After a wobbly few minutes reminding herself how to ride her bike, Diane felt a lot more secure as she raced across town. Richie had originally wanted her to wait for him to escort her, until she reminded him that her bus delivered her home well before Jason. She would be on her bike by the time Jason had stepped off his bus.

She was grateful to have achieved even that concession. Richie had freaked out when he had heard that Jason had pummeled her with questions. She had to reassure him with a confidence she did not actually feel that Jason had not gleaned anything from her that would make him a threat.

Her anxiety returned in waves as she approached the southeast corner of town. Civilization gave way to dense stands of bare aspen trees all too quickly, standing stark and grim under the gathering leaden clouds. She had to hunt for the little dirt road, passing it twice because she had forgotten it ran near Gina's house, a place she had tried not to notice for fear of dredging up memories she wished would remain buried.

She took the road a little too fast, the rear wheel leaving the ground as the front wheel fell into a dip. The incident was over in a split second, but it left her heart pounding. As she slowed down near the intersection with Old Fairview, she half-expected to see Victor standing there when she turned the corner, waiting for her to return to his control.

Instead, Ned awaited her, standing just outside the ruined gate into the tiny, overgrown cemetery. She misjudged the distance and almost ran him over before she could bring the bike to a sliding stop. Ned jumped back, then grabbed the handlebars when it appeared she would tip over.

"Sorry," Diane said in a sheepish voice as she dismounted. "It's been years since I rode this thing and I'm a little rusty."

"Hey, no prob," Ned said. "Got used ta people tryin' ta do it on purpose back in my old haunts. Got real good at dodging 'em."

Diane looked around as she leaned her bike against one of the few surviving sections of wrought-iron fence. "Richie not here yet?"

"I'm sure he's wheelin' here as fast as his legs will take him." Ned paused. "He got a real big one stuck in his craw over Jason talkin' ta ya."

Diane sighed. "I wish he'd stop making a big deal over it."

Ned smirked. "So I take it that it ain't as bad as Richie makes it out ta be? 'Cording ta him, Jason had ya givin' away enough ta be a threat ta national security."

"I really didn't tell Jason any more than he could've figured out on his own," Diane said. "He was mostly asking about my lessons with Debby, but I'm not sure how that would matter to him."

"Yeah, I've been tryin' ta figger out Jason's angle. Feel like I'm missin' something. Sorry ta say this, but I still think he's gonna be gunnin' fer ya. Yer our high-card-in-our-unintentional-circular-opening."

"If anything, Ned, I downplayed it. He knows I still don't have complete control over it. I would've told him about how I have to be cumming to do anything, but I was right outside my next ... oh, there he is!"

Diane waved as Richie barreled down Old Fairview from the north. Richie skidded to a quick stop close to Ned, who jumped back again. "What, do I have a bullseye on my back?" Ned said, who feigned trying to look at his own back to see. "Or mebbe a sign that sez 'run me over!'"

"Sorry, "Richie said in a curt voice. He threw his bike against the side of a dead tree trunk and reached into his pocket, where something metallic tinkled. "We ready?"

"As much as I'll ever be," said Ned. He gestured across the road. "Lead on, MacDuff."

"Huh? Who?"

Ned smirked. "Never mind. Let's go follow the yellow brick road, instead."

Richie gave him an odd look and shook his head as he headed across the road.

Diane's heart thumped. As they picked their way around the weeds, her memories of that night bubbled to the surface. She glanced behind her and squinted at the sun which peeked out from under a growing blanket of clouds. Sunset could not be far away, the mountains west of town abetting the spreading darkness. She did not want to be here past dusk.

She flinched when they stepped past a thicket and the old church suddenly appeared before them. Diane had not been allowed to feel proper fear when she had first arrived here Halloween night, and now her emotions wanted to make up the deficit.

"You doin' okay?" Ned asked in a concerned voice.

Diane nodded despite her thoughts. "Just ... a little overwhelming to see this place in broad daylight." She glanced up at the cloudy sky. "What there is of it, that is."

Though she admitted that the light helped demystify the place. Now it appeared little more than a moldering ruin. Half the roof had partially collapsed, the other sporting gaping holes through which the occasional bird flew. The steeple had broken off some time ago and lay in splinters just to the right of the building. None of the windows had remained intact, some only bits of grimy colored glass clinging to naked frames.

Diane nearly ran into Ned just short of the door. She peered past him and saw Richie standing at the entrance.

"Problem, kemosabe?" Ned asked.

"Place gives me the fucking creeps, that's all," Richie muttered.

"Heh, mebbe try ta think of something pleasant, like how ya made Terrible Terri inta a bimbo last time we were here. Still think that was inspired, dude."

Diane heard Richie snort, and she decided to keep any comments to herself. She could not think of the incident as any better than what had happened to her, despite the needed expediency at the time.

Richie breached the entrance, pushing aside a door which had been propped up against the entrance. It fell to the floor with a report that made Diane flinch. Inside, most of the pews to the left had been demolished by the collapsing roof, the remaining scuffed and their finish faded and milky. Names, dates, curses, and insults had been carved into the wood here and there.

Richie stepped past a fallen crossbeam, while Ned tried to move it to the side. "This is probably far enough in, don't you think?" Diane asked, trying not to sound nervous or impatient.

Ned grunted as he heaved the crossbeam aside, where it crashed into a pew and raised a cloud of dust from fallen plaster. Richie looked towards the damaged altar. Beyond it was the secret trapdoor to the chambers below, where Victor and his cult held their yearly ritual. "Yeah, I guess," Richie muttered as he returned to the center of the church.

Diane stepped up to him and reached out her hand. He clasped it in his and motioned his free hand towards his pocket. "Wait!" Diane cried. "Ned, did you want to see this? I think it will work if you--"

"Nah, you kids have fun with it," Ned drawled. "I seem ta recall Richie spacin' out a bit when he did this, so someone's gotta keep watch."

"Ready?" Richie said as Ned stepped back.

Diane did not think she would ever be ready for anything so blatantly supernatural, but she nodded just the same, her fingers squeezing around his hand.

Richie nodded, thrust his hand into his pocket, and reality shifted.

Diane's heart skipped a beat as Ned vanished and the lighting suddenly changed. The roof on the left side was once more intact, or at least looking no worse than the right side had in the present. Far fewer windows were broken, and instead of gathering clouds she saw bright shafts of sunlight, slightly milky with floating dust. The detritus upon the floor was lighter and more scattered, and the altar lay mostly intact.

Diane nearly jumped when she heard the scrape of feet wading through broken plaster and glass from the far corner of the room, a flashlight beam zagging past her eyes and leaving a brief purple splotch upon her vision. "That's Heather's mother, isn't it?" Diane asked. "In fact, it looks a lot more like her now. Is this closer to the present?"

"Dunno," Richie said. He looked around. "No, it can't be, unless a friggin' tornado hit this place in the last few years."

Diane stared at the younger Penny. She wore thick corduroy pants, her hands sheathed in work gloves. Her rusty red hair was pinned back in a haphazard lump. "It's her hair. It's not dyed like you said it was before." Diane paused. "What is she doing?"

Penny leaned over the back of a pew and peered down. She shook her head and stepped towards the side aisle, carefully nudging a fallen window pane aside with the toe of her boot. It clattered against the wall and shattered into several pieces. She sighed as she stepped through it, more glass crushed to powder. She swept her flashlight along the aisle, then down the ranks of pews.

"Maybe this isn't long after the first vision you had," Diane said. "You said you thought Jo was feeding her false information."

"So she came down here to look for herself," Richie said. "Yeah, Heather's mother can be a bitch sometimes but she's no dummy."

Diane looked around. "Didn't Jo say she thought kids had--"

"And just what are you doing back here?"

Diane whirled around, ready to spew an apology or a plea for mercy. Standing in the door of the church was Jo. She looked little different from the way she had been described; either she had lost a lot of weight, or she had been nowhere near the "cow" as Richie had depicted. She was indeed filled out a little around the hips and thighs, and she shared the same gene for large breasts as the rest of the female Soverts. The black-framed glasses, she agreed, look incongruous.

Penny did not seem perturbed by her sister's presence and barely acknowledged her save for a tiny and brief turn of her head. She flicked her flashlight down another row of pews.

Jo sighed and picked her way through the fallen debris. "You can't let it go, can you?"

"Look at this place, Jo," Penny said without turning her head.

"I had seen quite enough of it the previous time I was here."

"Someone's given this place a cleaning. Not a single food wrapper. Not a single beer can. This is the third time I've searched the place."

Jo stopped and put her hands on her hips. "So?"

"Doesn't it seem strange to you that someone would go to the bother?" Penny flicked off the flashlight and turned towards her sister. "Especially since you told me the place was just littered with them."

Jo narrowed her eyes, but her voice remained level. "Are you saying I lied to you?"

"Of course not," Penny said in a rush.

"Bullshit," Richie muttered.

"I can't think of any reason why you would," said Penny.

"I can think of a few," said Richie.

"Which means both you and I have been duped."

Jo raised an eyebrow. "Duped? What the hell are you talking about?"

Penny side-stepped through one of the pews and emerged into the central aisle. "It means someone wanted this place to look like it had been subjected to teenage pranking and vandalism," she said as she approached her sister, forcing Richie and Diane to step to the side. It's less than two months until Halloween again, Jo, and now the place is immaculate, or as much as it can be given the circumstances."

"It's only the following year, 1986, then," Diane whispered.

"I really think you're reading way too much into this," Jo said.

"Jo, I'm not blaming you. You saw what you saw because they wanted you to see it."

Richie frowned. "Fuck, she still believes Jo was--?!"

"Shh!" Diane hissed.

"--a little paranoid about this, now," said Jo.

"No, not paranoid, just suspicious." Penny turned away from her sister and clicked her flashlight on. She shone it near the altar for a moment, and then beyond it. Jo's eyes flicked between the flashlight and the end of its beam, following the latter until it fell on the floor around the altar. Jo shifted her weight and scratched her cheek.

"I have a gut feeling about this," said Penny.

"And you're the one who would criticize people for not thinking these things logically."

Penny sighed and glanced at her sister, then jogged towards the altar. Jo's eyes widened in alarm, and she surged forward. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Yeah, that's right, find the trapdoor and prove she's a lying bitch!" Richie cried.

"Richie, please, I want to hear," Diane said.

Penny shone her flashlight down to the floor behind the altar. Jo froze, and Diane swore she was holding her breath. "It's not logical for this spot to be the cleanest of all," Penny said. "I've seen abandoned churches before. People like to vandalize this part the most, or they hold their own mock rituals here."

"All right, Penny, you want me to admit that I think it's a bit strange? Fine," Jo said. "I'll agree with you. But that doesn't automatically mean there's some secret cult."

Penny took another step and hesitated, and then it was Diane holding her breath, for Penny was standing right over the hidden trapdoor. She stepped off it and then the dais. "Yes, you're right, there is by no means conclusive evidence. But combine it with some of the other suspicious activity I've uncovered and I feel it bears investigation. I've made up my mind now. I'm reopening the Stephanie Fowler case."

Penny stepped past Jo, and Jo gave her an incredulous look. "And you have no respect for the dead?" Jo demanded. "Or her parents?"

Penny turned around. "I intend to be discreet. I do not need to involve them any further. Now, are you going to help me with this?"

Jo raised a wary eyebrow. "You still want me to help? After everything I just said?"

"Of course I do, and because of what you just said. I still need you to be the skeptic."

Jo sighed. "All right. As Halloween gets closer, I'll do the leg work for you out here."

"Yeah, I'll bet you'll do that," Richie growled.

Diane felt like she was watching a movie and wanted to scream at the protagonist for doing something stupid. How could Penny not see that her sister was lying? Or did she refuse to believe such duplicity from a sibling?

"And this time I want to be here Halloween night itself," Penny said.

"I'm sure that could be arranged," Jo said in a flat voice.

Penny nodded. "All right, let's go, the plaster dust is starting to tickle my throat and I'll be coughing before long."

She and Jo headed out of the church. Diane blinked as Ned abruptly appeared in their place, his back to them, the church back to its much more ruined self.

Diane let out a noisy sigh as she let go of Richie's hand. Only then did she notice she was trembling. "That was ... God, I can't even describe how that felt," she said in a quavering voice. "I feel little disoriented, like part of me is still left back there."

"Ya done already?" Ned said.

"How long has it been?"

"Dunno 'xactly. Couldn't've been more than five or ten minutes tops."

"So it does happen in realtime."

"These things ain't hell for long," Richie said.

"So any earth-shatterin' revelations?" Ned asked.

"Just that Jo was a lying bitch, and Heather's mother was eating it up."

Diane explained in more detail to Ned what they had seen.

"Huh. Wonder if this has anything ta do with her sad state today."

"It has to," Diane said. "If Jo was working against her this long ago, who knows how much time she had to really mess things up."

"All I'm thinkin' is that if Penny really did poke her pert little schnoz inta The Big V's affairs, he coulda jus' made her forget she was ever innerested in that stuff. Problem solved, no need ta turn herself over to nobody, an' we wouldn't be standing here."

Diane sighed. "I guess we're going to need more visions."

"Well, you gotta decide that," Richie said, thrusting the pendant at Diane. "Because I don't have a clue where to go next."

Diane took the pendant and looked towards the broken entrance of the church, where the first feathery flakes of snow wafted down. She had no insights as well.

"How 'bout the old cemetery?" Ned said.

"I ain't touching no fucking dead bodies again!" Richie declared.

"Chill, dude, no one said anything about that. I'm jus' thinkin' that Heather's Mom might've poked around there, too."

"All right, let's do that," Diane said as her fingers closed around the pendant. "But not today. I really don't want to be anywhere near here when it gets dark, and I promised mother I would be home in time to help get dinner ready."

"I'll follow you home," Richie said, sounding just as glad to be leaving as Diane was.

Ned trotted along behind them, glancing back at the church. "I got a funny feelin' we'll be comin' back here again."

Diane said nothing, and simply hoped he was wrong.

Jason sat at the edge of the bed, his legs spread as Cindy knelt before him, her mouth engaged in a slow glide up and down his cock. Kim lay stretched out on the floor, a pillow beneath her head to help press her eager face to Cindy's pussy. Cindy writhed and moaned as Kim licked and sucked, making up in enthusiasm what she lacked in pussy-eating skill.

Jason had arranged them this way -- Kim's ministrations eager and unrelenting, Cindy's ministrations slow and easy -- so he could keep a clear head while keeping Cindy's thoughts muddied by her lust and desire to please.

Jason closed his eyes and let out a long, contented sigh. He was tempted to let Cindy build him up to an intense, satisfying orgasm. Had he any less sense of responsibility, he might have done just that.

Diane and Melinda weighed heavily on his mind, both in grave concern and lusty anticipation. He so wanted to feel his cock in Diane's tight pussy again, and that lithe frame maneuvering around his like a gymnast. He missed feeling Melinda's perky body snuggling against him, and wanted to know what it would be like to have her now nice big tits wrapped around his cock.

Jason's next breath passed his lips as a husky sigh as Cindy's head bobbed faster, her hips squirming in desperate need, her pussy pressed hard against Kim's face. Kim uttered a gurgling moan and arched her back, a hand sliding between her parting thighs and sinking into wet, needy flesh. Cindy tilted her head back slightly with each back stroke, pressing her tongue and bottom lip against the underside of his shaft.

Cindy's enthusiasm had increased as a result of Kim's, and Jason was content to let it happen. The rising pleasure helped soothe some of his more troubled thoughts. He realized Stacy was right. If the right thing to do was to control Diane and Melinda, he could not be bogged down with Cindy and Kim. The welfare of his fellow Harbingers outweighed those of two girls who were effectively strangers until a week ago.

He did not yet know if he would take that step, but if the time did come, he had to be ready. He could not wait until then to wean these two of their dependency on him.

Cindy trembled, her breathing an irregular pant as she struggled to maintain pace with her pussy ready to explode into orgasm. Jason placed his hand behind her head and guided her to a more steady rhythm, nudging her into taking more of him into her mouth. Jason had Kim ease off, and Cindy moaned as her lips sank towards the base of his cock.

She drew her head back, then tilted it forward and took him deep again, her cheeks dimpling as she sucked. Jason uttered a low moan and shuddered as she teased a drop of pre-orgasmic fluid from him. She drew back and flicked her tongue around the head to lap it up before drawing her tongue along the underside of his cock.

Jason closed his eyes. He had already conceived of how he would change Cindy. It would be very close to her original personality, but with one crucial difference. She would desire sex with other men again, but she would feel compelled to give in to any advance. She would refuse to open her legs to no one. If she did not get enough spontaneous offers, she would flirt and flaunt herself until someone was interested.

Cindy took him inside her mouth again, whimpering as she strained at the edge, while Kim grunted and gurgled as she face-fucked Cindy's helpless pussy. Jason panted softly as his pleasure took a precipitous rise, until he placed his hand on Cindy's head and slowed her down.

Give into any man, Cindy, he thought as he readied to release the hold on her pending orgasm. Let any man fuck you as he wants. You'll want them to fuck you. You will have an absolute need for sex. He paused. And you will be honest with all your partners on how you will fuck anyone at anytime.

Cindy pulled back and let his cock fall from her mouth as she uttered a shrill cry, her hips bucking hard. Her fingers curled around his cock, giving it a slow tremulous stroke as she throbbed. She closed her eyes and shuddered as Jason touched her subconscious mind. She moaned and devoured his cock again, head moving like a piston.

Jason uttered a strained groan as his cock let go, each massive pulse spewing his seed into Cindy's hungry mouth. He was still throbbing, his hips jerking to each one, even after Cindy had already swallowed. One pulse of cum splashed against her cheek before she could take him back inside again.

Good God, Jason thought. Never had one that intense from just a blowjob.

Cindy lapped up the last few drops which oozed from the head. She slid her fingertips across her wet cheek and licked that up as well. She looked up and tilted her head, and for a moment Jason thought her eyes looked troubled and pleading. It disappeared a moment later, and she smiled in satisfied obedience.

Kim drew herself to her knees, her face wet. Jason silently bid them, and they exchanged a lingering kiss. Their tongues slid past one another until he was sure Kim tasted of his cum and Cindy tasted of her own.

"I hope I pleased you, Master," Cindy said with a smile radiant with obedience.

For a moment, Jason wanted to apologize for what he had done to her, but he had no choice. These were the kind of decisions a leader had to make.

"You were just fine, Cindy," Jason said in a soft voice. "Now, go lick Kim's pussy and bring her to a nice orgasm in return for eating you out so well."

"Yes, Master!" said Cindy.

"Thank you, Master!" said Kim.

He wondered now what he would do with Kim, but that would have to wait. Taking care of Cindy would allow him more free reign in deciding what to do about Diane.

"So what did you do in class today, Melinda?"

Melinda gazed up at Jo, who stood with only a robe between Melinda and her curvy, mature body. In her hands she held a small box, like one which might hold jewelry. She had shaken it once when she first entered, and something inside had rattled.

"I showed off my wet pussy to as many boys as I could," Melinda said in a voice both husky and shameful. "I showed them what a slutty girl I am."

"And how does that make you feel?"

Melinda lowered her gaze and folded her hands behind her back. "I'm ashamed of how slutty I am," she said in a quavering voice. Despite the hint of despair behind her words, arousal surged as oozing warm moisture in her bare folds. A small, breathy moan passed her lips.

"But do you want to stop?"

Melinda swallowed and shook her head. She lifted her skirt and shivered as she felt a puff of air waft over it from the nearby heat register. She swayed her hips slowly, tilting her pussy one way and the other as if putting on a show.

Jo lightly slapped her hands away. Melinda whipped them behind her back and lowered her head further. Shame and guilt fed her lust until her thighs became damp.

"Such a naughty girl for getting noticed by the Vice Principal."

Melinda had told her aunt about the dress code reminder from Seeger as soon as she had arrived home, but Jo had not acknowledged it. Protest briefly rose in her mind that it was not her fault, but it was quelled by the thought that feeling more shame would be more to her aunt's liking. Of course it was Melinda's fault; after all, she was a very slutty girl.

Jo's hands slid around her waist. Her skin flushed and tingled, her pussy already aching for the dildo she hoped would be plunged into it before long. Melinda trembled with desire as Jo tugged her skirt from her waist and let it fall.

Melinda made no effort to step out of them. She was a slutty schoolgirl on display. Jo teased her clit with a single fingertip, light and furtive touches which did little to stimulate but everything to arouse her to almost painful heights.

Any moment now, and Jo would make her turn around and bend over, or she would get into Melinda's bed and have Melinda ride her strap-on. Instead, Jo lifted the finger to Melinda's chin and bid her to look up.

Jo's eyes darted over Melinda's bosom, and Melinda was suddenly aware of just how hard her nipples were. They had become more prominent along with the expansion of her breasts. She pined for the chance to have sex with Jason again. Before her breasts had begun their recent growth spurt, she could almost cum just from him rubbing and sucking her nipples.

"I have something for you," Jo said in a silky voice. She hooked a finger just above the top button of Melinda's blouse. The button was already straining against its eyelet, as the blouse was intended for someone at least a cup size smaller. Jo popped it open with a flick. "It occurred to me I've been ignoring a rather large ... asset of yours."

Melinda swallowed, her breath growing short as Jo popped button after button. The blouse pulled apart as her breasts swelled against the fabric. She uttered a husky sigh when they fell free and jiggled against her chest. Jo nudged the blouse from Melinda's shoulders, and it fell to the floor.

Jo gave Melinda a lascivious smile as she played with one of Melinda's breasts, squeezing the ample flesh in her strong fingers. Melinda shuddered and whimpered when Jo pinched the thick, erect nipple, rolling it back and forth between her fingertips. "Such big titties for such a little girl," Jo purred as she pawed the other breast. "But slutty girls should have big titties."

Melinda panted softly, pleasure rising in her pussy as good as if it had been touched directly. Her nipples swelled further at Jo's touch, her pussy running hot with escalating need. Her hips swayed as if in the belief her pussy could be brought closer to the source of its pleasure.

Jo withdrew her hand, leaving Melinda a panting, wet mess. She smiled and brought the box into Melinda's view. She tilted it towards Melinda and removed the top.

Melinda peered inside and saw two over-sized rings of gleaming metal. At least this is what she thought until she saw that each ring had a break, the ends flared into curves such that they looked like a set of parentheses where they came together. As Jo set down the box and took one of the rings in her hand, Melinda's eyes widened as she realized what they were.

Her heart pounded as Jo cupped one of her breasts and squeezed until the nipple stood out, swollen and stiff like a tiny phallus. Jo strained to separate the two curved ends with one hand enough to slip around Melinda's already aching and tingling nipple.

Melinda gasped as the ends squeezed tight around her nipple when Jo eased off, holding it snug without slipping. She flinched as Jo let her breast fall from her hand, the ring still clamped fast, keeping her pussy at a constant, maddening low level of stimulation. She whimpered as the remaining ring was applied, and the sensation escalated.

Melinda moaned as Jo flicked her fingers against the rings. She squirmed and panted as her pussy rose and hovered, her pleasure plateauing at an aching and unsatisfying height. Jo stroked the inside of one of Melinda's thighs until she trembled with the desire to beg for relief. Jo slid her hand around Melinda's hip and to her ass, which she gave a few good slaps until Melinda yelped from both the sting of the blows and the molten arousal in her pussy.

Jo lay her hands against the sides of Melinda's breasts and squeezed them together. Melinda gasped as the rings seemed to clamp even tighter around hard flesh already tortured into sensual overload. She panted and rocked her hips as if already riding the dildo.

"Do you like that?" Jo cooed. "Wouldn't you just love to wear those all day?"

Melinda closed her eyes and bit her lower lip to suppress another whimper. She would never be able to concentrate on anything. Unless she were allowed to masturbate to relieve herself, this would drive her insane.

"Once you're living with me, perhaps I'll give you some permanent ones." Jo flicked the rings again. "I would so love the idea of getting you instantly wet by just tugging at your nipple rings."

Melinda's eyes widened, the first part of Jo's statement overshadowing the rest. Everything was going to happen just as she had feared it would. She would be taken away just like Heather had, only she doubted she would ever come back.

She shivered as cruel memory of her incarceration with Victor's cult sprang into her mind. She saw herself happily riding men as old as sixty, acting as their compliant sex toy. She could still remember the taste of Kelly's pussy.

When she finally parsed the rest of Jo's words, she shook her head in revulsion even as moist heat steamed in her pussy, and her nipples ached in anticipation. She despised the whole idea of body piercings and found them to be a complete and utter turn-off.

But not for Aunt Jo. For her, Melinda would do anything. She felt flushed with pleasure at the idea of having little metal tokens of her slavery dangling from her breasts.

Jo stepped back and opened her robe. Melinda let out a tremulous sigh of lust as Jo spread her legs apart. Melinda dropped to her knees and crawled forward, whimpering at the renewed surge of sensual, torturous delight from her nipples as her breasts jiggled. She moaned into Aunt Jo's folds as her breasts brushed against Jo's thigh.

Cassie closed her eyes as rising pleasure finally eclipsed her embarrassment and guilt. She spread her legs further, and Debby sank her fingers deeper into her tunnel in response. Her lips parted as she panted, and she rocked her hips in time to Debby's finger thrusts.

"That's it, Cassie," Debby said in a soft, soothing voice. "Please, just relax and enjoy it."

Cassie tried to tell herself she had not come to visit just for this. Her stated intent had been to see how Debby was doing with the potion. Even in the throes of sexual delight she could still faintly smell the spicy and acrid odors which wafted up from the basement.

Cassie had regretted sending Ned with the others when she realized how long she had gone without sexual contact with any of her fellow Harbingers. The erotic memories of her earlier Projection episode had not helped. By the time she had arrived at Debby's house, her pussy had been on a slow burn for the past two hours.

Debby drew her fingers back from Cassie's tunnel, and fingertips now swirled in quick circles against her clit. Cassie arched her back and uttered a deep sigh, her body trembling as pleasure rose hard and swift. She strained as Debby eased off, her hands clenching into fists until she slowly backed away from the edge. She squirmed and resisted the urge to push her sex into Debby's fingers, which rested against her clit.

"I want to build you up a bit since you've gone so long without," Debby said. "Let me know if it gets to be too much."

Cassie swallowed and nodded without opening her eyes. As enjoyable as this was, she wished Ned was with her instead. She wasn't sure if it were some sort of after-effect of her empathic contact with the prostitute, but she had the urge to try something different. She had been content to remain on the bottom, but now she wondered what it would be like riding him on top.

Debby's fingers sank inside Cassie again, and she let out a quavering sigh, her head lolling to one side. She uttered a soft moan as Debby thrusted, slow at first but building until Cassie's hips rocked in time to it. She was immensely grateful for Debby's ability to read psychic auras so easily, for she would never have had the courage to ask for this herself.

Cassie tilted her head back as Debby rubbed her clit hard and fast. She rocketed upward, wanting to plead with Debby not to hold her back this time, but her voice refused to work. As the seconds passed, it became clear she need not bother. Her back arched, her pussy strained and burst into orgasm. The unspoken plea became a shrill cry of release, her hips bucking with its intensity.

Debby's strokes eased off slowly. Cassie was treated to an orgasm which lingered, her throbbing settling to a weak but pleasant cadence lasting well into the post-orgasmic ache in her pussy. She let out a long, contented sigh when Debby finally withdrew her hand. "Oh goodness," Cassie moaned. "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome, my dear," Debby said.

Cassie opened her eyes to see Debby smiling at her. Debby was still in her robe, and Cassie wondered if that was a silent signal that she did not expect reciprocation. Cassie almost insisted on it anyway, as it felt unfair for one partner to do the other without getting anything in return. "I didn't want to take you away from what you were doing," Cassie said as she sat up.

"Not at all, I was looking to take a break."

Cassie nodded. Now that she was not distracted by her own sexual needs, she saw that Debby was looking a little disheveled, and her eyes were a touch bleary. "Is it coming along okay?"

Debby sighed. "As good as can be expected with my meager skills. I was simply very fortunate to have found all the ingredients yesterday. Today has been spent preparing them. I have yet to actually start mixing the potion itself."

"Is that what I smell?"

Debby nodded with chagrin. "I have tried to limit how much the fumes will permeate the house, but it is a losing battle. I cannot position the fan properly to both evacuate the odor and not blow out the flames of the various burners."

Cassie drew her knees up and wrapped her arms loosely around them. "It's Mr. Radson, again, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He was ... not too pleased I was taking up this kind of activity again. He eventually said it would be fine so long as he didn't have to smell it."

Cassie sniffed the air. It still smelled faintly of burnt leaves. "Oh, no, is he going to stop you now?"

"I won't let him, Cassie, not for something as important as this. I have one more concoction brewing that should be done in a half hour. Then I can turn off all the burners and hopefully get most of the smell out of the house before Bill gets home from work."

Cassie nodded. "I hate to bug you about this, but--"

Debby gave her a faint smile. "But when do I think the potion will be done? I should be able to start mixing it tomorrow morning. It takes eight hours to brew once everything is combined, then another four to cool in a dark place." She paused, her smile fading. "I consulted the journal last night. This recipe will make three doses."

Cassie nodded, not daring to speak, as she sensed Debby was pausing only to gauge her reaction.

"A dose lasts four days. Once you drink it, the protective effect comes almost immediately, but to actually use it to free another from the Darkness will require building up a great deal of sexual energy."

Cassie's eyes widened. "And how do I ... no, that's a stupid question. I have to have lots of sex, don't I?"

"Yes, but I can't give you any precise information on how much is enough. I can only infer it from what I read in the journal. But it's quite a bit. I read something earlier this morning that suggested Elizabeth was achieving upwards of six to eight orgasms per day."

Cassie stared. "Oh my ... I-I'm not sure I could do that."

Debby gave her a sympathetic look, and Cassie felt it as well, but it did nothing to belay the overall seriousness of Debby's mood. "If you're going to do this, Cassie, you're going to have to try."

Cassie sighed and nodded. "I know. This already seemed like a daunting task, but ..." She shook her head. "Mrs. Radson, I know you said you wanted to decide who should get the potion, but I really think Diane should get one of the other doses."

Much to her relief, Debby started nodding at Diane's name. "Yes, I thought as much as well. She is unfortunately the most vulnerable. I do not expect her to use it to free Heather, and I would strongly advise against her trying."

"Yes, I know, that would likely just get her taken by Ms. Bendon."

Debby paused. "It's not just that. I don't like breaking a confidence, but if you're going to be the leader of the Harbingers, you should know this. The new ability Diane acquired came at a price. She can no longer store sexual energy."

Cassie gasped. "Oh no!"

"I believe it's because her ability to channel the line energy is trigged in the act of orgasm. The mechanism for storing energy was usurped for this purpose instead."

Cassie felt guilt crashing in on her again. "And we caused it when we used her for--!"

Debby grasped her hand and squeezed it. "Cassie, no. I really believe this was a latent power which the spell brought forth."

Cassie was not so sure, and Debby's own confidence was weak. "Couldn't she use her ability, then? Instead of building up power beforehand she would have it right there when she needs it."

"Remember, you have to be within sight of the person you are attempting to free, according to Elizabeth's journal," said Debby. "I am hoping your idea of using Projection will work, since I am assuming that it is the proximity of the spirit that matters."

"It's the only explanation I have for what's been going on in my head," Cassie said. "It's like something is trying to force me to practice Projection, like it wants to make sure I'm prepared. I think it may be the same ... spirit, entity, whatever was my so-called imaginary friend when I was a child. It's like it chose me for some purpose."

Debby paused. "I would hesitate to go that far."

"But doesn't that fit with the other Projection episode I had, the one where I saw Stephanie's initials in the ridge? I distinctly heard someone say that she had originally been chosen but it didn't work out."

"Yes, dear, I know, but even the spirits don't necessarily tell the truth. That said, your idea of using Projection is a good one and is the safest approach you can take."

Cassie wanted more answers. She wanted to pin down what this entity was and what it wanted of her. However, she caught the hint from Debby: she needed to focus on the present crisis. Using her abilities was more important than understanding where they came from.

"So we've agreed that Diane gets the second dose," said Cassie. "What about the third?"

Debby was silent for a long moment. Cassie knew, and suspected Debby was thinking the same, as to who the most needful person was of those they could reach.

"I suppose you could just hold it in reserve, in case it takes me more than four days to free Jason," Cassie suggested.

"Unfortunately, I can't. The potion has a shelf life of only two days. It has to be taken in that time. So either we use all three doses, or we waste one." Debby sighed. "Cassie, it pains me to say this, especially seeing how long Richie has suffered having a mother enthralled to the Darkness, but I'm not sure he can handle it right now."

Cassie nodded and was grateful not to have been the one to say it. "The only other one we could give it to would be Melinda, but we'd have to catch her at school."

"To be blunt, I do not want this potion going out of my sight," Debby declared. "No, as much as I sympathize with Melinda's plight, we should focus on getting Jason back, then pool our resources to free Melinda and Heather by other means. As for the third dose ... I'll have to think on it some more."

Cassie decided to leave it at that. She was grateful to have one hard decision that she did not have to make herself.

Richie lay on his bed, contemplating the quiet. It stopped short of complete silence due to the television downstairs, where a content and nicely-fucked Cathy watched the evening news. His mother had departed soon after dinner, leaving him with strict orders to give Cathy what she needed. He had fulfilled them without hesitation and to his great pleasure and hers.

And why not? In a few more days it would all be a thing of the past.

His lips twitched into a small smile. He wondered what the potion would taste like. He supposed it didn't really matter. Even if it tasted like dogshit, he would choke it down if it meant freeing his mother from the Darkness.

He closed his eyes and thought fondly of past arguments he had had with his mother. He wanted to do them all over again. He even thought about doing things on purpose that he knew irked his mother just to spark her reaction and really convince him that everything was back to normal.

Richie turned onto his side and frowned when he felt something press hard into his hip. He sat up, dug into his pocket, and pulled out the cell phone Cassie had given him.

He stared at it as he had many evenings. Sometimes he went as far as to flip it open. This time he didn't bother. Did he really need to contact his father anymore? The potion Debby was making would solve everything. He just needed to drink it, make the Darkness think it got him, then free his mother. How much more complicated could it be?

Sure, there was something about facing a fear or some shit like that, but Richie felt he had been through enough that nothing could faze him. He could stare down any threat or suffer any perversion. He had fucked both his own mother and his cousin; how much worse could it get than that?

Richie flinched and nearly flung the cell phone to the floor when he thought it had suddenly started ringing. He cursed his own skittishness when he realized it was the phone downstairs. It was silenced in short order when Cathy answered it.

"Richie!" Cathy suddenly called.

"Busy!" Richie cried back.

"Phone call for you, Richie. It's Jason."

Richie bolted upright. "What the fuck does he want?"

"He said he wants to talk to you."

"No shit. Find out what the fuck he wants to talk about."

"Um ... he says he wants to discuss a person of mutual interest," Cathy called up in a hesitant voice.

Richie rolled his eyes. "Tell him to talk like a normal ... aw, fuck it, I'll just take it," he said as he jumped out of bed. He raced down the stairs, taking the last three on one bone-jarring jump, and barreled into the kitchen. He snatched the phone from Cathy and shooed her away. "What the fuck do you want?" Richie said into the phone.

"You really need to work on your phone manners, Richie," Jason said in an amused voice.

"And you need to stop eating up all the shit the Inn is feeding you. So you said you wanted to talk about someone? Sure as hell better not be Diane."

"And why not Diane?"

"Because we've figured it out, dude. You're gunning for her. We're on to you now."

"Really, your paranoia is getting ridiculous. I truly hope you have not infected the other Harbingers with it. I'm not 'gunning' for anyone. I still care about the Harbingers, which is why I wanted to talk about her."

"That's the thing, see," Richie said. "I care about the Harbingers, too. I'm doing exactly what you told me to do. They say jump, I say how high."

"Well, bully for you," Jason said. "For doing what you should have done all along. What's your point?"

"My point, nerd-brain, is that I get the feeling you're looking for some excuse to go after us, like you have to do it for our own good or something."

"As I have said more times than I care to recall, they are not telling me to do anything. I decide what I want to do and when I want to do it. I do not want any harm to come to any of the Harbingers, which is why I wanted to talk to you about Diane."

Richie paused. He had half a mind to hang up, but he was too curious. Anything he could learn from Jason would be valuable to the others. "Okay, fine. Start talking."

"I'm worried about her because she's the most vulnerable of the group," Jason said in a voice which Richie would have interpreted as genuine concern in any other context. "And now she has this power she's having trouble controlling. All I want to know is if she's being handled properly."

Richie narrowed his eyes. "And why do you think she needs to be 'handled?' We don't fucking control her."

"I didn't mean it that way! For heaven's sake, Richie, stop creatively interpreting what I say to you."

Richie smirked, glad that he had managed to exasperate Jason. "All I know is that she's taking some sort of lessons with Mrs. Radson. She seems okay to me. And why are you so interested in her power?"

"Well, it's not so I can take it for myself, which is what I can imply you're thinking by your tone."

"Oh, no, gee-fucking-willikers, that would be, like, you know, paranoid," Richie said in a mocking tone of voice.

"I just don't want to see her hurt either herself or anyone else."

"For fuck's sake, it's not like it just comes spouting out of her when you bump into her just right. She said she's gotta be cumming for it to happen."

A pause. "Really?"

"Yeah, really, nerd-boy. So you don't have a nice, convenience excuse to do shit to her. Unless you think she's gonna start spontaneously cumming or some shit like that."

"Yes, of course," Jason said. "Thank you for talking to me, Richie. That clears things up rather nicely for me. I know what I need to do now."

Richie frowned. "Wait, what the fuck does that--"

"I'll see you tomorrow. Though likely not until we're in school. I think I'm going to go by bike for a bit."

"What the fuck for?! Why--"

"Good-bye, Richie."

"Wait a fucking minute! What did you just -- hello? Hello?! Shit!"

Richie slammed the phone back into its cradle. He felt like he had just screwed something up big time, but he was not sure how or what.

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