The Story of Rings Cory and I had gotten married about a year ago. It was a beautiful day. We soon got a house, it was small and cozy, with yellow paint outside and brown inside. We were in the kitchen, making cookies for our neighborhood party. My wedding ring was a tight band around my finger, the cool metal always reminding me of the day we said "I do." He was behind me, in a green v-neck that had long sleeves. He had rolled them up so they didn't get in his way. He wore jeans and a black belt, and he was ultimately sexy. I was in a baggy white shirt with black skinny jeans, wearing my long fuzzy socks over top of them. In his opinion, adorable. "'Kay, what do I do next?" He turned around and looked at me. He had put in the vanilla. "Now you turn on the mixer." I replied with a smile, walking over to him. "It's like you've never made cookies before."I laughed. I stood behind him so I could guide his arms the way they were supposed to. "I just wanted you to touch me." He turned around and kissed me. I was short, compared to him. My head barely touched his shoulder when I stood next to him, but was probably one of the best things when we hugged, because I could get to hear his heartbeat. I smiled at him and turned around, back to the oven. I put on an oven mitt and pulled out a tray that was full of cookies. Cory turned. "Oh, yay. Those smell really good." He said as he turned on the mixer. A chocolate chip flew out and hit him in the back of the head. "Ow!" He yelled. I laughed. "You set it on too fast!" I set down the tray and reset the speed on the mixer so it was slower. He rubbed the back of his head, and I kissed him. He kissed me back, gladly, then pulled away. He kissed me on the cheek before going back to the cookies. I started putting the ones that were done cooking in a bowl, when I felt a cold breath on my neck. At first, I laughed. "Cory, stop breathing on me." But he just said, "Hm? I didn't." I felt fingers on my shoulders, and freaked. I knew she would come. "Oh god, Cory!" I turned around as a girl with caramel hair pulled back a knife and stabbed him. "Dove! Stop it, please!" I rushed over and tried to pull back her arm, but it was freezing. I pulled back, and she disappeared, leaving the knife in his back. He slumped down onto the ground, blood leaking out of his green shirt. "Cory!" I screamed, falling onto my knees and grabbing him. I felt small and useless, he was dying in my hands and I couldn't do anything. My fingers trembled as they skimmed over his arms. I cried out. I screamed as hard as I could. Nothing could bring him back to me. I just lost my husband, and it was because I got him in the first place. "H-hold on Cory." I said and rushed out of our house to the neighbors. They were very friendly, and had two kids. I pounded on the door am rang the doorbell. Kate opened the door. "Clarity, what's wrong?" She asked me, seeing the tears falling down my face as her motherly instincts kicked in. "Cory!" I gasped. "He just got stabbed!" She widened her eyes. "Paul!" She screamed. "It'll be alright, sweetheart." She tried to comfort me. They both knew about my time in the Haunting, and they knew about what happened here. I fell to my knees and sobbed, my fingernails digging into the skin exposed on my arms. Kate fell to the ground next to me, rubbing my arms and hugging me, saying comforting words. It didn't help. Cory was gone. It was all I could think about. He's gone, he's gone, he's gone. Nothing can bring him back. I felt like screaming. So I did. We called the police a little while after I calmed down. Of course, they knew about the Haunting, because Officer Wryle had returned from it himself. He had them take Cory's body from me. My only piece of him left was his wedding ring. I sobbed on my front lawn. The next week, the neighbors brought me food, fruitcake, cards. The cards would read, "We're sorry for your loss." I would wear his shirts, which would smell like him, and sleep on his side of the bed. Nothing helped. I longed for him to kiss me, to hear his heartbeat, to watch movies with him on the couch, to teach him every time how to make cookies when he clearly knew. But then it got worse. I felt cold breaths in my hair when I was trying to sleep, and it felt like someone was holding onto my waist. When I would wake up, the blinds were already open and there was tea on my dresser. A month passed, and I couldn't even leave my bedroom. There was the constant feeling that someone was there, and it scared me like hell. I would hear depressing sighs and footsteps. I was paranoid. Then I couldn't come out from under the covers. Then I was suicidal. I taped a note on my front door, then left to the kitchen, waiting. I was wearing sweatpants and one of Cory's shirts. I felt the cold breath, and an old friend appeared in front of me. It was Dove. She smiled crookedly. "I can't believe you married him." I clenched my hands into fists. "What did you do." "I got rid of the guy who ruined my #life as well as yours." "My #life? My #life?!" I screamed at her and launched myself at her face. She ducked. "Chill out! He's in The Haunting." I tightened my lips, forcing my hands to open. "Why would you kill him?" "Remember when we used to be pals, and you saw me sleeping? The throat full of pills? He made me commit suicide." I paused to take in the information. "Somebody can't make you do that. It's your fault." She laughed. "No, you see, he gave a medicine to me for my grandmother, but said he would kill her if I didn't die. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? A little like the deal you made with him?" I can't remember anything from my past before The Haunting. But as she said it, a little ding went off in my head. "Leave, and get Cory for me. Thanks." I snapped and she left. I sat on the couch and curled up. When Dove arrived again, she was digging her fingernails into Cory's arm, and he was trying to kick her off. I sat up, my eyes starting to water. "Cory!" I yelled, getting up and walking to him quickly. Dove squinted an eye. "You two have to stay at least five feet apart at all times." I froze and glared at her. "You can't do that, we're married!" Cory yelled. I walked closer to him, grabbing his frozen hand. "...You're chilly." I said and blew warm air onto his hand like he did to me, then stood on my tiptoes to kiss him. Flames erupted between us, and my lips hurt so bad I felt like choking. They started to bleed, I could tell by the liquid dripping down my chin. His hand was getting warmer than it was, and I saw Dove in the corner of my eye struggling to pull us apart. I took my lips off of Cory's (who made a disappointed grunt), and wiped the blood away, walking to Dove. She scowled. "What is wrong with you?!" I screamed at her and snapped my fingers in her face. "You're acting insane! Just leave me alone!" Dove trembled in anger and snapped, turning into dust and then disappearing. Cory pulled me back over to him and kissed me again, deeper. He had his hands on my face and I knew he was turning back normal, I could feel the heat returning in his hands. He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. ----- Cory is normal again, and I'm grateful, because I have a surprise for him. I'm pregnant.