User blog:Gnomehunter/October Writing Challenge-Small Haunting (Ghost)

Luther closed the door of his house behind him as he left to work the fields that morning. It was a small thing, not more than one room, enough space to fit a bed and a place for him to prepare meals. But it made him glad to have anything at all, when the alternative was living on the streets and being exposed to the elements. Without any family nearby, so much as a parent or sibling, he found the house manageable enough to live in. But as he made his way down the road, he found himself thinking about a rather strange occurrence that had caught his attention recently. With such a small living space, it was impossible for him not to notice some odd sounds that he could hear late at night when he was ready to go to sleep. Or, sometimes, the movements out of the corner of his eye when there shouldn’t have been anything there. It was as he was setting down to work that he decided that he would consult the local consultant, barely enough authority of a priest, who lived in the town and saw to the locals’ services and other related matters. He decided he would talk to Father Abbot, and perhaps he would be able to help.

When the day’s work was at an end, he made his way past the street that would take him home, and reached the house of Abbot. The man was a humble fellow, always seemed to have a smile for any passersby, or a word of advice for anyone who asked. He answered the door with a little nod.

“Luther, I am so glad to see you today. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Father Abbot, I’ve come to ask if you can spare a visit to my house. For days now, I swear I’ve heard strange sounds late at night, caught movement at the edge of my vision. I pray that I’m not going mad. But it gives me reason to wonder that I might have seen a spirit”.

“By the Chief God! We can’t allow spirits to take rest in our dwellings. They must be allowed to pass on. Thank you for trusting in me and my service. I will come visit you at once”. He disappeared back into his home, fetching a bag and cane, before stepping out and motioning for Luther to lead him out. The two men walked back to Luther’s home, and when they got to the door, Luther opened it to welcome his guest in. Father Abbot passed over the threshold, but as he did, he stumbled a bit, and Luther caught him.

“Father, what’s the matter? Are you ill?”

“No my son, from the moment I entered your home I could feel that something was amiss. Yes, I’m afraid it’s just as you said. There is something dwelling in your home that must be banished as soon as possible. I will lend you something to keep you safe tonight, while I leave to prepare a proper ritual for the following day!” He gave Luther a handful of herbs to ward off evil spirits, instructing him to sprinkle them around the room and especially the doorway. Luther did as he was told, and thanked Abbot, waving him out the door. He prepared a meager meal, and prepared to go to sleep. As he went to blow out his candle, he caught sight of some motion. Turning, he realized that it was like a shadow on the wall, but clearly not his own. Something thin and wispy appeared before his eyes, and suddenly there was a large, wispy shape hanging in the air in front of him. He stood back in fear, looking around for something he could use to defend himself. But the shape hung there without moving. Until it started to change, and now he could make out a more distinct figure. It was of a human, and soon he could make out features of a face. This was followed by the limbs, and even to the point that it appeared to be wearing a shabby dress. The shape finished changing, except for a pale glow around it.

“What...are you? Back away, evil spirit!” Luther said, trying to hold his hands up as if they would protect him.

“Please, I’m not evil. I don’t wish to harm you. I’m just stuck here”. It spoke, and had a faint but feminine voice to match what looked like the figure of a young woman.

“Lies! All spirits exist to tempt or corrupt men away from the path of the Chief God!”

“The Chief God...I’m glad to hear that she’s still so well respected”. The spirit made a face that looked like a smile.

“What do you know of the Chief God, spirit?”

“My family, we worshiped her when I was alive. I remember how much faith I put into her. Even as I lay dying”. She seemed to look down at the ground, as if she was sad.

“You speak as though you had memories of being alive. But how can that be? I never knew spirits could be so expressive”.

“Yes. I have so many memories from when I was alive. I would love to talk to someone, perhaps even share them so that someone could carry them when I go. But I guess I won’t get the chance. The priest’s herbs seem to have brought me more into form, and tomorrow he will free me from this earth”. She looked down at her feet again, as if she was sorry to be there.

“As you should be. Regardless of what kind of spirit you are”. Luther looked at the spirit again, and concluding that it wasn’t going to do anything else, he went to sleep.

---

Rising early in the morning, Luther prepared himself breakfast while he waited for Father Abbot. Soon there was a knock at his door, and he opened it to find the man waiting outside.

“Good morning my son. I will require a day’s work for my complete process, but I assure you it will be complete by the time you return home”.

“Bless you, Father”. Luther excused himself. When the door was closed, the man spoke up in a louder voice.

“Where are you spirit? I will use whatever means I need to discern your location. The less resistance you put up, the easier it will be for you”. The ghost appeared before him, hovering off the ground.

“Father? I am here. I mean no harm. I found myself bound to this house after that man began to live here.

“A restless soul? I see. Then this will be easier. He dug into his robes and fished out a cross. He held the cross out in front of the spirit. “Here dwells a lost soul, departed from this world but still bound to the earth. Left to wander from unanswered yearning, I release this poor child from her shackles. May she return to our lady in Heaven, and be reborn anew. Amen”.

“Amen”, the spirit repeated, as her hands were already clasped together in prayer. She looked around for the sight of bright lights, or an angel to lead her, but she seemed to still be standing in the home next to the man who’d given her last rites. “Father? What’s going on?”

“It is a slower,  more gradual process”, the man said, looking away from the ghost as if he was trying to avoid talking to her. “My superiors would have me do something much more drastic and immediate, but it’s such an ugly ordeal. Holy blades to sever the spirit in two, I see no reason why we can’t offer a slower more peaceful passing. However, I must remain here to ensure the process is complete. And no talking to the deceased. Must not disrupt”. With that, he leaned over carefully and took a seat on the floor, grumbling about his knees. He then went into what appeared to be silent mediation. But as the ghost watched him silently, it appeared at some point that he had fallen asleep.

When Luther returned, he knocked at the door, and Abbot gave a start. “My son, please come in, the ritual was a success. However, I fear I need help getting to my feet”. Luther carefully pushed the door open, and hurried over to the wall where the other man sat. He offered a hand, and lifted with all his strength, allowing him to stand.

“Father I apologize! I should have helped you find better seating”.

“Not to worry my son. The difficult part is over. By Sunday, the spirit will be gone”. He beckoned to Luther to lean over. “But please, you may come to believe that the spirit is still around. Pay no mind to any impression of its forms or words. These are echoes of its time on this earth. It is best that you leave it be so that it can pass on”.

“I understand”. He led Father Abbot back home, and then returned to his own. Then he settled in for the night. But he nearly jumped at the sound of a voice behind him.

“Father was so kind to me, he understood me and allowed me to pass peacefully”. Luther almost replied, but held his tongue. He remembered Abbot’s warning. “I’m so glad I was able to reach out to you. If only for a little while”. Luther tried to avoid looking around. He snuffed out the candle and quickly climbed into bed. But as he lay down, he could just barely make out the figure of the spirit in the corner of the room.

She was watching him.

The next day was a Tuesday, and Luther hastened to prepare himself so he could leave as soon as possible. “Good morning”, the spirit said, giving him a soft smile. It was such a pleasant surprise that he almost returned the greeting, but he bit his tongue again and slammed the door behind him. That night he returned even later, determined to spend as little time as he could between sleeping and working. In his home was the spirit again, who gave a bow when he entered. He looked away. “What kind of work do you do when you leave in such a hurry?”

“I work the fields”, he replied, still weary for how hard he had worked himself. The moment the words left his lips he looked up at the spirit with a look of panic in his eyes. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

“You answered me! I’m so happy”, she said with a smile. Luther fell into bed immediately, afraid he would give in again.

On Wednesday, there was no sight of the spirit. He left so quickly he forgot to eat, and so he found himself returning home especially hungry. His stomach rumbled. There was the spirit, by the small cupboard where he kept his food. She seemed to be trying to open it. “You’re back! You left so quickly. I wish I was able to prepare something for you to eat”. He waved his hand at her as if trying to swat a fly. It went right through her foot, but it felt as if his hand had touched something. The spirit made a strange sound as if she had cried out in surprise. She seemed to vanish for a moment. He hurriedly gathered something to eat, then tried to fall asleep.

On Thursday, he awoke to the sight of the spirit leaning over his face near the ceiling.

“Ah!” He exclaimed

“Oops. I didn’t mean to scare you”, she said, this time looking like she was going to laugh.

“Isn’t it time for you to go?” He clapped his hand to his forehead.

“Not if you continue to talk to me like this”. Luther left in a huff, this time at least managing to eat.

When he returned, she was lingering by the door, as if waiting for him. She watched him silently, and when he sat down, she spoke up. “Do you have any family?” Luther managed not to answer, so she continued speaking unhindered. “My mother and father, my brother Jonathan, we lived in this house together. It was so small, but we were happy together. I remember we were always hungry, so my parents did everything they could to make my brother and I happy. Do you have any memories like that? Are they around? Or are you alone like me?” Luther sat silently, thinking about his own parents who had died from sickness, leaving him an only child in the nearby orphanage until he was old enough to make some earnings and live in this little house. But he refused to answer. “You know it made me feel so strange when you touched me yesterday. I wonder if I can make that happen again”. He could hear her voice behind him, and suddenly he felt something cool on the back of his neck. He gave a start, and tried to fend it off. The spirit laughed. “That’s just the reaction I wanted”. She left him alone long enough for him to go to his bed, but when he lay down she took her place near the ceiling, looking down upon him. He turned over on his side to avoid looking at her.

It was Friday now, and when Luther awoke to the sight of the spirit looking down at him, he returned her gaze.

“What’s taking you so long to leave?”

“Well it doesn’t help to have you talking to me, I think”. She smiled again, drifting slowly to the ground level. Luther got up.

“My parents died of a sickness. I have no one left”.

“That makes us alike”, the spirit said.

“At least until you pass”. He walked out the door.

When Luther returned, he looked at the spirit. For the rest of the night, he found himself transfixed on her, as if he couldn’t think about anything else. But that wasn’t a surprise, that he would focus on the only other person in the room. But she wasn’t a person. She was a spirit that was taking too long to pass. But it was so nice to have someone to talk to, and to greet him when he returned from work. More company than he had ever had in his life, since his parents passed away. The years of living and trying to survive with the other kids hadn’t been as enjoyable as the time that he now spent with this spirit. As he lay down in bed, looking up to the spirit, he stuck his hand up to try to reach for her. She slowly drifted closer, and now they were reaching out to try and touch their fingertips together. He could feel the contact for a brief moment.

When Luther woke up on Saturday morning, he saw nothing of the spirit. So it was almost a relief when he returned from the fields to find the spirit sitting on the bed.

“Luther...I think it might be time to say goodbye”, she said, a forlorn look on her face as if pleading for him to come closer. He approached her, and tried to touch her, but his hand phased right through. He felt nothing.

“How do you feel?” He asked, almost taken aback by his concern.

“Aren’t you relieved to see me go?”

“I should be. But now that it’s about to happen, I can’t. I feel like I’ve known you for so long. I don’t have anything else to live for, but myself! How can I go back to just that after this entire week spent with you?” He had no idea where all these feelings were coming from. But they began to pour out of him and there was no way to stop them. Looking up, the spirit seemed to hear him. He realized that he could see through her more easily, as if she was beginning to fade.

“Luther. I heard your name from the nice priest”. The spirit tried to reach out. He peered at her face and realized it looked as though she was crying. She sniffed.

“It makes me so happy to hear all this from you”. She smiled, settling down near the floor.

“Wait! Tell me your name!”

“My name? How could I have one…”

“You must! From when you were alive!”

“Oh that’s right...I remember. My parents told me that I needed to be strong for my little brother. And for them. They called me Hope”. Luther looked at her in horror. It was almost too cruel, thinking about how he had acted and treated her for the little time they were together. Snuffed hope right out. He had one final idea.

“Hope”, he felt the word on his lips, and it felt like betrayal. “Would it be so wrong to ask something of you now?”

“I would be happy to hear anything you had to say”. She tried to give him a smile.

“Hope. If I take my place in bed, would you lay down beside me?” Luther felt so strange, it was wrong to ask such a thing of anyone but his wife. But now he felt there was no reason to worry about such things. And the smile on Hope’s face when she heard his request made it all worth it. She slowly floated to just above the floor, and managed to take a spot on the side of the bed. He lay down next to her, and in the now darkened room, tried to focus on her pale form.

“Good night Luther”.

“Good night, Hope. If you should vanish before the morning, then I wish for you to rest peacefully”. Luther tried to keep his eyes locked with hers until he fell asleep.

---

There was a loud noise outside his door, and this awoke Luther in a moment. He sat straight up and looked around. Hope was nowhere in sight. He felt a lump in his throat but he didn’t have much time as he stood up and looked out the window. There were what looked like crowds of people in the street, yelling all around. He peeked outside the door, and tried to make sense of the situation. Men and women were running in every direction, but then he got a good look and realized that some of the women were flying above the ground! They seemed to be attacking people! He closed the door. He didn’t know what to do. Wait here? Try to make a run for it? As he was trying to make sense of everything, the door burst open and there in the doorway was a woman. She was beautiful, right until the lower half of her body, which was that of a giant spider! He cowered in fear as she approached him with a smile on her face.

“Well well well, I knew I might have some luck checking the houses. You look like an awfully lonely little man, why don’t I keep you company?”

“Stay back!” Luther shouted, once again finding himself completely unarmed.

“Oh but you’re soooooo-” Her teasing was cut off by another scream, but this one was right behind them. He turned around but there was only one thing he could think of that would make a sound. The spider woman was looking too. “Do you have someone else with you?”

“I did, but she-” He choked back a bit of a sob.

“She???? But aren’t you all alone?” The spider woman seemed increasingly agitated, her large legs tapping on the ground as she shuffled slightly. Before Luther could reply, he looked back at the bed. There seemed to be some movement? Suddenly he felt something push against him, and his whole body went rigid, like it was being seized. Then he felt like there was something filling him up from the inside, and he staggered back as thoughts of Hope flooded his mind. Like he was seeing an entire reel of her memories, from her very early childhood to her life with family to the moment when she witnessed her parents and brother pass away. Her final moments. Then her appearance inside his house. The time she met Father Abbot. Every word she exchanged with Luther, up until the moment he thought she’d disappeared. His eyes widened in surprise as he tried to absorb all this information. “What’s going on? Are you ok?” The lady asked. She tried to reach out to hold the man, but suddenly the man let out a high pitched scream.

“EEEEEK! GET AWAY FROM ME GIANT SPIDER!” The man batted at the arachne. She couldn’t tell what was going on, but she was starting to get annoyed. “Luther! Help me!” The man cried.

“I’m right here!” The man said. “What’s going on?”

“Luther? Are you there?” The man began to back away from the arachne.

“Hope? Is that you?” He asked.

“Yes! I’m right here!” Luther tried to look around but there was no sight of her, even as her voice seemed to be coming right out of his head.

“Where did you go?” He asked.

“I never went anywhere! But I must have lost my form. I can’t touch anything. But I saw your body. And I felt it calling out to me. The next thing I knew I was here! Right inside you. Can you feel me? Can you hear me?”

“Yes I can hear. Like you’re talking inside my head. I think I felt you taking possession of me. I could see every one of your memories. I don’t understand. Weren’t you supposed to be separated from the earth? Go on to heaven?”

“Can I interrupt you two for a moment?” The arachne asked, tapping a foot impatiently.

“Yes?” Two voices came from the man’s mouth.

“Ugh. Well it looks like you’re both a little occupied. So I’d better take my leave so I can find my own man”.

“Wait! Tell us what’s going on!”

“Oh it’s simple. We mamono desire men for lovemaking and procreation. This was supposed to be a simple invasion of several nearby human towns so all of us could find a good husband. There’s demonic energy everywhere in this house. I thought it was just from everyone outside but no, it seems like someone was already getting busy in this household”. She turned around to leave.

“Wait! What would monsters want with humans> You have to tell us more!”

“I don’t have the time. I think I’ll let you both figure it out for yourselves. But if we meet again I’d love to talk once you’ve sorted everything out”. She chuckled to herself before breezing out the door, leaving the pair alone.

The arachne scurried through the streets, finding that many of the remaining civilians were humans being jumped on by mamono or women being turned. She rushed up to another house and found it to be shut tight. She was about to try to bust down the door when she sensed something. There was a powerful force behind the door, one too much like another mamono. “Damn! Too late again!” She continued onward.

Inside the house was Father Abbot, and he was slower to awake to the sounds outside. But when he did, he slowly pulled himself out of bed, walking over to the window. He looked outside to see the chaos in the streets.

“What in Heaven is going on out there?” He asked fearfully, slowly drawing the shades closed.

“Hello there father”, a voice startled him from the side of the house. He looked over to see in the candlelight, a woman sitting at his table.

“And who might you be?” He asked warily.

“My name is Adeline. I’m a mamono, a representative of the Fallen God. A priest, like you are”.

“What business does one like you have, coming into my home to speak of such a disgraced figure?”

“Well, as part of the mamono invasion that was scheduled today, we planned to integrate ourselves into your cities by way of marriage. Oh, I’m sorry, invasion is a bit of a crude word. But it did describe our intended plan. I wouldn’t fault anyone for feeling suspicious of our actions, but we really only have the best of intentions. Would you like to come and sit down?” She beckoned to the second chair. Abbot approached the table, and cautiously sat down to face her. She smiled. In the light he could see that she was almost human, even wearing something akin to the women of the church. But her clothing was almost entirely black, and it gave off a sense of debauchery, like her dress was a mockery of the standard affair. He looked up at her face to see her smiling gently as he tried to take in her form, but it didn’t distract him from the horns on her head. She shifted a bit, and he could swear he heard a clank. “Now, Father”, she held out a hand, and he could see black feathers on her arm, “I chose your house because I sensed that you were an incredibly devout follower of your faith. I realized that you would be an excellent match for me. Can I offer you a chance to join me in my own faith? Your devotion would be just as welcome”.

“How could I possibly abandon the faith that I’ve been following for decades?” He asked, as he narrowed his eyes in scrutiny.

“Well of course I realize that you couldn’t just make the change. However, I get the feeling that you may already be closer than you think”.

“How is that possible? I value restraint, diligence, and compassion for those around me. Even as my superiors insist on the merits of suffering and sacrifice”, he said, looking down as if he was ashamed to be associated with them.

“Oh? It may interest you to know that my own faith values such traits. Compassion for others’ suffering. Diligence, hard work in the interest of making things right. Furthering the goals of our faith so that more people can reach the same happiness”.

“I see that restraint is not one of them”, he scoffed, glancing at her outfit. She giggled.

“It’s true, we are very open to the immediate desires of the body. But restraint has its own merits. For example…”, she took a deep breath, “the restraint that I am showing now, to avoid pouncing on you right now. All the better to wait until later”. Abbot was taken aback. “But do not be afraid. I want you to understand me first. Tell me, what do you know about all this demonic energy in your home?”

“No doubt the corruption brought by you and the rest of the monsters”.

“True. But I sensed a source of it before I entered your home”. She stood up slowly, allowing Abbot to keep his eye on her, and walked around the room, picking up his bag of tools. “Here. I sense it coming from here. Would you allow me to look?”

“Those are my tools for religious ceremonies. What could possibly come from there?” He waited as she rummaged inside. She pulled out his cross.

“You shouldn’t be able to touch that!” He exclaimed.

“Normally no. But I can tell, this is made of demon realm silver”.

“What? I received that from the church themselves!”

“Yes, clearly well made. But I can tell, this was definitely made of demon realm silver. You see, a branch of our sabbath, who is responsible for production and development of new magic and technology in the demon realm army, got a hold of some of the minerals that would normally be crafted into weapons. Spears, swords, arrows and other tools can pierce a person’s body, but they won’t cause injury. Instead they cause the place to leak out spirit energy, causing the person to be tired and easier to capture or transform. But they wanted to see if there were any other applications for the material. They discovered that you could make other tools, even those for religious applications. They were then distributed in secret to churches and cities across the land. A cross properly imbued with holy magic might normally be able to ward off mamono, or banish lingering demonic energy. It could even sever the dead from their connection to the earth. But a cross like this will do the opposite. Spread its influence, allow more mamono to live there, or infuse the dead with demonic energy so that they could take form in search of their own husband”.

“Are you saying that I’ve been seeding the very influence I sought to rid the people of?”

“That’s correct. Do you remember how you got this cross?”

“It was handed quietly to me after I was given training. I never properly finished it, the final lesson was on the necessities of banishing the dead. It was so heartless, I couldn’t bear to hear another word about how to remove people from the world. They told me I could never be properly certified, but that was fine with me. I would find my own service. I remember someone handing me this cross, told me to be quiet about it. Gave me the ritual to banish the dead peacefully. I’ve done what they asked. You’re telling me that every single person I gave peace to was made to take form and continue to walk this earth?”

“That’s right, Father. But only in service of their own happiness”.

“How can someone be happy roaming the earth and being denied entrance to heaven?”

“Perhaps I can show you? Do you know where the last person you gave rites to was?”

“The spirit of a young woman. She was tied to a house of a young man who’s lived by himself for a while now, he came asking for my help with a possession”.

“Then perhaps we can go take a look at their house? I will keep you safe from anyone else who might have their eye on you”. Father Abbot puzzled for a moment.

“You seem to have proven to be worth some trust. Then let’s go. It’s not far from here”. He stood up but Adeline caught him from behind, lifting him up into her arms despite his protest. She wrapped her tail around his waist, placing it on his chest as she stepped outside.

“Show me the way”, she said. Abbot pointed her to Luther’s house. All the while trying to figure out her tail. It was in the shape of a black heart, but there seemed to be a length of chain running down her tail and binding the end of it. Why would such a creature devoted to the pleasures of the flesh and wanton desire wear something so restrictive on her body? When they reached the house, she leaned over to listen by the door. The streets were almost empty at this time, so as Abbot leaned toward the door, he could hear the sounds of voices from the inside. The sound of Luther speaking, yelling even. But there was also a second voice, the one he remembered from that woman that he’d been tasked with getting rid of. They seemed to be having a very animated discussion. Adeline turned around and started to walk back to the house. “Let’s let them be alone. It seems like they have a lot of things to sort out”.

“She should be gone. How is it that woman is still around?”

“Just as I told you”. As they returned to his own house, she opened the door, went inside and sat on the bed, refusing to release Abbot.

“Then I have been doing your work for years. How could I claim myself as a follower of my faith when I’ve been acting in spite of it for years?”

“It wasn’t your fault”, Adeline replied soothingly. “You were doing what you thought was right for people. And I can assure you that you’ve done far more good than you realize. You said that you didn’t want to follow the orders of your superiors. Does that mean that you didn’t truly feel them in your heart? That you were following your own convictions? I would welcome you into my own faith with open arms, and I can tell that your work would be greatly appreciated”.

“If you will have such an old man like me”, he replied, almost resigned in his decision.

“It would be an honor”. She reached for his hand and gingerly placed a kiss on the back. She held it in her grasp and smiled as she looked down upon him. “But it seems you’re tired. We can continue in daylight. There will be plenty of time to get to know each other better”.

“It will be Sunday. A day of worship”.

“Oh, there will be plenty of time for worship. Perhaps a different kind”. She placed her other hand on her cheek, thinking about all the ways she could get to know him better.

---

Back in his own house, Luther was trying to make sense of all the most recent events. All the memories of Hope that were flooding his head. But there were more now, and he felt his body heating up at the thought of some of them. His cheeks flushed, and he started to pant.

“Luther, can you see? Can you see all the things that I want to do with you now that I’m with you?”

“I can! In vivid detail! Hope, there’s no way we can do such things. It’s too indecent to think about!”

“We’ll see about that”, he could hear the laughter in her voice as it rang out in his head. The same thoughts that were permeating his mind were merging with his own desires, and he felt like he could barely hold back. He tried to lay down to get a hold of himself. Hope continued to speak, this time her voice softer, but with a more coaxing tone. “When Father Abbot sent me away, I thought I was going to disappear. But I stayed here. I started to want to know more about you, hear about your life and your family and everything else, whether it was happy or sad. I wished that I could be there for you, as you would for me, and we could spend our time in this little house. I thought that I’d never see you again but when that other lady showed up it was like I was here again, and I saw your body, and it called out to me. I’ve taken up your body now, and ooooohhhhh now that I’m here there’s so much I want to do with you. Could I kiss you? How about just on the hand?” Luther tried to speak up and refuse, but he found now that she was just as in control as he was, and when he placed his lips on his hand he felt like it was coming from Hope herself. “You see? Isn’t that nice?” He could feel her desire soaring to new heights, it was almost unbearable, and he reached for his pants.

“Hope, this isn’t right. We’re not married. I don’t even know how I could be married to you.”

“But didn’t you say you wanted to be with me? We lay in the same bed, we’re practically halfway there already. Oh Luther, you must feel what I feel”. He could hear her voice again, it was so tempting and so inviting, it was like his reason was slowly starting to bend to her will. He felt himself fiddling with the button. He tried to stop himself but it was like his body had a mind of its own and now he was exposing himself.

“Hope, I’m afraid. This feels so wrong”. He tried one last means to appeal to her. But it also felt so good, and he knew it could feel better. It was as if Hope knew that too.

“Luther…”, her voice was quiet, and almost breathless now, once again his head felt stained with desire, her own, but now his too. “I know you’re nervous. I am too. But I know this will be right for both of us. We’ll figure out things together”.

“Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure in my life”. Luther felt himself smile, Hope was happy too, and as he began to take action, uncertainty but helped along by Hope. He cried out in surprise, and he could hear Hope crying out too. Suddenly something was gone, and as he lay on the bed, before him he could see a familiar glowing figure. There was Hope, but her figure was fuller, and she had a delighted smile on her face. She licked up the spirit energy and gasped in ecstasy, before turning to Luther. “I’m here”, she grinned from ear to ear. “Did that feel as good for you as for me?”

“I think so, '' he replied. Hope leaped at him for a hug, but this time he felt her like she had a solid body, her chest pressing against his as she held him tightly. He gave her a pat on the head and could feel her soft hair. She signed contentedly and Luther gave a start as she sank into his lap, her face growing even more lewd. She reached up and kissed him, and Luther could only sink back into the bed, reveling in every soft bit of Hope’s body.

The invasion was a success across multiple locations. The arachne, for her part, had found her own match, holding him tightly in the bindings she made from a web. Adeline rested on the bed, Father Abbot dozing in her lap. Luther lay in his own bed, as Hope cuddled into his chest, snoozing soundly with the happiest expression on her face.