The Piano || 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘣𝘺 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬

|79|

This time, Ashley woke up even further from Ilse than the last time. She was standing in the corner of the greenhouse, as blind as always in the beginning. Trying to reorient herself, she stretched out a hand – and immediately pulled it back after hitting the edge of a shelf. She quickly shook the surprisingly real pain off; there was no time for delays.

With determination, she found her way through the ranks of plants. By now, not even the cold floor made her hesitate, despite the cold marble biting the skin of her naked feet. She just needed to see Ilse.

The woman was sitting at the small table, with her back to Ashley. She didn't look up, not even as the redhead took place across from her, slumping down on the chair. The room was completely silent for a few seconds.

"Ilse?" Ashley asked, uneasiness settling in her stomach. Was something wrong? Finally, the woman looked up. She looked pale, even for a ghost, and her cheeks were hollowed with something like... sorrow?

Her lips parted, and Ashley held her breath.

"The ring?" she said, and Ashley realised how much she'd craved the sound of that voice after hearing it once. It was the sweetest melody to her ears. She nodded eagerly, showing her hand, the ring on her ring finger.

"Here," she said. "I have it. I didn't lose it."

Ilse smiled. But still, the grief stayed in her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Ashley asked.

"I'm weak," the woman muttered. "I'm fading."

Ashley was talking to her. Having a real conversation. The realisation sent a thrill through her entire body, and she had to focus as not to let it show.

"Fading?"

"The ring," Ilse repeated. Ashley's stomach lurched as if she were about to wake up. Terror flooded her veins. No. Not now.

"What? I don't understand you!"

Ilse looked up. Her eyes met Ashley's, and chills ran down her entire back. But no response was heard.

"What about it? What do I need to do?"

"Behalt ihn," Ilse said. "Den Ring. Er verankert mich..."

She was speaking German, no question. Slowly, Ilse outstretched her hand, her long, white fingers steady. Still, Ashley believed them to be weak. She didn't even blink, Ashley noticed after a second. But that hardly unsettled her, she just needed to understand...

"Ilse," she whispered, borderline desperate.

"Ich kann mich nicht mehr lange in dieser Welt festhalten. Du musst den Ring für mich aufbewahren, ansonsten..."

Ashley slowly slipped the ring from her finger. Ilse's expression shifted ever so slightly, encouraging her to continue.

Before she could drop the ring into Ilse's palm, the room seemed to shift. Ashley's view flickered, her consciousness fading in and out. And in one instant, it was as if she were pulled backwards, the shock going through her entire body as she hit...

Colby. His arms around her. Holding her close.

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Colby came home to find Ashley asleep. With Sam, they'd decided to make the trip back home immediately, since both weren't comfortable with how much the spirit, the owner of an old pub, had hinted at her. At first, it had been subtle, and they'd reacted only with confusion. As soon as the spirit box spit out the word ring, Sam and he were both on high alert, out of habit. And then he'd hit them with the chilling today. And as the last drop: Ilse. That couldn't be a coincidence.

That was when he'd called Ashley, just to make sure she was okay. Colby was sure nothing would ever come close to the chills he'd had when she explained the nosebleed and headache.

The investigation came to a quick end after that. And now, he was entering the house alone in the dark. Sam had decided to stay in the hotel and return home later in the morning so Colby wouldn't have to take care of their equipment.

The door fell shut behind him, and he walked over to the room he shared with Ashley. She was asleep on the bed, only a dark silhouette against the low light filtering through the curtains.

As he walked into the bathroom and threw away a candy wrapper, he saw the bloody tissues lying among used makeup wipes and other tissues. His jaw clenched. Not that he had suspected Ashley were lying but seeing the proof of whatever effect the spirits had on her hit him stronger than expected.

He glanced back into the room, and his eyes immediately fell on the bed. Ashley was gone.

With a frown, he stepped out of the bathroom and called out her name. No answer.

His eyes, still used to the bright bathroom light, blinked as he tried to adjust them to the darkness. Despite the city lights outside, the apartment was eerily dark and soundless. Colby stretched out his hand for his fingers to brush along the wall as he searched his way to the living room. Ashley wasn't there.

Following a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, he walked to the stairs and slowly descended them. The basement was even darker than the rest of the house, and he stopped in the middle of the flight of stairs.

He heard Ashley's voice.

"What?" she mumbled. "I don't understand..." At first, he expected her to be on the phone – maybe she left the room because she didn't want to disturb him, maybe nothing was wrong anyway... but that was bullshit, and he knew it.

"Ashley," he said. She didn't react.

"What do I need to do," she said, her voice slurred but clear enough that he could sense the desperation in it.

Colby just stood and watched. He knew sleepwalkers weren't supposed to be woken up while they were still sleepwalking, for whatever reason, but everything in him was yelling at him to run to her and shake her until she woke up. This was so wrong.

"Ilse," Ashley said. Chills ran down Colby's back, and in the dark he could see her taking a step forward, almost hitting the table he and Sam used to film their reaction videos. But not quite.

"Ashley," he said, louder this time. His fingers found the light switch and the basement was flooded by a bright, yellowish light in an instant. Ashley didn't react.

She stretched out her hand, her lips forming more soundless words, but now Colby could see a ring glinting on her finger. And not just any ring. With a curse, he rushed down the last stairs and over to Ashley, grabbing her by the shoulders. She flinched, fighting his grip, and mumbling something unintelligible.

He kept holding her until her eyelids fluttered open.

Author's note-
> Imagine Ashley just starts talking German... ha... hahaha...