Chapter 5

Tabitha rushed up to Nadine’s room and grabbed her phone from the bathroom. She sighed in relief to see after four attempts, the download hadn’t failed. She grabbed her phone and rushed down the stairs, two steps at a time. She shuddered, peaking around the corner to see Aislin’s head still bobbing in Heath’s lap. She ducked out of the doorway before he could see her.

Tabitha rested against the wall and closed her eyes. Aislin’s wet throaty smacks carried loudly out into the hall. Tabitha circled her lips with her left fingers. She clenched her teeth and tried not to stomp her feet as she struck off towards the living room.

“Tabby!” Uly said, looking at a bottle of wine.

“Nope!” Tabitha replied and took off down to the basement.

The basement was mostly finished. There wasn’t much, the laundry, a bedroom, the wine cellar, and the rec room. She wondered why Uly and Nadine still shared a bed when either could just come down here and have their own room. It wasn’t her decision. Maybe they didn’t want to be alone? Tabitha didn’t want to be alone. She just didn’t want to be with Uly and Nadine.

Or Aislin. Fuck that bitch.

Tabitha frowned and looked down from the ceiling. He probably was. Tabitha felt uncomfortably warm. That’s why she had downloaded the book. She popped in her headphones and laid out on the rec room couch.

“Hey!” Uly smiled and waved as she walked by. Tabitha flinched and twisted. Her eyes went wide. She slammed pause on her phone before the first werewolf was shirtless.

“What? Uly I don’t want to drink with you!”

“That’s cool, I overheard the others. I was going to look for that TV and VCR. He said there are Disney movies. Do you like Frozen?”

“Everyone likes Frozen,” Tabitha said with a frown. “But if it’s a VCR it’s probably older.”

“Like The Little Mermaid!” Uly lit up. She pulled open a closet and found the TV, VCR, and movie collection on a rolling tray. She grabbed it and dragged it to the middle of the room in front of Tabitha. She squatted down.

“Black Cauldron, Robin Hood, Sword in the Stone, Cinderella...” She flipped through the old tapes with a frown. They were stacked up in a blue milk crate. She frowned and pulled up a brown jacketed tape. It wasn’t labeled.

She wheeled the cart over to a socket and plugged everything in. There were no remotes. She took a second to get used to the dials. Another minute to figure out it had to be on channel three to see the movie.

“Home movies?” Tabitha asked.

“I guess so,” Uly said. She stepped back from the screen. There was a little boy running around in the backyard. Hopping and scooping with his hands as a frog continually escaped.

“Heath’s getting strong.”

“You want to see that, Niece. He’s still too soft.”

Whoever was talking was standing behind the camera.

“He’s my boy. He’s going to be--” The first voice was soft.

“He’s going to be someone else’s man.” The second voice was sharp.

“Did we do the right thing?” Soft asked.

“It was the right thing with his father. If only Karen or Jenny had had the boy. Your sisters are better suited to raise a real bastard.” The harsh voice said.

“He’s a beautiful boy, he shouldn’t be a bastard. He could be a wise king, a philosopher king, a--”

“A deposed king.”

“This is fucking weird,” Tabitha said.

It was clear that the rest of the video was shot in silence. Heath eventually caught the frog. He squeezed it in two chubby six year old hands, bulging the eyes as he held it up to the camera. The video stopped and the TV cut to snow.

“There’s more!” Uly rushed back to the crate.

“It seems like we’re snooping. Stomping on his privacy.” Tabitha worried.

“Of course we are!” Uly said. “Don’t you think his mom would’ve forced this video on us if we had been introduced? Like whipping out the baby pictures.”

“That’s just for like sitcoms and shit,” Tabitha said. “And even if she did show it, it wouldn’t have been the part where they were talking.”

“Yeah, just that poor frog getting squeezed,” Uly said. She grabbed one in a silver sleeve.

Nothing. Blackness.

“You have to rewind it.” Tabitha suggested.

“Rewind what?” Nadine asked, coming across from the stairs. “Oh, movie night? I hope they have The Black Cauldron. I’m always told it was the worst one but I had seen it so many times as a child that I liked it before I could be told to hate it.”

“Yeah, they do. I haven’t seen it. Uly let’s watch that instead--”

“Boom!” Uly pressed play. It was clearly shot in the same room they were in. The same bland manila carpet on the floor. The couch Tabitha sat on was up against the wall. There were three girls there, a teenager, nursing a little baby, and two twenty-somethings. Clearly sisters. There was a loud crash and everyone flinched, including whoever held the camera.

“I’m not paying you to make a racket Kirsty!”

“Well excuse me!” The voice made Nadine flinch. “It’s hard enough chasing your spoiled brats around this pregnant!”

“Mom!” Nadine flinched.

“Really?” Uly said.

“Sounds like she was babysitting,” Tabitha surmised.

“Put Heath down, Niece,” the harsh voice from the frog video was right behind the camera again.

“Who’s that?” Nadine asked.

“Where? The floor?” The teenager with the baby was asking. “It’s cold and--”

“I think that’s Heath’s aunt Hazel and the baby is clearly--”

“Niece!”

“Great guess Sherlock, even after she said his name,” Nadine said.

“Shut up!” Uly said. “Look!”

Heath’s teenaged mother covered her face and took two steps back from the baby on the floor. Heath started crying. The older sisters frowned, Heath’s aunts by inference, the nearest the camera held out her hand.

An old woman’s hand reached beyond the camera lens and dropped a bronze arrowhead into the first woman’s hand.

“Ambition.” She cut her thumb and stuck it in her mouth.

“Strength.” The second woman grabbed the arrowhead and cut her thumb.

Heath’s mother reached over the baby and snatched the arrowhead as her sister sucked the welling blood out of her cut.

“Kindness!” She shouted and slashed her thumb.

“You idiot girl!” The old woman shouted and the video cut dead.

“That looked Satanish.” Nadine looked at Tabitha and Uly.

“Satan loves kindness,” Uly said.

“I don’t think she did,” Tabitha said. “I don’t think she liked it at all.”

Aislin relaxed in the shower after another show-of-force fuck. She was in control of the house. She controlled Heath. The girls were all over Heath. At first, the very idea of her boyfriend fucking another girl made her feel vulnerable. Look at Tabitha’s tits! Did you see how Uly can bend? Heath still had a lot of anger with Nadine! She could hold the flow on a lot of intimacy to Heath, but what if he just really needed a hatefuck? The situation scared her.

So she staked her claim. The squealing, performing, visceral display she slapped the other girls around with made her skin tingle and her orgasms amplify. She was certain she would lose that if she had to share.

Breakfast was different. She sucked his dick. Sure Tabitha had run away but ... Uly gave up on liquor and Nadine was a good little maid. Please forgive me, Heath.

Aislin still had to keep control. Obviously. Heath wasn’t going to forgive them having a real fight. A bit of girl-sniping went right under his nose but one hair-pulling, cat-scratching throwdown and he’d be livid. She’d lose control.

“I’m going downstairs!” Heath shouted from the bedroom.

“I’ll be right behind you,” Aislin shouted.

It had to be Nadine first. Aislin sighed. She felt excited. That freaked her out a little. If Heath could put the other girls squarely in their places (Aislin’s hand-picked submissive places at that) she’d run the whole house. It was nearly 10 days into their quarantine. If they were cleared, if they could go home, well ... Nadine lived in town. Uly wasn’t flying out. Only Tabitha would end up further away from Heath than Aislin.

Aislin decided. If she wanted control, she’d need to really stake her claim while they were still here. She bit her lip. God! She was horny again! She had a plan.

“Oh my God! Heath!” Tabitha jumped out of the couch and half threw herself in front of the television until her heart stopped beating in her ears.

“You found it! Black Cauldron...” he said, tilting his head to look around Tabitha’s shoulder. “You guys liking the movie?”

“Cute pig,” Uly said.

“You guys didn’t get snacks?” he said.

“Oh, I’ll--”

“Sit. Watch. I’ll go make some popcorn and bring it down to you.” He grabbed Nadine’s shoulder and shoved her back down on the couch. “You girls want a bottle of wine or ... I guess there’s lemons and sugar. I could make lemonade.”

“Nothing to drink for me.” Uly lifted herself up and smiled over the corner of the couch and up at Heath.

“Lemonade sounds nice,” Tabitha said. She slowly inched her way back to the couch. Nadine had scurried to the armrest in Tabitha’s flinching from their hips touching. Tabitha had to take the middle.

“It sounds great.” Aislin, wearing only a bathroom with still wet hair, skipped down the stairs. “Can you give us a minute? I want to have a little girl talk.”

“It’ll be a few minutes for the popcorn and stuff either way. You’ll hear me coming down and I’ll leave you to the movie.” He grabbed her cheek and kissed her lips and headed upstairs.

Aislin rushed over and dropped down. It was all Uly and Tabitha could do to scurry aside and keep Aislin off their laps. Aislin grabbed legs, loose jeans and bare black skin, as it was.

“Date night!” she said.

“What do you mean?” Nadine asked.

“You’re going to make dinner and these two are going to provide entertainment.” Aislin dug her fingers in. Uly and Tabitha slapped her hands away in unison.

“Sounds good,” Nadine said. “Shut up and--”

“What kind of entertainment?” Tabitha scowled.

“You want me to stand on my head and spit nickels?” Uly asked, quoting her father at his most absurd.

“I’m thinking, live sex show!” Aislin leaned back and reached a hand movie screen to project through.

“Ew!” Tabitha stuck out her tongue.

“A bit harsh, Tabby. I have feelings,” Uly said. “Besides, Heath would never go for it.”

“It’ll be a surprise. Please!”

“Are you crazy, bitch?” Tabitha muttered. “How are we supposed to do that anyways?”

“Really?” The other three girls looked flatly at Tabitha.

“I know how to have sex!” She bit out. Her face twisted in self-incrimination as she blushed. “Fuck you.”

“No, Uly. Please and thank you!” Aislin leaned in and hugged Tabitha. Tabitha inched away into Nadine.

“Ugh...” Uly said.

“You’re not considering it!” Tabitha grumbled.

“No, not honestly,” Uly said.

“Popcorn!” Heath announced himself and opened the basement door. He had a big wooden bowl in one hand and a glass pitcher in the other. He slowly stepped down the stairs. “Nadine, there should be glasses in the wine cellar. My hands were otherwise full.”

“On it!” Nadine said and zipped off across the basement as Heath reached the bottom of the stairs.

“Heath! Baby!” Aislin said. “Will you go on a date with me?”

“We didn’t agree to anything!” Tabitha hissed almost too quietly for Aislin to hear.

“I’d love to but we don’t even know when they’re going to let us out of the house,” he said. “And if they did, is there anything open in town?”

“Nadine’s going to make supper for me and you. Romantic, candles, and stuff.” Aislin said.

“I don’t mind,” Nadine said, carrying out a still sealed box of four white wine glasses.

“And, if you ask nicely, Tabitha and Uly said they’d put on a show for us. Live entertainment! It’ll be great!”

Tabitha was about to say “No!” they didn’t agree to that. But she lost her nerve and just smiled at Heath. Uly slumped into the chair.

“I guess, if you girls really want to--”

“That’s not how you ask!” Aislin interrupted right away. She had to be in control. She had to wield that control through Heath. He had to be clear and forceful.

“Well, how do I--”

“Show some excitement! Don’t insult them with wishy-washiness. You ask them to do it ‘cause you’re excited about it. Let’s make our night special!”

“But it’s our night and it’s not like they’d be getting paid like other performers--”

“I’ll find a way to repay them!” Aislin cut him off again.

“None for me. Thanks Nadine.” Uly waved off Nadine as she set each flute of lemonade up across coasters along the coffee table.

“Don’t be like that Uly. Drink, it’s really good,” he said.

“Put the glass back,” Uly said, to Nadine as Heath snuck some kernels from the bowl on the coffee table.

“Be like that. Now ... Ask them.”

“Don’t you have it all sorted out--”

“Don’t you want to be the guy? Make me feel like the girl and make my night special? Aislin pushed. Tabitha scowled at Aislin, momentarily forgetting where this was leading. She was fucking with Heath! That bi--

“Tabby, Uly, I’d love to see your show tonight. After dinner.”

“We’ll do our best!” Tabitha knotted her fingers behind her back and forced a smile to her lips. Uly looked over.

“Sure, I think I might actually need it,” she said.

Aislin squealed happily.

“I’m going to leave you girls to your girl talk and movies then. I could use an afternoon to myself to clear my head.” He waved and left.

“Is there anything else to talk about?” Nadine asked as the basement door closed.

So much! Tabitha didn’t say. She just crossed her wrists over her belly and sunk down.

“What to wear and--”

“Sounds like we’re good,” Uly interrupted Nadine.

“Awesome, can I rewind the movie? I just missed the last 20 minutes.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t bother, this movie sucks. Disney’s worst.” Aislin said, and picked up her lemonade.

Heath had a couple hours to breathe. He still could hardly think past the new feelings of a first love. Aislin was his first and she was amazing! She was willing and excited and horny! Even more than he was sometimes. That blew him away. Throughout his teenaged life, he could hardly think for masturbating. He’d gotten used to his brain going to mush around girls.

They watched their movie. He went for a walk outside. The girls found the whole area to be desolate and creepy. It was the end of winter, the trees were denuded and skies were gray and oppressive. There were hardly any lights at night. They saw the end of the world. He saw home.

It was cold, to understate things, but thanks to Nadine’s father and Aunt Karen, he was bundled up fine. He let his mind clear up. He could see tracks of Nadine wrecking his car without letting anger overtake him anymore. He was happy here. That wasn’t going to last though. Uly, Nadine, and Tabitha were stir crazy. Aislin wanted to go home, and he couldn’t blame her.

Well, maybe some normalcy would help. Aislin’s date night sounded fun. Nadine was gonna cook! But that wasn’t special. She had been doing her best to show off that she was ready to do whatever it took to get Heath to forgive her. Heath had forgiven her. He just hadn’t said anything yet because he liked the food. That wasn’t OK.

Tabitha and Uly were going to put on a show. Heath had no idea what they could do. Maybe they could sing? They didn’t have instruments. The girls weren’t particularly funny. Well, they had a plan and it was coming. He’d have to tell them they were awesome. Whatever they did. He didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.