Chapter 1

Professor Hughes was looking forward to this experiment. He had hand-picked four of his first-year college Psychology students and brought them out to the countryside, to a very special place.

"Is this it?" asked James, a brown-haired theater major, as he peered out the window of the professor's SUV at the large, overgrown estate as they drove alongside.

"Yes, we're here." The professor replied as he turned up the driveway, which was framed by dilapidated metal gates, barely hanging on their hinges. The gravel crunched under the vehicle's tires.

"Gosh, it's so... dreary!" said Laura, a sweet-natured, brown-haired beauty, as she leaned forward to get a better view out the windshield. The grey manor rose out of the gloom on this chilly twilit night, dark and foreboding. A classic haunted house.

The vehicle braked hard in front of the ornate entryway, jostling the passengers in the rear seat. "Whu--? Hey, careful, Prof!" Beefy, dark-haired jock Lance and blonde cheerleader Mandy disentangled from each other. They hadn't noticed the last half-hour of the drive.

Professor Hughes got out of the car and headed up the entryway stairs, calling back, "Unpack the car, students. I'll meet you inside." He unlocked the great oak front door with an old key and went inside. The kids grudgingly unloaded the vehicle.

As they walked into the manor, fully laden with luggage, they stopped. Mandy's bags dropped to the floor with a thunk. "Holy shit!"

The foyer was huge, the carved, vaulted ceiling rising 50 feet into the air. Before them, the marble floor led off to several side doors, but the group's attention was taken by the grandiose stairs, 20 feet across at the bottom, curving up another 20 feet to the second floor. The stairs were also made of marble, but grotesque and macabre carved heads dominated the bannisters.

Laura was immediately uncomfortable. Her Christian upbringing made her think these horrible faces were... demonic.

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

The girls screamed out, and the rest of the bags dropped to the floor. The professor had snuck up behind them, gazing over their shoulders at the strange carvings.

James, ever the card, put on his best "Lurch" face and turned to the others. "You... rangggg... ?" he monotoned. They laughed, but uneasily. The professor's expression was unreadable.

Professor Hughes assigned separate rooms to himself and his students on the second floor. The girls were assigned to the West hall and the men the East. The professor's room was closest to the stairs, so he would keep an eye out for any shenanigans, especially from Lance and Mandy.

He let them settle into their posh bedrooms while he unpacked and made sure his equipment was still working. Unbeknownst to the students, they were the subject of a bizarre psychological experiment. The professor had secreted cameras all about the place, and had planned a few fake "ghostly" happenings. The front door was locked and he had the only key, plus all the other exits had been sealed on his last visit. The windows were already boarded up for storm season.

Chapter 2

The inside of the manor was huge. Dinner was in the large dining room on the first floor, lit by tall candle stands. Unlike the original occupants of the house long ago, they had to settle for sandwiches and soup from a thermos. As they ate, they discussed their situation:

"What's up with this place, professor?" asked James, in between bites. "This house is right out of a George Romero movie."

The professor paused, then stood up, looking quite serious. All faces turned to him. "This... is a haunted house."

Lance spit out some of his cola. The others arched their eyebrows, and James looked amused. The professor sighed and sat. Leaning forward, he continued: "In the late 1700s there was a young woman named Annabelle Carson. She lived here with her stepfather, Nathaniel. Nathaniel owned the farm out back of this property, and was obsessed with his stepdaughter. Before she came of age, she fell in love with a young man named Winston Jonas. They courted, and married in secret. The story goes that on their wedding night, in this very house, Nathaniel came upon them as they consummated their love. He brutally slayed both before succumbing to a heart attack. It is said that their spirits dwell here still, the two lovers, and the vengeful Nathaniel tied to them by his obsessive hatred."

The students were silent. They looked at each other uneasily, then James spoke: "Um, Professor Hughes, I thought this was a Psychology class, not PARApsychology."

"Real or no, the story's love triangle runs the gamut of emotions," the older man replied. "Can you decipher the psychology of those who no longer live?"

"Ghostbusters, man, 'cept we don't have the proton packs" Lance interjected.

The room seemed darker. A couple of the candles had gone out. Laura dropped the remains of her sandwich to the table, and stood to leave: "I've lost my appetite." She rushed from the room as the men rose from their chairs. The two young men looked at each other, confused by their spontaneous gentlemanly act, then sat back down. Mandy was still slurping her soup, disinterested.

The remainder of dinner passed quietly and uncomfortably, then they all returned to their rooms.

Chapter 3

Mandy had changed into her nightgown, and had just put some more wood into the fireplace when she heard her door quietly open and close. She turned to find Lance staring at her, seemingly hesitant.

"Managed to sneak by him, huh?" Mandy beckoned him to her as she sat back on the bed seductively.

He came forward, his eyes locked to her chest, barely hidden by her sheer nightie. "I was quiet as a mouse, my love."

Mandy caught her breath, butterflies in her stomach. He had never used the big "L" word with her before! She held out her arms and he came to her, kissing her lovingly, leaning her back onto the bed.

"Mmm..." She found he was using a new technique. He seemed apprehensive, but also full of urgency, like a kid opening a present on Christmas morning; like he was when they first started fooling around, before they had become more familiar with each other's bodies. She liked it, and spread her legs for him. She had neglected her panties tonight.

"Ohh... my love... at long last..." Lance gasped as he undid his jeans and pulled his boxers down, climbing up on the bed. Mandy scooted herself back so her head was on the pillows.

At long last? she thought. It had only been a couple days since they had last done it. What a horn dog!

His hips rested between her thighs and he returned his mouth to hers. His penis poked into her crotch, but not at the right angle. What was he doing? Some more rubbing and poking into the wrong spots and she was getting very hot and bothered. Finally she reached down and spread her wet hole open, and on his next thrust he was inside her.

"Mmm..." she cooed.

"Oooohh..." he moaned, holding himself still for a moment, enjoying the sensation.

She thrust her pelvis back at him, looking into his eyes. In the dim light she thought she saw an odd look of wonderment play across his face. Then he pulled out halfway and thrust himself back. She closed her eyes as she savored the feeling of fullness. Lance had a good-sized cock.

Lance sped up his in-and-out movements, and the good feelings increased. Mandy's clit was getting some good vibrations as he fucked her. Within a few minutes she was getting close. She had never reached orgasm this quickly before!

The speed of Lance's thrusting increased, and he started to huff. Suddenly she realized why it was feeling so good: he wasn't wearing a condom -- but he always wore a condom! "I never want to ruin my life with whining, crying babies," he had always said.

She tried to tell him to pull out, but her voice was gone. No sound! She moved her arms to push him off, but an unseen force thrust them to her sides. What the fuck was going on? She was in a panic, her eyes wide, but she could not move! He was thrusting hard now, his eyes closed, concentrating on the inevitable rush from his loins. Even in the face of this unreal situation, her mind raced to remember when her last period was. Shit!

"Uhh... uuuuhhhhh... aaaaahhhhhhhhh!!!" Lance bellowed out as he thrust home into the restrained cheerleader. She could feel his cock pulse within her, his seed shooting into her unprotected pussy. Suddenly, there were unseen fingers on her clit, manipulating it like no earthly lover had before. Her highly-stimulated love button pushed her overheated body over the edge, and she arched her back in orgasm.

"Nnnn! NNNNNN!!!" Her mind and body were at odds, but the feelings were too powerful. Her orgasming love channel sucked up the potent spunk being blasted into it.

Finally Lance collapsed onto her, breathing heavily. "At last... after so long... we've done it, my love!" He raised his face to hers, but he could not make out her terror in the dim light from the fireplace. She still could not move.

He raised his head up as an unearthly, radiant light blossomed above them, near the ceiling. A heavenly choral sound filled the air. Lance's body collapsed onto Mandy as a glowing form left it, drifting toward the cloud-like swirl. The spirit was of a handsome young man with long, braided hair, wearing archaic clothing, the details of which were lost in the wispy shape. As he reached what she could now tell was a white tunnel, he turned back with a loving smile. As he drifted into the tunnel, confusion crossed his ephemeral features.

"My love... ?" He looked shocked as the tunnel engulfed him, pulling him to his final rest. The glow burst into a blinding light and was gone, leaving Mandy blinking, her stunned lover still on top of her... inside her... Jesus!

She could move her hands again, and found her voice. She screamed, pushing Lance off of her. His cum ran out of her vagina and onto the sheets. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck...

"Whu--? Man... dy? Whuzz... goin'... on?" Lance was coming out of what felt like a dream -- a wet dream! Had he fucked Mandy without a rubber? Why had he done that? He sat up, his head spinning.

The door flew open as Professor Hughes burst into the room. "What is happening in here? Why are you screaming, young lady?"

She quickly covered herself up with the bedspread and started to cry. Lance sat next to her and tried to comfort her, but she pushed him away. The professor, barely able to see in the gloom, went over to the fireplace and used the poker there to try to procure a little more light from the burnt-out logs.

"Mandy? What is it, baby?" Lance was still pretty out of it, but wanted to comfort his girlfriend. He put his hand on her blanket-covered knee. She pulled away again, turning her face from his.

Suddenly there was a harsh, wet sound, like a melon being crushed, and Lance was on top of her again. She screamed again. He wasn't trying to have sex with her this time, though. She grabbed his head, but let go as she felt a warm slickness. What--? What--?

She looked up at the silhouette of Professor Hughes, framed in the light of the dying fire, a blood-dripping poker held menacingly in his hand. Even in the scant light she could make out the insanity in his eyes.

"I have done it! He is gone at last, and she is mine! Carnal slut! I have no further use for you!" He raised his arm back, the poker held high to claim another victim, and Mandy screamed again.

Suddenly, Hughes was knocked sideways, onto and then over the bed. The poker clattered to the floor.

James got up from where he had knocked down the professor, then turned to the still-screaming girl. "Mandy! What the hell is going on?" Then he saw Lance's body on top of her, his bloody skull caved in. He was distracted just long enough for the professor to regain his feet and charge the younger man, knocking him to the floor. Hughes rushed out of the room before James could collect himself.

"What the fuck--?"

James supported Mandy with his shoulder and helped her from the bloody room, heading to Laura's. He hoped that girl wasn't hurt, but it seemed unlikely, as she had not come out in response to all the screaming. He knocked, but there was no answer. Finally, he opened the door and they stumbled inside. In the light of the fire he could make out a figure on the bed.

Mandy was now able to stand on her own, and the two of them went closer.

"Laura... ?"

The pretty brown-haired girl was wrapped in an old cloak, sitting and shivering. As the two classmates came closer, she turned her head: "Do I know you, sir?"

Chapter 4

The girl previously known as Laura had identified herself as Annabelle. Mandy spoke to her for a while, then pulled James into the adjoining antechamber. Mandy was looking better, despite her ordeal. James guessed it was because of the whole unreality of the situation.

"James, the professor's ghost story is coming true! If that's Annabelle, then that must have been Winston who... who..." She looked like she was about to lose it again. James took her hand.