Wife and The Beast

This story contains elements of erotic horror. I have chosen to put it here since the story is about a cheating wife.

The story was inspired by the 1982 Jethro Tull song, “Beastie.”

For those who want to say this or that would never happen, remember this is my universe, a place where nearly anything can, and often does, happen. At least on paper…

Please refer to my profile for more on my personal policy regarding comments, feedback, follows, etc. (Yes, I DO moderate comments) And please remember, this is a work of fiction, not a docu-drama…

“He is the hundred names of terror, creature you love the least.

Picture his name before you and exorcise the beast….” ~ Ian Anderson

The thing moved about unseen and unheard, considering all the possibilities that were available in the packed night club. The gender of the victim didn’t really matter, as the creature was neither male nor female and could pass for either at any given time, depending on its mood. All that really mattered was the flexibility of the target.

There, the thing said to itself as it spied a young, delightful-looking woman in a short red dress. She seemed a happy creature, dancing with various men in the noisy club. The presence of a wedding ring was even better. The creature slithered forward and watched the woman interact with various men as they flirted with her. It laughed to itself as it watched the woman rebuff the advances of several good-looking young men.

Very nice, the creature thought to itself. I can hide inside this for a while. While I’m here, maybe I can corrupt her… It moved closer to her, and synchronized its movements with hers. Soon, it began the process of melding with her, and within moments, had completely encased itself within her body without her even knowing what had happened.

As the woman moved about, the creature familiarized itself with its new home. The woman’s name was Carrie Hampton, and she was here with some friends from her office for a “girl’s night out,” something she did once or twice a month just to blow off some steam. She had been married to a computer guy named Bill for nearly five years, and so far had remained completely faithful to him. That won’t last long, the creature thought wickedly.

“Hey, Carrie, it’s just about 9:00, and I promised George I’d be home by 10:00,” another woman said as she came up next to Carrie.

“Okay, I’m coming,” Carrie called out before saying goodbye to the two men vying for her attention. The creature sat dormant as Carrie went home with her friend and made love to her husband.

It was about mid-October, one day before our fifth anniversary. I watched my wife as she got ready for yet another “girl’s night out,” upset that she was going out on the weekend of our anniversary. I had made reservations at Luigi’s, a fairly upscale Italian restaurant, for the evening, but Carrie said she wanted to go out with the girls instead.

“But this is our fifth anniversary weekend,” I told her. “You know how hard it is to get reservations at Luigi’s?”

“So, change them to tomorrow night,” she said, dismissing me with a wave of her hand.

“I can’t just change them at the last minute,” I told her. “I had to wait nearly two weeks just to get this reservation.”

“Look, it’s just a restaurant,” she said. “I promised the girls I’d go with them, and that’s what I intend to do.”

“You’ve been going out with ‘the girls’ quite a lot lately,” I said. “This will be the third night this week. What’s going on? Why would you put them over our anniversary?”

“What’s going on is I promised them I’d go. I need my space too, you know. Things have been hectic at the office lately, and I need this. Now quit whining and zip me up, okay?”

“Zip yourself up,” I huffed before leaving the bedroom. I went downstairs, grabbed the flowers I had bought for her that day and angrily crammed them in the garbage can. Fuck this, I thought to myself.

“What did you do that for?” I heard from behind me. I turned to see Carrie standing at the foot of the stairs. “I loved those flowers. They were beautiful.”

“I bought them for our anniversary,” I said. “But you’ve made it clear ‘the girls’ are more important than us and our fifth anniversary. What the hell’s gotten into you these last few weeks?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“You’ve become a completely different person lately,” I said. “I don’t even know you. Is there someone else?” She snorted at that.

“Maybe I just need some space of my own,” she sneered. “And no, there’s no one else. Yet. Not that there haven’t been any offers. There have. After the way you’re acting, though, I may just accept one or two of them.”

“What?” I asked, shocked. Carrie knows how I feel about infidelity. We’ve discussed it often enough. She knows that as far as I’m concerned, it would be one and done. “You’d cheat on me?”

“I just might, especially after what you just did,” she said with a smirk. I could feel my temper flaring and counted to ten before I did something I knew I would regret.

“If you do, don’t bother coming home,” I said after I calmed down. That seemed to get her attention and her attitude changed significantly.

“Look, I’m sorry,” she said. “You just pissed me off when you threw my flowers away. It’s just one night. We can still go out tomorrow.”

“But the reservation…”

“Take Jeannie if you’ve got your mind set on going,” she said.

“Your sister?” I asked. Jeannie was just 11 months younger than Carrie and I knew she had a crush on me.

“Yeah. She’d love to eat at Luigi’s,” Carrie said. “I’ll call her if you want.” I started to object, but Carrie already had her phone out and called her sister.

“Hey girl,” she said. “You got anything going on tonight? No? How would you like to have dinner with Bill at Luigi’s tonight? I don’t know, let me ask.” She covered her phone and looked at me. “What time is the reservation?”

“7:00 pm,” I told her. She turned back to the phone.

“The reservation is at 7:00. Can you be ready in, say, a half hour? Great. I’ll have Bill pick you up. See ya,” she said, ending the call. She put her phone back in her purse and looked at me.

“Well, you’d better get going. Jeannie’s expecting you. And I expect you to be on your best behavior. Have fun. I’ll see you later tonight.” Just then, I heard a car horn outside. “That’s my ride. I’d better get going.” She grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

“What time will you be home?” I asked.

“I don’t know, exactly,” she said. “I’ll be home when I get home. How’s that?” And with that, she went through the door without so much as a kiss or telling me she loves me. I couldn’t believe what just happened. I called my older brother, Ron.

“Hey, bro, what’s up?” he asked.

“The bitch just left to be with her girlfriends. Can you believe that shit?”

“Did you tell her about the reservation at Luigi’s?” he asked.

“Yeah, but it didn’t mean shit to her,” I said. “She actually called her sister to take her place.”

“Jeannie? You do know she’s been salivating over you for the longest time. Won’t even look at me. You gonna tap into that?”

“Are you kidding? No way. Look, Jeannie’s a very nice girl, but I’m not going to do that to Carrie.”

“Okay. So, what are ya gonna do?”

“I put that phone locator app on Carrie’s phone like you suggested. Think you could keep an eye on her for me?” I asked. We had discussed doing this earlier when Carrie’s attitude had gotten so bad I was about to lose it. Ron used to work in the police department but lost his job after the city cut back the police budget. Now he works as a private investigator for one of the largest and best-known outfits in town.

“I think I could do that,” he said. “But it’s gonna cost you a six-pack.”

“Do this for me and I’ll buy you a case,” I said.

“Well, then, guess I’d better do a good job for ya, huh?” he asked sarcastically. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Don’t worry, bro. Leave this to the professional. Take Jeannie out and have a good time. I’ll be in touch.”

“Thanks, bro, I owe you big time for this,” I said.

“Damn right you do,” he said with a laugh. “Talk to ya later.” We ended the call and I got ready for what should’ve been my anniversary date with Carrie. I drove to the apartment complex where Jeannie lived and knocked on her door.

I was stunned when she answered — she wore a dress that fell just above her knees and showed just enough skin to make my mouth water. It was sexy, but not slutty. I actually had to remind myself to breathe after a few moments.

“Well, what do you think?” she asked.

“You look absolutely gorgeous,” I said. “Your carriage awaits,” I added, offering her my arm.

“Thank you, kind sir,” she said with a smile. For a moment, I wished I wasn’t married. I walked her to my car and opened the door for her. After helping her get inside, I got behind the wheel and headed out.

“So, why aren’t you taking Carrie out? Isn’t this your fifth anniversary weekend?” she asked as I drove.

“Yes, it was,” I said. “Carrie decided she’d rather spend our anniversary weekend out with the girls,” I said, making air quotes when I said “the girls.”

“What’s gotten into her lately?” Jeannie asked.

“I have no idea,” I said. “But I don’t like it. Not one bit.”

“Neither do I,” she said. “It’s almost like she’s a completely different person lately.”

“You’ve noticed that too, huh?” I asked.

“I have,” she said. “And frankly, I find it just a bit scary.”

“You and me both,” I said.

“Well, one good thing’s come out of it,” she said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I finally got a night out alone with my favorite brother-in-law,” she said with a sly smile.

“Last time I looked, I’m your only brother-in-law,” I said.

“Yes, you are, but you’re still my favorite,” she said. “So, do you think she’s cheating on you?” she asked after a few moments.

“I think so,” I said. “I’m pretty sure she is.”

“That stupid bitch,” she hissed.

“I’ll know for sure after tonight,” I said.

“What then?”

“If she’s cheating on me, I’ll divorce her,” I said. “She knows how I feel about infidelity.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that,” she said quietly. We got to the restaurant and the two of us were escorted to the table I had reserved for Carrie and I. We enjoyed our dinner and the wine that came with it. We indulged in small talk as we ate and it while I enjoyed spending time with Jeannie, it just wasn’t what I originally had in mind, and she could sense it.

“Listen, I know you’re uncomfortable about this, so if you want, I can grab an Uber and go on home,” Jeannie said after we finished dessert.

“Nonsense,” I said. The restaurant also had an area set aside for drinking and slow dancing, and the band had already started playing. “I mean, yeah, I’m a bit uncomfortable being here with you alone, since this was supposed to be mine and Carrie’s anniversary dinner. But that doesn’t mean you get out of here without a dance. After all, you are the prettiest girl in the place.” She smiled at that.

“Thank you for the compliment,” she said quietly. “And yes, I’d love to dance with my brother-in-law.” We got up and I escorted her to the dance floor, where we held each other close through two dances. She felt so good in my arms and again, I found myself wishing that I wasn’t married. I could easily fall in love with this girl.

After the second dance, Jeannie stepped back and took my hands in hers. She looked at me and I could see a tear in her eye.

“I’m so sorry about what my sister is doing to you,” she finally said. “I had a wonderful time tonight, and I really enjoy dancing with you. But I think maybe you should take me home before I do something we both might regret later. After all, this was supposed to be Carrie’s date, and I feel…”

“Like you’ve been used?” I asked, finishing her question.

“Something like that, yes,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong. I really enjoyed this time with you, and under better circumstances, well, who knows where it could lead. You’re a wonderful man, and I could kill Carrie for dumping you like she did. I would never do that to you.”

“Thanks, Jeannie,” I said. “I was beginning to think there was something wrong with me.”

“There’s nothing wrong with you that a good, faithful, loving woman couldn’t fix,” she said. “C’mon, let’s get out of here.”

“Alright,” I said. We stopped at the table and the waiter took my credit card. He was back a couple minutes later and we left the restaurant. We rode in silence back to Jeannie’s apartment. I walked her to her door to make sure she was safe. She unlocked her door, then turned and kissed me full on the lips.

“Thank you for a wonderful evening,” she said. “I love you.” Before I could say anything, she turned and walked into her apartment, closing her door. I stood there for a couple minutes wondering what just happened. I knew Jeannie had a crush on me, but she never told me she loved me before. I collected myself and went back to my car, then drove home.

I pulled into the garage and hoped Carrie was home by now. I looked on my phone, and saw that her phone was at a hotel on the outskirts of town. I didn’t need to be a PI to know what she was probably doing. I went inside and changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and poured myself a cup of coffee.

Out of curiosity, I called Ron to find out what was going on. He answered after the first ring.

“What’s up, bro?” I asked.

“Well, I hate to say it, Bill, but Carrie is definitely cheating on you,” he said quietly. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. “She’s at a motel on the edge of town right now. There’s at least five guys with her at the moment. I’ve seen men come and go now for the last hour.”

“Damn,” I said.

“Yeah,” Ron said. “Sorry, man. I hate being the bearer of bad news. I’ve got lots of video for your divorce.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Any idea if she’s coming home tonight?”

“Hard to tell,” Ron said. “Looks to me like she’s just getting warmed up. Listen, I’ll stay here for a bit longer, and someone is coming out to cover for me. I’ll send you some video from the club. It’s not pretty, Bill. Maybe you shouldn’t look at it.”

“I need to know, Ron,” I said. “I need to see it for myself.”

“I understand. I know this may sound like a cliché, but don’t do anything stupid. I don’t wanna have to bail you out of jail,” Ron said.

“I hear ya,” I said. “Thanks, I owe you big time.”

“Damn right you do,” he said with a chuckle. We ended the call and a few moments later I heard a ping letting me know I had email. I opened my mobile client and saw Ron had sent a couple short videos.

The first video showed Carrie inside a club, surrounded by a group of men. She was letting them grope and fondle her right there at the table in full view of everyone. She surprised me by yanking off her panties and tossing them on the table. One man grabbed them and sniffed the crotch before putting them in his pocket.

She responded by putting her feet on the table, spread wide. She lifted up her short skirt and let everyone see her now-shaved pussy. I barely recognized the woman doing this. I could never see the Carrie I married flaunting herself like this in public.

The men cheered and a couple of them began fingering her as she sat. Others stood around and watched. Most of them cheered but there was one man who stood off to the side and watched as he sipped a drink.

The next video showed her outside the club, in an alleyway. She threw off her dress and got on her knees, naked. The men with her unzipped their trousers and she began sucking each of them off. After a while, one of them picked her up and took her to a car. After dumping her in the back seat, the car took off and the video ended.

There were no other videos, but I knew I really didn’t need to see any more. My marriage was over — gone. There was nothing left to do now but go for a divorce. I looked around the house and decided, to hell with it, grabbed my keys and went to a bar not far from the house.

I sat there in the bar, drinking one beer after another as I considered my options. I had been there for a while when I heard a man’s voice next to me.

“Anyone sitting here?” I turned and saw a well-built man about my height standing at the barstool next to mine. He had sandy-colored hair and squinty eyes that seemed to look right through me. Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t place him. Maybe it was the long floor-length duster he wore. I shook my head.

“No, help yourself,” I said. He sat down and extended a hand.

“Steve Iverson,” he said. I shook his hand as I introduced myself.

“Bill Hampton,” I told him. “Good to meet you.”

“Same here,” he said. “So, who’s winning?” he asked, nodding at the game playing on the large monitor over the bar.

“Don’t know,” I said. “Don’t even know who’s playing. Not really paying any attention.” He nodded his head then ordered a beer for himself. After he paid the bartender, he took a sip then looked back at me.

“Woman troubles?” he asked.

“Yeah, you could say that,” I said.

“Sorry to hear that,” he said quietly. “Wife?”

“Yeah,” I said. “At least for the moment. You married?”

“I was, once,” he said. “A long time ago. She died.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that,” I told him. He shrugged his shoulders.

“It happens,” he said. “Cycle of life and all that. We’re born, we live, then we die. Happens to all of us.”

“Any children?” I asked.

“Two boys,” he said. “They went into the military. Haven’t seen them in years. How about you? Any children?” I shook my head.

“No, none,” I said. “Thank goodness,” I added as an afterthought. I took a long sip of my beer and suddenly felt nauseous.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I feel… sick,” I moaned.

“Let me help you,” he said. “We’ll be right back,” he told the bartender. He gently walked me to the men’s room, where I paid homage to the ceramic god — multiple times. When I finished throwing up everything in my stomach, he helped me to the wash basin, where I cleaned myself up.

“Feel better?” he asked as I dried my face and hands. I nodded my head.

“A bit,” I said.

“Maybe it’s time to get you home,” he said. “C’mon, I’ll give you a hand.” I let him guide me out of the men’s room and back to the bar, where he bought a bottle of water. “Gonna help my friend get home. Don’t wanna see him get pulled over,” he told the bartender, who nodded his head in understanding.

He walked me out to my car and for a moment, I wondered how he knew which car was mine. It didn’t really matter to me, though — not in the grand scheme of things. He walked me to the passenger side and asked for my keys.

“Why?” I asked as I fished them out of my pocket.

“You’re in no shape to drive,” he said. “Don’t worry about me, I can walk back. C’mon, get inside. I’ll take you home.” I didn’t argue — actually, I was in no shape to argue. I got in the car, closed the door and put on my seat belt. Steve got behind the wheel, adjusted the seat and the mirrors, then headed out.

“Do you know where to go?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said, causing me a bit of concern. “But we need to stop somewhere and talk first. Don’t worry, you’ll be just fine.” He pulled into a park and stopped the car. Then he took the bottle of water, opened it and poured a bit of it out on the tarmac. Reaching into a pocket in his duster, he pulled out a small packet, opened it up and poured what looked like a white powder into the water. He closed the bottle, shook it and handed it to me.

“Here, drink this,” he said. “It’ll help make you feel better.” I took the bottle, opened it and sniffed it before taking a sip. He chuckled as I sniffed the liquid.

“It’s okay,” he said. “An old home remedy for what’s ailing you. I’ve used it a lot myself. Go on, drink up.” I took a long sip from the bottle and found I liked the way it tasted. Citrus with a bit of honey. I drank more and soon, my head began to clear and my stomach was no longer in knots.

“Feel better now?” he asked. I nodded my head.

“Yeah,” I said. “Whatever that is, maybe you should sell it. Probably make a mint.”

“You’re not the first one whose told me that,” he said.

“You said we need to talk,” I said.

“Yes,” he said. “We do. It’s about your wife.” As I looked closer, I remembered where I had seen him before — he was in the club, watching my wife act like a slut at her table.

“You know about my wife?” I asked. He nodded his head.

“Yes. I’ve been observing her for a while now.”

“You saw her at that club tonight, didn’t you?” I asked. He nodded his head.

“I did,” he said. “Tell me something, Bill. Do you remember when you started noticing the changes in her?”

“Yeah, it was about three months ago or so,” I said.

“That seems right,” he said.

“What do you mean?” I asked. He turned to look at me before continuing.

“You’re probably going to think I’m crazy, but you need to know what’s going on,” he said.

“Yeah, I already know what’s going on,” I said. “My wife has turned into a cheating bitch.”

“Yes, she has, but she had help,” he said.

“Help? What do you mean, help?” I asked.

“She was influenced,” he said. “There’s something inside her — something almost as old as history itself.”

“Wait a minute,” I said. “Are you going to tell me she’s been… possessed by something? Come on, that’s just ridiculous.”

“Is it?” he asked. “Tell me the truth. Have you ever walked into an empty room and felt like something or someone was watching you? Ever have chills go up and down your spine with no explanation?”

“Yes, but there’s a logical explanation for all that,” I said.

“Perhaps,” he said. “Perhaps not. Perhaps you simply don’t want to acknowledge there could be something out there you can’t see, something you can’t — or won’t — face. Call it what you want — a specter, a beast, a… demon. We all have them. Sometimes, they exist in our nightmares. Other times, they live in our fears.

“As a child, you used to imagine one right under your bed at night. You would cry out and your mother would come into your room, soothe your forehead with her magic touch and the beast would disappear,” he said. I looked at him, shocked. How did he know that?

“Your wife is under the influence of such a creature,” he said.

“You mean, like the devil or something?” I asked.

“Well, I suppose from your perspective, that would make about as much sense as anything else,” he said.

“So, what am I supposed to do? Just pretend the devil made her do it and forgive her?” I asked. He shook his head.

“The… beast, for lack of a better word, didn’t make her do anything,” he said. “It only feeds off of the desires that are already there. Amplifies them. Justifies them in her mind.”

“So, you’re saying this beast just brought out her inner slut?” I asked.

“Something like that,” he said.

“You seem to know an awful lot about this thing,” I said.

“That’s because I’ve been tracking it for a long time. It’s left a lot of damage in its wake.”

“And you want me to do what? Help you capture it or something?” I asked.

“You don’t capture something like this,” he said. “It needs to be killed. Before it can do more damage.”

“Killed? What would that do to Carrie?”

“Difficult to say,” he told me. “Of course, you can opt to let it stay where it is, but I guarantee you it will use her until it destroys her, then it will simply toss her aside and move on to its next victim.”

“So either way, she’s toast. Is that what you’re telling me?” I asked.

“I hate to say it, but that’s pretty much the choice. Although there is a slight chance she may recover from the encounter. But she’ll never be fully satisfied going back to her previous life. Now that she’s tasted what the beast has to offer, she’ll always want more,” he said.

“But you can kill this thing without killing her?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “But it’s still dangerous. The beast could respond by taking her life or damaging her in some way.”

“What do I do?” I asked.

“Just be there,” he said. “I’ll do the heavy lifting.” I heard a ding and watched as he pulled out a smartphone. He looked at it for a few moments then put the phone away. “She’s at your house. And she’s not alone. We need to move, now. Are you ready?” I wondered why my brother hadn’t called, and then remembered someone was taking his place.

“Yeah, let’s do this,” I said. He started the car and pulled out of the park. It only took a few minutes to get to my house. When we got there, I saw the master bedroom light on upstairs. He pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. Carrie’s car was already in the driveway and another car was in front of the house.

“Be careful,” Steve said. “She’s not alone.”

“Gotcha,” I said, taking my keys back from him. I unlocked the door and we both crept inside, looking for any possible sign of danger. There was none, but we could both hear Carrie and someone upstairs, fucking.

“Yeah, fuck me with that monster dick,” I heard Carrie cry out. Then I heard the bed hitting the wall as whoever she was with pounded into her. We made our way upstairs and Steve stood just outside the door as I walked in.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE?” I bellowed when I saw a youngster fucking Carrie on my bed, her bare feet raised high in the air over his shoulders. He jumped when I yelled and looked back at me, surprise and fear on his face. “Get the fuck outta my house, you pimply-face freak,” I commanded.

“Yeah, okay, mister. Please don’t hurt me. She begged for it,” he stammered as he gathered his clothes and headed downstairs. I turned to look at my soon-to-be ex-wife. I saw how red and puffy her pussy was and saw globs of cum dripping from her. Her entire body seemed to be smeared with the stuff, and her once beautiful hair was matted with it.

“Why don’t you come and get your anniversary creampie, my faithful little cuckold,” she sneered. At that moment, she looked truly ugly to me and I couldn’t believe this was the woman I married five years ago this weekend. “I know you want to eat cum fresh from my cunt,” she said as she slithered over the covers.

Then her face changed as Steve walked into the room. Her eyes grew wide and her face actually appeared to morph right in front of me.

“YOU!” she screamed. “What are you doing here?”

“It’s time for you to go,” Steve said before saying something in an unfamiliar language. Carrie screamed as he spoke, covering her ears.

“I’m never leaving here,” the Carrie-Beast cried. “I like it here! You can’t make me leave. I’ll use this cunt for years before I go anywhere.” Steve reached into his long coat and pulled out a long, wide sword. As he held it in his hands, it began to light up and was quickly covered in flames. The whole time, he continued chanting in an unfamiliar language.

“No!” Carrie-Beast screamed. “I’ll feed your bones to my dogs, little man!”

SEMPER INVICTUS!” Steve declared as he brought the sword up. He swung the sword and I thought he would cut Carrie in two, but much to my surprise, he didn’t.

I heard screaming and saw a blinding flash of light followed by the stench of acrid smoke that now filled the entire room. There was something lit up laying on the floor. Steve put his sword away and bent down to pick it up. He broke it into two pieces and the light inside it died out.

“It’s gone. For good,” he said. I turned to Carrie and saw her laying on the bed, her eyes wide. Other than bruises from where she had been manhandled by the guys fucking her, there were no other marks on her body. I went to her, hoping she was still alive. I saw her take a breath, and she looked at me with tears in her eyes.

“I’m sorry, Bill,” she said. Then I saw a wicked grin come across her face. “But to be honest, it was a lot of fun.” As I looked, I saw confusion on her face, then one side of her face appeared to droop just a bit.

“Carrie?” I asked. “Are you okay?” She seemed to have trouble focusing on my face and she tried to say something, but couldn’t.

“You’d better call for an ambulance,” Steve said. I pulled out my phone and dialed 911, telling the dispatcher I needed an ambulance for a possible stroke victim. Twenty minutes later, an ambulance pulled up to the house. Steve had left by then, and I opened the window to air out the room.

The paramedics quickly examined Carrie, and determined that she was having a stroke. They put her on a gurney and took her to Mercy General Hospital. I followed in my car.

Epilogue:

Carrie didn’t survive the trip to the hospital. I called Jeannie and told her what happened. She came to the hospital as fast as she could and we both cried as we held each other. We listened as the doctor expressed his condolences and asked if we wanted an autopsy. I told him it wasn’t necessary. Steve dropped by the hospital to see how we were doing.

“I’m sorry it ended like this,” he said.

“Don’t be,” I said. “You warned me. Either way, she was a goner, I think. At least this was quick and relatively painless.”

“Perhaps,” he said. “Here’s my card. Feel free to call if you need to talk.” He handed me a business card and we shook hands before he walked away.

“Who was that?” Jeannie asked.

“A friend,” I said.

I sold the house after Carrie’s funeral and bought a smaller two-bedroom condo close to my work. I got rid of the bedroom furniture along with most of the other things we had accumulated. I wanted nothing to remind me of her.

Ron and I celebrated the move with two cases of beer. I still owed him for his help with Carrie. I never told him exactly what happened, and he never pressed the issue. Still, I can’t help but think he knew something out of the ordinary happened that night in my house. He did suggest I see a counselor to help deal with everything that happened.

I took him up on his suggestion, and spent some time with a counselor her suggested. I quickly realized, however, that it was a colossal waste of time. Oddly enough, though, I did catch myself looking under my bed a time or two. I wasn’t sure what I would find, but I still felt the need to look.

Jeannie respected my need to mourn, and left me alone for a while. After a few months, however, I found myself feeling the need for female companionship. I always liked Jeannie and I knew she still had a crush on me. So, I called her one Friday and was surprised to find she was at home watching a movie.

We began dating and have spent the night together more than once. She tells me she loves me and I believe her. Truth is, I’m falling for her as well. Who knows what the future holds for us. Right now, though, I’m more than content.

But I’m still keeping an eye open…

“There’s a beast upon my shoulder and a fiend upon my back.

Feel his burning breath a heaving, smoke oozing from his stack.

And he moves beneath the covers or he lies below the bed.

He’s the beast upon your shoulder. He’s the price upon your head.” ~ Ian Anderson

Note: Steve Iverson will reappear in an upcoming series, “Semper Invictus.” Stay tuned, and Happy Halloween…