From: ladd@cs.unc.edu (Brian C. Ladd)
Subject: MNA: The Coven (fd mc mf ff) 01/07
Date: 5 Mar 1996 06:28:49 -0500
Message-ID: <4hh8hh$jgq@baldhead.cs.unc.edu>

This story Copyright (C), 1993 by the Flying Pen.  Redistribution via
electronic means as well as a single hard copy is permitted, as long as
1)  this message is included; 
2)  the text is not altered in any way, and 
3)  no financial gain is incurred from its redistribution.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

				 The Coven

				The Mistake

   It all began with a mistake, and a relatively common one at that:  
Andrew Davidson looked one time too many, for a few seconds too long.  He was going home from work one day, waiting for the train.  That's when he did it.  An attractive young woman walked onto the platform, headed in his direction.  The first thing Andrew noticed, when she had gotten close enough, were her eyes.  They were light blue, with a striking sort of--reflectiveness--about them.  He was surprised by the unusual eye color.  So surprised that it took him a few seconds to realize that she was returning his brief stare.  Embarrassment flooded him, and he immediately averted his eyes and began to pretend that he had someplace else to be, and something else to do.  The young woman found a seat on one of the benches about five feet away from where he had decided to stand.  Against his better judgment, Andy stole another glance.  She had thick, dark brown 
hair that came to her shoulders, carefully curled on the inner edges to 
effectively frame her attractive face.  He saw the ring on her finger and 
breathed a silent sigh of relief without really knowing why.
    Headlights appeared and a horn sounded in the distance, announcing the train's pending arrival in a minute or so.  The young woman chose that moment to cross her legs, shapely and clad in black hose.  The action reclaimed his clandestine attention, and he noted the emblem on the white jacket she wore loosely over her clothes; it indicated that she was a physical therapist.  The horn sounded again, closer, and this encounter would be over soon.  Her attractiveness would become just a memory, to fade rapidly over time.
   Danielle Gray sighed to herself.  Another one.  "What do you think 
you're doing?" she asked in her soft, melodic voice.  The man was clearly startled, and turned quickly to face her.  She looked at him, leaving no doubt whom she had addressed.  She fought the urge to shake her head.  They're never as sneaky as they think they are...
   "I'm... I'm... just on my way home," Andy stammered, shaken that she had caught his surreptitious glances.  The train hummed into the station as it decelerated.  Time also slowed to a crawl.
   "No you're not," Danielle said quietly, regarding him fully.  She 
concentrated as she had been taught, reaching out to him.  People 
circulated around him, getting on and off the train, but his legs did not 
move.  She watched him grow increasingly embarrassed; the next few seconds would tell her much.  For his part, Andy knew he had been downright rude.  Despite his embarrassment, he believed that it would have been even more rude to run away from the woman.  He heard the doors buzz, indicating the imminent departure of the train.  The buzzing continued after they had shut and the train had begun to move.
   "Come here, and sit down."  The woman's soft words echoed in his mind, causing the buzzing noise to resonate with their cadence and pitch.  He dumbly sat next to her on the metal grille bench.  She was busy writing something in a notebook that she had produced from her briefcase and ignored him for the moment.  The young woman stopped writing after a few seconds; Andy hadn't realized that he was holding his breath, waiting for her to make some sort of motion or gesture.  She looked at him, appraisingly at first, then he sensed something about her gaze... changed.  He couldn't move or speak, and his ass seemed completely glued to the bench.  Andy's heart raced as panic spread through his body.  Something very strange was happening here...
   Danielle watched her captive's reaction carefully, and quietly said, 
"Calm down.  You're just sitting next to me.  You want to ask me out, and everything will seem like it was your own idea."  Danielle smiled to herself.  No sense in wasting a perfectly good opportunity.
   The buzzing of the no-longer-present train grew louder in Andy's ears.  His heart slowed, his body relaxed as he became aware that he was just waiting for a train, sitting next to this beautiful woman.  She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her briefcase, and handed him her lighter.  "Light my cigarette," she said, her eyes glittering with interest.  He reacted by immediately producing the flame, worrying that he was going to screw up this absolutely golden opportunity.
   He looked a little worried to Danielle and that meant she had him.  
"Thank you," she regally responded, knowing how to play his tethered 
emotions.  "One mustn't ever forget simple politeness."  The man nodded gravely at the pronouncement.  Danielle exhaled leisurely, allowing herself to relax and forget, for a brief moment, about the man she currently possessed.  "What to do, what to do, what to _do_ with you..." Danielle mumbled aloud.  "You were looking at me, weren't you?" she asked as she resumed her writing, looking down at her notebook as she smoked.  He affirmed what she already knew, but it was a detail that had to be attended to.  Another train arrived, headed in the opposite direction.  She ignored the bustle and continued her interrogation.  "You stared at me because I was attractive to you at first glance, and you wanted me.  You guys never learn, do you?"  She sighed.  Time to let him hang himself.
   Andy blinked and shook his head.  The buzzing noise was gone.  "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to be so rude.  I _was_ raised better than that," he apologized as sincerely as he could.  "I mean, I know it's 
impolite and offensive and... and..."  His voice trailed off as he tried 
to figure out how to avoid making the apology look like a pass.  Andy 
couldn't bring himself to look at her.  "I guess the only thing I can 
really do to apologize is to leave you completely alone," he mumbled.  He gathered his briefcase, intending to get up and walk to the opposite end of the platform.
   That was unexpected.  Danielle was sure that the man was being sincere.  They never told her that this might happen.  "_Now_ what should I do?" she said, half to herself, as the man began to rise from the bench.  Danielle touched his arm tentatively.  He jumped, startled again, but turned to face her.  She reached out for him in her special way; no matter what future actions would be taken, it was clear that she needed to find out more about this guy.  She watched him swipe at the air, and stifled a giggle.  "Come, sit," she bade him.  He stopped in mid-stride, turned, and sat down next to her.  Danielle smiled briefly, pleased with her increasing skill.  She studied him for a moment.  "I hate making decisions on an empty stomach," Danielle said to no one in particular.  "I think..." she began, tapping her chin with her fingers, looking skyward, paused in thought.  A sidelong glance showed that he was eagerly waiting for her next words.  Dani, you're getting real good at this, she thought.  "I think you want to take me to dinner," she finished with nonchalance.  They caught the next train heading in the opposite direction from their previously intended destinations.  Oh well, showtime...
  "My name is Danielle," she said, smiling pleasantly with her mouth and making sure it also reached her eyes.
   Danielle.  Such a pretty name for such a pretty woman.  "I'm And-d-
dr... Andy," he said, blushing shyly.  His heart beat rapidly with 
excitement.
   "Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Andy," she replied with a smile.  Men are so damn easy...
   He was thrilled that such a beautiful woman had accepted his spur-of-the moment invitation.  Indeed, Andy was pleased that he had managed to find the nerve to ask this unknown woman to dinner.  He didn't do things like this very often.
   They got off the train near one of the big downtown shopping complexes.  Andy followed Danielle faithfully, carrying her briefcase along with his own.  Dani walked briskly, her heels making rapid, rhythmic staccato clicks.  She stopped in front of Dryden and Hall's to study the menu board outside the restaurant.  After a few seconds, she commented amiably, "This is where we will eat.  I like the food here."  Of course, he'd think it was his own idea.  No sense in taking any unnecessary chances.  Andy told her how happy he was that she approved of his choice of restaurant and how glad he was that she enjoyed the food there as much as he did.  They were seated, and she ordered appetizers and cocktails for the two of them before the main course.  She had already found out that he could afford it, so she felt no obligation to be frugal.  Flaunt it if ya got it...  
     Danielle chose a lobster from the tank while he contented himself with the prime strip steak.  She noticed that it was getting easier to keep a light grip on another mind while simultaneously enjoying dinner.  She briefly recalled her first disastrous attempt a few months earlier.
   The buzzing noise that came from the kitchen made it difficult for Andy to talk.  He was a little surprised that the wait staff could hear them, but figured that they must be used to the noise.  He didn't say much during dinner due to the combination of the excellent food, the constant buzz (which really detracted from the ambiance of the classy dining room), and Danielle's attractiveness.  He would look at her and wonder when he would wake up from this fantastic dream.  Andy listened to her musical voice as she talked about her job during cordials and dessert, smiling stupidly at her throughout.  After dessert, he handed over his Visa card and answered some of Danielle's questions while they leisurely sipped coffee.
   They finally left the restaurant, stepping into a sultry, warm summer 
night.  Andy carried her jacket and both their briefcases.  Danielle 
coolly took a drag on her cigarette as she watched her extremely pliant 
date hail a taxi to take them back to their original destinations.  The 
driver dropped him off first, as per her instructions.  She watched 
disinterestedly as Andy handed the cabbie thirty dollars to take her home.  She smiled at Andy, and grasped his hand lightly.  Filling her eyes with false promise, Danielle softly said, "I promise, I will see you again, Andy.  Thank you for dinner."  She didn't know whether that was true or not, but she needed to say something.  Besides, in a pinch, he was a nice enough date.  The door closed and her dinner companion walked away, whistling happily.  But she was still hungry.
				    ***
   The next morning Andy woke up with an enormous headache and a Visa receipt for one-hundred fifty-five dollars in his wallet.  While ibuprofen would take care of the headache, and he could easily afford the money, it still was not a very good morning.  He remembered the previous night's events down to the last detail, including the reasons for choosing the particular wine they drank.  He had definitely enjoyed himself, and Danielle's company, but... $155.00 worth?  What in the hell was he thinking when he had suggested Dryden and Hall's for a _first_ date?  That was definitely overkill, even if she had said that they would see each other...  "Shit!  A hundred fifty-five bucks and I didn't even ask her for her phone number!!!"  His frustrated yelp echoed in the empty apartment.  Andy, you are _such_ an idiot when it comes to women, he swore silently.  He just _knew_ he had happily been taken for a ride.  "I even gave her money for her cab ride home," he moaned to the silent walls.
   Determined to recover some measure of dignity (and sanity), Andy looked for Danielle on the station platform the next day, and the day after that, but he didn't see her.  His stupidity had cost him about two hundred bucks, but nothing else.  So, while it may have been a relatively expensive lesson financially, it was not as expensive an experience as it could have been.  Andy decided to count his blessings.  Two weeks passed, and he had almost forgotten the whole thing, although the missing money still rankled.  He was reading the paper after work at the station while waiting, and had started to read one of the front page stories.  It detailed the discovery of the partially decomposed remains of a missing cab driver.  Before he got much past the "Remains Found" header, he heard Danielle's voice.  "Hello, Andy."
   He looked up at her, trying hard to be cool, trying to hide how pleased he was at her unexpected arrival, and that she remembered who he was.  It was a sunny day, and both of them had sunglasses on.  Danielle didn't have her white clinician's jacket with her and she had changed her hairstyle.  Andy decided that he liked her hair the other way better, but the well-tailored jacket and skirt she wore made her look quite the young medical professional.
   Danielle gathered all the charm she could and smiled at Andy.  She 
wasn't in a very good mood, having been forced to adjust her boss' 
attitude earlier in the day.  The dressing-down he had started to give 
still bothered her, even if she did make him stop.  Then there was the 
bitchy new female patient whom she'd had to turn over to another 
therapist.  Danielle had been unable to communicate pleasantly with the cunt, and the power was no help there--it only worked on men.  And here was Andy: how convenient.  Nobody in the coven had told her that she couldn't give him a little push.
   Andy smiled and opened his mouth to speak, but a very large insect 
buzzed around his ear at that moment, and he shook his head to shoo it 
away.  It cannily stayed just out of sight somewhere behind his ear.  Andy pretended to ignore it so he wouldn't look silly to Danielle.  She stifled a giggle and smiled before continuing, "I'm very happy to see you again, especially after the beastly day I've had at work."  Andy took a quick swipe at the irritating buzzing noise.  "I want..."  She paused; the buzzing became fainter, then returned louder than before.  "I want to go to a happy hour.  Take me to RC's for happy hour," Danielle finished, her voice modulated by the damn insect's buzzing.  She had just accepted his impromptu offer for a happy hour!  Andy's blood ran a little faster and he felt a little giddy, flushed with the success he was having at asking Danielle out.  Twenty minutes later, they were downtown at RC's, sitting by the man-made duck pond.  Andy bought some appetizers and two frozen strawberry daiquiris.  Andy and Danielle chatted happily.
   An hour later, Danielle's mood had improved considerably, and Andy was beginning to bore her.  There was a pause in the conversation, and she broke it by saying, 'I really shouldn't keep you too long tonight."  Andy shook his head to disagree, then took a vicious swipe at the air.  Danielle giggled, explaining that the bugs left her alone because they didn't like her perfume.  If he thinks that it's bugs, so much the better:  it made for a good cover story.  She suggested quietly that he had urgent things to do.
   Andy looked at his watch.  "Oh, _hell_.  I _do_ have to run," he said, 
getting up from their table.  "I'm so sorry Danielle, but I have some 
things I need to take care of at home, and I had completely forgotten 
about them.  I need to get them done before it gets too late."  The words tumbled out in a helter-skelter stream, then he froze for an instant.  Andy hesitantly asked, "See you soon?"
   Dani was prepared for this.  Evidently, she had given him a bit more of a push than she'd thought.  No problem, she could cover this up without too much trouble.  She smiled graciously and said, "Yes, you will."  She figured that he was the type that would probably feel a little guilty about leaving her in such a hurry.  She whispered "guilt" just to make sure he thought that he was reacting normally.  Andy surprised her by buying her a second daiquiri before he scampered to the station to catch the next train home.
   When he got to his apartment, Andy immediately started cleaning the kitchen, something he had promised himself he would do when he got home, but he had run into Danielle, and they had gone to a happy hour and...  At any rate, he was home now, and the kitchen _had_ to be done.  Eventually, he went to bed very content because he had gone out with Danielle a second time, and completely cleaned the kitchen.  He woke up a lot less happy, with a huge hangover, another Visa receipt, and he _still_ didn't have Danielle's phone number.
				    ***
   "Danielle Gray, line two.  Danielle Gray, line two."  The soft 
broadcast voice interrupted her flexion of her patient's knee.  "Just a 
moment--you can relax for a little bit," she assured the middle-aged man.  She reflexively checked the clock: only three-thirty.  The week had dragged on far too long already and it was only Thursday.  The thought crossed her mind that the phone call could be from that cute Brendan guy she'd snared last week.  Maybe he was responding to her prompt for another date this weekend.  Her rising hopes collapsed when she heard the "Hello, Danielle" delivered in a very familiar, cool, faintly accented tone.  She sighed.
   "Hello, Gina," Danielle said, trying not to let her disappointment show over the phone.  "No, I never have to work late...  Yes...  That's 
right...  Well, what about him?  No...  He's going on vacation starting 
Monday, so I thought I'd ask that...  Tonight?!!?  I don't..."  She sighed 
in resignation as the voice on the other end tersely explained the meaning of "tonight."
   "Yes, Gina...  I can wait for him at the station and bring him straight 
from work...  Yes, we'll be there tonight."  Danielle hung up the phone, 
her mood having turned rotten.  Great, just what I fucking wanted, a damn coven meeting tonight, she sourly thought.  And with me at the center of it.  Sometimes, it seemed that this deal wasn't all it was cracked up to be...
				    ***
   Andy was working late in the office trying to give himself some 
breathing room before he went on vacation.  It was almost seven o'clock, and the sun was beginning to set.  There was a knock at his door, a very rare occurrence so late in the day.  He figured that it was just security checking the partially opened door and noises during their rounds.  "Come in," he said, not bothering to interrupt his study of the debugger as it flickered through the code on the screen.
   "Andy...  Hi!  I was waiting for you at the station, but you didn't 
show up," Danielle said.  There was a faint tinge of urgency in her voice.  Andy spun his chair and stood quickly, as much out of shock as some vaguely remember homily about seated gentlemen and ladies.  "We have to go now.  We're already late," she said, sounding slightly disturbed.  He gave her a strange look, because he didn't remember making any plans for tonight at all.  The loose disk drive in one of his machines began its annoying buzz as it vibrated against the frame, gnawing its way into his consciousness during the awkward silence.  I really have to get that thing fixed, he resolved.
   Dani rolled her eyes as he looked at one of his computers.  She really 
didn't have time for this.  Danielle resumed, "You kept me waiting, so  
thought I better check for you in your office.  I thought you might have 
been tied up with work and forgot our dinner date at my place."  She put a little extra emphasis on the last six words.
   "I'm sorry, Danielle, but I guess I just sorta lost track of time," he 
apologized.  Andy shut the debugger down and prepared to leave the office for the day.  Dani just handed him her things as they left the building, scurrying to catch the next train headed away from the city.  "So what were you planning for dinner?" Andy asked, trying to start a conversation.
   Danielle didn't hear him, trying to figure out exactly what she was 
going to say later on, and why she should make any special effort at all.  She suddenly became aware that Andy had been talking to her.  "Mmmm?  Oh, I'm sorry, Andy.  I was just thinking about... some things," she said.  "Oh, this is my stop."  She quickly added, "Where I'm parked."  After they got in her car, Danielle told him, "It's about a fifteen minute drive from here, so we'll be there in a little bit."  She was getting a little nervous; Andy wasn't like the last guy she had done this to.  Dani had mixed feelings, but the decision had not been hers to make.  She glanced at Andy, who was still oblivious to the real objective, the false dinner date firmly imprinted on his mind.
   Andy watched the scenery pass in silence as they got off the highway 
and entered a ritzy subdivision.  The large, expensive homes on their 
large, immaculate grass and tree-filled lots simultaneously impressed, and intimidated him.  If this was where Danielle lived and had grown up...The car turned down what appeared to be a wooded lane and stopped.  Two ornate iron gates stood in the way, illuminated by the headlights.  A private street in a wealthy subdivision, he mused silently; we must be going to her parents' house.  He got a little nervous at the thought; but he was also pleased that Danielle thought enough of him to bring him to a dinner with her folks.  The gates were opened quickly by a pair of the most athletic-looking security guards he'd ever seen.  Danielle slowly drove along the wooded street for about a minute, saying nothing.  He couldn't see any houses beyond the trees, and then discovered why there were no houses in this part of the subdivision.  An enormous stone mansion stood in the clearing, small garden floodlights illuminating its facade.  The gates were for _this place_.  Andy was so shocked by its sheer size that he barely noticed the other cars in the circular drive.  The elaborate, and creatively lit fountain in front scarcely rated a second glance.  He let a long, low whistle go.  Danielle parked and got out of the car in a hurry.
     "The others are waiting for us.  Come on, Andy," she urged, trotting up the staircase leading to the manse.  He carried her 
things and followed her, trying not to trip as he tried to take in the 
sight of the house and grounds.
   When Andy got to the patio, he shook his head in amazement.  It could have been a patio restaurant in some old-fashioned luxury hotel.  All that was missing were the tables, umbrellas, and a wait staff.  It ran the length of the building, and was at least forty feet wide, bounded by a very carefully sculpted stone railing overlooking the drive and the "front lawn".  Any further study would have to wait as Danielle hit the door chime and the front door opened after only a few seconds.  A handsome young man stood at the door.
    "Welcome, Mistress Danielle.  The others await you in the sitting room, and your things have been set out in your chamber," he said with the professional tone of a trained major domo.  Mistress Danielle?  He cocked his head, wondering how formal this little 
dinner would be.  Danielle just tugged lightly on his arm to pull him 
inside.  She ignored Andy's unspoken question, and he wasn't sure how to broach the subject verbally.  The net result was that Andy said nothing.
   "Thank you, Steven," Dani said to the young man, who only gave a short nod of deferent acknowledgment in return.  Danielle turned to Andy and said, "I have to get ready."  There was no smile on her face, no hint of warmth.  "You will go with him, and follow his instructions for now," she commanded.  A loud buzz vibrated inside his skull in the cool, dry foyer.  That was the precise moment Andrew Davidson realized that Danielle had been controlling him.  Their earlier so-called dates had been nothing but illusions planted by the woman who walked rapidly up the stairs.  Steven turned in the opposite direction and Andy fell into step behind the young man, legs working automatically.  He watched himself obey Danielle's command as if he was an uninterested, uninvolved third party.  Whatever she had done, however she had done it, Andy couldn't make his legs stop as Steven lead him down a set of stairs and showed him to a dungeon-like room.  Steven pointed, and Andy walked in the room.  As soon as the lock 
clicked, Andy regained command of his legs, but slammed off the sturdy wooden door when he rushed it.  His shoulder began to throb immediately.
   He pounded at the door, screaming, as much in frustration as in anger.  Andy was definitely locked in, effectively jailed for the moment.  He looked around the room for an escape.  There was a cot and a toilet, but nothing that could even be remotely considered a weapon without ripping the toilet out of the floor it was set into.  He tried to think his way through his predicament, searching the otherwise-empty room for something that would help him escape.  Andy figured that Steven was also being controlled by Danielle; the man had acted too "professional" for his young appearance, and had called her "mistress."  Fear welled up in Andy as visions of whips, chains, and devices related to sadomasochistic practices filled his head.  He swallowed hard, taking several deep breaths, forcing 
himself to calm down.  There was no evidence of anything like that in the room, which would have been the perfect place for torture, sexual or otherwise.  His analysis came to a quick halt as he heard footsteps 
approach the door.  Andy tensed, ready to spring at the person who 
entered.
   The door opened slowly.  Before he could get a clean shot at the 
person, Andy heard a female voice say, "No.  Don't move."  His contracting legs locked, freezing him in a slight crouch.  "My name is Gina," the woman said as she entered the room.  Andy regarded her with malice dripping from every pore.  She laughed.  "I'm sure you would like to kill me, but, as you can see, you can't move from where you are."  Gina paused as his frustration and fear grew.  "I _can_ guarantee you that you're not here as part of some bondage game."  Gina laughed again, this time with an evil edge as a chill sped down his spine.  It dawned on him that she was reading his mind.  Andy was too angry and upset to notice any details about her.  She wore a black robe, and her black hair was swept back in a loose bun.  He felt another, colder chill, as her attire and demeanor suddenly scared him to death.  She seemed unperturbed by Andy's obvious agitation, and spoke again.  "I need some information from you about the first time you saw Danielle."
   "You're the mind reader," Andy spat at her.  Anger flared in Gina, but it passed very quickly.  She had had this exact conversation far too many times.  They always expect too much...  She sighed impatiently.  "Well, yes, but there's a lot in your mind.  You can relax, and let me find out what I want to know or..."
   "Fuck you," he thought at her, as "loudly" and as evilly as he could.  
"I'm not gonna let you have jack shit.  You're gonna have to work for it, bitch."  His head exploded on the heels of his closing thought as a shower of bright sparkles blinded him from inside.  Then he felt a sledgehammer impact against his skull, but heard no bones break.  Andy screamed as his brain burned with the sensation of a white-hot poker being drawn slowly from one side to the other through his head.  His knees collapsed and his body curled inward, seeking to get away from the intense, horrifying pain.  The pain forced tears and screaming sobs out of Andy as he went into convulsions.  The pain abruptly vanished, leaving him sobbing and retching on the floor.  "Or, we could do this the hard way," Gina said idly, her nonchalance penetrating his misery.  He heard her heels click across the floor, then the sound of the door shutting and locking.  After several long minutes, Andy had recovered enough to drag himself away from the 
puddle of vomit where he had fallen.  He groped along the floor, feeling for a wall, anything.  He was blind.  Andy found the toilet and rinsed his face, then crawled into a corner, where he cried until he had no more tears left.
   Andy didn't know how long he whimpered and rocked in that corner.  The memory of the pain was enough to leave him helpless.  His vision started to return gradually after a while, but only enough to distinguish large blurry shapes at first.  He heard, rather than saw, the door open, and backed as far into the corner as he could.  Andy's legs kept working, trying to propel him away from the blur.  Fear knotted the rest of his body.  "Oh god, you're a mess," Danielle exclaimed with disgust.  At least, the voice sounded like Danielle's.  "Steven!"  Another set of footsteps, heavier this time, obviously in response to the summons.  "Get him some clean clothes and a wash basin," she ordered, before leaving the room and closing the door.  "Clean him and dress him yourself, if necessary, Steven."
   Clean and dressed?  For what?  Andy struggled to his feet.  A wave of nausea hit him, his balance failed completely and he pitched into the 
wall, sliding back down its cool surface.  Although his eyesight was still improving, he couldn't see well enough to make a run for it.  But he knew that he had to get out of there.  He forced himself to stand again, fighting vertigo, fading vision, and his unwilling body.  Whatever was going on with Danielle and Gina, Andy knew he didn't want any part of it.  Adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he could see well enough to run after a few more minutes.  Breathing deeply to steady his pulse and racing thoughts, Andy closed his eyes and replayed his path to the dungeon.  Then he reversed it, carefully tracing his route to freedom in his head.  He hoped that once outside, he could buy some time to deal with the next part of the escape.  Andy doubted that there were enough guards to seal the perimeter of the grounds, but it would still take some planning to evade them.
   Andy visualized Steven entering the room, since everything hinged on being able to quickly disable the servant.  The plans and actions repeated themselves in his head until they were fixed in his memory.  He stood at the side of the door, listening and waiting...  The door opened and a loud buzzing noise drained his hope.  Danielle, not Steven, had opened the door.  She said something (lost in the buzz) which caused Andy's legs to collapse underneath him.  "Gina said you were going to try something," Danielle explained.  Fucking mind-reading bitch, he thought sourly.  She put the wash bowl down, then threw some jeans and a T-shirt onto the cot.  
     "Clean yourself up, and put on these clothes."  Bzzz, bzzz, bzzz, went the inside of Andy's head.  His hands automatically unfastened his dress shirt, then undid his belt.  Andy was a spectator in his own body.  "No, wait."  Danielle's imperative halted his undressing just as he pulled his underpants down.  "Turn around and face me."  A flush of anger and embarrassment rose in Andy's face as he obeyed, disregarding his own mental imperatives.
   Danielle walked over to him, and looked very carefully at his body.  
He's no prize specimen, that's for sure...  She ran her hands over his 
chest, pushing at the not-especially well-defined pecs, pinching his 
biceps and digging her fingers into the slight roll above his waist.  She 
raised his arms and studied the sinewy curves.  Then she knelt and lifted his shrunken penis, clinically inspecting it and the thick patch of pubic hair that surrounded his balls.  She pressed her hands against his thighs, checking the muscle tone.  She noted his lack of arousal, and teased his cock, trying to make him erect.  Andy wasn't responding.  "Oh, rats," she thought, "he's not going for it."  She thought about making him respond, so she could check out the equipment, but there wasn't time for that.  Danielle stepped back.  "All right, you may finish getting ready."  Andy stepped out of his underwear, then turned his back on her.  It was pretty clear that he did it on purpose.  While Danielle may have been able to watch, it was obvious that Andy wasn't going to give her any more of a show than necessary.  "Shy and modest to the end," she clucked with mocking amusement.
   In any other situation, with someone as attractive as Danielle, Andy 
would have started to get aroused.  Danielle's clinical, evaluating manner just humiliated him.  Andy heard a lighter click, and smelled cigarette smoke.  His blood had turned to ice because of her last two words.  The end.  So he was destined to be a sacrifice in some demonic ritual.  The washcloth slowed to microscopic motions.  Andy decided that they were just going to have to wait until this particular victim was ready.  "Hurry up and get dressed," Danielle said, annoyance creeping into her voice.  His washcloth sped up to match the rhythm of the fast-paced buzzing in his skull.  No, he wasn't going to make them wait.  He heard her exhale as more smoke filled the room.  When he had finished dressing, she said, "You will follow me and be silent."  Rage, rendered impotent by the denial of both action and voice, seethed inside of him.  Andy was completely frustrated, reduced to watching himself walk behind a woman from his dreams who had become the bitch of his worst nightmare.

				 The Coven
			 Crime...  And Punishment

   Danielle lead Andy down a hall past several other wooden doors (more dungeons, he supposed), and _around a corner_ to a set of closed double doors.  Jeez, this place was _huge_...  "Remain here and be silent until I come get you."  She breezed through the doors, leaving Andy rooted to the floor, still voiceless and, despite his earlier conjecturing, quite clueless as to what or who was in that room.  He waved his arms and his legs swayed, but Andy's feet remained solidly planted as per Danielle's command.  She had made sure that he wasn't going anywhere.  Andy shook his head at the irony of dying at a young age.  Having to wait for it without the possibility of escape made it seem so... anticlimactic.  Andy didn't wait too long.  Danielle came out of the room about a minute after she entered, dressed in the same type of black robe that Gina had been wearing earlier.  He noticed the hood that hung from the neck for the first time; he wasn't sure that he remembered anything like that on Gina's robe.  Not that it made any difference to his predicament.
   "We're ready for you now, Andy," Danielle said.  She kind of hated this part.  She didn't think she'd ever get used to bringing somebody in front of the coven.  Dani looked at the frightened Andy.  I can't blame him...She wondered what she could do for the guy, because he seemed a nice enough sort.  "Please be quiet in front of the coven; I don't want you to embarrass me," Dani said, planting the request into the front of his mind.  She paused, thinking some more, then suddenly commanded, "You will say nothing until we leave the room we are about to enter.  Do you understand?"  She focused her complete concentration on Andy and he nodded attentively.  Well, Dani, I guess that's as much as you can do...  She took a long breath, then muttered, "Well, here we go..."
   Andy had problems adjusting to the near-darkness of the room.  His 
steps faltered as the last vestige of outside light was shut off when 
somebody behind the two of them shut the doors.  He felt Danielle grasp his hand, gently, as if he were a small child to be escorted along.  For some reason, that was _not_ comforting.  They stopped in front of a long table and she let go of his hand, then moved away, walking a little further into the shadows.  By then, Andy's eyes had grown accustomed to the lack of light, and he could make out three hooded figures behind the table.  Soft voices, talking quietly among themselves, filled the room.  Danielle's earlier command prevented him from speaking, which made it a little easier to resist the urge to go to the front table.  What are you gonna do, Andy, intimidate them with your physical presence?  He decided that he would have looked incredibly stupid just standing over the figures at the table.  Still, he needed to communicate with somebody, somehow.  He remembered Gina and her mind-reading ability.  She ought to be somewhere in this room, wearing one of the robes.  Andy filled his head with questions, hoping to get a mental response.  It was taking a chance on something he had never believed in until an hour or two ago.  Then again, the situation he found himself in called for such desperate hopes.
   Suddenly, a dazzling spotlight came on, and Andy could see nothing.  He recoiled slightly from the almost-physical impact of the light and 
shielded his eyes.  A bell sounded from in front of him, struck by 
something metallic.  As the sound died down, so did the ambient noise in the chamber, leaving an eerie silence.  He tensed, waiting for the death blow to come from somewhere unseen, wondering how much pain he was going to feel.  Well, this is it, Andrew.  It's been a fun ride, but a lot shorter than I thought it would be...  At the same time, there was an oddly detached part of him wondering how these people were going to get away with killing him.  The same part also wondered who would take over his main project at work.  Andy began to tremble in fear, and felt very cold despite the heat of the intense spotlight.  He still couldn't see much, except for Danielle, who was about ten feet away, standing in a much cooler-looking blue circle of light.
   "Andrew Davidson," intoned an unfamiliar female voice, "you have been found guilty of third degree harassment."  Guilty?  Andy was completely shocked by the pronouncement.  Didn't I get a chance to plead or something?  Who had defended me against the charges?  Don't I get to testify in my own behalf?  Harassment?  What kind of harassment...  His jumbled thoughts came to a screeching halt when enough pieces of the puzzle spontaneously fell into place.  Gina had ripped the first meeting with Danielle from his head and somehow presented it to the others in the room.  Andy cautiously began to look around the room for the first time, having been too absorbed by his impending death to care until now.  He saw more hooded figures dressed in dark robes.  So this was "the coven."  They were probably all witches, in a very literal sense.
    "You _will_ keep your attentions on the front table," came a stern 
order from a deep, but female voice.  Andy's head and body jerked around quickly to obey, forcing him to shield his eyes from the light again.
   The first woman that had spoken resumed, her voice a smooth contralto.  "The coven has found that your initial actions towards our sister Danielle constitute an unacceptable imposition upon her rights.  As the injured party, she has the right to plead for sentence."
   Andy couldn't turn to look at Danielle.  His body and head had been 
locked in place by the earlier command to remain facing the three robed people behind the table.  All he could do was to listen for Danielle's pronouncement of his fate.  He swallowed hard, begging silently with all his heart that she wouldn't want to kill him.  "My sisters, you have decided that he has committed a crime against me, and that may not go unpunished," Danielle began, and his heart fell through his stomach.  Andy could sense that he was going to be sick again.  All that bravado you hear about facing death in a manly way?  Bullshit...
   Danielle forced herself to remain calm.  If she couldn't convince the 
coven that Andy was basically harmless, he was dead.  She definitely 
didn't want that on her conscience; some guys deserved it, but not Andy.  She steeled herself, and calmly announced, "His subsequent actions were enough to convince me that he is not incorrigible."  The quaver that had accompanied her opening sentence had vanished, and she was now sure of herself.  She drew a breath to reinforce her next sentence...
   Andrew's heart pounded in his ears.  Little colored lights began to 
flash in front of his eyes, despite the harshness of the spotlight's 
glare.  He heard Danielle inhale loudly.  "Therefore," she exhaled, "I 
desire no vengeance, and so petition the coven for clemency."  His legs 
turned to jelly and a cold sweat broke out over his body and he passed...
   "NO!!!!"  Yet another different voice shouted, which somehow broke Andy's swoon.  "He's just like the rest of them!!!  They all leer at you, and... and...  He'll do it again!!!  We can't trust him!!!  He should 
die!!!  I vote for death!!!  _She_ just doesn't want to kill him!!!  
Danielle's _afraid_!!!  Well, _I'm_ not!!!  I'll do it, just let me!!!"
   Gina's voice came from the front table.  "Lia, you are out of order," 
she calmly said.  "Be quiet."  Andy heard the other woman's frustrated 
peep as she shut off her hysterics.  The tirade continued, much quieter, 
but still loud enough for him to hear.  "_Lia_," Gina warned, and the 
mumbling ceased.
   The woman at the front table who had announced the verdict began 
speaking again.  "Sisters of the coven, our sister Danielle has spoken.  
She prefers that the accused be granted clemency and has thereby cast her vote for sentence.  Sisters, how vote ye?"
   Other female voices quickly chimed in, one-by-one.  "Clemency."
   "Clemency."
   "Death."  Andy swayed in fear.  That was from the woman who had earlier commanded his attention to the front table.
   "Clemency."
   "Death."  Andrew recognized the witch Lia's voice.  The one that was so eager to kill him.
   "Clemency," Gina said.  Andy was surprised, then immediately started worrying what that meant.  Gina had physically hurt him more than he had thought possible without laying a finger on his body.  The idea that she wanted him alive scared Andy shitless.  Any form of modern torture paled in comparison to what this woman could do.  Andy forced his concentration back to the proceedings.
   "I cast for clemency," said the woman who had called the vote, and no one else spoke.  He had missed something while fretting about Gina's agenda.  Andy remembered five (six including Danielle) voting to keep him alive, and two for the dreaded alternative.  Liquid fear coursed through his veins.  How many were in the coven?  It was plausible that he had missed more "death" votes.  Andy, it's just like you to stop paying attention when your life is at stake...  "The coven hereby grants clemency to Andrew Davidson by a tally of ten to two."  Andy was relieved, but he didn't have a chance to celebrate.  "The coven commands that you be held for redress of wrongs against our sister," said the smooth contralto voice.  "Clemency, although granted, does not obviate guilt.  The coven has spoken.  Sister Danielle, you may conduct him to a waiting room."  The bell sounded, and both spotlights went out.  As he turned to follow Danielle out they were stopped by another robed figure.
   "I know what you did."  Andy recognized Lia's voice, but he couldn't 
see anything in the hood other than blonde hair.  "You made him be quiet so he couldn't make us mad," she sneered quietly at Danielle.  "What's the matter?  Are you _scared_ to take him?  Give him to me, and I'll do it for you."
   "Just - leave - me - _alone_," Danielle said, her words full of quiet 
fury.  She had won Andy's life, and relieved her guilty conscience.  Dani was not in the mood to listen to Lia's demented ravings.  She pulled at Andy's hand, virtually dragging him out of the chamber.  "Hush," she said, giving a little mental push to his brain.  She conducted him back to the dungeon cell and motioned him to the cot.  "I need a cigarette," she announced, quickly pulling off her robe.  It was hot under that thing. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a cigarette.  She took a deep pull and held the smoke for a few seconds.  The answering rush let her know that it was time to exhale, leisurely, and she felt the tension leave her body as she expelled the smoke.  Much better.  Danielle turned to Andy.
   He looked exhausted, but something was keeping the alertness in his 
eyes.  "I know you have lots of questions, but trust me, you are lucky to be alive right now,"  Danielle began.  She saw the question he couldn't ask on his face.  Dani took another drag and paced around the room, trying to decide whether she should answer it.  "I saved your life because I --" Her voice faltered.  "Because I didn't think that what you did was so bad.  Especially after you apologized so nicely."  It felt good to get it off of her chest, and she leaned against the wall.  A grin came to her face.  "'Sides, you spent a fortune on me in two days.  I figure you wound up spending about two hundred bucks to look at me at that train station.  As far as I'm concerned, we're even.  If it had been left up to me, you wouldn't even be here."  She crushed her cigarette out against the wall, shrugged and looked at her watch.  "I gotta go.  Gina will eventually talk to you."  No sense in her trying to guess what the coven leader had in store for him.  Why get his hopes up, or scare him unnecessarily, Dani thought.  She paused at the door.  Whatever was going to happen to him from here on out, she was off the hook, but it would be a shame if he accidentally got himself killed.  Dani decided to warn him, since she had to release her control before she left.  "When I leave, you'll be able to talk again.  I wouldn't recommend trying to escape.  We've let the dogs out, and I doubt that _they'd_ grant you clemency.  Bye, Andy."
   True to her word, Andy found he could speak as soon as the door had shut.  He shouted questions at her retreating footsteps, but she ignored him.  He tried to make sense of what little information he had been able to gain so far.  It wasn't much.  There were twelve women who called themselves "the coven."  They could control people somehow.  At least one of them could read minds.  His mind jumped to the realization that Gina's ability would also make planning an escape difficult.  The coven acted as judge, jury, and executioner for crimes committed against...  Here, Andy was at a loss.  Them?  Everybody?  Women?  He didn't exactly know.  He _was_ sure, given Lia's passionate feelings towards the disposition of his case, that they had executed somebody in the past.  The question of how they managed to get away with it started nagging at him.  He hadn't seen 
any "magic."  No spells had been chanted, no flying brooms, no boiling cauldrons or anything like that.  But it was obvious that they weren't--normal.  They could make you do whatever they wanted, just by telling you.
   The more he thought about it, the more depressed he became.  There was no way out, not with a mind-reader and eleven other women like her hanging around.  There were dogs on the grounds, and guards at the gate.  He forced himself to think positively.  Above all, he knew he was still alive, and that meant he couldn't afford to give up.  Somehow, he was going to escape from here.  The so-called coven was bound to make a mistake sooner or later in spite of (or because of) their powers.  Andy would have to be ready to take advantage of it when they did make that mistake.  What will you do once you escape?  Who would believe this story?  Certainly not any of the authorities...  Andy turned his rational mind away from asking questions to answering them.  It would boil down to a matter of how long he could evade them once he had gotten away.  Danielle knew where he lived and worked.  All of them knew what he looked like.  Andy was at a distinct disadvantage there, because he had only seen Danielle and Gina.  He realized that with their powers they could make him do anything, including committing suicide, with a smile on his face.  He shuddered at the memory of how easily Danielle had made him spend lots of money on her, and how happy he had been while he was doing it.  Andy's eventual conclusion was shaped by these linked thoughts: he would have to leave town in a big hurry after he got away, and hope they wouldn't come looking for him.
   Fatigue overtook him when he lay down on the cot.  Andy dozed fitfully until he heard noises outside.  He tried to erase all thoughts of escaping from his mind, just in case the mind-reader was around.  The door opened, and a brawny man walked in carrying a large, ornate silver tray.  There was a covered plate that smelled great, a salad and bowl of soup on the tray.  Along with a pitcher, metal cup, silverware wrapped in a maroon cloth napkin, and... a small flower in a vase.  "Well, I'll be damned," Andy thought out loud, "room service."  A quick study of the "waiter's" physique was enough to convince Andy that trying anything physical with this guy was not a good idea.  More importantly, the scent of food reminded him how hungry and thirsty he was.  Andy also realized that he was worn out from the emotional and physical trauma of the night's events.  Any attempt to escape now would probably fail, and wipe out any chance of a repeat effort in the near future.  Nonetheless, Andy looked past the big [END]

