Warnings: Paranormal investigation inaccuracies, semi-rural living inaccuracies, demonic haunting inaccuracies, Catholic church inaccuracies (i dont have to explain myself to strangers, im tired), haunting inaccuracies, lemme know if I missed any!
"Darling, we have reason to suspect that the reason this spirit goes after you is because you resemble someone they knew in life," Lorraine explains to you, sitting you down after you had another experience in the laundry room.
"Wha-What do you mean? I'm not from here! I moved here from Washington. My parents are from Iowa. What do you mean I resemble someone they knew?" You are so confused, your adrenaline still causing your blood to rush in your ears and twist your mind.
Lorraine looks at Ed, nodding for him to take over while she moves to start the kettle for some tea.
"Have you seen this picture before?" Ed takes out a picture of... your great-grandparents?
"Yeah. That... those were my great-so on-grandparents-" You are cut off by the desk upstairs crashing onto its side, causing you to flinch.
It's only been a couple days! What is going on?!
"Keep telling me about them," Ed urges you on, as Lorraine watches carefully from the kitchen, where Drew has set up the monitoring areas and is motioning for Lorraine to come closer.
"Uh..." You look from Ed to Lorraine and back to Ed, "I was just told about them because I asked about what country I came from. Something about Scotland or Ireland immigrants who were fleeing from witchcraft accusations," You shake your head, trying to focus through the all-consuming fear that grips your chest cavity.
"Okay. So you don't even know their names?"
"No! No, I don't know who they are! I was told they were the source of the family's shame," You cry, just wanting the fear to go away, hearing your office be torn apart more. Priceless books on ancestry, and Irish and Scottish history and heritage, and family heirlooms being broken on the wooden floors you finished maybe a couple weeks ago.
"Ed," Lorraine pops her head out of the kitchen, "you should come hear this," She brings the tea over as Ed gets up, the two switch places fluidly.
She gives it to you before drawing you into her arms, allowing you comfort from the scariness of the ramped up ghost.
"Shh... sh, sh, shhh... I know it's scary... It'll pass. I promise, it'll pass," She whispers to you, petting your hair and pressing gentle kisses to your hairline, something she does out of habit for Ed when he wakes with nightmares.
You cry into her chest as she gently rocks you, encouraging you to drink your tea, forcing your breath to come more naturally.
"I hate this... it scares me. I just want to be left alone. I don't mean to cause it anger or hurt," You cry into her some more, not realizing you'd have to go through hell to get the peace you wanted.
"We know, honey. We know," Lorraine continues to hold you as you finally start to calm down. You chug the tea, not caring for the burn on your tongue, before you set it on the coffee table and lay on her, exhausted from the emotional roller-coaster you were just on.
As you doze, Ed comes out, his brows furrowed in worry before they shoot up seeing the position you are in.
"So..." He whispers, sitting in a chair to face his wife, "she finally tuckered out?"
"She's emotionally exhausted," Lorraine nods gently, slowly, as her fingertips graze the underside of your scalp, gently scratching and massaging the skin there, "I don't think she expected it to get worse."
"It'll be alright. Now that we know and understand what happened, and we have photographic and audio evidence, we can send it to the church to get an exorcism approved for the house," Ed nods, his hands clasped in front of him as he leans against his knees.
"Then we can talk about taking her home." He whispers to Lorraine, looking in her eyes.
"She didn't try to turn in on herself for comfort... I think she likes us," Lorraine whispers back, a hint of a sideways smile on her face.
"We can talk about that after the haunting," Ed gives her a look of 'slow down', "We don't want to overwhelm her all at once."
"What are you guys talking about?" Officer Brian Pinn comes in from the kitchen, a fresh cup of coffee in hand.
"We were just talking about the haunting. Best way to go about this is to turn in the evidence we have and have an exorcism performed on the house," Ed straightens up, taking the extra cup of coffee, "Thank you."
"Yeah... what evidence do you have?" Brian looks confused between the pair, leaning on the wall, sipping his own coffee.
"Well, earlier, when the office was first being trashed, words were being picked up by the mics we placed in the office. Gaelic, specifically. And the cameras were flashing and going off, suggesting a significantly cold drop in the room. It should have captured some photos of the spirit," Ed explains the science behind the funky looking equipment.
"And it stopped when we showed her the picture of the girl and boy who lived here and she called it 'the family shame'," Lorraine adds, "It sounds like as long as she is openly rejecting ancestors, which could upset their ghosts and potentially cause another haunting."
"So... she's trapped in an endless cycle. Unless the exorcism is performed," Brian confirms, his head hung low.
"I mean, my mom believed in this stuff. 'Honoring ancestors' and stuff. Just never thought it would be real," He sighs, rubbing his neck.
Lorraine chuckles, rubbing your back soothingly to keep you asleep, "It's all real. Can't imagine it not being real."
Ed shakes his head with a smile, just confirming Lorraine's words.
"I can't imagine my life without it," Ed looks at Lorraine, his whole world, the love of his life...
well... The first one, at least.
When you wake, you are still snuggled up to Lorraine's chest, her head leaned on the arm of the sofa, a pillow tucked under her head.
You close your eyes again, not wanting this moment to end yet. You just want to bask in the fantasy that she would love you back, as you have come to love her over the brief time of days her and Ed have been here.
Ed... the way you want to hold him tight and have him do the same to you. The way you want to wake up every morning and make him pancakes or eggs, toast, and bacon...
Bacon? But I don't have bacon-
Your thoughts are interrupted by Ed coming into the living room, his footsteps coming over to the sofa, putting a large, comforting hand on your shoulder, "Time for breakfast," he murmurs, wanting to gently wake you.
You give a hum, slowly opening your eyes, the bleariness having not left them yet.
He can see it. The bleariness, the cloudiness of your mind, the softness of your skin... how he wants to kiss that skin...
"Come on... that's it. Atta girl," He encourages you, causing a warmth to come to the skin of your neck as you flush.
You slowly crawl off Lorraine, not wanting to wake her, before fully standing up with Ed's help.
"Rough night?" He jokingly asks, grabbing a blanket to put on top of Lorraine.
"That one's scratchy... this one's soft," You grab the blanket you never share off the back of your reading chair and offer it to Ed for him to put on Lorraine.
He runs the silky fabric between his fingers, feelings it's downy softness before looking at you.
Of course someone as sweet as you would own something as soft as this blanket.
"Thank you. I'm sure she'll like it," He slowly takes off the rougher blanket, and drapes the soft blanket over her, causing Lorraine to curl into it.
"Thank you," You whisper, "for last night. I'm sorry I'm such a mess," You laugh quietly, padding to the kitchen in your sock-clad feet.
"You are just fine. Lots of people and even big families with interwoven support systems tend to break down," Ed reassures you, letting you know you aren't alone.
"Regardless... thank you," You smile sheepishly before seeing the plate of bacon on table.
"When did...?" You point at the bacon, confusedly looking at Ed, who chuckles slightly, "Officer Pinn went into town. Said something about a proper breakfast is not complete without bacon."
"Oh, and would you like coffee?" Ed turns to the brewed pot.
"Yes. Thank you," You nod, wringing your hands as you look at his back and watch the muscles move before tearing your eyes away.
He is married. Good going. You just made your feelings for him obvious, dummy.
You gently take the cup from his hands, heading to the fridge for creamer.
"Would you like any creamer or milk in your coffee?" You ask ed, trying to get the handsome, big, protective, providing man off your mind.
Too bad he doesn't want you off his.
"Creamer would be great," He nods, unashamedly staring at you as you pull the sweetened heavy cream out of the fridge.
You turn around, and he lifts his eyes just in time to not make it seem like he was staring at your ass that whole time, "Here," You gently pour some in his coffee before pouring some in your own.
"It's vanilla. I hope you don't mind," You sheepishly let him know, putting it back in the fridge.
"Oh, well, must be sacriledge~" Ed jokes, bringing his cup to his face, "I only drink sugar cookie flavor," He winks, before sipping his coffee.
You flush once again as he flirts with you, trying to hide it behind the cup, sipping your own coffee.
And as you stand there, leaning against the counter, seeing Ed enjoying his coffee and Lorraine resting on the sofa, you softly smiled.
You could see this being your life...
Author's Cup of Tea: Omg, I'm sorry this is so trash. I'm just getting back into it and I hope it'll get better. I just needed a jumping off point again. It's good to see everyone again! Sorry it took me so long!
@automaticwizardnerd, @thatsmyopiniontho, @milflovers4, @d0llydoe, @saira-matsu-stuff
