Chapter 11

The room was still dark despite the approach of dawn. There was an occasional soft pattering against the bay window when the breeze blew up the side of the mesa, interspersed with Cassie's pants. In the bed, Cassie was still asleep, deep in dream. She writhed as if struggling to escape.

She moaned and rolled from her side to her back. Her eyes flitted back and forth behind their lids in a frenzy. Her lips parted as her breathing grew heavy. One hand groped at her nightgown, pulling it up. One leg slid to the side, stretching wet panties across her mound.

Cassie's pants became gasps. Suddenly her eyes flickered open. She lay for a moment in a twilight between dream and real, then drew in a sharp, deep breath and let it go as a low moan. Her head tilted back as her pussy throbbed.

Cassie swallowed and draped a hand over her eyes as she waited for her orgasm to fade. With one last moan, she rose to a seated position and rubbed at her bleary eyes.

She puzzled over the darkness of the room and slipped out of bed. Her nipples were still stiff and tingly from her dream as the fabric of the nightgown slid over them. She took a few deep breaths to center herself again.

She looked out the bay window, brushing aside the curtain with her hand. Haven could barely be seen in the valley below, obscured behind low bands of off-white and slate-gray. The mountains on the other side of town faded in and out behind gauzy fog. Rain and tiny ice pellets briefly lashed against the glass when a stiff wind rose.

Cassie turned and sat down, her back to the window, and shivered.

Her lucid dreaming was close to a breakthrough. She thought she had managed to peek at Melissa and what she had done the day before. She thought she saw an office, and Melissa talking to an older woman. It might have been the school principal.

But that was not what had her worried now, or what had caused her spontaneous orgasm upon waking. It was the other dream, the one that had come to her unbidden.

Cassie glanced at the clock. She was anxious to talk to Jason, but it was too early.

She took the time to get a shower first. Afterward, she called on her personal hairdresser to dry and arrange her hair. Cassie hated having to do this. She would be just as content with a simple ponytail or a braid she arranged herself. But her mother would have a fit if she discovered that Cassie had come out of her room in anything less than a state of coiffed perfection.

Once her hairdresser left, she pondered her dream again.

Ever since she had learned that her dreams were visions of other people's realities, she was able to take a step back and examine them more critically. Until that point, she had always had one foot in the dreamworld for most of her day. It made relating to people difficult. Now she had learned how to detach herself from it.

For instance, if this had been just a month ago, she would not be able to think of her dream without the possibility of cumming again.

Cassie shook her head. She wasn't going to learn any more on her own. She picked up her cell phone and called Jason.

"I'm sorry I didn't call you last night," Cassie said once Jason gave her the all-clear to talk. "It was late in the evening when I got your email. I spent most of yesterday with my parents. What was it you wanted to talk about?"

"I wanted to know if you knew anyone named Reginald Yonce."

Cassie blinked in surprise. "Reggie Yonce? Yes, I know the name. What about him?"

"I was going to ask you that," said Jason. "Any way he would know about the Harbingers?"

Cassie's eyes widened. "Yonce? No way. I never breathed a word about any of this to my parents or their associates. Anyway, he's not even home. He's been out of the country for the last week or so and won't be back until next month."

"Hmm."

"Jason, what's this all about? How did you come up with that name?"

Jason told her about the letter. "I did some more Googling on the address late last night and came up with that name."

"Well, he does live in Mesa View Estates, so I suppose the address is valid. But it doesn't make any sense."

"Yeah, tell me about it. And this has a local postmark. No way this Yonce fellow could have mailed it from out of the country. And you're sure that there's no way your parents know about what's going on in Haven?"

"Positive, Jason. If my father is at all interested in Haven, it's for the real estate. He could care less what else is going on. Reggie Yonce is an investor that father has dealt with in the past. I can't imagine him finding out by himself."

Jason sighed. "All right ... So then someone else sent this. It looks like it was dashed off in a hurry."

"Hand-written?"

"Yes."

"Then it's definitely not from Yonce. He has a secretary print even the smallest notes on monogrammed stationery with a fancy font from a printer."

"Then it might be a hoax. Or someone trying to set a trap."

Cassie bit her lower lip. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know yet."

"We really need a place to meet, Jason. I'm close to a breakthrough with Melissa. Maybe this is someone we know trying to help us?"

"I'd like to believe that, Cassie," Jason said in a tired voice. "But I have to be careful."

"We have to be careful. Please, Jason, don't go off on your own on this, not ... not with the problems you're having."

"I didn't mean ... wait, what are talking about? What problems?"

Cassie sensed the challenging tone in his voice. "Jason ... I had a dream last night. You, Melinda, and Heather were in it."

Jason fell silent.

Cassie's insides fluttered nervously. "Jason, I didn't try to have this dream, it just came to me, I..."

"It's okay, Cassie," Jason said a bit sharply. There was a pause, and then in a more contrite voice, "I know how your dreams normally work. How much do you know?"

"It was really vivid and clear." Too clear, she thought with a shiver as she recalled her orgasm. "Heather seduced you, didn't she? She was just ... crazy with lust. And Melinda got really mad when she caught you. And then her mother..."

"I get the picture," Jason said sourly. There was a pause and then a deep sigh. "Yeah, it's a mess. Don't blame Heather, though, please."

"I don't want to blame anyone, Jason, but there's something very wrong."

Cassie gripped the phone tightly in one hand and fidgeted anxiously with one of her curls with the other. Despite how close a friendship she had forged with Jason, she sometimes still worried she would somehow lose it.

For such a long time, people had shunned her because of her dream abilities. But in the last month, she had made more friends than she ever had her entire life. But this meant she had very little experience in maintaining a friendship.

"Cassie, I know. I figured that out yesterday," said Jason.

Cassie uttered a sigh of relief. She knew him enough to tell that he was sincere and not just trying to placate her.

"I have to be careful around Heather and Melinda. If either of them attempt a sexual advance towards me..."

Cassie heard the quaver in his voice. It was embarrassing for him to talk about it. She felt guilty for pressing the point, but she couldn't let it get swept under the rug. "Is it limited to just them?"

"Well, I think it's worse with Melinda, just because we're involved. But for all I know, I might have trouble if you tried something."

Cassie's eyes widened, and she blushed. "Jason, I wouldn't..."

"Oh, I know, I was just saying."

Cassie tugged on her hair too hard and winced. Her thoughts were going where she didn't want them. It had reminded her of her date that evening. Now her nether regions tingled again.

"Um, a-anyway ... what can we do about it?"

"We have to go back to meeting as a group, Cassie. It's not just me being submissive. It's Heather being oversexed. I suspect something's going on with Diane as well. I hate to ask this, Cassie, but have you been having any trouble?"

"Um, you mean like... ?" She trailed off, unable to say the words.

"Unexplained sexual urges. Or just normal ones that are really strong."

Cassie hesitated. She squeezed her legs together. Heat flared. "Um ... no ... not really."

She felt a twinge of guilt. Should she have said something about her feelings for Ned? No, that was likely not an issue. It was just her excitement over going out with him. She had so little experience at dating. For all she knew, lots of girls reacted this way.

But it felt a lot like the urges for Richie before...

Cassie shook her head. That was different. She felt no compunction to dominate Ned.

"Okay, good. Cassie, I have to figure out what to do. This has to be straightened out. It'll just tear the group apart if it keeps up."

His voice was heavy and strained. Cassie felt a surge of sympathy for him. She sorely wished she was of more help to him. She searched for something to say to him, though the lingering warmth in her sex distracted her.

"If Melinda wasn't so stubborn," Jason muttered "And Heather wasn't so confrontational with her. If they would just ... well, if ... um ... never mind"

"No, what is it, Jason? If they would just what?"

Jason paused for a long moment. "Cassie, what started all this is that Heather is still attracted to Melinda. And she can ... influence Melinda. She tries not to, but..."

Cassie's eyes widened. "Oh my ... n-no, I didn't know that. But ... but that does make some other dreams I've had make a little more sense. I thought I was reading them wrong. Goodness!"

"So Heather is dealing with a desire for her sister, and Melinda wants her to direct it elsewhere."

Cassie looked shocked and then incensed. "And she tried to direct it on you?! I know she's your girlfriend, Jason, but that was not fair!"

"Like I said, it's a mess. Listen, Cassie, I have to go, I still have to finish getting ready for school. I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, Jason. Later."

Cassie quietly hung up the phone.

She remained still and deeply thoughtful. After a long moment, thoughtful turned to determination, and she set about getting ready for school.

"You're going to be late, Jason!"

Jason rolled his eyes as he arranged his backpack. "I'm almost done, Mom!"

"If you miss the bus, you're...

" ... taking myself to school, I know."

Jason realized that he was stalling. He was not looking forward to this day at all. He feared he was going to be minus one friend when it was over.

Jason had given Richie as many chances as he could. He had felt betrayed when Richie went over to Nyssa in the first place. Then after Nyssa was defeated, it seemed Richie was making the effort to get along with everyone better. But now there was this issue with Linda Davis, and Jason again felt betrayed, as if it had all been just a facade to gain their trust.

He was angry with Richie for putting him in this position. What was the point of defeating Nyssa and freeing those under her control if Richie was just going to take advantage of it again? Did he really care so much more for his own pleasure than what was right?

He finished packing and zipped up his backpack. He felt a flutter of anxiety in his stomach. He had decided on a new approach to finding the proof he needed, but he didn't like it any better than forcing Cassie to do something she didn't want.

Jason grabbed his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. He bounded down the stairs, took another brief rebuke from his mother for it, and kissed her on the cheek before barreling out of the house.

The air was cold and slick. The rain seemed to float like mist. When the breeze blew, it felt like little icy needles against his face. One foot threatened to slide out from under him on the soggy leaves that carpeted the sidewalk. He drew his jacket around himself and shivered as he stepped to the curb.

Despite having settled on a course of action, he felt lost. He had to call Richie out, but wasn't sure what he should do if Richie refused to stop. He had to sort out the mess with Melinda and Heather, but he was too vulnerable to being influenced by them. He had to check if the offer of the house was safe, but had nowhere to start.

He sighed as his glasses fogged up with fall moisture. The weather was apropos for his mood: cold, dark, and gloomy.

"Hey!"

Richie roughly shoved a book into his tattered backpack. He looked up and frowned. "What?"

Sandra leaned against the door frame, still clad in only her bathrobe, her hair still damp from the shower. Her arms were folded tightly, but her face seemed to vacillate between an expression more appropriate to her stance and something softer. Her eyes shimmered slightly.

"Are you going to be out again this afternoon, Richie?" Sandra asked.

"What's it to you?"

Anger flared in her eyes for a moment but quickly faded. "I just want to know, that's all. You ... you're going over to Miss Davis' house again?"

Richie just shrugged and dropped his eyes. His jaw tightened as he battled the dream imagery in his head. The longer he remained in his room, the more it seemed to want to grab him, as if wanting to pull him into their world.

"It's okay if you want to, you know."

Richie looked up again and sneered. "Yeah, right."

"No, I-I mean it, it's okay."

Richie's eyes narrowed. Sandra's hips shifted. "Just like the nurse, huh?"

Sandra's eyes widened briefly. "The nurse? What the fuck did you mean by that?"

Richie gritted his teeth. He viciously shoved another notebook into his pack and tried to yank the zipper closed with one corner still sticking out. He pounded it with his fist, gave up, and threw the partially open backpack on the floor. "You're getting off on this."

Sandra gave him a shocked look but said nothing in reply. She straightened up and shifted her weight again.

"Yeah, you are. You're getting off on the idea of me fucking Miss Davis."

"Richie, I want you to stop talking like this!" Sandra declared. "How did you get such a filthy mouth?"

"Listenin' to you, I guess," Richie quipped before he could stop himself.

Hurt appeared in Sandra's eyes. Richie bit his lip. He almost apologized. Hurt quickly became anger, but then the anger faded again. The Aura around her seemed to congeal. "I just want you to be happy, Richie."

"And you think fucking Miss Davis will make me happy, huh?"

Sandra shivered. "Yes ... yes, it's what you want, isn't it?"

Richie remained silent. He could hear his mother panting lightly. He stared intently at her.

Sandra frowned. "What the hell are you staring at?"

For once, Richie wished he had some ability like the others. He wished he could hear the Auras. Was the Darkness talking to her now? Was it whispering in her ear? Did it want him to continue with Linda Davis?

"I'm not part of that, Mom!" Richie exclaimed. "No way!"

"Part of what?"

He ignored her. "I'm doing this on my own. Because I want to. Not because you do, or because... " He waved vaguely at her Aura.

Then for a moment, Sandra's eyes appeared to clear, and there was lucidity to them. But Richie had seen that before, and he stopped getting excited about it. No, she was gone. She didn't care. She gave up fighting it. In his mind, she was the Darkness' slut for hire. So much for motherly love.

"Just don't hurt her, Richie," Sandra said in a soft voice.

The images would not go away. No matter how hard he tried, they pulled at his consciousness as if alive. They tried to draw his attention to them. But at that moment, he wanted his attention on his anger. It was all he had that he could understand.

Sandra's voice grew increasingly strained, as if she were struggling to talk. The Dark Aura swirled around her like a miniature maelstrom. "Don't ... p-push her too hard ... just..."

It was too much for him. The frustration inside his head combined with his anger and made him explode.

"Yeah, don't hurt her! What, you think maybe you can get at her through me? Well, no fucking way! She's mine! Not yours! And she doesn't belong to this stupid, motherfucking Darkness shit either! She never will! Because I won't fucking give her up!"

Richie grabbed his backpack and stormed out of the room.

Sandra stumbled out of the way. "Richie, wait!"

Richie ran down the stairs. "Shut up. Just shut up!"

"Richie, don't talk to your mother like that!"

Richie stopped at the bottom of the stairs and whirled around and bellowed, "You don't even know how to be a mother!"

Sandra just stared, stricken.

For a moment, his face betrayed guilt. His mouth moved as if he wanted to say something. He sniffled once and swiped at his eyes before they blazed back into full anger. He turned and ran out the door.

Sandra drew back from the railing. She gasped as the despair that was rising up inside her was drowned by a wave of pleasure. She leaned against the wall just outside Richie's bedroom, her thighs quaking. She moaned and slid slowly to the floor, her feet spreading wide as her robe fell open. Her pussy swam in liquid heat.

The Aura around her body slithered over her like a snake, sliding between her legs and bringing her to an orgasm that made her pant like an animal in heat.

He will continue to see Miss Davis. Good girl.

Sandra wrapped her arms around her knees and moaned helplessly in another orgasm. A single tear slid down her cheek.

It did not take long for Melissa to realize that she had a shadow.

She had a sense for these things now. She knew he had been tagging along behind her for the past week. She thought perhaps he was simply enamored of her in his sick and twisted little way. But after she had spoken to Principal Bendon, it made so much more sense.

She had tolerated it. It had even amused her. But now it needed to come to an end. Besides, it would serve as a wonderful test, not to mention entertainment.

Melissa sauntered into school, shedding her jacket as soon as she was inside and casually slung it back over one shoulder. She swung her hips as she walked, her tight jeans cupping her ass cheeks and making them move in a provocative dance. Her blouse was stretched tight over her bosom, buttons straining and revealing the curve of her breasts in her lacy bra.

Several boys stole glances at her, though some immediately looked panicked that she might happen to turn around and catch them in the act.

She came alongside her quarry, leaned on the locker, and said in a husky voice, "Hello, you sexy boy."

Ned turned his head, yelped, and spilled half his books on the floor.

For a moment he just stared. His eyes flicked over the inky fog that enveloped her body. It did nothing to obscure her curves, which drew his gaze more than the Aura did. Finally, he gave her a nervous smile. "Um ... ya must be mistakin' me fer someone else. Sexy boy? Pfft. Ain't called Ned the Nose for nuthin'."

"Mmm, really?" Melissa raised a finger and touched it to the bridge of Ned's nose.

Ned nearly flinched, his mouth dropping open.

Melissa smiled. She slid her fingertip gently down his bulbous nose. "Perhaps this is not the only thing that's... big ... about you?"

Ned would have laughed at the comment in any other context. It was the silliest pickup line he had ever heard. But humor failed him when his cock abruptly inflated in his briefs, hardening faster than he thought possible. Flushing with embarrassment, he grabbed his belt and yanked it back and forth until his cramped manhood was partially freed, snapping to its full length behind his briefs.

Melissa slid towards him. Ned drew in his breath sharply and held it. The lockers behind him rattled as he backed into them.

"So ... you want to go out with me, is that it?" she cooed.

"Um ... what ... what gave ya that idea?" Ned asked in a shaky voice.

"Well, the way you've been following me around like a little puppy dog for one."

Ned swallowed, his heart pounding. "Oh, ah, well, that ... er, we are in the same classes ya know."

Melissa giggled. "A convenient little excuse to follow me and think I won't notice. But I do know these things, Ned."

"Uh ... y-yeah, I can tell ... um... "

His cock tingled. Light pleasure radiated from it as if it were being stroked.

"Can you do a good impression of a dog, Ned?"

Ned stared in shock. "Huh??"

"Since you like to follow me around like a puppy, maybe you want to act the part."

"Um, no, if it's all the same to ya, I... "

His cheeks burned hot with humiliation as he felt the urge suddenly rise within him to bark. The pleasure rose in his cock precipitously, his breathing short and heavy. His embarrassment grew when he realized he sounded just like a panting dog.