Chapter 28

Cassie tightened her arm around Ned's waist and snuggled closer to him. Ned tried not to let himself think of anything beyond the fact that they were standing on the boardwalk overlooking the canal that ran through the center of town. He could feel her trembling and knew she was seeking warmth and comfort rather than anything romantic.

It helped somewhat that Harry kept a watchful eye on them from the limo, parked just a short distance away. He had already admonished them once about remaining in his sight.

"I wish it wasn't so cold tonight," Cassie said.

Ned didn't think it was that cold. His breath barely fogged the air. The clouds that had rolled in shortly after sunset slowed the night cooling. He was more concerned about snow. The clouds appeared lighter in hue, which usually meant snow was on the way.

"Ned ... please do me a favor."

Ned pulled his gaze away from the sky. "Huh? Oh, sure, babe, anything."

"If we have to use the memory spell on Harry ... y-you do it."

Ned hesitated. "Um, ya sure about that?"

"I can't do it. I just can't. I-I've done a lot for the Harbingers, but asking me to cast one of those spells is too much for me."

Ned smiled weakly and offered a brief hug. "Okay, no prob. You wanna give me the spell now?"

Cassie nodded. She separated from him enough to open her purse and fish out the piece of paper that held the incantation. She stared at it for a moment before finally handing it to Ned. "This must seem really stupid to you, doesn't it?"

"What? Oh, no, not at all..."

"Yes, it does. It probably does to everyone else as well."

"Aw, c'mon, babe, why ya doin' this to yerself?"

Cassie turned away from him and wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't even imagine using one of these spells on someone that's willing, never mind someone unwilling. How do the rest of you do it?"

Ned felt uneasy. In his mind, it was a veiled way of saying "how dare you consider using one of these spells on me."

Cassie looked at him when he didn't respond and sighed. "That was unfair of me."

"It is kinda hard ta answer that, babe," Ned said sheepishly.

"It's easier for the rest of them, isn't it? They actually had this power and used it on each other. They ... they still do, some of them. It's like they're used to it. I guess I don't want to get that way. I don't want it to be so commonplace that I don't think twice about sapping someone's will. Or having someone take mine."

"Um ... well ... I kinda think I know the answer ta that, but ... uh..."

Cassie stepped up to him. "Tell me, then, please. I want to know what makes it so hard for me to accept."

Ned rubbed the back of his neck, wishing he hadn't said anything. "Yer not gonna like the answer."

"I already don't like the question in the first place, or that I have to ask it. Your answer can't be any worse."

Ned sighed. "All right ... Well, it's like this ... yer used ta gettin' what ya want. None of us are."

Cassie looked at Ned in confusion.

Ned was afraid that it would take some further explanation. "Yer rich, Cassie."

"My parents are rich. I..."

" ... can take advantage of it anytime ya please. Look, don't get the wrong idea, 'kay? The rest of us are real glad ya can. It's given us just 'bout everything we need. But ya see? They can't do that. They don't have that kinda control over their lives, and this..."

"What, you think I really have any control over my own life?" Cassie said hotly. "If I did, I wouldn't... !"

Cassie was startled into silence when her cellphone warbled.

Ned breathed a sigh of relief. Cassie dove into her purse and yanked out her phone. "H-hello?? ... Diane! Is she... ? Oh goodness ... a-all right, I'll start calling the others. Keep the line open, please!"

Cassie pulled the phone from her ear and set it to mute. "Ned, you have the other... ?"

"Way ahead o' ya," Ned said, presenting the phone that Cassie had given him the other day when she had met with Susan's mother.

Cassie took the phone from him. She looked worriedly over Ned's shoulder. "Harry's going to give us trouble, I know it."

"Then I'll take care o' that right now while ya make the calls."

Cassie grabbed his arm just as he turned away. "Wait! You're not going to use it on him now?!"

"Yeah, babe, I am. We can't take a chance, ya know? We'll just be wastin' time flappin' our gums at him."

Cassie gave him a stricken look and wanted to argue the point. Instead, she pulled her hand away and nodded, her eyes glistening. "I hate this."

"I know, babe. Not my cup o' tea, either. Sooner we get this over with, the better. Now, let's git'r'done."

Cassie (who had to have the reference explained to her the other day) smiled wanly at him.

Jason jumped out of his chair as soon as he heard the phone ring.

He was at the door to his room by the time the first ring ended. He heard the door to the den open downstairs followed by his mother's sigh. His heart pounded as the second ring came and went.

There was no third ring.

His mother's footsteps paused, then continued, then a click. "Hello?"

Silence. Then a sigh, a hangup, and his mother's retreating footsteps.

Jason leapt away from the door. He dropped to his knees beside his bed and pulled out two pillows and a thick blanket. He stood up, yanked the blanket and sheet back from his bed, and proceeded to shape the pillows and additional blanket into the approximate shape of his own sleeping form.

He had already told his mother that he had a ton of homework and studying to do, and that he might retire directly following if he were tired enough. He hoped that seeing the light off would be enough to convince his mother he was asleep and not disturb him.

Jason pulled the blanket over his makeshift mannequin. To complete the picture, he found an old pair of eyeglasses and placed them on the night table next to the bed. He hoped that, from a distance, they would look similar enough to his present glasses to fool his mother.

Jason checked the hall. His mother had retreated into the den, and he could hear the sewing machine running.

He turned off his computer and grabbed his jacket. Something was still bothering him. He again thought that his father was making this too easy. It was as if he had purposely worked late just to lure Jason out of the house.

Or was that just paranoia? After all, he had the same suspicions about the meeting house and their mysterious benefactor. It had turned out that Melissa was using other methods to spy on them that had nothing to do with the house itself.

Jason turned off the lights and crept out of his room. He closed the door gently and stole down the stairs as quietly as possible. He ducked into the garage where his bike lay.

This was the only thing he couldn't fake. If his mother came into the garage for anything, or his father came home, his deception would be exposed. He had no choice but to risk it.

He walked the bicycle out the back door into the yard rather than go through the main garage door. He brought the bike through the gate, to the front of the house, and finally onto the street.

He jogged his bike to the corner and stopped in the circle of pale yellow illumination from the street lamp. He held his breath when headlight beams lanced through the dark, only to relax as a car he didn't recognize passed without taking notice of him. There was apparently no one waiting to stop him or follow him.

He looked up. The houses were sharply silhouetted against a rather light-colored cloudy sky. The forecast had been for snow showers, but he had hoped it was wrong.

He mounted his bike. Giving one last look around him, he launched himself into the night.

Richie stared at the screen with a sullen look on his face, his arms folded defiantly across his chest. The images from the TV flickered in his darkened eyes. That was as far as they got. Despite his fixed gaze, he was barely aware of what he was watching.

Sandra lounged in the seat next to him. She sat with her bare feet tucked under her as she worked on her second can of beer. She occasionally glanced at Richie, who had ceased to acknowledge her since they had sat down together after dinner.

She drew in a long breath and let it go in a combination of frustration and trepidation. Most days, the Darkness was not a constant presence in her head. She was aware its desires and felt its occasional reminders of her responsibilities to it. Yet since the evening began, she felt the constant chill of its touch on her mind, as if it had curled up inside a section of her head like a cat poised to spring.

The both of them were startled by the sound of the telephone.

Sandra paused and turned her head in annoyance, not moving from the couch at first, and allowed the first ring to pass. It was only when the second ring began that she put her can down and stood up.

Richie followed her with his eyes, then glanced towards the door.

Sandra had come around the end of the sofa when the second ring ended just a second sooner than normal. It was close enough that neither Richie nor Sandra noticed it. But another had.

NO NO, IT'S A SIGNAL! STOP RICHIE!

Richie had already diverted his gaze away from his mother. Now he noticed the pause after the second ring and knew there would be no third one. He bolted from the sofa and dashed to the front door.

Richie deftly unlatched the locks on the door and started to pull it open. The knob was violently yanked out of his grip, and the door slammed shut a split-second later. He saw the hand on the door, but in his surprise and panic, he wasted a precious moment to turn around and confirm that it was his mother that had stopped him.

Before he could extricate himself, Sandra surged forward and slammed her body against his, pinning him to the door.

The force of the blow knocked the wind out Richie, delaying his reaction further. Just as he recovered his breath, he was greeted by the sensation of warm, plump flesh mashed against his face.

"Mom! Stop it! What ... mmph ... stop..."

"Don't fight it," Sandra said, her voice quavering badly but deeply husky. Her shirt was pulled up, and she rubbed her bare tits against Richie's face. Her body trembled with mounting desire even as her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Tendrils of her Aura slithered towards Richie. "You always wanted this, didn't you?"

Richie finally managed to lift his hands and give her a hard shove. Her breasts fell away from his face, but then her knee forced his legs apart. He gasped when her thigh slid against his crotch.

Richie pushed her leg down. She mashed her boobs into his face again, and her leg slid up once more. His cock stirred and hardened. One of her hands dropped from her tits and rubbed his crotch.

"Stop it! You're my mother!" Richie cried, his voice equal parts desperation and growing lust.

A single tear trickled down Sandra's face. "Stay home, Richie, and your mother will give you the best fuck of your life," she cooed. She yanked his zipper down and slipped her fingers over the hard bulge in his briefs.

Richie moaned, and his legs trembled. He was as frightened as he was aroused. She was doing something to him, something that was rapidly draining his resistance. Tendrils of her Aura entwined themselves around his body and roamed as if seeking entry.

Her tits dropped from his face again. He thought he had a break until he realized that his mother had already opened his belt and pushed his pants down his legs. He barely had time to look down and gasp before his briefs fell, and his engorged cock was enveloped in Sandra's hungry mouth.

Richie panted hard as her head bobbed back and forth. The growing heat of lust in his body was met by the icy feel of the Darkness in his head. He saw the stain of tears down his mother's cheeks, and it helped him hang on a little longer. "M-mom ... uhhn ... y-you don't wanna do this ... s-stop ... uhhh! ... s-stop!"

Sandra shuddered and closed her eyes, and simply sucked him harder and faster.

Cassie's stomach clenched as she stepped over to the limo. Harry was still standing as motionless as a statue next to the driver side door, his eyes glazed and staring into the distance.

"Jus' about done with him," Ned said quietly to Cassie. "But wanted ta make sure I thought of everything before I snapped him outta it."

Cassie was unable to avoid staring at her driver in horrible fascination. "S-so what did you do to him?"

"Told 'im that ya got blanket permission from yer folks ta take ya anywhere," Ned explained, trying not to sound too proud at his accomplishment. "That seemed ta take. Then I tried ta tell him that yer parents said it was okay to leave ya alone with me. That was harder. Seemed ta wanna resist it."

Cassie sighed and nodded. "I know. He's very protective of me, even without my parents telling him. Please, don't push it any harder than that. I don't want to hurt him."

"'sokay. I think it took once I repeated it a coupla times. Ya got anything else?"

Cassie was already shaking her head. "No, just bring him out of it, please."

"Sure thing." Ned turned to Harry. "'kay, big guy. Awaken!"

Harry blinked rapidly and swayed. He recovered swiftly and straightened. He turned to Cassie and nodded once. "Yes, Miss Kendall? Where would you and your date like to go next?"

Cassie took a deep breath. "To the picnic grounds just off the west side of town. Same place you took me the other day, if you recall."

"Yes, I remember, Miss Kendall. Though I am not entirely sure that place is safe this time of night. Would it not be closed at this late an hour?"

Cassie looked at Ned. Ned made a "go on" gesture.

She turned back to Harry and raised her head imperiously. "Nevertheless, my mother clearly gave you permission to take me where ever I wish to go, and that is where I wish to go. And you should know by now that there are few places 'closed' to someone like me."

Harry hesitated, then nodded again. "As you wish, Miss Kendall."

Cassie let go a sigh of relief as Harry turned away to open the door for her and Ned. Ned gave her a thumb's up and a grin.

"I hate doing that," she whispered to Ned inside the car.

"I know, babe, I'm sorry," Ned said softly back. "I promise never to ask ya to do that jus' fer the hell of it."

Cassie managed a smile and squeezed his hand as the car pulled onto the road. "Thank you. Now I hope that everyone else got away okay."

"And Heather manages ta stall Melissa enough so we can get there first."

Melissa opened the door.

The drama of the moment consisted of little more than Heather standing up upon seeing her nemesis in the doorway of her bedroom. She regarded Melissa with trepidation but, surprisingly, little outright fear. Melinda was less reserved. She pulled in her breath as a soft gasp, and her eyes shimmered on the edge of panic.

But where Melissa's eyes were drawn was to Diane. Her lips curled into a smug smile.

Diane sat still with her hands folded demurely in her lap, staring at nothing in particular, a soft, vapid smile on her face. In reality, Diane was so nervous that one corner of her mouth twitched, but Melissa either did not see it or dismissed it.

Melissa raised her eyes to Heather and closed the door. She strolled forward very casually, as if this were her house and Heather were the guest. "You're not surprised to see me. Not surprised at all."

Heather swallowed and drew in a breath. She lifted her head, trying to show some resolve despite her anxiety. "Why should I be after everything you've been doing to me through Brad the last few days?" she said in a cool voice.

Melissa clicked her tongue and lay a single fingertip lightly under Heather's chin. Heather flinched as if it were a knife held to her throat. "Now that's not a nice attitude to have. But I could give you a much better one. And I will before the night is over."

Heather frowned and jerked her head from Melissa's hand. "Like you did with poor Susan? And Ann?"

Melissa laughed. "Poor? Oh hardly. They cum about ten times a day now. Doesn't that sound pleasant? Of course, now that's all they're good for." She glanced at Diane. "Sort of like sweet little Diane here."

Heather's hands clenched. Anger over what Melissa had almost made her do overrode her fear.

"How does it feel, Heather? Having your own mindless slave? Feel good? You always did want to be in control."

"You made her do that, you bitch!" Melinda blurted, jumping to her feet.

"Melinda, no, stop it!" Heather cried. "Please..."

Melissa looked bored.

"But she did! And she made it so I couldn't warn you!"

"Melinda! I said stop it, or I'll make you cum so long and so hard you'll pass out."

Melinda gasped. "What?? Y-you wouldn't... !"

She clamped her hand over her mouth when she saw both the stricken look on Heather's face and the twisting, horrible black of a growing Aura around Heather's body.

Melissa smiled. "It is true, isn't it? You do have some sort of lingering control over your baby sister."

Heather's eyes burned. "Who told you that? Nyssa's little pet, Principal Bendon?"

"Show me. Make Melinda horny. Really horny."

Melinda's eyes widened. She stared panic-stricken at her sister.

Heather looked at Melinda and then back at Melissa, trying to resist obeying the command. The suppression of her inhibitions still lingered, making it more difficult. It helped that the need to delay Melissa as long as possible was, for the moment, a stronger driving force.

But it wouldn't hold for long. She could already feel icy tendrils of Melissa's will casting a pall over her mind.

"You can make Melinda into a little sex toy, can't you?" Melissa persisted. "You can make her so aroused she can't even think."

"Heather, please, don't..." Melinda begged softly, eyes glistening.

"You'd love to do that to her. It makes you wet just thinking about it."

Heather panted. She was losing the struggle. Melissa was simply too strong for her. When it had been filtered through Brad, she could focus her thoughts on something else. With Melissa, there was no something else. She thought and felt only what Melissa wanted her to think and feel.

Heather let out her breath as a ragged, lusty sigh. Intensely erotic thoughts of her little sister filled her head. In her mind's eye, she saw Melinda naked, pussy helpless and wet.

"N-no..." Melinda moaned and collapsed to her knees. It had come on so suddenly and so intensely that she became lightheaded. She gripped the side of the bed until it passed. When her senses no longer reeled, it was as if someone had poured warm oil into her panties.

"I-I'm sorry, Melinda," Heather whispered. "I-I'm s-s ... I want you horny, baby sis. I want you dripping wet and thinking about pussy."

Melinda whimpered as images of hot, wet cunt drifted through her mind. "Mmm ... pussy ... uhhh ... n-no..."

"That's it, baby sis. Think about eating pussy. I-It's ... it's all you want to do."

It was too much for Melinda. She was already exhausted from resisting Melissa's control earlier. She couldn't stand up to Heather's influence. She thrust her hand under her panties and sank her fingers into her sopping folds. "Uhhhn ... eat pussy ... mmm, yummy..."

Melissa smiled in satisfaction and looked at Diane.

Test her.

Melissa's smile faltered.

Make sure she really is Heather's slave. Make sure you are not being deceived.

Now Melissa frowned. Deceived? They couldn't do that. They wouldn't dare.

Then TEST HER.

Melissa's eyes snapped over to Heather. "Now I want to see your slave in action. Have her eat out Melinda."

Heather gave Melissa a stricken look. "B-but why... ?"

"I said do it! Don't ever make me give you an order twice!"

Diane struggled not to react. She already felt sick watching Heather being forced to abuse her little sister. Only by fixing the thought in her head that everything now depended on her enabled her to keep up the act and stay "in character."

Melissa smiled wickedly. "In fact, give me a show. Have Diane strip her and tease her until she's in tears begging to be eaten out."

Heather was torn. She wanted to feel elation that Melissa's ego was providing for the delay the others needed, but it meant subjecting her lover and her sister to more of Melissa's torture. She wiped at a tear as she turned. "D-Diane..."

Diane immediately stood up. "Yes, Mistress?" she said as brightly as she could manage.

"Do ... do what Melissa just said. Strip Melinda, tease her, then ... th-then eat her out."

"Of course, Mistress. Anything to please you..."

"And have her strip as well," Melissa said.

Diane forgot herself and turned her head towards Melissa. She managed to suppress a worried look.

"What?" Heather said weakly.

"What did I tell you before about questioning me?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, I was a really stupid cunt for asking again," Heather said, blushing at the words Melissa forced out of her mouth.

"Much better."

Heather turned to Diane. "You heard her, slave. Strip."

Diane hesitated a moment, but then began to unbutton her blouse. "Of course, Mistress."

Diane's heart thudded. She had not counted on Melissa having her undress. She would be forced to leave the cell phone in the pocket. She had to hope that Melissa would at least have her dress again before taking her out of the house.

"Still nothing, babe?" Ned asked.

Cassie looked at her cell phone and shook her head. "The line is still open. I can sometimes hear muffled sounds in the background. And I know I heard Melissa's voice at least once."

Ned glanced out the window. As the landscape grew darker the further towards the west they traveled, the more stark grew the contrast with the cloudy sky.

"I think we're gonna beat her there," Ned said with a grin. "We're gonna get there first."

"I'll feel better if Jason gets there, too. I wish I had a to find out how close he is. Or if he got out of the house at all. Richie, too. We really need him as well."

"Aw, they'll be okay. Jason's smart and Richie ain't gonna take no cr ... er ... stuff from his Mom. He doesn't care if he gets inta trouble with her."

"I really hope so, Ned. Anyone that's going to help stop Melissa has to be there when she starts. It will be too late otherwise."

Ned craned his neck so he could see past Harry. "Well, here's hopin' we won't have long ta wait," he commented, pointing.

The first snowflakes were starting to drift down into the path of the headlight beams.

Sandra drove Richie into a frenzy, taking him so close that his cock seemed to strain right at the edge. His balls felt swollen and achy from denial. He gasped each time she curled her fingers around them and tugged them from his body, stretching them whenever he got close.

Richie writhed against the front door. His attempts to push himself away were increasingly feeble. He had to bite his lip to stop himself from begging his mother to make him cum.