Chapter 18

I knocked repeatedly at the Harmons’ door, being alone as it was daytime and there was only one ring that could let us walk in daylight. I heard footsteps, and sure enough, Vivien Harmon answered the door, in her pajamas no less. I chuckled as she saw me, dressed as I was in a polo shirt and khakis, seemingly quite suburban and normal aside from my bag that I carried on me. She was a little surprised to have company and she looked at me with considerable doubt. Who was this guy, anyway?

“Hello and welcome to the neighborhood. I’m Roger. You’re one of the Harmons, I presume,” I flashed a friendly smile.

“Yes, I’m Vivien Harmon. We just moved in here, me, my husband Ben, and our daughter Violet,” Vivien explained while shuffling her sheet, clearly uncomfortable for some reason.

“Good. Now, invite me into the house,” I told Vivien while glamoring her.

“Please, come into my house,” Vivien invited me now.

“Good girl. Now, listen to me, Vivien. You can trust me. In fact, you trust me more than you trust anyone else. My name is Roger Waters, just like the musician. Now, drink of my blood,” I told Vivien, cutting myself with a kitchen knife while offering her my blood to drink.

“Yes, of course,” Vivien complied, no longer suspicious at all, even as I moved her head slightly to bite her neck.

I wanted to taste her blood, after all, without her being too weakened, and I also wanted her linked to me in a bond that would be very difficult to break. I wanted Vivien to have sexual dreams about me, too, of course, and be much easier prey for my intentions. I didn’t kiss her just yet. I simply closed the gap and admired her body, beautiful in a mature, voluptuous way, with her auburn hair and her pale skin.

I was after more than an adulterous affair, after all. I wanted to bed both mother and daughter, but more than that. I wanted to lure Ben into an incestuous entanglement with Violet, even as Vivien drew closer to her own daughter in a Sapphic union as well. I wanted them to all be sexually intimate with me, even Ben, even as they were with each other. I wanted them to be involved with my nest as well, every last member of it.

I wanted Moira neutralized by her awareness that the Harmons were fully under my sway. When that happened, Moira would be forced to watch helplessly as a vampire undercut all of her plans to break the cycle and escape the Murder House. She would hurt her own cause by means of her hatred of lecherous men, which was a bit hypocritical in my book given her past and present conduct. In her frustration, she would be unable to keep up the masquerade as I undermined her at every turn.

Sure enough, Moira appeared at that moment, even as I stared at Vivien’s beauty and she did nothing to discourage me. Oh, no, Mrs. Harmon seemed to enjoy my attention as I gave it to her. It was only now, as Moira realized that I for some reason saw her as she was, that I put my hand softly on Vivien’s. It was an act meant to appear accidental, though it was quite deliberate, of course. Vivien definitely noticed, but she still trusted me, of course, even as I brushed her hair, also supposedly by accident.

Moira gave me a glare as she realized just what I saw instead of her superficial appearance. I was clearly a libertine, and yet i was somehow not deceived by her guise. Why was that, anyway? Why was I not fooled by her facade? I was a man, wasn’t I? I definitely wasn’t a ghost, and yet I was strange ... weird. What was I?

“If you’ll excuse me, Vivien, where are your husband and daughter right now, anyway?” I now inquired of Ben, even as Moira stared daggers at me.

“Oh, he’s probably almost done with his session with a patient, so should be out of the office pretty soon. Knowing him, he’ll be in the kitchen pretty soon. His office is a home one, which is handy, because we are trying to repair our marriage. There have been some ... issues between us, you see. He had an affair with a student and blamed it on neglect by me, so we’re trying to work through our ... issues,” Vivien stammered, finding it difficult to speak about Ben while she flirted with me.

“I see. Vivien, listen to me. Forgive Ben. I will work on him to forgive you as well for any grievances he has against you. Your family must be a united front. You must stand together against the whole world, my dear. Go to bed with Ben tonight. Make love to your husband. Reclaim your marital rights as his wife. It’s not fair to either of you to deprive yourself because of the past. That is robbing yourself of joy in the present,” I told Vivien in Moira’s presence, watching the maid’s face turn to disgust.

“Yes, of course ... you’re right. It’s been too long,” Vivien answered, even as my hand brushed across her butt a little through her jammies.

Just then, Ben walked into the kitchen, his session over at last, and I smiled pleasantly at him.

“Ben, this is our neighbor, Roger ... Waters, wasn’t it?” Vivien confirmed awkwardly.

“Roger Waters, like the musician from Pink Floyd,” Ben chuckled now, his unease at my proximity to his wife eased a little by the humorous fact.

“Yes, indeed. It’s been the bane of my existence, especially since I’m also a fan of theirs. People tend to assume that I changed my name, but no, I was born with it. Oh, full disclosure, I have a lot of roommates, but they’re something of night owls. You won’t ever see them in daylight, I fear.

“Now, listen to me and trust me. Make love to your wife here tonight and forgive her for any wrongs she did to you in the past. I gave her the same advice for dealing with you,” I glamored Ben, who yielded to my instructions as well, “also, taste this ... and let me taste this.”