Lusting For Ralph
Chapter 17

That morning Madison woke up in his arms. He had been awake before her, but he didn't want to startle her by leaving her alone. "Morning beautiful..." he kissed her hair when she shifted her body in his arm, indicating that she was waking up.

"Ralph, you're so cuddly. I could stay here all day."

He chuckled at her words and said that they were going on a special trip after they have their breakfast.

But he was still keeping their true destination a secret, he didn't want to freak her out incase Shani couldn't make it happened.

Ralph told her to go get dressed then changed his mind telling her that they will have breakfast on their way there. He wanted to get to Shani's sooner than later. "Ralph, will you tell me where are we going? you're scaring me."

"We're going on a seaside adventure, you deserved a tick-free vacation and we're going to the beach."

He kissed her cheek and give her a dose of her morning coffee when he got back to her apartment after a quick change and packing up his clothes for an overnight stay. "Ralph, I have so many school assignments I don't have time for a vacation."

"We will bring them, I will help you with your schoolwork. You need this Maddie, hell...I need this."

She smiled when he was being playful and started thinking that maybe the getaway could get both of them to forget about the tensions that they have been having with her sickness, her nightmares, and her horror encounters. One and a half-hour later Ralph pulled over at the roadside diner for their breakfast just before they reach the sleepy seaside town.

"Come on, don't tell me you haven't..." Ralph didn't finish his words when his phone lights up with Kendra's name on his screen.

And all of a sudden she felt her jealousy starting to build up. But Ralph was quick to pick up his phone while taking her hand and silently telling her to stay with him while he takes the call.

"Kendra, we're done. You know this already. Look, I'm out of town asked Brian to take you. I'm with Madison, no... we're not. We're exclusive." He said looking at her while taking her knuckles and kiss them. Madison smiled at him and continue to listen to him while she takes a bite of her honey-glazed pancakes.

"So, we're taking a quick stop to my friend's house, Shani. I was talking to her the night you were...when I was not by your side." He didn't want to talk about the entity any more than he has to. "Why?" she asked feeling that it has something to do with her.

"I need you to keep an open mind, and think of this as a maybe to your current situation..."

She looked at him questioningly when he wasn't giving her a straight answer.

"Ralph..."

"Right, isn't she the one who summoned the demon who took you to another realm? And...if she thinks she could get rid of my problem, how can't she get rid of yours?

Maddie sounded agitated she hated that the little getaway was a ruse for him to get her to Shani's place.

"Baby, please...this is not a done deal. She said she would try but there's no guarantee. But in my situation, it was... self-inflicted there's no way around it. I just have to deal with it."

She grasped his hand and rubbed it gently, he seldom talked about his other world, and when he does it always pained her and she would blame herself on the inside for not seeing what he was struggling with.

"...but your near-death experience was because of sickness, oh God... Madison, trust me you don't want to know the half of it. I have to go to my so-called meetings just to keep my sanity..."

It was true he thought, remembering the first time he almost ran over a woman who turns out to be a ghost. She was wandering in the middle of the highway and almost put him in an accident.

"I'm sorry..."

"No, Madison. I was stupid, I shouldn't have done that. The Richardson loves me, I'm just on my phase I guess." He shrugged and quickly swift their conversation to the beautiful seaside village which they were going to stay at while enjoying their breakfast.

It was another hour later when they finally arrived at Shani's. Her place was a small cottage just outside the city limits. Ralph introduced the two women after Shani lets them into her cozy cottage.

Then Shani introduced the young couple to her husband, Arkael, who then leave them to their privacy.

Madison liked Shani, she didn't look like your typical witch at all and she made Maddie felt comfortable by explaining to her what they're going to try to do with her.

Shani was very straightforward with the procedure, the steps, ingredients, and so on. While Ralph didn't let go of her hand as he offered Madison his support.

"Okay, basically it's a very simple ritual and I've set up everything and hopefully we can close your third eye permanently. But you have to listen carefully to my words... Ralph, you can take a seat by the window. I need her full concentration, her aura is very positive. I have a very good feeling about this."

Shani smiled at the couple and Ralph relaxed and he kissed her cheek then moved back to take his seat and watch them from afar.

Shani started with the candles, then burning the sage while chanting lowly in a language that both Maddie and Ralph didn't recognize. The air suddenly felt colder and Madison stayed still on her chair while Shani moved towards her.

She kept on talking in her ancient language while her hand was moving the burnt sage to Madison's sides. She was a bit startled when Madison heard an old woman's voice inches from her left ear.

But she was quick to remember Shani's words telling her to concentrate on her words alone and not listening to other entities which might try to distract her concentration.

Shani even told her to close her eyes whenever Maddie thinks it's too scary for her when they decided to show up. And she did just that when she saw the long-haired woman in front of her.

The chants were getting louder and the candles were burning brighter when Shani touched the middle of her forehead gently with the tip of the witch's finger.

It felt cold. Very cold.

And just like that, all the candles were blown off by a slow gust of wind, and then the air was back to normal instantly.

"Open your eyes, slowly. Let yourself adjust to the surrounding, and tell me what to do you see?"

Madison followed her words and slowly opened her eyes. She sees Ralph who was looking at her nervously and Shani who calmly gathered her stuff and sit to her front waiting for Madison to answer her question.

"I see you, and Ralph." She said slowly, then blinked her eyes slowly and looked at her surroundings once again then shook her head at Shani and Ralph and told them there was nothing.

"Probably they're gone?"

"Hopefully from your sight for good. But no they're still here, they still linger since they have unfinished issues and are currently stuck in our realm..."

Shani looked at Ralph and told him that he could come closer. Madison was still not sure, because she didn't feel any change in her body and her vision didn't feel any different. But Maddie knew Shani told the truth when Ralph hugged her tightly in his arms, he almost suffocates her in the process.

"Thank you!" he hugged Shani next making her smile back at him, but then told him that Madison might still feel their presence but she won't be able to see them.

"And even the presence would be a very minimum feel for you since you're not feeling what's beside you right this very moment," Shani told Maddie in confidence.

Ralph looked at Madison and nodded and swift his gaze to her left when Maddie didn't feel anything. He hugged her again and they both thanked Shani, they talked for another hour with her then Ralph excused them both telling her that they were going to celebrate making her smiled at the young couple and told them to have fun.

"You can't possibly know how happy I am."

"I think I can see it Ralphy." She cupped his face and kissed him slowly.

"Okay! Next on our schedule, go to our beach hideaway where we spend our days in closed doors preferably naked!"

She laughed at his words, she was happy that he was back and their chemistry was back.

"Celebrate it is then."

"Yes, woman. We're on our way."