Chapter 31

Wednesday dawned with crystal blue skies and sunlight reflecting in dazzling brilliance from the snow. It helped lift the spirits of the Harbinger Four. Most of what they felt was relief that another sordid episode of their struggles in Haven was over.

"So there really is some sort of entity, some sort of intelligence behind everything," Jason told the others on the school bus. "I could hear it my head. There was much more of a presence than what I heard when we saw Agatha doing it."

"But where is it now?" Melinda demanded. "You and Richie said it disappeared after you stopped it. Where did it go?"

"Probably back to the node at the Li'l Missy Inn."

Heather sighed. "Which is where Mom still works," she said tonelessly.

Melinda frowned and folded her arms tightly. "So what? Not like I care anymore what the hell she does."

"The point is, this is more information than we had before," Jason continued. "I mean, there's still a lot of unanswered questions, but it may be easier now to learn more about the nature of this thing."

"Hey, man, you think you should be talkin' so much about it here?" Richie said. He jerked his head to one side. "The peanut gallery here is listening."

Jason turned his head. A couple of teens sitting just behind the Harbingers suddenly turned their attention elsewhere.

"Maybe we shouldn't worry about it anymore," Jason said. "I mean, come on, word is going to get around that something happened last night. Maybe more people should know about it."

Richie just shrugged. He had been oddly subdued all morning. It had started when Melinda and Heather had boarded the bus and thanked him profusely for what he had done the night before. Richie had grinned in response, but had looked rather uncomfortable with the praise.

Heather smiled weakly. "Yeah, Jason's right. I mean, my popularity was pretty much hosed when Melissa started messing with me. I shouldn't really care about it anymore."

The reluctance in her voice, however, suggested that she did still care, despite how much she wished for the contrary.

"Richie, you said you thought this thing looked like a woman?" Melinda asked.

Richie looked up. "Huh? Oh, uh, yeah, I guess. Maybe. It was kinda dark and hard to see."

"It sounded female to me in my head," Jason said. "But take that with a grain of salt. It may be able to take on whatever form it feels is effective. Or perhaps it was only because the body it was trying to possess was female."

Jason was not trying to focus on the entity's gender too much. For the few moments it had been in his head, his whole body had spasmed in a sexual ecstasy so intense it had been almost painful. He was not keen on experiencing that again.

As if reading his thoughts, Melinda shuddered and said, "It can't come back like that again, can it?"

"I don't know," said Jason. "But its means must be limited, or it would not have gone through the trouble of arranging for this Rite to be done. And we still have the book, so..."

"What are we going to do with it?" Heather asked.

"I don't know yet. We definitely can't mess with any of the spells in it anymore."

Melinda was about to open her mouth in protest, but it was Richie that blurted, "What, none of them?"

"None of them, Richie. We already saw how they can mess with people. And we don't want to take a chance that someone else can influence us through them."

Melinda sighed in frustration. Despite the side effects of the spell that Jason had used on her, it had at least allowed them to have sex again without worry.

Richie looked like he was about to say something but subsided, looking sullen. Jason gave him an odd look, then sighed in resignation. "All right, we'll talk about it more the next time we meet."

"Not today, okay, Jason, please?" Heather said. "I need a break."

"What, we can't go there at all?" Melinda said crossly.

Heather smirked. "Now who's the one that wants to boink all the time?"

Melinda stuck her tongue out at Heather.

Richie shuffled his feet and looked out the window, squinting at the glare of sunlight.

"Hey, Jason, you ever figure out who arranged for the house to meet in?" Heather asked.

"No, I haven't. I don't think it was Melissa, but I'm still concerned that it was someone associated with the Darkness. Which is why I'm a little wary about using it again."

"Oh, stop being so paranoid, Jason!" Melinda huffed. "Nothing bad happened to us there. Well, I mean, nothing bad that had to do with the place. It was all Melissa's doing."

Jason was not sure what to do. On the one hand, the Darkness had actively attempted to break them up as a team. But on the other, he could see how giving them a place to meet would allow it to keep tabs on them. He did not want to risk reversing all their gains through one act of carelessness.

But most of all, he wished he knew what was bothering Richie so much that morning.

Kathy stood at the entrance to the kitchen. Her eyes shimmered as she beheld her daughter. Melissa had not moved in the time it had taken for Kathy to shower and dress. It seemed that every strand of Melissa's horrendously disheveled hair was exactly where it was an hour before.

Kathy swallowed and crept into the room. Melissa did not seem to notice. Her eyes remained fixed and staring on her glass of water. The eggs and toast in her plate were untouched.

"Melissa?" Kathy called out tentatively.

There was no response. For a panicked moment, Kathy thought her daughter had died and somehow remained propped up in the chair. It was only when she came close enough to see the rise and fall of Melissa's breasts against the nightgown that she relaxed.

"I-Is there something wrong with your breakfast?" Kathy asked.

Again, no response.

"You're going to be late for school."

Still more silence.

Kathy's heart thudded. She had a flashback to another day like this, when Melissa had first asserted control over her. She shuddered and felt a flash of heat in her sex.

Not all of Melissa's changes were gone. Kathy still craved sex with what she felt was an unholy passion. She was already looking forward to submitting to her husband's carnal desires when he returned home that evening. At least she could control herself with other men, even if it meant masturbating to porn movies several times a day.

Kathy pulled out a chair. Her arm brushed the table as she sat down.

The water in the glass rippled. Melissa let out a tiny gasp, her eyes widening with a look of hope. It was fleeting. The next moment, her head snapped around, and she glared at her mother.

Kathy tensed. Her thighs clenched. Any moment now, she would feel the waves of unrelenting, sinful lust wash over her. She would lose herself to perversion and left to wallow in a bath of carnal urges.

Nothing happened.

"You broke my concentration," Melissa said in a flat voice.

Kathy stared in confusion. "I-I'm sorry?"

"My concentration. I almost had it. I'm sure I did."

"Had ... had what, dear?"

"The power. I'm sure I can get it back. I just have to concentrate."

"But I thought it was taken away from you."

Melissa just stared.

"Last night ... that's what you said. It was hard to understand you since you were crying so much, but..."

"I'm sure I can get it back," Melissa said. The casual tone of her voice was unnerving.

"Melissa..."

"I just have to concentrate. I almost had it. I'm sure I did."

Kathy looked stricken.

Melissa turned her eyes back to her glass of water. "Let me concentrate now. I'm sure I can get it back."

Kathy's heart lurched. "Melissa, please stop it."

Melissa stared unblinking at the glass of water, willing it to move at her bidding.

"You don't have it anymore. It's not coming back. Please..."

"Just have to concentrate. I'm sure I can get it back."

"It's gone! Stop it, Melissa!"

"I almost had it. I'm sure I did."

Kathy panicked. She fell back on the only solution she knew. "We'll ... we'll move, Melissa. That's it. We'll start somewhere fresh again. Somewhere free of ... o-of the sinful influence of this town. Yes, that's it. That's what we'll do. I-I'll start on that right now..."

Kathy rose from the table. Melissa gasped as the water once more rippled in her glass.

"I almost had it," Melissa murmured softly. "I'm sure I did. I'm sure I can get it back. I just have to concentrate."

Kathy glanced back at the broken shell that used to be her daughter. Tears trickled from her eyes as she fled the room.

"Well, Melissa's a big no-show today," Ned said with a smirk. "Not that I'm real surprised, ya know?"

"I didn't think she would be in, either," said Cassie as she closed her locker. "And I was surprised to see Susan today. I thought she would need at least a day or two to recover."

"So, whaddaya s'pose will happen with Melissa, huh?"

Cassie sighed. "I really don't know. Goodness, the poor girl..."

"Whoa, wait a sec, babe. Poor girl? Are we talkin' 'bout the same one here?"

"Yes, Ned, we are. I mean, think about it. She had a tough time of it here. What Susan and Ann did to her was terrible! And I wasn't too happy with what Heather and Diane did to her over the summer, either."

"Yeah, but..."

"I'm not saying she was justified in what she did. She wasn't. But I can sympathize a little with her. She's not the only one that's ever felt left out."

Ned gave her a quizzical look, but then realization dawned on him quickly. "Oh, uh, yeah..." he murmured sheepishly.

"Now you see why those spells in the book make me nervous. It's too much power for anyone to have."

Ned's cheeks burned. "Um, about the book..."

"Yes?"

Ned tried to find the right words. Unfortunately, there simply was no such thing. Finally, he blurted, "Cassie, why the hell do ya even wanna look at me again?"

Cassie stared at him, nonplussed.

"I was real surprised ya showed up at my house this morning. And so freakin' chipper, too."

"We got this horrible mess with Melissa over with. Why wouldn't I be happy about that?"

"Cuz of what happened last night!"

Cassie again looked confused.

Ned smacked his forehead. "When Melissa made us do the fandango..."

"Oh, that!"

"Yes, that! Oh, man, Cassie, ya can't believe how guilty I felt over that. I shoulda tried to resist it more. I shoulda just ... uh ... why are you smilin' like that?"

"Because you're so funny."

Ned looked totally perplexed.

Cassie leaned close to him. "Ned, if it had been anywhere else, if everything with Melissa hadn't been going on, I would have enjoyed it." She paused. Her cheeks glowed pink. "Actually ... I did enjoy it. Despite Melissa."

Ned was speechless.

Cassie kissed him softly. "Don't get me wrong, I could have done without us being mind-controlled into doing it. But, once it got going, I wasn't really scared of it anymore."

"S-so ... does that mean we ... the two of us can ... mebbe we could..."

Cassie giggled. "I have to get to class now, but meet me after school and we'll see."

Ned stared, then broke out into a huge grin. He gave Cassie a hug.

Cassie returned it. She waved to him and continued on to class.

"Um ... Jason?"

Jason tried to hide his surprise. "Oh, uh, hi, Susan."

Susan Radson smiled wanly. "Do you have a minute?"

"Um, sure. What's up?"

"I talked to Heather earlier. She told me a little of how you and the others stopped Melissa."

"Oh, that. Um..."

"I just wanted to thank you, Jason."

Before Jason could react, Susan gave him a brief hug. Jason felt his cheeks grow warm. "Uh ... s-sure, you're welcome," was all Jason could think to say.

Susan drew back, some of her smile fading. "I just wish Ann was here to thank you, too, but she wasn't in today. I think she's having a harder time of it."

"I understand. Melissa treated her pretty badly, I heard."

Susan nodded. "Her mother won't let me talk to her. I think she blames me for a lot of what happened."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that."

Susan shrugged, but it was clear that it was upsetting her. "Anyway, my mother said she wanted to talk to you at some point."

Jason stared. "She does?"

"Could you stop by after school? She said it was important."

Jason had not had much contact with Debby Radson the night before. She had been too involved in dealing with Susan, a hysterical Ann, and a shocked husband. "She's, um, not mad at me for some reason, is she?" Jason asked tentatively.

Susan smiled softly. "No, not at all. She's very grateful, in fact. Maybe this has something to do with it, I'm not sure."

"Okay, I'll try to come over. My own mother is on the warpath after last night, so I might not be able to get away."

"Well, if you can't, please let my mother know." She took out a small slip of paper from her pocket and handed it to Jason. "This is our home phone number. Please call if you can't make it. And thank you again, Jason, for everything."

Jason smiled weakly as Susan waved and walked away.

The Vice Principal had enjoyed a surprisingly quiet school day. Now he leaned back in his chair as he regarded the student before him.

"Now, let me get this straight, Mr. Weston," Seeger finally said after a long contemplative silence. "You wish me to relieve you of your burden of detention because you were not in your right mind when you harassed Miss Sovert."

"It was Melissa Hendell, Mr. Seeger!" Brad cried. "She fu ... er ... I mean she messed with my head! She made me go after her!"

"And you realize that, in making this fantastic claim, you are admitting your fault in the matter, something that you vociferously denied at the time?"

"I'm telling you, Mr. Seeger, it wasn't really me! Melissa made me do those things. I mean, yeah, I wanted Heather back, and maybe I was kinda sore at her for dumping me, but I never wanted to fu ... screw with her head!"

Seeger drew himself forward and placed his elbows on the desk. "Wait a moment, Mr. Weston. Am I given to understand by that statement that you attempted to coerce Miss Sovert into doing something she did not want to do?"

Brad looked exasperated. "It was all Melissa! She's the one that made it so I could do it. She's the one that's been fucking with ... er ... messing with half the school!"

"Are you now claiming that your harassment of Miss Sovert ... as well as what Miss Hendell supposedly did to you ... was based on mind control?"

Brad opened his mouth, then closed it again without saying a word.

"Ah. So you do indeed realize how ludicrous it sounds."

"Mr. Seeger, I don't know what to call it," Brad said in growing desperation. "I don't know how she did it. I just know she was trying to get at Heather through me. She was trying to make her do things in class, too."

Seeger recalled the day he had broken up the fight, and the strange stain on the crotch of Heather's jeans.

He recalled the incident in the cafeteria, where Heather and Diane had kissed.

He recalled the report by Terri Hollis that Heather had masturbated in class.

Heather Sovert had never been never a prize student by any means, but she knew how to stay out of trouble. This string of disciplinary problems was most unusual for her.

Then there was what Richie had said to him.

Finally, there was Laura Bendon and her odd behavior.

It was all circumstantial. They could have nothing to do with each other. Just like all the reports that had crossed his desk of other students conducting themselves in a sexually inappropriate manner over the past week. And then again a few weeks ago when that rather odd nurse had been employed briefly at the start of the semester.

Seeger had a knack for telling when a student was lying. When he looked at Brad, it appeared that the boy honestly believed what he was saying.

Or Seeger was losing his touch. It could be no more than a case of the school jock trying to get out of punishment so he could go back to sports. Seeger had seen that happen more times than he could count, but he could usually detect that sort of duplicity from the start.

Seeger leaned back in his seat. "I will consider it."

Brad brightened. "You will?? Cool! Oh, but ... what about today, do I have to... ?"

Seeger sighed. "No, Mr. Weston, you may go."

"Oh, man, thanks, Mr. Seeger! This is so cool, I'll be able to make hockey practice! See ya, Mr. Seeger!"

Brad bounded out of the office.

Seeger paused for a long moment, then rose from his chair. He made his way out of his office, down the hall, and into the chemistry lab. There he found Richie waiting patiently.

Seeger crossed the room silently and sat in the chair behind the lecturer's desk. He considered Richie for a long moment before he finally spoke. "Go home, Mr. Gardner."

Richie's brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"Go home. Your sentence has been commuted." When this was met with a blank stare, Seeger rolled his eyes. "Your detention has been canceled. Good day, Mr. Gardner."

Richie shrugged and picked up his backpack. He headed towards the door without a backwards glance.

"Wait."

Richie stopped and turned. "Yes, Mr. Seeger?"

"I had heard you were involved in some sort of incident last night. Something involving the police."

"Um ... is that gonna affect whether you keep me in detention or not, Mr. Seeger?"

"No, it will not."

"Yeah, I did get into some trouble, but my Mom straightened it out. No prob."

Seeger remained silent and stared at Richie.

"Uh ... anything else, Mr. Seeger?"

"Yes. Tell me, Mr. Gardner, do you still hold to the theory that Melissa Hendell is controlling people's minds?"

Richie grinned. "Nah, not anymore."

Seeger frowned. "Not ... anymore?"

"Yeah. Me and my friends cleaned her clock real good last night. So don't sweat it, Mr. Seeger, we took care of it."

"Indeed," Seeger said tonelessly.

"Yeah. Oh, and you may wanna let Brad out of his detention, too. Melissa was messin' with him, so it really wasn't his fault."

"I will consider it, Mr. Gardner."

"Cool. Well, see ya in the funny papers, Mr. Seeger."

Seeger watched him leave. He drew in a slow, deep breath and let it go.

Mind control. The idea was preposterous. Surely there was a saner reason for everything that was happening at that school.

And yet ... he could not help but feel comforted by Richie's claim that a threat to the school in this regard had been eliminated.

"I'm not sure I believe you, Jason, not after what happened last night," Audrey said tersely.

"Then call her yourself," Jason said calmly. He presented the slip of paper to her.

Audrey appeared a bit taken aback. She snatched the paper from him, glared, and headed over to the phone without another word. Jason remained quiet as his mother spoke with Susan's mother.

"I see," Audrey said in a low, cool voice. "And why can't you just talk to him on the phone?"

Jason could hear the suspicion in his mother's voice. He had overheard his parents arguing earlier that morning, and he had learned that his mother had a deep mistrust of Susan's family now that she knew Susan's mother was Pagan.

"Just so you know, Mrs. Radson, there will be no secrets between Jason and me any longer. So don't give him anything that you would not wish me to see!" Audrey slammed the phone back on the hook and turned to Jason. "Very well, you may go. But don't you dare be late for dinner."

"No problem, Mom. I don't think this will take long."

"And in case you didn't hear me just now, you are to show me exactly whatever it is she gives you."

Jason looked at her curiously. "Gives me?"

"Mrs. Radson apparently has something she wishes to give you," Audrey said tightly. "And I will tell you now that I reserve the right to refuse to allow it into the house if I..."

The doorbell rang.

Audrey sighed and rolled her eyes. "What now?" she muttered as she marched to the front door. She peeked out the peephole. Her face turned to stone as she opened the door.

"Um, hi, Mrs. Conner," said Richie. "Is Jason home?"

"He was just about to go out," said Audrey. "You can wait here for him."

She closed the door in his face without waiting for a response.

Jason frowned. "Why did you do that to him?"

"I will not have a thief in this house. You were on your way out anyway, you can talk to him outside."

Jason sighed but decided not to push the point. He grabbed his jacket, fetched his bike from the garage, and wheeled it around to the front.

"Hey, sorry about that," Jason said. "Mom's a little sore over everything that happened."

Richie smirked and waved a hand. "Aw, don't worry about it. I don't want the nerdiness from that room of yours rubbin' off on me anyway."

Jason grinned. "I'm sorry, I can't stay long, Susan's mother wants to talk to me."

"Yeah, no prob. Listen, I kinda need something from you. Well, I need two things from you."

"Okay, shoot."

"You still have that letter? The one that told you about the house we could use?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah, but it's up in my room. Why?"

"I, uh, think I got a lead on who wrote it."

Jason's eyes widened. "Really? Who?"

Richie bit his lip. "Can't say right now. You gotta trust me on this."

"Of course I trust you. I'll go inside and get it. What was the second thing you needed?"

Richie told him and explained why he needed it.

Jason looked thoughtful. "I don't know if that will work."

"Yeah, but I gotta try. I gotta set it right."

"But if it doesn't work, it might make things worse."

"Melinda's right, I think you worry too much."

Jason wanted to tell Richie how foolish he thought it was to try this, but he wondered if perhaps Richie had a point. Perhaps Jason had to stop being so cautious. More importantly, Richie was trying to do the right thing. "Okay, Richie, I'll go get that, too. I'll write it down for you."

Richie smiled faintly. "Thanks, dude. You're a real pal."

Jason clasped him on the shoulder before heading back towards the house.

Jason was ushered into the same room that Debby had shared with Cassie. She did an aura reading of him as well, and smiled at the results.

"Yes, yours is very unusual as well," Debby said softly. "At least with Cassie, I could identify her power. Yours I'm having trouble with."

"You might be seeing my ability to hear the Darkness, Mrs. Radson," Jason said.

"The Darkness? Is that your name for it? For the evil forces in Haven?"

"Yes. I think it fits, considering the Auras that my friends and I can see around people."

"Yes, I know about that. I can see them sometimes, though nowhere near as well as you do. But you can hear it as well? As in actual words?"

Jason shivered. "And feelings and emotions. It's ... a little disconcerting sometimes."

Debby sighed in sympathy. "Yes, I can imagine! Hmm, yes, your aura did suggest that you have some sort of connection with the nether world. Jason, can you please tell me how you came upon this ability? I can tell that you were not born with it."

Jason hesitated. He had never let on to anyone outside his own circle of friends what had transpired at the House. But Debby had suffered so much along with her daughter, and she was of the mindset to believe and understand.

So Jason told her.

He told her about the House at the end of the street, and how the power contained within it had tempted all of them. He told her of the dangerous games they had played. He told her of Mara, the spirit of the House, that had revealed the House to be a sort of test. He explained how Mara had given them the ability to see the Darkness, and how each of them had been given an additional power beyond that.