, "Well first, she got smart with me when I raised concerns about Drew forgiving Madcap. But this morning, when Denise called her to tell her about Cherry, she was fucking snarky as hell. Like, she was irritated about what happened and saying Cherry always got herself in dumb situations. Almost like she was trashing her. It could've been the hormones and it was freaking early in the morning and all, but it really pissed both me and Denise off. She had no right to say that about Cherry."
Sheamus nodded, "I see. Yeah, that doesn't sound like her at all. But, I mean, we've all been under a lot of stress lately, after Scotland and all that went down there. Maybe, like you said, her hormones are really working her. She has had a lot of morning sickness. Way more than either Cherry or Denise. Maybe she really was tired."
Randy conceded, "Maybe, but she better watch her mouth going forward, especially to Denise. I'm not playing anyone's bullshit when it comes to the mother on my kid. That's something I know Drew would agree with me on." Sheamus glanced over at Lady and Kevin canoodling down the hallway. He looked back at Randy and agreed with him, "I'll keep an eye on it."
Meanwhile, Krystal was on her way back to Adam Pearce's office with some coffee for him and herself. She was lost in thought about Cherry when she heard a voice something around the corner. Krystal could hear someone rapping. Intrigued she set the coffees down on the catering table and peeked around the corner to see when this was coming from.
She saw Big E, Kofi and Xavier Woods gathered around to listen to whoever it was that sounded so smooth with his delivery. Then, she was astonished to see that the rhymes were coming from none other than Madcap Moss. She gaped as she listened to him: Still, he can't stop me from having daydreams/Tonguin' you down with, uh, vanilla ice cream/Kissing on your thighs under moonlight/Searchin' your body with my tongue, girl, all night/I wonder one day could it be, simple dreams could turn into reality/Our love would come down so naturally/We would walk down the aisle of destiny…
As Xavier joined in to sing the chorus, Krystal recognized that song as "Hey Lover" by LL Cool J and it hit her like a ton of bricks that he was rapping about her. She had had heard that Madcap was a freestyle rapper, and she was shocked that he seemed to be pretty good at it. But his words brought about images to her head of him doing those things in the lyric to her. These thoughts made her feel tingly between her thighs.
Krystal was so enthralled by his talent that she tripped and knocked some crates down and it startled Madcap as he heard the commotion. Kofi shouted, "Whoa there, pretty girl! Watch out!" Krystal quickly grabbed the coffees and immediately bolted away as Madcap locked eyes with her. He smirked, knowing that Krystal must have caught him rapping about her and now, his cat was out of the bag.
Taylor's Thrift, Nashville
Christine and Denise entered Taylor's Thrifts, hearing the jingle of the bell on the door. Christine looked around and said, "Holy shit! Look at all this stuff! People's memories just sitting here to either be bought for another or rot away in a bin." Denise wrinkled her nose, "Jesus, Chris. Be more depressing next time! Anyway, we're not here to shop. But I don't have a clue where to start looking. Or even what we're looking for."
They were spooked from an elderly man's voice coming out of the back room, "Hey there, pretty ladies. Welcome to Taylor's Thrifts. Is there anything I can help you with?" A startled Christine, with her hands on her chest, gestured to Denise to keep looking while she quizzed the man, "She walked to him and put on the charms "Well, how the hell are you doing, handsome? My name is…Flossie. What's yours?" As Denise looked through a stack of records, she shook her head, "Flossie? What the fuck?"
The elderly gentleman with the piercing light blue eyes smiled, "Well Flossie, my dear, if I were a few years younger, I'd whisk you away from here and make you mine! You're adorable. The name's Ben Taylor, darling. You got something you wanna sell me?" Christine giggled, "Now don't let my husband hear you talking that way, sugar! No, nothing to sell. But I'm very curious about this building. I've heard quite a few stories about this area of town back in the golden days of country music."
Ben eyed her and frowned, "Ah. I see. I know exactly why you two are here." Denise came over to them and said, "You do?" Ben got a disgusted look and spouted, "Don't even try to deny it. You two heard about the history of Scooter's. Didn't you?" They looked at each other, neither of them knowing what to say. He continued, "You two are with those damn ghost hunter groups! Aren't you?"
Both exhaled, neither knowing they had been holding their breaths. Denise shook her finger, "OK sir, you got us. We're fascinated about this location. I mean, was there really a murder suicide that happened right here in this room?" Ben gruffly said, "No. The building was torn down after the Moore tragedy. I bought the property and built the store on top of the soil. So, I hate to burst your little paranormal bubble, but there's no ghosts here. At least…not anymore."
They noticed a faint smile crossed his lips as Christine asked, "How is that possible, sir? The pictures we saw look exactly the same as this structure." Ben turned to her, "With the limited space in the lot, there's only so much that can be done in the way of design. Now, if you're done chasing ghosts of the past, I have real work to do. Go get a real job and stop running after spooks! It'll lead you nowhere but into trouble."
Denise, taken aback by this, quipped, "Wow. He's sure a charmer. What the hell? And Flossie? Seriously?" As she giggled, Christne shrugged, "I wasn't about to give him my real name and it's all I could come up with. That one gave me a weird vibe." Denise rolled her eyes, "Gee, you think? Look, I don't think we'll find anything in this mess. Maybe we can break in tonight after it closes and see if we can dig up some useful info."
Christine said, "Yeah, you're right, I wanna go check on Cher…" Her words trailed off as an object caught her eye. Denise waved her hand by her face, "Earth to Chris. Are you awake?" Christine looked like she had truly seen a ghost. She said, "Denise, do you have those pictures that Sabrina printed for you?" Denise confirmed, "I have them right here. Why?" Christine gulped, "Look in the window."
Denise looked up and gasped. She fumbled in her bag for the crime scene picture. She held it up for a point of view and mumbled, "Holy shit! I got fucking chills!" Christine walked over to the wall by the window. She found the switch to the object that had made their stomachs drop. She snarked, "Different building, my ass! And my name is Dolly Parton!"
She flipped the switch and the neon sign in the window snapped, crackled, then blazed with an illuminating brilliance. Denise snapped a quick picture on her cell phone and nodded her head towards the door, "Chris, let's get out of here. Cherry needs to hear what we found out from Sabrina, and she definitely needs to see this." It was a moon with the cursive writing: Scooter's.