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Subject: {ASSM} Melissa's Rite 31/31 (mf mF MF ff fF fsolo teen inc oral voy mc nc toys humil magic)
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<1st attachment, "Chapter31.txt" begin>

WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: Melissa's Rite
Universe: Haven
Summary: The Darkness has found a new ally in Melissa, a 15 year old
girl bent on revenge on those that have wronged her. The others must
stop her before she gains more power and takes control of them all.

Part: 31 of 31
Keywords: mf, mF, MF, ff, fF, fsolo, teen, inc, oral, voy, mc, nc,
toys, humil, magic

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2007

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/A_Strange_Geek/www/novels/MRite/Chapter31.html



---------------

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.

He also told her of Elizabeth Jellison, the woman that had been Mara's
friend and confidante in life, and had enabled Mara to seal her spirit
away in the House. He explained how he had found her still alive in a
nursing home, and how she had helped him bring together several vital
clues.

Debby listened with what Jason thought was a rather remarkable degree
of calm. Finally, she leaned back in her chair and let out a slow sigh.

"Jason, please, if you would," Debby said in a subdued voice. "Describe
exactly where this House was located."

Jason did so. Debby nodded solemnly.

"Mara said it was located right on one of these lines of force that run
under Haven," Jason said. "Another one runs up through the picnic
grounds, where Melissa did the Rite. And another goes through ..."

"The campgrounds," Debby said. "Where Agatha attempted the Rite."

Jason paused. "You know about them?"

"Yes. I know exactly where all of them are located."

Jason's eyes widened. "You do?? Can you tell me? Please? That would be
a really valuable piece of information for us, Mrs. Radson."

Debby smiled faintly. "I have something better than that. There's
something I want to give you. And after hearing your story, I realize
that you and your friends are the best ones to receive it."

She stood up and turned towards one of the shelves. She withdrew the
bundle of yellowing papers that formerly occupied the dresser drawer
and laid them on the table before Jason.

Jason looked down at the pages, now wrapped in string again. "What is
this, Mrs. Radson?"

"A journal of sorts," Debby explained. "From a mutual friend it would
seem. Elizabeth Jellison."

Jason stared at her in disbelief.

"I had made friends with her in her waning years. She wanted me to have
these when she passed on."

Jason felt a sense of guilt and loss come over him. He had not once
thought to go back and thank Elizabeth for her help.

"Jason, if I'm figuring the date correctly of when everything happened
with the House, she died on that very day that you passed Mara's test.
From what I have read in her journal, I think she was living for that
moment."

Jason was too awestruck to respond. He simply stared down at the pages,
as if afraid to touch them.

"You can use these better than I can," Debby continued.

"Oh, but, Mrs. Radson, you're the one that's the Witch, not me! I can't
...."

Debby smiled and placed her hand on his. "Jason, you and your friends
already have knowledge far beyond mine. Some of the stuff in her
journal is over my head. I have a feeling you might understand it
better than I would. But nothing says you can't come back and talk to
me about it. I've read them over and over, Jason, enough to memorize
much of it. And you wanted this, anyway ..."

Debby tugged at the bow and undid the string. She sifted through the
papers and withdrew the map, which she lay before Jason.

"Oh wow ..." Jason breathed.

"See? She cataloged all the lines under Haven." Debby's fingertip
hovered over the map and followed one of the lines. "Here's the one
that goes to the picnic area ... This is the one that goes through the
campgrounds ... and see how the other end goes through where the House
was ... and there are these two more ..."

"Wait, one of these others ones also goes through the picnic area."

"The map is a little dated. They reduced the size of the picnic area
when they extended the hill road. That's how I knew exactly where the
Rite would be held. And it couldn't be this one ..." She pointed to a
fourth line, skewed such that it slashed a diagonal from northwest to
southeast through the town. " ... since it goes through government
lands."

But Jason wasn't listening. His eyes were still on the line that
skirted the picnic area. He had followed it through the Li'l Missy Inn
and out the east side of Haven. His eyes suddenly widened in alarm.

Jason stood. "Mrs. Radson, I-I have to go. I don't want my mother
getting uptight about how long I'm gone."

"That's okay, Jason, I understand," said Debby. She placed the map back
into the bundle and rewrapped it. "But I do want to say one more
thing."

"What's that?" Jason said distractedly.

"I want to thank you profusely for what you and your friends did. You
cannot imagine what this means to me. You freed Susan from something
horrible. And from what you told me, you took a greater risk than I
think Mara wanted you to. She only wanted you to stop others from
falling to her. You went beyond that."

"I don't think Mara knew about the Rite, Mrs. Radson," Jason pointed
out.

"Still, you were all very brave. Thank you." Debby drew Jason into a
tight hug.

Jason smiled faintly. "Um, thank you." He took the papers, and then his
smile faded. "Oh dammit ... Mom is going to insist she sees what you
gave me."

Debby nodded and grinned. She turned to the shelf and came back with a
small pendant in the shape of a pentacle. Jason almost recoiled from it
until he saw it was very different from the one Melissa had been
wearing. For one thing, the star was pointed up instead of down.

"Here, take this and show it to her," Debby said. "Your mother can take
pleasure in not allowing it into her house so she feels she did her
motherly duty."

Jason took the pendant from her. "Thanks, Mrs. Radson. I've got to get
going."

"Of course. And please, feel free to call on me anytime. You may know
more about the Darkness, but I still know something about magic. I
might be able to help in your fight."

"I will, Mrs. Radson. Thanks, for everything. Oh, um, would it be okay
if I used your phone? It's a local call."

"It's right in the downstairs hall off from the living room, Jason.
Please feel free."

"Thanks again!"

Jason rushed through the house. He grabbed the phone and dialed a
number. The first time he tried, it rang about four times before it
sent him to voice mail. He sighed and tried it again. "Come on, answer
it ..."

Finally, just after the third ring, the line opened to a soft
scrambling noise and a giggle. "Um, hello?" Cassie said, her voice a
bit breathless.

"This is Jason. I'm really sorry to bother you right now but ..."

"Ned, stop that!" Cassie suddenly called out in a husky voice. "That's
driving me nuts ... I ... ohh! ..."

Jason paused. "Cassie, you okay?"

Cassie panted into the phone. "S-sorry, Jason, but Ned is kind of
distracting me right now. What ... oh my ..."

"Where the heck are you?"

"In the meeting house ... i-in the ... uhhh ... in the b-bedroom ..."

Jason suddenly blushed. "Oh ... look, um ... I won't keep you, but I
need to talk to you. Can ... can I come over there when you're, uh,
done?"

Cassie panted harder. "Ned, you are incorrigible! Uhhn ... y-yes,
Jason, that's fine. Give me an hour ... ohh! ... I have to go! Bye! /Oh
Ned ...!/"

The line went dead, cutting off a moan from Cassie.



Richie knocked on the door. There was a long pause before it was
finally answered.

"Oh, Richie!" said Linda Davis, looking surprised. "I-I wasn't
expecting you. I thought you still had detention."

"Seeger gave me a break and canceled it," Richie drawled. "So I came
over to see you."

Linda slowly smiled. "I've missed you. In fact, I was just ... well
...."

"Friggin' your pussy?"

Linda nodded and let out a slow, lusty sigh. "But I didn't get very
far. You're just in time."

Richie grinned. "Then I better get inside, huh?"

"Oh yes, of course."

Linda stepped back. Richie entered and casually kicked the door closed
behind him. "Guess we should get started."

"You want to do it out here?" Linda cooed as she glided over to him.
Her hand played with his belt.

Richie felt his cock grow rock-hard. "Yeah, you'd do that if I told you
to, wouldn't you?"

"Would you like me to suck your cock? Just for starters? Then you can
watch me play with myself."

Richie swallowed. It was getting more difficult by the second. "You
still been thinkin' about me, then?"

"I've tried not to, Richie, but it's impossible. I can't get you
completely out of my mind. You ... you excite me too much." Linda's
hand drifted downward and caressed the bulge in his crotch. "So I'll be
your love slave, Richie. I-I've come to terms with that finally."

She started to pull down his zipper. Richie's heart pounded.

"I'm sure ... I'm p-pretty sure, anyway ... that it's what I really
want now. Yes. Please, just let me ..."

She slipped her fingers through the open zipper and over his briefs.

Richie grabbed her wrist and pulled her hand away. When Linda gave him
a confused look, Richie let go and backed up a step.

"What's the matter?" Linda asked in a worried voice.

Richie reached into his pocket. His hand trembled. "I ... I gotta say
something to you first. You hafta listen, 'kay?"

Linda was confused, but nodded nevertheless.

Richie took out the second slip of paper that Jason had given him and
read it. "/Thotg'altkas orgos ron'indna!/"

Linda gasped, her eyes wide. She let out her breath in a single, slow
sigh, her eyes glazed. Her muscles relaxed as she sank deeply into
trance.

Richie sighed despondently as he zipped up his pants. He didn't want to
do this. He would have preferred Linda on her knees giving him a hell
of a blowjob. But this was the right thing to do.

"Linda, you don't want to be my slave," Richie said.

"Don't ... d-don't want ..." Linda murmured, tripping over her words as
if she were fighting them.

"Listen to me!" Richie cried. "You don't wanna be my slave!"

"Don't wanna b-be your slave ..."

"Yeah, that's right. You don't wanna have sex with me anymore."

"Don't ... don't ... b-but ..."

"You don't want it! You don't want sex with more. That's it. No more.
It's over."

Linda trembled. "Don't want ... no more ... over ..."

"Yeah, now you got it. No more sex with me. Now, um ... awaken!"

Linda blinked. She swayed, then raised a hand to her head and rubbed
her temple. She gave Richie a curious look.

Richie held his breath as he returned Linda's gaze, trying to look
nonchalant.

Linda took a deep breath and let it go, her hand falling to her side.
"I'm glad you came here today, Richie," she said in a weak voice. "I
think ... I think it would be better if you didn't come around anymore.
Not like this."

Richie nodded. "Yeah, no prob, Li ... um ... Miss Davis."

"I'm sorry if I led you on a bit when you first arrived. Not sure why I
did that, but ... anyway, I've had a change of heart. I'm not sure I
want to continue this relationship."

"Yeah, I figured. No sweat, Miss Davis, I understand. Fun while it
lasted sorta thing, I guess."

Linda paused, then nodded slowly. She still had her memories of
everything that had happened. She smiled faintly. "I'll see you in
class tomorrow, Richie."

Richie nodded and backed away. "Yeah. See ya."

He quickly let himself out.

Linda took another deep breath. Richie had been only partially
successful. While he had removed most of Linda's immediate urges, she
was left confused over why she had suddenly decided differently. In the
back of her mind, she thought that she should still be pining for him.
Why she was no longer was a mystery to her, and she had to find out
why.

The only failing on Richie's part had been a lack of understanding of
the dynamics of human memory and the limitations of the magic. It was
the intent that counted in the end.



Jason dutifully waited the hour, even though it would come close to
running afoul of his mother's deadline. However, he felt uneasy about
broaching the subject. Cassie was in such high spirits that she was
practically glowing. And Ned had the most smug look Jason had ever
seen.

But it was important for Cassie to know, and the sooner the better. He
told them of what Susan's mother had given him, and he took out the
map. He spread it out on the coffee table and pointed out the lines.
Then he traced one particular line to where it hit the east edge of the
map.

Right where it crossed the mesa.

"Oh my goodness ..." Cassie breathed, one hand over her heart as she
stared at the map.

"Uh, babe?" Ned ventured tentatively. "Isn't yer house at the top of
that mesa?"

Cassie swallowed. She lifted her gaze and nodded.

"I'm sorry, Cassie, but I felt you had to know about this," Jason said.
"If I'm reading this right, this force line passes really close to your
parents' mansion."

"No, it doesn't pass close," Cassie said in a quavering voice. "It
passes directly under it."

"Oh, man," Ned muttered.

"But Jason, I never once saw anything strange happen in my parents'
house! Unless ... oh my ... I wonder ..."

"What is it, babe?"

"Well ... I was born in that house. It wasn't where my mother wanted me
to be born, you understand. This was supposed to be just a summer home.
One of our summer homes, anyway. But I was about a month premature."

Jason took a guess as to where Cassie was going. "You think maybe
that's how you got your Dream Gift?"

"I don't know. But it seems kind of an odd coincidence, doesn't it?"

"I didn't know ya was born here in Haven," Ned said.

Cassie smiled wanly. "I guess it just never came up. Aren't any of the
others born here? Well, I know you're not, Ned."

"I'm not, either," said Jason. "Not Richie. Or Heather and Melinda. I
don't know about Diane, though."

Cassie looked unsettled.

"It might not mean anything," Jason said quickly. "Like you said,
nothing really happened to you the whole time you've been living
there."

"But what if there is some connection between me and these force lines?
Or even Haven itself?" Cassie said, shivering slightly. "Maybe that's
why I can see so clearly into the lives of people in this town but
nowhere else. Even when I'm abroad with my parents over the summer, my
dreams are still about people in Haven."

"Wow ..." Ned murmured.

"Jason, now I'm a little worried. What if it works both ways? What if
it can use it to g-get at me somehow?"

Jason realized that Cassie had a point, and he was concerned about her,
but he didn't want her to panic. "I don't think it can get at you
directly. I mean, it needed that Rite before it could manifest itself,
and when it did want you, it had to send Nyssa after you. I don't think
it can do anything unless someone is helping it."

Cassie nodded slowly. "Just the same, I think I'm going to be a little
more careful around the mansion from now on."

"You said you were sure your parents don't have Auras, right?"

"Positive. I don't see them as well as Melinda or you, but I'm pretty
sure I'd see something if it were there. And believe me, my parents
don't need extra power to try and run my life. Or make other people's
lives miserable."

Jason managed a small smile. "All right. Well, just keep an eye on them
and let the rest of us know if anything happens."

"Only if you promise that all of you keep an eye on me," Cassie
declared. "Especially Melinda, since she's the most sensitive. Have her
sound a warning the moment she sees even the least bit of anything on
me."

"C'mon, don't talk like that, babe," Ned said, feeling a little uneasy.

"I'm serious, Ned! We can't afford to take chances."

"I think we all need to keep an eye on each other," Jason declared.

"Well, yeah, I kinda thought we always did that," Ned said.

"I don't just mean the Auras. I mean ... we need to watch what each
other does."

"I don't follow you, Jason," said Cassie.

"I thought about this for a long while last night," Jason began in a
more contrite tone of voice. "All of us in the Harbingers got a taste
of power at some point. Heather, Melinda, Richie, and I more so than
you or Ned. Diane is the only exception. And because we got a taste of
it, it's very tempting to us."

Ned made a face. "C'mon, that's bein' paranoid now, ain't it?"

"Look, I don't mean we've turned evil, or that we're waiting to stab
each other in the back. But look how much the book distracted us.
Melinda wanted me to use that spell on her. I used it, and we saw what
the side-effects were. But guess what? She hinted she wants me to use
it again. And I /want/ to use it."

"Jason, that might be a lingering effect from Nyssa," Cassie pointed
out. "You want it because she wants it."

But Jason was shaking his head. "No, Cassie. That effect only worked
when Melinda was talking to me directly. And the effect has lessened a
great deal. I can resist it better. No, this is coming out of my own
head. And I asked Heather and Diane point-blank about this as well. I
got Heather to admit that she'd consider using some of those spells on
Diane again. And Diane is willing to have Heather use them."

Cassie's eyes widened. "What?? But ... they must still be suffering
from ..."

Jason shook his head again. "The fact of the matter is that Heather was
tempted by that power and still is tempted. She's dominating by her own
nature. I mean, I'm sorry to bring it up, but for a little while after
we freed you from Nyssa, you still wanted to control Richie."

Ned looked at Cassie, surprised. This was news to him. Cassie blushed
and looked uncomfortable. "But that passed," she said adamantly. "I
don't desire that anymore."

"I know. You had only a small exposure to that sort of power. But the
rest of us had a much larger exposure. It's harder for us. So maybe
we're the ones that need to be watched more."

Cassie was silent. She didn't know what to say and looked helplessly at
Ned.

Ned shrugged. "Dunno what ta tell ya, babe. He kinda has a point. I
mean, c'mon, it affects even me. I was the one that had ya try an' look
up a spell that would make ya more willin' fer sex."

"Which we didn't need," Cassie said, her blush deepening.

"Yeah, I know. But ... well ... I kinda still think about it. I mean,
don't get me wrong, I'd never do it to ya without yer permission. I'm
just makin' a point."

Cassie slowly nodded and looked at Jason. "All right, I think I
understand. I just don't want to see it break down into paranoia."

"We just need to keep tabs on each other, that's all," Jason said. "It
will make it a lot harder for the Darkness to take advantage of any
weakness on our part."

"So do we decree that no one uses these spells anymore?"

"That's going to be really hard. But we'll talk about it this coming
Monday when we meet again."

"Ah, back to the ol' dysfunctional family again," Ned said with a grin.
"Warms the cockles of my heart. And believe me, ya don't want no cold
cockles."

Cassie giggled. Jason even cracked a smile.



Richie waited a long moment inside the door.

"Mom?"

He didn't call out the name very loudly, as if he were afraid of a
response. He stepped inside, still wearing his jacket. He touched the
bulge in his pocket and pulled out his prized baseball.

He used to keep it hidden. Now he refused to be parted from it. He
turned it around and saw the odd char mark that had been left from its
impact with the box. He swelled with pride at the sight of it. It was
his proof that he had done something right. He wondered if his father
would be proud of him.

He stuffed it back in his pocket and stared at the dining table. It was
rarely used for meals anymore. Instead, it served as a small office for
his mother. All the family finances and correspondence were handled
here. He could see his mother's checkbook and account ledger. He could
see the stack of bills that needed to be paid, and a smaller pile that
were sealed, stamped, and ready to be mailed.

Richie stepped up to it. His hand trembled as it reached into his other
pocket where he kept the letter Jason had given him. His other hand
hovered near the chair. His heart thudded in his ears.

Truth. He had exclusive access to it. All of it.

There was a reason he never again used that particular part of his
ability since he had first discovered it. It left nothing open to
interpretation. He would know everything with a certainty that defied
any attempt to refute it.

Seeing the past physically play out before him was powerful. Knowing
exactly what people were thinking at the time was dangerous.

Richie swallowed. His lower lip trembled. His fingers touched the
letter.

The lighting shifted subtly. It appeared to be a little earlier in the
day, though he knew it had to be nearly two weeks ago. His mother
appeared in the chair before him. She was bent over something. She was
writing. She was ...

She was shaking.

Richie leaned forward. She was writing the letter. He saw her nervous
scrawl across the page. He withdrew the letter from his pocket. His
eyes flicked from it to the letter his mother wrote. It was eerie to
see it being created before his eyes.

But it answered only part of the question. It answered the what and the
who. It didn't answer the why.

Sandra gasped softly as she finished the letter and closed her eyes.
She shuddered and uttered a tiny moan. Her thighs parted.

"Good girl ... being a good girl ..." she moaned. She quickly turned
over the letter, hiding the words from view. "I'm a good girl ... doing
what I should ..."

Richie's heart sank. That was clear enough, wasn't it? She had intended
it as a trap for them, but something had gone wrong. It was a setup
from the start, just like Jason had suspected. But he had to know for
sure. He reached out his hand towards his mother's past form.

And as his fingers touched that undefinable boundary, a layer of
nonreality that nevertheless tingled against his skin, he felt a rush
of thought and emotion ...

/I'm being a good girl ... doing what you want of me ... writing ...
writing a letter ... to set up a meeting .../

Richie's stomach clenched. He started to withdraw his hand.

/... to seduce an important man .../

Richie stopped.

/Yes ... a seduction ... an important one ... he likes the romantic
touch of a letter ... oh yes, I knew you would be pleased ... ohhh,
thank you .../

He felt her cum in his mind, and his own cock nearly throbbed in
sympathy with it. But he barely noticed it. He was too astonished. His
mother had lied to the Darkness. Actually lied to it.

/And succeeded./

Now his mother's inner voice changed, as subtle as the change in the
light had been. Richie's heart lurched again. It was his mother as he
remembered her ten years ago, before it all started.

/Did it ... send this off tomorrow ... now they can meet ... now they
can fight .../

"Richie!"

His mind reeled as he was abruptly pulled back to the present. His past
mother vanished like smoke. His real one spun him around to face her.

"What the fuck is the matter with you?" Sandra said crossly. "You were
standing there like a goddamn statue, like you didn't hear me."

Richie's throat closed up. Tears blurred his eyes.

Sandra gave him an odd look. "Richie, what's the matter?"

Richie suddenly threw his arms around her and drew her into a tight
hug.

Sandra was so thoroughly shocked, she just stood there, unable to
react. "Richie, what ...?"

"I love you, Mom."

It took Sandra a moment for the words to register. It had been so long
since she had heard them that they were almost alien to her. The idea
that someone could love her again, and that her own son didn't hate
her, were two revelations that were almost too much to bear.

She remained silent. No words, no sound could convey her feelings.
Quiet tears spilled down her cheeks as she hugged him fiercely in
return.

For that fleeting moment, she was free of the Darkness' influence. Yet
she felt it hovering just at the edge of her perceptions, ready to rush
in and reclaim her when this moment had passed. And when that happened,
it would punish her, and likely draw Richie in with that as well. She
would no longer be able to protect him from it any longer.

But it didn't matter. This one moment would make it endurable, for now
she had her son back.



END
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