 
                          --===CHAPTER 17===--
 
Chapter 17
 
 
 
    "Jake, come look at this!" April White called out.  Her
husband, who had been sitting at the table doing a crossword, came over
quickly.
 
    The two looked out, and were extremely startled to see a
large tiger in their back yard.  One of their son's friends was lying
on the ground, and April started as the animal leapt at the boy.  Jake
held his wife, and promptly the animal vanished.
 
    "Tell me I'm seeing things!" his wife pleaded.
 
    Jake opened the window a little bit, so he could hear the
conversation.  When his son admitted to having magic, Jake went pale.
 
    "We've got to talk to him about it!" April urged in a
hushed voice.
 
    "Not until we speak to Reverend Dewey."
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    "How are things with your family?" Amy asked him.  He'd
spent the last three hours with Veronica, fulfilling his apprenticeship
duties regarding bonding, and now she was taking a nap, and he was
talking with Amy on the couch in the living room.
 
    "Mom and Dad are fine, I guess...  They seem to be avoiding
me for some reason," he said, unable to see the warning that presented.
 
    "I meant your real family, Don.  How is Katie?"
 
    "A little miffed at me, still, for hiding my magic from
her."
 
    "We're all a little surprised that you did."
 
    "I made a promise."
 
    "Yeah.  I guess we didn't take that into consideration. 
Most apprentices tell *someone* before they're supposed to."
 
    Don shrugged.  "Too much other crap going on at home.  They
didn't need that dumped on them."
 
    "How are Julie and Susan?" Amy transitioned smoothly.
 
    "Susan's just fine.  Gill's left her completely alone the
last couple days, as he promised to.  Julie... is still recovering from
losing Paul.  She's doing all right, though."
 
    "With your help," Amy added warmly.
 
    "I do what I can, I guess."
 
    "And how's Annie?"
 
    Don had been looking out the front window.  His head
snapped around to stare at Amy.
 
    "I was there, Don.  I know what you feel for her."
 
    "That was there.  She doesn't even remember me here."
 
    "Did you ever tell her how you feel?"
 
    Don paused for a long moment.  "Not in the right ways, I
guess."
 
    Amy pushed herself closer to him.  "I think you told her in
every way that matters.  Did you two get along... um... physically?"
 
    Don blushed at the intent of the question, and shook his
head in sorrow.  "We never tried.  Things were always getting in the
way."
 
    Amy looked at him sadly, and ran her hand along his cheek. 
"I have to leave tomorrow morning, so this'll be the last time I see
you this trip.  I'll be back, though.  You really need to think about
Annie."
 
    "She has her own life here, she doesn't need some teenager
showing up on her doorstep, and..."  Amy silenced him with a finger to
his lips.
 
    "You and I both know that she isn't happy here.  You were
able to give her comfort and joy that she didn't know from anywhere
else.  I can't tell you what to do, Don, but you really do need to
think it over."
 
    "Okay," Don said, his voice a little heavy.
 
    "Now, you look tired, and I need to rest, too.  Let's go
take a nap together.  I want to feel you next to me again, before I
have to leave."
 
    "Yes, Mistress," he said with a smile.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    The warning signs that Don had been ignoring for the last
few days became abundantly obvious when he saw three new cars parked
outside their house.  He had to park in the neighbor's driveway -
something he'd gotten permission to do a long time ago - and got out of
the car, more curious than anything.
 
    *What's this all about?* he wondered.  Walking into the
house, he had a sense of deja vu.  Once again he was returning from
Veronica's, and once again there would be a confrontation that began in
the living room.  As Don walked in, he saw his parents, sitting on the
couch.  It looked as if his mother had been crying.  His father stared
at him with an odd look on his face.
 
    In the chair across from them sat a man in a suit.  After a
long moment, he recognized the man as his parents' minister.  Don had
no religion of his own; as soon as he'd been old enough to stay home
alone, he'd stopped going to church with his parents.  They, however,
were devout Christians, and it was for this reason that he'd not
mentioned his magic to them.  They had not brought their religion home
before, though... and he was grateful that they didn't try to convert
him or Katie back to their beliefs.
 
    These thoughts didn't have a lot of time to run through
Don's head, as his arms were suddenly grasped from either side.  He
looked quickly at the two men - large, imposing men - who had hold of
him.  He assumed these men were deacons in the church.  That told him
exactly what this was about.
 
    The minister was focused very intently on Don, while his
parents just looked dismayed.
 
    Don took a deep breath.  He knew he was in no spiritual
danger.  What could they do?  They could try an exorcism, he supposed,
and that would be unpleasant, since they would never be able to cast
out a nonexistent demon.  Physically, the two men holding him could be
dangerous.
 
    *You should have been paying more attention.  Then they
wouldn't have been able to grab you!*  Don vowed to keep his guard up
at all times from now on.  Another thought occurred to him as he was
being held, and it was more important to him than his own predicament.
 
    "Where's Katie?" he asked calmly.
 
    "Your sister is in her room.  She doesn't need to be
exposed to this," the minister said quietly.  "Young man, your parents
have told me things that it is frankly hard to fathom.  They have said
you have dark power."
 
    Don smirked.  "And you'd like a demonstration?"
 
    Before the minister could stop him, Don muttered a couple
short spells.  The first weakened the muscles of the arms holding him. 
The second increased his agility to that of a weasel... if only for a
few seconds.
 
    Don twisted and squirmed, and in a half-second was
completely free of the two men holding him.  A third spell flashed a
tremendous light in their face.  It was a little too close to one of
the deacons, and his nervous system overloaded, causing him to pass
out.  The effect was similar to some less-than-lethal weaponry, and Don
made a note to keep that in mind for later.  The other deacon was
shaking his head, trying to clear his vision.
 
    "Is that what you were looking for?" Don asked, standing
away from the deacons, but not approaching his parents or the
minister.  His position allowed him to look up the stairs, and he saw
Katie sitting at the top.  She put her finger to her lips, and he
winked quickly, unnoticed by anyone else in the room.
 
    "So, you are in league with Lucifer," the minister said
harshly.  "You must give this up, boy!"
 
    Don cocked his head and put his hand on his chin. 
"Lucifer... Lucifer... Nope, can't say as I know anyone named Lucifer."
 
    "Beelzebub!  Satan!  The Accursed One!" the minister spat.
 
    "Oh, *Him*!" Don said mockingly.  "I've made no agreements
with him, and I've signed no contract."
 
    "His ways are slippery and hard to discern, my young man. 
You might not have been aware of the agreement when you made it, but in
his clutches is where you are!  You must turn away!  You must return to
Jesus!"
 
    Don coughed.  "Buddy, I left Jesus behind many years ago. 
I haven't seen much reason to go back, either.  My power doesn't come
from a demon, Reverend.  My power is a natural part of the universe. 
If there is a God, He created the power I use as surely as he created
the air you breathe."
 
    "Lies!  The words of the wicked!" the minister screeched. 
"We will drive out this demon together!  Fight, boy!  Fight him!"
 
    Don walked closer to the minister, and behind him, he heard
Katie creep down the stairs far enough to watch.  The minister stepped
back, having risen during his little diatribe.  As Don approached, the
man held out his Bible, a golden cross emblazoned on its front.
 
    "Do not approach me, you servant of evil!  In the name of
Jesus Christ, I command you to leave this boy!"
 
    Don reached out and took hold of the book.  Removing it
from the shocked minister's unresisting fingers, he ran his fingers
over the cross, and then held the book in his hands for a long time. 
It had no supernatural ability that he could discern, even after a
muttered magic-perception spell.
 
    Don turned and set the Bible on a shelf, then turned back
to the pastor.  He could see his parents out of the corner of his eye. 
His mother was cringing; his father was furious.
 
    "Even God cannot cast out something that doesn't exist in
the first place," Don said.  "I am not possessed.  And I am offended
that you think that I should listen to you, when you come in here
ranting about something you clearly know nothing about!"
 
    "How dare you speak to a man of God that way!" Don's father
bellowed, finally gaining a voice.  "You apologize this instant!"
 
    "For what?  Isn't it a Christian teaching to 'hate the sin,
and not the sinner?'"  So why are you all looking at me like that?
 
    His father grew much redder in the face.  "Go to your
room.  And so you cannot go seeing whatever evil person has dragged you
down into this pit, you are *grounded*!  You will go *nowhere* except
to school!"
 
    Don shrugged.  He knew he could get past them without any
real problem.  He turned back to the pastor, then grabbed the Bible off
the shelf and handed it back to him.  "The deacons will be fine.  The
unconscious one shouldn't be seriously hurt.  Perhaps you should read
this," he said calmly as the pastor took hold of the Bible.  "I did."
 
    Don turned and walked up the stairs.  Katie was waiting for
him at the top.  She hugged him tightly, and sniffled.  He patted her
shoulder, then walked on past into his room, closing the door calmly.
 
    Once inside, he started laughing as hard as he could ever
remember.  He laughed so hard his sides began to hurt, and he collapsed
on his bed, overcome with guffaws.
 
    *He thought I would be scared off by a cross!  Like I'm a
vampire!*
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    Katie watched her brother go into his room, but she didn't
wait to hear his laughter.  She stormed down the steps to confront her
parents.  She hit the bottom of the stairs as one of the deacons
finally got his vision clear enough to move around.  The pastor went
over to comfort him.
 
    "How could you guys do that!  He's not some damn demon,
he's my *brother*!  Geez, I think you guys have seen *The Exorcist* a
few too many times!"
 
    "Katie, Sweetheart," her mother started, "you just don't
understand..."
 
    "Oh, I understand just fine!  Don has something you don't
understand, and that makes you scared.  You can't control it, can't
define it, can't put it in a little box, so it frightens you!"
 
    "Watch your mouth, young lady," her father scolded.
 
    "You're worried about what *I'm* saying?  After all the
stuff *he* just said?" she demanded, pointing to the preacher, who was
now, along with his associate, helping the unconscious deacon.  "What a
damned double-standard *that* is!"  She'd avoided saying 'goddamned'
only because she knew the trouble that would get her in.
 
    "You listen to me, and you listen good, young lady," her
father started in.  "This is none of your concern, and I think you need
to learn some manners and some respect."
 
    "Respect?" she started to ask, but her father cut her off.
 
    "Don't talk back to me!  Now you're going to apologize to
Reverend Dewey, and you're going up to your room until you can behave
civilly."
 
    Katie's eyes burned with fire.  "It will be a cold day in
*Hell* before I apologize to him."  Katie turned and stormed back up
the stairs, pissed off and hurt.  She was going to go to her room and
cry, but decided she didn't want to be alone.
 
    Katie knocked on Don's door.  She heard some noises inside,
but they were too muffled for her to make out.
 
    Don had very nearly gotten over his giggles when Katie
knocked on the door.  He opened it with a wary look on his face, until
he saw her.  He almost smiled, until he noticed the expression on her
face.  He pulled her into his room and closed the door.
 
    Katie hugged her brother fiercely.  She began to cry,
letting her frustration out while he held on to her.  She didn't know
what was happening to her family; she only knew that the only person
that seemed to care about her right now was the one holding her.
 
    Don pulled Katie over to the bed, and sat down on the edge
of it with her.  He pulled her fully onto the bed until he had his back
to the wall.  She was clinging to him, her head buried in the crook of
his neck and shoulder.  He rubbed her back and let her cry it out, not
really knowing what else to do.
 
    After a while, Katie calmed down a bit.  Don reached over -
stretching mightily - to grab the Kleenex off his night table.  She
blew her nose and wiped her eyes, and coughed a little, and Don sat
there, holding onto her throughout.
 
    "You're not possessed, are you?" Katie asked softly.
 
    "No, Katie," Don said, his giggles almost returning.  A
funny thought occurred to him just then.  "Have you ever noticed that
if you take the word *sacred* and swap two letters, you get *scared*?"
 
    Katie looked at him, and began to smile.  Then she started
to giggle.  It was infectious, and before long, they were both laughing
heartily.
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    "Hey, Donny," Katie said softly.  She whispered because she
knew her brother didn't like to be called that in public.  Julie was
with her, and smiled.  He kissed Julie, then hugged his sister.  They
were in school, getting ready to go to lunch.  He was happy to see both
of them.
 
    "Where's Susan?" he asked.  It had become something of a
ritual for them all to eat lunch together.
 
    "Getting yelled at.  She didn't get her homework done,"
Julie said, giggling.
 
    "Be nice," Don said with a smirk.  He ran his hand along
her side.  "You only got yours done 'cause you had help."
 
    Julie smiled brightly, and kissed Don again.  Kate stood
by, and tried to ignore the tingling that arose between her legs. 
*Stop it!  He's your brother!*
 
    Once Don had finished putting his books in his locker, the
three headed off down the hallway.  They rounded one corner, and
stopped, because they could see a rather large senior heading in their
direction.
 
    "Oh, shit," Julie said.  "That's one of the football
players I used to date."
 
    Now, for the last few weeks, Don had enjoyed a respite from
the teasing and beatings of the seniors.  He hadn't known why, but he
had enjoyed it.  Clearly this was at an end, unless he was misreading
the situation rather badly.
 
    "Hey, White!  You and I are gonna have a talk!"
 
    The girls stepped back as Don directed them, but he stayed
put.  He'd taken enough abuse from the football team to make him
instantly angry that one of them would approach him now.  The words
*not this time* echoed through his head.
 
    "What do you want, Troy?" Don said crossly.
 
    Troy stepped up to him.  "Ooh, tough guy.  I'm gonna teach
you not to screw around with girls that have been marked as senior
chicks."
 
    "Marked, huh?  Do you lift your leg when you do that?"
 
    There were some chuckles from the kids in the hall, who had
all stopped to watch the coming fight.  Troy grew red in the face.
 
    "You fucking son of a bitch!"  Troy ignored the low
chanting that Don was doing, and didn't notice the movement of his
hand.  When Troy swung on him, Don seemingly slid sideways without
actually moving.  In truth, he had simply been able to sidestep very
quickly.  Troy was caught off-balance, and Don pushed him as he had
Gill.  Troy stumbled, but didn't lose his footing.
 
    As Troy whirled, Don chanted another spell, augmenting his
own strength.  He lunged off his back leg, and delivered a fierce blow
to Troy's chin.  The football player staggered back until he bounced
off members of the crowd.  There were gasps that anyone Don's size
would attempt to take on a member of the football defense.
 
    Troy cursed a blue streak as he rubbed his chin.  Julie had
seen the look that crossed Troy's face before.
 
    "Don, careful!" she cried out.
 
    "Shut up, you bitch!" Troy hollered.  He locked eyes with
Don, who almost looked as though he had the upper hand.
 
    "Apologize to her.  Now," Don said coldly.
 
    "Fuck you!" Troy snarled.
 
    Don chanted his spell somewhat more loudly this time,
enough that some of the students caught it, and knew what it meant.  As
Troy was about to lunge at Don again, Don stepped forward and delivered
a perfect martial arts two-handed punch to Troy's solar plexus and
abdomen.  Don had seen this move in movies many times, but he wouldn't
normally have had the strength to pull it off, nor the precision.  The
magic took care of that part.
 
    Troy felt all the air whoosh out of his body, and he also
felt his feet leave the ground.  Don had used more strength than he'd
intended to, and Troy went flying.  The kids that didn't move out of
the way fast enough got shoved aside by Troy's flying body.  Luckily no
one got pinned behind him, because when he hit the lockers, he left a
dent.  One of them would need to be cut open with a torch.
 
    Troy fell to the floor.  People could see the blood oozing
out of the back of his head.  It was only a cut, but it looked nasty. 
The crowd moved away as Don got closer.
 
    "I'm sick of your shit, Troy.  And I'm sick of the
goddamned football team's shit.  What you just got was a small taste of
what I can do to you if you really piss me off."  This was a lie; Don
was nearing his limits on what he knew.
 
    "All right, White, to the office!" the assistant principal
bellowed.  The other kids scattered, except for Julie and Kate.  "You
two, get to lunch!" he said.
 
    "But sir," Katie tried, "We saw the whole thing.  This
wasn't Don's fault!"
 
    "Right.  That's why the other guy is the one lying on the
floor bleeding.  Now get moving, before you're in as much trouble as he
is!"
 
    "Go on, Katie," Don said to her.  "I'll be fine.  I'll see
you after school."
 
    Katie and Julie moved off, and Don headed for the office. 
He noted with some satisfaction that Troy had not moved yet.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    When the assistant principal, Mr. Houston, came into the
office, he jerked his thumb at Don to indicate where they were going. 
Don shrugged and followed him into the principal's office.
 
    "What's going on, Mr. Houston?" the principal, Mr.
Vandermeer asked.
 
    "This bastard just took down Troy Wilkins."
 
    "Let's watch the language, shall we?" Mr. Vandermeer
asked.  Turning to Don, he said, "Is this true?"
 
    "No, sir, my parents were married when I was born."  Don
had no idea why that had just come out of his mouth.  He was never one
to be a problem, but lately he'd just had so much crap thrown at him
from authority, he couldn't resist rebelling a little.
 
    Mr. Vandermeer, who had known Don for several years, having
been his junior high principal at one time, smirked.  "Okay, smart
aleck, you know what I meant."
 
    "Yes, sir, I did lay Troy out cold."
 
    "Out cold is a bit of an understatement!" Mr. Houston
snarled.  "They're taking him to the hospital!"
 
    "Oh, come on, Mr. Houston," the principal said.  "Does Mr.
White here look like he could do that to a guy the size of Troy
Wilkins?"
 
    "The kids I talked to said he was casting spells.  Like
he's some kind of a witch."
 
    "I am not a witch," Don said, offended.  "I am a magician. 
Witches practice an entirely different kind of magic, based on their
religion.  My magic does not come from a religion."
 
    Mr. Vandermeer raised his eyebrows at Don's statement. 
"You're saying you *did* 'put a spell' on Troy?"
 
    "No, sir, I used a spell to beat the snot out of him."
 
    "Why?"
 
    "Because I refused to let him beat the snot out of me
again."
 
    "There's never been any proof to back up your claims, Mr.
White," Mr. Houston snapped.  He was a big fan of the football team.
 
    "Hmmm.  Could this be because the football team invariably
backs its own?  Every time I have gotten in a fight, the football team
has said that the member I accused was practicing, or was with them, or
some other *lie*."
 
    Mr. Vandermeer raised his hands to prevent the continuation
of this argument.  "Regardless, your actions today were inexcusable. 
Protecting yourself is one thing, but putting another student in the
hospital goes well beyond self-defense.  I will call your parents, and
they should hopefully be able to be here shortly.  We will discuss your
punishment then.  Please wait out in the office."
 
    Don rose, and glared at Mr. Houston.  When he stepped into
the outer office, he saw Susan there.  He smiled at her, until he
realized she must also be in trouble.  She got up and went into the
principal's office, and Don sat down.  She was back out in a few
minutes, and sat next to him.
 
    "What're you in for?" Don asked.
 
    "I told a teacher off.  She didn't believe me that I lost
my homework on the bus, which I did!"
 
    Don discreetly took her hand and squeezed it.  She smiled
at him.
 
    "Anyway, I told her what a bitch she was.  Needless to say,
she didn't like that very much."
 
    Don chuckled.
 
    "They called my mom.  She's going to ground me, I'm sure."
 
    "I've already been grounded," Don said.  He told her the
story of the previous night's encounter.  Susan grimaced.
 
    "So what're you doing in here?" Susan asked, when he was
done.
 
    "Troy Wilkins decided to pick on me today.  Bad move for
Troy.  I guess I used a little too much oomph, 'cause they took him to
the hospital.  I think they're going to suspend me for fighting."
 
    "Is that fair?  You were just protecting yourself!" Susan
demanded.
 
    Don shrugged.  "I don't think it's fair, but they don't
give a shit what I think."
 
    He chatted with Susan for the next twenty minutes, until
her mother showed up to take her home.  She gave him a kiss before she
left, and her mother glared at her for that.  Then Don sat alone,
waiting for his parents to show.
 
    Finally, a good fifteen minutes later, his mother and
father walked into the office.  His father stared daggers at him, and
Don looked back impassively.  The secretary picked up the intercom
phone, and soon the principal motioned them all into his office.  Don
walked in and sat down without being bidden; though he hadn't been here
much, he knew the routine.
 
    The principal sat in his chair and leaned back.  Mr.
Houston was there, leaning against the wall.  Jake and April White sat
in chairs behind their son.
 
    "All right, Don," Mr. Vandermeer said.  "According to Mr.
Houston, you have seriously injured a star football player, sending him
to the hospital with a concussion, and several bruised ribs.  I'd like
you to tell us your version of what happened."
 
    Don said, "I was walking to lunch with Katie and Julie..."
 
    Mr. Vandermeer raised his hand to interrupt.  "Excuse me
for asking, but who are they, and why aren't they here?"
 
    "Katie is my sister, and Julie is my girlfriend.  They
aren't here because *he*," at this, Don jerked his thumb at Mr.
Houston, "sent them to lunch.  They wanted to come to give their side
of the story, but he wouldn't let them."
 
    Mr. Vandermeer looked darkly at Mr. Houston, but then
nodded for Don to continue.
 
    "Anyway, I was walking to lunch with them, and we turned
the corner, and here comes Troy.  He's obviously ticked about
something.  Well, I've had enough of his beatings and torment, so I
asked the girls to step back, and then I asked him what he wanted."
 
    "What did he say?" the principal wanted to know.
 
    "Something about how I wasn't supposed to go out with girls
that the seniors - by which I'm guessing he meant the football team -
had picked for themselves."
 
    "Then what did you do?"
 
    "I made a smart-ass remark that he didn't appreciate too
much, because he swung on me."
 
    "Right," Mr. Houston said, snorting.  "I don't see any
marks on you!"
 
    "I said he swung on me.  I did *not* say he hit me.  I
moved out of the way."
 
    "Of a punch.  From a linebacker."  Mr. Houston was
obviously unconvinced.
 
    "Would you like me to demonstrate how quickly I can get
from here to where you're standing, Mr. Houston, sir?" Don said with
disgusting politeness.  Mr. Houston kept his mouth shut after that.
 
    "Then what happened?" Mr. Vandermeer asked.
 
    "Well, I sort of shoved him while he was off balance, you
know, because he'd missed.  When he got his footing again, he whirled
around and started to come at me.  I realized I was going to have to
fight him or get beaten up.  I'm tired of getting beaten up.  So, I
chanted a spell or three, and... well, kind of laid him out.  I'm sorry
he got hurt; I'm not used to using that spell."
 
    "And you expect us to believe this crap?" Mr. Houston
snarled.
 
    Don picked up a coffee mug sitting on the edge of Mr.
Vandermeer's desk.  "Is this special to you, sir?"
 
    "Huh?  No, it's just a mug I brought from home."
 
    "I'll replace it."
 
    Don chanted a spell, and held the mug in one hand.  He
began to squeeze, until the cup - a heavy porcelain mug - shattered
into many pieces that fell to the floor.
 
    "Yes, sir," Don said to Mr. Houston, "I expect you to
believe that crap."
 
    Don heard his mother gasp from behind him, and he felt his
father's hand on the back of his neck.
 
    "You're coming with me, young man!  You were warned!"
 
    "If you don't remove your hand, *Dad*," Don said rather
irately, "I will have Mr. Vandermeer call Child Protective Services."
 
    "Why don't you just use a spell on him?" Mr. Vandermeer
said with a smirk.
 
    "I'm tired," Don said truthfully.
 
    "Mr. White, please sit down."  Jake sat down in his seat,
but was clearly unhappy.
 
    "Don, I can see your point.  However, I'm afraid I can't
let this go without punishment.  Otherwise, we will have students
taking up magic... or martial arts... and beating up other students who
they feel deserve it, and then where would we be?  Now, I think the
situation is serious enough to warrant suspension for the rest of the
week... which is, of course, the rest of the school year."
 
    "Sir," Don said, trying to keep his voice level, "you're
sentencing me to another year of high school.  Without my finals, I
won't pass two of my classes.  I need those classes before I can take
next year's classes, and you don't offer them in summer school, because
they're AP courses."
 
    "That's not fair!" April White said, suddenly coming to her
son's defense.  "What punishment is the other kid going to get for
attacking my son in the first place?"
 
    "The other kid," Mr. Houston snapped, "is in the emergency
room!"
 
    "With a concussion and some bruises!  Big deal!" April
shouted back.
 
    "April, that's enough," Jake said.  "We'll deal with this
later.  Mr. Vandermeer, are you done?"
 
    The principal looked at Jake, then at Don, and began to
worry.  There was, however, nothing he could do.  "Yes, I think so."
 
    "Let's go, Donald," Jake said, not touching his son in the
presence of the school administrators.
 
    Don got up, and looked at Mr. Vandermeer.  He then glared
at Mr. Houston.  "I hope you're happy, *sir*.  Just so you know, I'll
be taking this matter to the Board of Education, and perhaps the State
Department of Education.  By the time I'm done, this school won't be
allowed to have a football team.  I can put together enough victims of
your goon squad to shut you down.  And I will."  Don turned and walked
out, leaving his parents to stare at the administrators.  Don didn't
care; he'd had enough crap from people who wanted nothing more than to
keep him under their thumbs, and it was high time he told them where
they could stick their thumbs.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    The ride home was extremely quiet.  Don figured his parents
wanted to be behind closed doors before they let rip.  When they pulled
into the driveway, he got out of the car and went into the living
room.  This was where they had their yelling sessions, the few times
they'd ever done so.  Though he would, in the past, have been nervous
or outright afraid of what was coming, now he was too annoyed to be
scared.  He'd done nothing wrong, and he was the one getting all the
punishment.
 
    The door slammed soon after he sat down, and both of his
parents came in.  His mother sat in a chair as far across the room from
him as she could get, but his father paced angrily back and forth.
 
    "I don't get it.  I just don't get it.  Where did we go
wrong?"  Don knew this was a rhetorical question; his father wasn't
actually talking to him, he was ranting to himself.  "We spend years
trying to raise them right.  We take them to church.  We try to instill
in them values.  But no.  First you turn away from the church..."
 
    Jake turned and bellowed at Don, "And then you blaspheme
God with your... your devil worship?"
 
    Don sat quietly, a neutral expression on his face.  He
figured he was probably expected to show remorse or fear, but as he
felt neither of them, he wasn't going to act like it.
 
    "What is it going to take to get through to you?  Your...
your 'magic' nearly killed somebody today!  Is that what it's going to
take?  Is someone going to have to die before you wake up and turn away
from this... this cult you've joined, this bastion of evil!  What am I
supposed to do, wait until you hurt one of us next?"
 
    Don sat still, saying nothing.  He knew this would enrage
his father even more.  At this point, he was enjoying the show.  He had
to work not to smile at his father.  It had been a long time since he'd
gotten a home sermon.  He remembered them from his childhood.  His
father had not become a more eloquent speaker over the years.
 
    "So what do I do with you?  I grounded you, but I had to
let you go to school.  Well, you get in trouble *there*, too!  So.  You
are still grounded.  Now you may go *nowhere*.  I will not allow anyone
in here to see you.  You will be completely isolated.  You need to
think long and hard about what you're doing, young man.  This has got
to end, before your immortal soul burns in the fires of damnation!"
 
    Jake White was winded.  He was getting too old for this
sort of aggravation.  He had lost a half-day's wages, and his son sat
there, almost like a statue.  It was infuriating him all the more that
his son wouldn't even try to argue back, as he had sometimes done
during these lectures.
 
    "*WELL*?" Jake screamed in rage.
 
    "Can I go to my room now?" Don asked calmly.
 
    Jake was apoplectic, and April spoke, before her son was
physically harmed by her husband.  She didn't realize that wasn't
possible.  "Yes, Don.  Go now.  I will bring your dinner to you; please
stay in your room."
 
    "Fine," he said, knowing full well he could leave any time
he damned well pleased.  He walked up the stairs, closed the door, and
sat down at his computer.  He chuckled to himself at his father's
tirade; it was about what he'd expected, really... lots of bluster, but
his father's fundamentalist Christian beliefs would not allow him to do
more to Don than yell at him.  He was, after all, *already* grounded.
 
    The loss of Julie and Susan would be a problem; he was sure
that their parents would know that he wasn't supposed to be out and
about, and so they would have to be sneaky about it.
 
    He sent off an email to Susan, explaining what had
happened.  It occurred to him that she, too, might be grounded now.  He
shrugged, figuring he could work it out.
 
    Turning to his third-circle magic book, he cast the
decryption spell, and then went looking for a good sleep spell... just
in case he needed to go somewhere.
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
     Don was sitting in his room, typing merrily away on his
computer, when there was a knock at the door.  It was so quiet, it had
to be his mother.  No one else was supposed to be allowed in to see
him, anyway.
 
    "C'mon in, Mom," he called out.  April opened the door, and
stood in the doorway.  She'd come no closer to her son than that.
 
    "Come on.  We're going to the school."
 
    "What for?  I'm suspended."
 
    "I know.  And despite your... problem... that wasn't fair. 
I'm going to talk that principal into letting you back into class."
 
    Don shrugged.  He would much rather take his finals than
not, as he had no interest in spending another year in high school. 
The truth was, if he didn't pass those classes, he might not bother
with finishing high school, and just take his GED.  But if his mother
wished to argue the point, then that was okay by him.
 
    The two walked down to the car, and got in.  April started
the car and looked over at Don.  She shivered, and fidgeted
uncomfortably.
 
    "Mom, would you like to sit in back while I drive?"  He
knew better than to ask if he should sit behind her; she no longer
trusted him.
 
    "Yes, I think that would be best."
 
    They changed places, and she was now cringing as far into
the opposite corner of the car from him as she could get.  Don ignored
that, and drove off for the school.
 
 
 
-----
 
 
 
    Don wandered around the office.  He didn't feel like
sitting there, fidgeting, while his mother was in yelling at the
principal.  He couldn't quite make out what they were saying, only that
there were raised voices.  He could have used a spell to hear better,
but he figured he'd just as soon not know what was said.
 
    He looked at the bulletin board, which had announcements on
it.  None of them were especially important, especially since
three-quarters of them were out of date.  He chuckled at that.  Just
then, one of his teachers walked in.
 
    "Hello, Don... I thought you were suspended."
 
    "Hi, Mrs. Nash.  I am.  My mom's reaming out the principal,
trying to get me out of it."
 
    "Oh.  That's... nice of her, I guess."
 
    Don shrugged.  "I don't hold out much hope."
 
    Mrs. Nash lowered her voice.  "That stuff they're saying
about you..."
 
    Don grinned mischievously.  "What am I being accused of?"
 
    "They're calling you a warlock."
 
    Don frowned mightily.  "Mr. Houston.  He can't get his mind
around the idea that witches and warlocks aren't the only magicians in
the world.  I am a magician.  Nothing more.  Nothing less."
 
    Mrs. Nash looked at him strangely.  "I... Well, quite
honestly, I didn't expect you to admit to being a magician, either.  I
assume we're not talking about tada and abracadabra..."
 
    Don chuckled.  "No.  Neither of those words comes up in my
spells."
 
    "Well..."  she was interrupted as the office door opened,
and April and Mr. Vandermeer came out together.
 
    "Mrs. Nash... good thing you're here, as I believe Mr.
White is supposed to be in your class this hour.  Mrs. White has
convinced me that our punishment for young Don was too harsh.  He will,
however, be restrained to one classroom, as a form of on-campus
suspension.  I wonder if you'd be willing to take that duty?"
 
    With little hesitation, Mrs. Nash said, "Surely.  He's
never been a problem in my classroom."
 
    "Thank you.  Is that satisfactory, Mrs. White?"
 
    "Yes.  Very.  Thank you.  I'll see you at home, Don."
 
    April scurried out of the office, giving Don a wide berth. 
He chuckled.
 
    "Should I go get my books, Mr. Vandermeer?"
 
    "Yes.  After that, you will be restricted to Mrs. Nash's
classroom, and the teacher's lounge, where you will eat your lunch and
return directly to Mrs. Nash's class.  You may go to the restroom
between classes, but if you are seen wandering the halls, you will be
severely punished."
 
    "Understood.  Thanks."
 
    Don left, a confused look on his face.  *Just what the hell
did Mom threaten him with?  The *teacher's lounge*?*
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
 
 
    Don was in his room, relaxing a bit.  He was amusing
himself by writing symbols in the air.  A simple, first-circle spell,
it didn't mean anything other than that he thought it was neat.
 
    A soft knock at his door announced the arrival of his
sister.  It couldn't be anyone else, because his mother refused to come
near him anymore, and his father would not have bothered knocking.
 
    "C'mon in, Katie," he said softly, not bothering to stop
what he was doing.  When she walked in, she was kind of startled.  He'd
spelled out, "Hi, Katie!" in sparkly green letters - her favorite color
- and it floated before her until it dissipated.
 
    "If Mom and Dad catch you doing that, they're gonna freak,"
she warned.
 
    "They've already freaked, so what's the difference?  I have
to practice.  Trouble is, a lot of these spells work on other people. 
It's hard to practice them with no one to practice them on."
 
    Katie sat down on the bed next to her brother.  "Where does
your magic come from?" Katie asked.
 
    "What do you mean?"
 
    "Well... you told me you're not a witch, but... where do
you get magic from?"
 
    "Magic is just a natural part of the world.  You just need
to know how to get to it... and believe that you can."
 
    "Oh.  Could I learn magic?"
 
    Don hesitated for a long moment.  She was clearly not
magician material; Veronica had made that plain.  However, he wasn't
about to tell her she'd already been rejected.
 
    "You might find it tough going, Katie."
 
    "Oh.  Okay."  He'd expected an argument over that, but
she'd not given him one.  He was concerned for a moment, until she
leaned back against him.  "So what kind of spells are you trying to
practice?"
 
    "Just some basic physical control spells.  Veronica told me
to work on them."
 
    "What do they do?"
 
    "Well, it depends on what you want them to do, really. 
Like the one I was thinking about toying with can make a person's
fingers act with a mind of their own."
 
    "Hell, my fingers do that already.  Just listen to me play
piano, and you know they don't listen to my brain!"
 
    Don chuckled at his sister.  She'd been taking piano
lessons for three years, and she still had difficulty at times.
 
    Katie sat up and turned to look at him.  "You could try the
spell on me..."
 
    "Hmm?"
 
    "See if it can make me play piano better!  I'm working on
Fur Elise, and that damned song is a pain in the ass!"
 
    He smiled at her.  It was a good idea, though he'd never
have asked her straight out.  "Okay.  Let's go to your room."
 
    Don followed Kate into her room, and he closed the door. 
There was little chance of his mother coming up here, but there wasn't
any point in making it easy for her to catch him doing magic.
 
    "So, what do I do?" Katie asked.
 
    "You don't have to do anything except sit at the piano."
 
    Katie had an electric piano in her room, that she could
play without disturbing anyone.  She sat down on her stool and placed
her hands on the keys.
 
    Don looked at his sister, and had to stop himself from
admiring the way her hair flowed down her back, and the way her butt
looked.  He had enough of a side view to see the swell of her breast,
and-
 
*    Knock it off!  This is the real world, not Zemlia Nov!*
 
    Shaking his head, Don began to chant the spell.  The
problem he had was that the spell required visualization.  He tried to
visualize Katie playing Fur Elise flawlessly, but his other thoughts
intruded on his image.  He imagined things that he shouldn't be
thinking of his sister, and before he could stop the images, the spell
was complete.
 
    Katie expected her hands to start playing music at any
moment.  She'd heard him finish up, though he'd spoken too quietly for
her to make out the words.  Her left hand reached up and caressed her
neck, flicking some stray hairs out of the way.  She was a little
surprised; she didn't understand what that had to do with playing piano.
 
    When her hand ran down her body and cupped her tit through
her shirt and bra, she gasped.  This was definitely *not* how you
played piano!  Her body, however, seemed to like the notion well
enough.  She sighed softly as her hand squeezed her tit, and moaned as
it ran its fingers gently over her nipple, causing it to harden and
poke through the materials.
 
    Her right hand was not idle for long.  Soon, it made its
way between her legs, pushing strongly against her jeans.  Her middle
finger made repeated heavy strokes against the crotch of her pants, and
she was beginning to get very excited.
 
    Don watched in awe as his sister began to play with
herself.  He was going to stop the spell, but he suddenly couldn't find
his voice; his sister's movements mesmerized him.  Her hand worked
strongly between her legs, and he couldn't help but wish that it was
his own hand.
 
    Katie was well aware that she should not be masturbating in
front of her brother.  She was also aware that it was his spell that
had done this to her.  *Did he want to see this?  Or did he goof? 
Either way, Oh! oh, god this feels good...*
 
    Katie's left hand slipped against her breast more strongly,
pulling on her blouse until a button pulled open.  She slipped her hand
into the opening and across her other tit, enjoying the sensations.
 
    Her right hand grew weary of pressing against fabric, and
so it reached up to unfasten her jeans.  It took only seconds before it
had them undone, and her fingers were now slipping beneath the
waistband of her panties.  As her middle finger brushed past her clit,
she moaned loudly.  Her fingers began to work against her slit,
slipping against her opening and up to tease her clit.  She moaned
again in pleasure.
 
    Don could barely breathe, watching his sister slide her
hand in her pants and move her fingers in unseen ways.  Her left hand
was sliding back and forth across her chest, and had managed to pull
open two more buttons on her blouse, so that he could clearly see her
bra-clad tits.  He longed to help her, but was deathly afraid of going
anywhere near her.
 
    Katie's fingers began to slip faster along her slit as her
passion increased, and she could feel herself getting closer to
release.  She moved her hand up, to focus solely on her clit, rubbing
it furiously back and forth, then in circles.  She knew she was close,
could feel it begin to grip her...
 
    "Aah!" she cried out, her orgasm washing over her. 
Unfortunately, the stool she was on was made for piano playing, not
orgasms, and when she arched her back and threw her legs out, she could
feel the stool tip beneath her.  She had no ability to correct for it,
and she felt herself begin to fall.
 
    Suddenly, a pair of strong arms caught her.  She opened her
eyes to see her brother staring down at her.  He picked her up and
moved her over to the bed as the last tremors of her orgasm subsided. 
Looking up into his concerned face, into those wonderful eyes...  She
knew then that she couldn't go on hiding herself from him anymore.
 
    Don looked at his sister as he cradled her on the bed. 
With her face coated in sweat, her hair stuck to her scalp, she looked
beautiful.  She was as beautiful as she had been in Zemlia Nov.
 
    "I'm sorry, Katie," he said softly.  "That's not what I
meant to do, but seeing you sitting there... the image popped into my
head before I could stop it."
 
    Katie shivered at the thought.  *He wanted to see me like
that!*  She had to be sure, though.
 
    "So, you wanted to see me touch myself?"
 
    "God, that was incredible!" he whispered hoarsely.
 
    She lifted her hand up and ran it over his chest.  "Is
there anything else you'd like to see?"  Her hand continued to travel
upward, reaching his neck as he replied.
 
    "Katie, I..."
 
    Her hand gripped the back of his neck, and pulled his head
down.  She raised up to meet him, and their lips met again.  Katie
pressed her lips hotly against his, and moaned softly.  She slipped her
tongue out and pressed it against his lips until he opened his mouth. 
Her tongue entered and found its dance partner, waiting for her and
eager to play.
 
    For long moments, they kissed.  Don slipped his lower hand
out from beneath her, and used it to support himself as he pushed her
back down onto the bed.  He finally slipped his remaining hand out from
behind her back and used it to caress her hair.  They continued to
kiss, and Don was growing hard from remembering what they had done
together in that faraway land.
 
    Finally, Katie let him loose.  He pulled back somewhat,
with a questioning look on his face.  She screwed up her courage, and
took a deep breath.
 
    "Donny," she said, her voice as soft as velvet, "I love
you.  I love you in ways I'm not supposed to.  I can't control myself
anymore, I... I need you.  Make love to me, please?"
 
    Don grew a little dizzy.  Had his spell done so much more
than intended?  Katie put his fears to rest quickly.
 
    "I've thought about you for a long time... like that... and
ever since you started going out with Julie, and then Susan... every
time I would think about it, I'd get tingles... and... and I just can't
stand not having you!  Please!"
 
    Don wasn't about to resist that plea - not that he'd had
much desire to do so in the first place.  He smiled gently at his
sister, and nodded.  She smiled in relief, but then bit her lip in
anticipation and nervousness.
 
    "It's going to hurt, isn't it?" she asked.
 
    "It could," he whispered.  "I'll try to be gentle."
 
    Don moved down her body, and took off her shoes and socks. 
He let his hands run along the front of her calves and thighs until he
reached the waistband of her jeans.  Katie lifted her hips as he tugged
on them, and they finally came free, but they pulled her panties with
them, because they were so tight.  Don shrugged and pulled the panties,
too, and in only a few seconds, his sister's lower body was completely
exposed to him.  He inhaled her fragrance and enjoyed the view.  He'd
never seen his sister naked in *this* body, after all.
 
    Katie saw the look in her brother's eyes, and she felt the
same; she wanted him so bad she could taste it.  She watched as he
removed his own shirt and let it fall to the floor.  When he began to
undo his pants, she felt a warmth spread between her legs that she'd
not felt quite the same way before.  She got goose bumps as he pulled
the jeans down off his legs, leaving him in just his underwear.
 
    Don made her wait for the rest.  He moved back to the bed,
and leaned over his sister.  He leaned down to kiss her again, and his
hand undid the remaining buttons on her blouse.  She moaned into his
mouth as he pulled it open, laying her skin bare to his touch.  As his
fingers slid across the silky skin of her abdomen, she mewled and
shivered.  She could feel her body heating up, and she longed for him
to go further.
 
    Don could feel his sister's tension, and after a little
more kissing, he leaned back.  She sighed audibly at the loss of his
touch, but when he lifted her tenderly by the shoulders, she smiled and
came willingly.  Once she was sitting up, he pushed her blouse off, and
then swatted it off the bed.  She rubbed her hands across his chest,
feeling the smooth skin there.  She tingled as her brother's hands
rubbed across her back, obviously heading for the clasp on her bra. 
When his fingers found and unhooked it, she sighed softly.
 
    Don's hands gently pulled the bra off his sister's
shoulders.  He intentionally looked away, watching it fall to the
floor, before turning his eyes back to take in the unobstructed view of
her wonderful breasts.  He saw the tightness of her nipples, and the
flush across her chest.  He tenderly pushed her back down onto the bed,
and stepped back.
 
    Katie could barely control herself as her brother pulled
down his briefs.  He let them fall, and she could see his hard cock,
waiting to do its job and turn her into a woman.  She reached out and
her nimble fingers encircled it, stroking it very softly.  The soft,
velvety skin felt wonderful, and the iron-hard muscle underneath made
her even wetter than she already was.
 
    Katie gently tugged on her brother's cock, urging him to
join her on the bed.  Don got the idea quickly enough, and he was soon
above her.  She parted her legs, a look of worried anticipation on her
face.  What if he didn't like her?  What if she wasn't any good?
 
    Don looked down at his sister, and saw a wonderful,
beautiful goddess.  That she would give herself to him as her first...
*again*...
 
    Don stroked his sister's breast, trying to get her as
aroused as he could.  She shivered under his touch, and her nipple
tightened even more.  She was beginning to roll her hips, trying to get
his cock inside of her, instead of lying along her slit where it
currently rested.
 
    "Oh, shit, Donny... I need it..."
 
    Don smiled at her lovingly, and repositioned himself so
that the head of his cock was pressing against her opening.  He tried
to hold still, but Katie's hips were having no part of that.  She
bucked upward, and just that fast, he was inside her.  She winced, and
he knew that her cherry was busted.  Leaning down, he embraced her
tenderly, and kissed her face repeatedly.
 
    After a few seconds, Katie began to move her hips again. 
Don pushed himself up to look down at her.
 
    "Are you ready?  We can wait if it still hurts..."
 
    "It didn't hurt that bad.  I'll be okay.  But I want that,"
she said, and squeezed her pussy muscles to indicate what *that* was,
"to be all the way inside me."
 
    Don smiled down at her, and then leaned down to kiss her
again.  As their tongues once again intertwined, he began to slowly
rock his hips back and forth, gently pushing himself further and
further into his sister's pussy.  She mewled in pleasure at the feel of
him  Finally, after several wonderfully pleasant strokes, he was fully
inside her, and she felt his pubic hair rubbing against her clit.
 
    Katie rocked her hips again, insisting he continue.  Don
consented, sliding his dick out a short ways and then back in, moving
in smooth motions that he hoped would be comfortable for her.  Katie
moaned in pleasure, assuring him she was loving every second of it.
 
    Don began to make his strokes longer, sliding nearly his
full length out of his sister's cunt and back in.  The two continued to
kiss as he moved, and Katie wrapped her arms around his back, pulling
her upper body against him.  He loved the feel of her tits pressed into
his chest.  His dick twitched as she rubbed herself side to side
against him.
 
    Katie was in heaven; her brother was making her feel
absolutely fabulous, and she was a woman now; *his* woman, as far as
she was concerned.  She couldn't believe how complete she felt with him
inside her.  Her body was already on the verge of the largest orgasm of
her life.
 
    Don could feel the tension in his sister.  He knew what
that was, and he was glad for it, because he knew that he couldn't hold
out much longer.  He'd wanted this to be good for her, but he was just
too excited at the idea of being able to take her virginity twice.  The
first time didn't even hold a candle to how he felt now.  His hips
began to move faster, thrusting his dick into her, and causing her to
grunt loudly.  She was panting and groaning, and so was he, both of
them rising to meet their climaxes.
 
    When Katie's orgasm hit, she screamed, filling the room
with her shouts of passion.  As her pussy rippled along his cock, Don
had no chance of holding back.  He slammed his cock fully into her and
froze, his cum bursting forth from his cock.  The two groaned and
writhed together for a long moment before they were able to come down
off their high.
 
    As Don rolled them to one side, his cock still buried in
his sister, the door to her room burst open.  Katie was still too fuzzy
to care who it was.  Don already knew who it would be.
 
    "You... spawn of Satan himself!  Get away from our
daughter, you demon!"  Don looked at his father, who was now red in the
face.  Jake made to grab for Katie, but the look that crossed Don's
face caused him to retreat immediately.
 
    "Katie, Honey," Don said very softly, "I think they want us
to get up."
 
    "Hmm?"  Katie was too far out of it yet to be panicked.  He
knew she would be, shortly.  She was beginning to regain her senses
already.  His cock had slipped from within her, and he rolled to a
sitting position.
 
    "Get away from my daughter!" April screamed.  "I want you
out of my house, you... you creature!"
 
    "And where do you expect me to go?" Don asked calmly.
 
    "We don't care!" Jake screamed.  "If you don't leave on
your own, we will have the police come and escort you out!  You have
defiled our only daughter!"
 
    "Hey!" Katie screamed, finally aware of what was going on. 
"He didn't 'defile' anybody!  It was my idea!  And if that's being
defiled, I want to be defiled every night at eight o'clock, please!"
 
    Don loved his sister just then, but her sense of humor was
lost on their parents.  They glared at Don.  "You've corrupted her with
your evil, but we can save her!  You, you will go, you... Devil
Bastard!"
 
    Katie was up faster than anyone had imagined she could move
right then.  Her hand swept across and slapped her mother so hard that
it left an imprint.
 
    "Don't you dare talk about my brother that way!  If you
kick him out, I'm going with him!"
 
    "No!" her mother shouted back.  "You can be saved, Katie! 
Just turn back to Jesus, and - "
 
    Katie slapped her mother again.  "I'm tired of your
bullshit!  Either you let Donny stay, or I'm going with him!"
 
    "That... *thing* may not stay in my house," Jake snarled.
 
    Don stood up, and moved behind Katie, restraining her from
anything further.  "We'll be gone by the time the sun goes down.  Will
you let me have my car?"
 
    "I don't want anything you've defiled with your... being!"
his mother screeched.
 
    "Take it," Jake spat.
 
    "Okay."
 
    The parents left, slamming the door.  Katie turned to her
brother, her eyes wide with some fear.
 
    "Donny... what do we do?"  The expression on her face was
very familiar to him; he'd seen it many times in Zemlia Nov.  Once
again, Katie would depend on him.
 
    *And you like that, don't you?*
 
    He had to admit that he did.
 
 
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
...---=== http://netwolf.wolfpub.org ===---...
 
    

