Chapter 10

“You’re telling me humans and ghosts are having physical intercourse?” Christien asked. He was as incredulous as I had been. “I just don’t understand how. The power it would take to physically manifest is extreme, to manifest with prolonged contact. It’s unheard of without a spell or power source.”

“Maybe this land is a power source. I did a little research; before the Victorian Inn was built here, it was farmland. During the Civil War, a battle was fought in the area. And before that, there are rumors that Native Americans lived here. That means the possibility of bloodshed. That could power a lot of ghostly energy couldn’t it?”

“Perhaps,” He answered thoughtfully. “Have you seen anything yet? Encountered any tempting troll ups from the other side?” His tone was playful yet I could detect a serious note underneath. Something about this haunting was not settling well with him.

“No, nothing yet,” I answered.

“I’ll be there tonight. Hopefully, you won’t get molested by any monsters before I get there.”

“Darling, the only monster I plan to be molested by is you.”

“Perfect, I’ll be there soon.” I could hear the smile in his voice and the promise of the naughty things he wanted to do to me.

“Bring the rest of my equipment with you. I have a feeling I might need more than my ‘gifts’ to communicate with these sexed-up spooks. For a place rumored to be so haunted and I haven’t even caught a glimpse of a ghost yet …it’s weird.”

“Everything is already in the truck.”

“You always know what I need before I do. Do you have psychic abilities you haven’t told me about?”

“No, my love, just years of experience and the ability to predict accurately, especially when it comes to you. Remember, my dear, I have been your shadow for years. I might know you better than you do, considering I don’t block anything or hide anything in my subconscious.”

“Hmmm, you could be right. Maybe I should just consult you every morning instead of my horoscope.”

He laughed. “Perhaps you should. I definitely can tell you more about your life than some crazy paragraph on a website.”

“See you soon.”

“Oui, soon, ma chérie.

After hanging up with Christien, I decided to explore. I was hoping to come across an arousing apparition or seductive spirit, but all I found was a gorgeous gardener getting off in a flower bed, his pants around his ankles. I hid behind a tree, so he didn’t see me. I wanted to find out if a ghost was providing him with amorous attention. Of course, watching a tan, muscle-bound man in the throes of pleasure was no hardship for me.

It was odd, though. I didn’t see anything or anyone with him but from the looks of it, something was working him well. His long hard shaft jerked and thrust in the air, twitching and bobbing. His hips moved as if he thrust into someone on their knees in front of him. As I watched, several streams of semen erupted from the fat head of his cock. It hung in the air as if it landed on something I could not see. Then it was gone. Vanished.

The gardener opened his eyes. He looked baffled. He turned his head from side to side looking for someone or something. Nothing was there. He quickly reached down and pulled up his pants. He walked past a gazebo, down the hill, and headed to the other side of the yard before disappearing behind the house. When he was out of sight, I went over to where he’d been having his little phantasmal fuck fest. I had to see if any semen was on the ground. Just as I suspected, there was nothing. Whatever he had sex with had taken the proof with them.

***

I continued exploring the rolling expanse of land that was all a part of the Inn’s property. Most of it was wooded. At one time, it had been farmland but now only a small portion was maintained there were fruit trees and many rows of wine grapes growing up and down the hilly landscape. There was a beautiful old red barn that was well taken care of, a gazebo, and a nice size pond with a cute little picnic and beach area. The pond was kept clean so that in the warmer months guests could swim in it. I glanced up at the late summer sun beating down on me, today was a great day for a swim, but I didn’t bring my suit, and I was afraid the water would be too chilly for me. Michigan water is cold- even in the summer!

The brochure I found at the front desk had a map and description of the attractions on site. There was a path leading through the woods that led to an old cottage that could be rented to guests. Across the road was the old gatekeeper’s cottage that now guarded a cemetery. The road had been cut through the original property, and the cemetery was now a huge public area, not just a small family plot. I wanted to explore it, though. Many of the graves went back to the 1800s and the original residents of the Victorian. Perhaps even farther back before the house was built.

I wondered if any of the girls from the brothel was buried there. If they were, I would bet they were in a different section, possibly one that was not Hallowed Ground. If the cemetery contained prostitutes from the brothel things were becoming a little clearer. Prostitutes were considered sinners and in many areas not allowed to be buried in a normal cemetery on Hallowed Ground. And if you bury a lot of people in ground that is not blessed and protected- guess what? That’s right. Restless spirits.

I crossed the road and passed the stone structure that was once the gatekeeper’s cottage. It now stood empty and looked unkept. Such a shame, it was a beautiful historical stone structure that should be tended better. I continued down the path through the cemetery. It led me deep into a wooded area that seemed to circle and lead me back toward the Inn. I came upon a clearing for a separate graveyard. It was much smaller and older than the one by the main road. There was no fence, nothing that separated it from the rest of the area. I looked up the nearby hill and could see one of the Inn’s decorative steeples.

I felt the air shift as soon as I touched the cemetery ground. There might not have been a fence, but I could feel the difference. But it was not the peaceful zing of hallowed ground that sizzled in my nerve endings. No, what I felt was restless energy, radiating hunger, and raw sexuality.

I tried to concentrate on the small cemetery. I needed to take in the details. Small headstones with names and dates that could barely be read adorned the lot; many only had a few legible letters left. In addition to the small stones, there was a large flat rock about waist high, I looked closer. It very much resembled an altar.

Odd, why would an altar be in a cemetery? A very old but well-kept cemetery. Perhaps Barbara had been so detail oriented that she had it restored as well. Or perhaps the family that had the Victorian all these years had tended to it and kept it from getting overgrown.

I caressed the smooth stone on the top of the altar. The energy buzzing around me grew stronger. It was erotic, enticing. Ethereal swirls pulled at my clothing and caressed my skin. Mist morphed into humanlike shapes reaching for me. I wanted them to touch me. I wanted to give myself to them. I felt hands tugging at my clothing. I crawled on top of the altar feeling the cool stone on my bare flesh.

Then a very solid set of hands gripped my arms. “LizBeth?”

I opened my eyes; it was like coming out of a trance. “Christien? You’re here, already? I just spoke with you.”

“LizBeth, ma chérie… it’s been three hours since we spoke. I’ve been here for an hour looking for you. When I spotted the brochure, I just knew you’d come looking for this cemetery. And here you are, all caught up in sexual shenanigans with a graveyard full of ghosts.”

“What? No, there were no sexual shenanigans,” I protested.

“Then why are you naked?”

I looked down and gasped, my clothes were gone. Scattered all over the ground. I was completely naked. “What the hell happened?” I was beginning to get scared. The last memory I had was of hands pulling at my clothes and the cool feel of stone on my naked flesh. Did I take part in some graveyard orgy?

“The sexual energy in this place is incredible. I felt it as soon as I arrived. A kiss of vampires does not put out this much sexual energy. It’s like someone dumped enough pheromones here to arouse an entire town.”

“This can’t just be ghosts, can it? The energy is too strong, too sexual.”

He shook his head, whether it was an agreement I was not sure.

“Christien, I watched a guy get off in the garden, something was working him, but I couldn’t see it. And you know I always see the spirits, even if they don’t want to be seen.”

“I know, ma chérie. Something is very off about this place, even if it is arousing as hell. I think something else is going on here. We need to do a little research on the history and background of the area. Dig deeper.”

He looked me up and down, “And as much as it pains me to say this, ma chérie, you need to get dressed.”

I once again looked at my clothes scattered all over the ground, “Christien, I don’t know what happened.”

“LizBeth, I don’t think anything molested you, at least not too bad.” He smirked lecherously, but I could see the worry in his eyes. “When I arrived you were dancing, well swaying slightly. I could see things swirling around you. It was like a shadowy and sensual adult version of monkey in the middle.” He laughed. “Don’t worry; I don’t think a little bit of pleasure is going to harm you. I do not feel anything hostile here. Sexy, yes -sinister, no.”

“I guess that’s a good thing.” I smiled weakly as I got dressed. Dancing naked I was fine with, but what happened on that altar?

“Oh yes, sexy is always a good thing.” He smiled that naughty lascivious grin of his. I could see the large bulge in his trousers. This place was one big aphrodisiac.

His smile promised wicked things. And Christien’s brand of wicked always meant pleasure for me. I shivered in anticipation as we headed back toward the Inn.