She stared into my eyes. I could see the longing, and I moved in. I leaned in and kissed her, tasting my own cum on her lips. She kissed me back with real vigor. For a moment we stood there, kissing, one of my hands on her breast, the other between her legs. And then we broke the kiss. She stared into my eyes for a moment longer, let out a breathy laugh, and then began undressing as fast as she could. I took a step back and watched.
She pulled her shirt off, and I stared down at her abs. She had been a cheerleader for years, and it had paid off. She was in better shape than almost anyone I knew. The way her smooth skin pulled tight around her thin, toned stomach looked sexy as hell. She reached back and pull her bra off, and my eyes moved up to her tits. They weren’t huge like Michelle’s or Natalie’s. But they also weren’t small. What they really were was perfectly shaped. They looked like the kind of tits that any man, anywhere, in any time, would agree were perfect tits. And her nipples were pink, and oh so hard and sexy looking. They looked like they desperately needed my attention, and I obliged.
I brought both hands up to feel her tits, but that wasn’t enough. I bent down, and brought my mouth to one of her nipples. I sucked hard, and let my tongue dance across her skin. She moaned sexily and arched her back, pressing her nipple deeper into my mouth. I let my hands roam her body, and my mouth massage her nipple. Her body was squirming about, her stomach contorting and her back arching further. I knew she was as into it as I was, and knew the time had come. With difficulty, I released her nipple from my mouth’s grasp, and then stepped back. Erin quickly wiggled her sexy hips out of her pants and panties, and I stared down at the true prize.
Her legs were long and muscular. Michelle didn’t have legs like that, nor did her coworkers. Ella didn’t either. I had never quite noticed before, but Erin’s legs were incredible. They were the kind of legs that could only be achieved through years of hard work. And between her thighs, underneath a neat, sexy patch of pubic hair, was a truly magnificent pussy. It looked thinner and less lippy than Michelle’s. And it looked wetter. As I stared down at it, I could actually see a tear of thick sinewy liquid slide down her inner thigh.
She had been watching me admire her body, and she seemed as turned on as I was. We met eyes for a second, smiled, and then moved in together. Our lips met first, and then our bodies. We kissed hard, and her tits pressed into my chest. My cock pressed into her thigh at first, but then she reached down and guided it between her legs. My cock stuck between her legs, clenched tight between her strong thighs. I could feel the wet warmth of her pussy on top of it. There was movement happening, and I realized she was clenching and unclenching her thighs around my cock. It felt really sexy, but it was time for the real thing. I looked around, saw the couch, the chair, and the floor.
“Let’s go to bed,” I told her. She stared into my eyes longingly, and nodded. We released each other and hurried down the hall. I wasn’t sure which bed we were headed to, but she went to her own room. I followed her in, looking around only briefly. I hadn’t been allowed in her room in many years. She had posters and pictures on the walls, and girly things here and there. It was a good room. And it had a big bed. She jumped onto that bed, and I followed. I moved to kiss her again, but she shoved me down onto my back. She quickly moved onto me, straddling me and staring down at me sexily. Then she reached behind her, grabbed my cock, and guided it home.
The moment the head of my cock met her pussy, I had to strive not to cum yet. I could feel the lips of her pussy opening and then stretching as I entered her. And then she took it down, deeper and deeper, until I was fully inside her. She let out a long low moan that ended in a sexy giggle. For a moment she just sat there, with my whole cock buried deep in her pussy. Then she began to move. Her ass began to move up and down, and then her hips joined in the rhythm. As she got into it, her stomach joined in the fun too.
Before I knew what was happening, Erin was using her entire body as she rode my cock. Her perfect tits rose and fell with her breathing, and jiggled sexily from her movements. Her thin sexy stomach pulled in and out, flexing and contracting. Her thighs flexed, and her pussy clamped down on my cock. I just laid back and let her do the work. She clearly knew what she was doing, and I let her do it. Her moans grew steadily louder and more sensual as she moved on top of me. I could tell she was bringing herself to an orgasm, and I tried to help without getting in the way. I reached up and fondled her tits, and thrust my hips up.
Her movements intensified. Her hips began bucking back and forth, and her stomach did a sort of wave motion, going in and out. Her moans grew and grew until they reached a crescendo. She threw her head back and cried out, not slowing down at all. Her pussy felt tighter than ever. Her hips began to vibrate, and then her whole body started shivering and convulsing. Her cry became a squeal, and then she fell down onto me, her whole body shaking on top of mine. I reached behind her and grabbed onto her ass as she lay on top of me. Her orgasm subsided, but her body continued to move.
“Oh wow,” she whispered into my ear.
“Not bad,” I said. “But I still need to show you what I can do.”
I rolled us both over, so that I was on top of her. Her eyes were open, but staring at nothing. She seemed to be in a state of pure ecstasy. My cock was still inside her, and I began gently thrusting on top of her. She moaned again, and I knew she was ready for more. I pulled out of her, and then sat up. I took another moment to just admire how truly sexy every little bit of her looked. My eyes found her ass, and noted how large and round and sexy it looked. I got up on my knees, and then rolled her over. She allowed me to move her body without a word. I laid her down on her stomach, and she quickly arched her back, sticking her ass into the air. We both knew what was next. I got on top of her, and laid my cock down on her ass. She flexed and jiggled her ass muscles on my cock for a moment, and then I bent back and let it find her pussy again.
Her pussy felt even tighter in this position. I pushed my cock in nice and slow, and she moaned sexily again. I took her ass cheeks in my hands, and grasped firmly, squeezing them together. Her ass felt truly spectacular in my hands. It was hard to let go, but eventually I did, and propped myself up with both hands on the bed. Erin was still laid flat on her stomach, pushing her ass up for me, and I began to pound down into her tight wet pussy. She didn’t seem to be having any trouble taking my cock, so I gave it to her good and hard. My hips collided hard with her ass cheeks, and I quite enjoyed the soft bouncy feel of it. I fucked her long and hard, trying to make her ass jiggle by hitting it harder. The bed began rocking hard, and knocking against the wall. Between that and her moans, we were making quite the racket. I could only hope that no one else would come home.
I could tell that Erin was getting close to another orgasm. And I was as well. Just like with the others, it felt different when I was inside a pussy. Cumming in her mouth felt as good as anything could. It was pure bliss, the way it was meant to feel. But this feeling, inside her pussy, feeling my orgasm slowly build, it was different. It was something more than natural. It was Him. Whatever Him was. He wanted out, or in. He wanted to be given life. And He needed me to do it. I was meant to cum inside a healthy young woman. Erin was as healthy as anyone I know. And at twenty years old, she was as young as the Witch could ask for.
As our orgasms built up together, I had a new thought. Whoever, whatever it was, it would probably like the idea of being born of incest. Especially incest between siblings who didn’t really like each other. I’ve lusted after both of my sisters, all three of them if I’m really being honest. And when it came time to cum inside of Michelle, that intense feeling of needing to stay inside was strong. But me and Michelle loved each other, the way siblings are supposed to. We were having sex for fun, not out of passion or love.
But Erin and I didn’t love each other in that way. In truth, we probably hated each other. She tortured me, and teased me. In all likelihood it was her doing that had made me feel like a loser in the first place. It was her hate that had driven me so low. So low that I had been a perfect target for the witch. If not for Erin, none of this might have ever happened. I could feel that it was meant to be. If I came inside Erin right now, I wouldn’t have to face the Witch. No one would have to get hurt. And I would get to keep this wonderful gift I had. I could make all the girls feel this way, as many as I wanted. And Erin wouldn’t die, the Witch had said so herself. Erin would have to be pregnant, but she could take it. She was young enough, and fit enough that she would be back to her old self in no time. And the Witch, and…Him, they would be so pleased if the host I used happened to be my own sister, who may or may not hate me. A demon baby, born of incest and hate. It’s power would be tenfold. And its love for me, for giving it such power. I would be a king. Just like she has said. I would have all I ever wanted, and more. It would be perfect.
I could feel the cum surging, and was powerless to stop it. My hips kept moving up and down, pounding my huge cock in and out of Erin’s tight pussy. She was moving her body too, pushing her ass up against me, adding more force to it. Her moans peeked again. Her body shivered. A ripple went through her ass that was sexier than anything. And I was cumming too. It was happening. I was going to shoot my load inside my sister, and then it would all be done. No more worry, no more fear. Just bliss, and victory. The cum surged, and she cried out in her own orgasmic ecstasy. At the very last second I saw the Witch, as she had been in the dream. Her hair splayed out behind her. Her arms spread wide, and bent, as if they were wings. Her yellow eyes held the depths of eternity, and her long fangs dripped with venom. Somehow I managed to think of Shannon.
I pulled out as the cum shot from my cock. It missed shooting inside of her by a fraction of a second. Instead, it shot out across her ass and back, harder than ever. She moaned sexily as I sprayed long jets of cum all over her and her bed. It felt like my soul was exiting through my cock, violently. I began to see spots, and then I felt very lightheaded. As my cock spewed the last of the powerful orgasm, I collapsed down onto the bed, on my face. Everything went black.
When I woke up, I was lying on the bed, and Erin was bent over me, naked and afraid. She looked truly worried.
“Jake! Are you ok!” Erin shouted. I blinked fast, and turned my head twice. I felt the world slowly coming back.
“Yeah,” I nodded, and slowly sat up. We were both still naked in her bed, and I could see cum all over the place. It seemed like I hadn’t been out very long. “What happened?”
“You passed out when you came,” she said, seeming to calm down a bit as she saw me looking ok again.
“Oh,” I nodded. “Sorry.”
“It’s fine,” she said with a shaky laugh. “We, uh… we were really going at it there.”
“Yeah,” I nodded, and smiled at her. She smiled back hesitantly. “Well, I guess it’s official now. You are the greatest piece of ass I’ve ever had. I’ve cum hard before, but never that hard.”
“Me neither,” she said, smiling much more naturally now. “I’ve never cum like that in my life. You really are the stud everyone said you are. I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“That’s ok, I forgive you,” I said, and she laughed. “How long was I out?”
“Only like a minute,” she said. “I was scared though. No one has ever passed out during sex with me before. Although, no one has ever fucked me that hard before either. It really was amazing.”
“Yeah it was,” I agreed. For a moment I thought about going back to it. I could get it up again for her no problem, and we could keep going. But we had both cum harder than ever. There was no higher to go. And pulling out of her had been harder than with any of the others. I had very nearly done it. I decided it wasn’t worth the risk. I got what I wanted, and I think she did as well.
“So, are you ok?” She asked, still looking at me with some concern.
“Yeah,” I nodded quickly. “Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry. I just… I don’t know. I guess I was going a little too hard to impress you.”
“You impressed me,” she laughed. “More than I ever would have thought possible. You are not who I thought you were, Jake. I don’t know how I ever thought you were.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, and rolled out of her bed. Her eyes roamed my body as I began to dress. “Just as long as you don’t forget it and start treating me like a loser again.”
“I won’t,” she said, staring at my cock as I stuffed it back into my boxers. “I’ll never treat you like a loser again. I promise.”
“Good,” I said with a laugh. “What time is it?”
“Almost five,” she said, checking the clock on her desk. “Why, are you going somewhere?”
“No,” I shook my head. “I’m staying in tonight. Tomorrow I…” I stopped, and let out a sigh. “Tomorrow I have somewhere to be, with Shannon. I might be out late. But tonight I’m staying in.”
“Good,” she said, smiling in a way she never had around me before. “Want to watch a movie?”
“Sure,” I nodded. “What movie?”
“I was going to watch Needful Things,” she said. She rolled out of bed, and began dressing. I just stared for a moment as she pulled her pants up her long sexy legs, and then up and over her ass, all while still topless. “I just finished reading the book.”
“Oh yeah? What’s it about?” I asked. I knew she was into weird horror movies. I didn’t necessarily want to watch a horror movie, but as I stared at her pulling her shirt back down over her wonderful breasts, I didn’t care.
“I can’t tell you that,” she laughed playfully. “Come on, it will be fun. The book was really good.”
“Ok,” I shrugged. We made our way into the living room. Not too long after the movie started Mom came home. She had brought some fried chicken for dinner. We ate it as we watched the movie. It wasn’t a very good movie, but it did seem interesting. I could tell the book must have been good. Before the end Michelle came home and joined us.
It felt good, being at home with my mom and my sisters. Erin and Michelle were sitting together with a blanket covering their legs. They were snuggled up together. I looked at them for a moment, wondering if I would ever get to see them again. If this was my last night with them, my last night in this world, it wouldn’t such a bad last night.
When the movie ended mom got up and went to the kitchen. Erin began defending the book, telling me how much better it was than the movie. I laughed and nodded along, sure she was right. Before we all went to bed both of my sisters gave me hugs goodnight. Neither one felt like the normal sisterly type of hug I would have gotten from them a week ago. Erin hadn’t hugged me in years, and she pressed her body gently against mine, whispering goodnight in my ear. Michelle’s hug was even bolder. I could feel her intentionally mashing her big, soft breasts into my chest.
I went to bed, but I lay awake for a long time. I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibly that this was the last time I would ever go to sleep. Tomorrow I would face the witch, and lying in bed, in the dark, with the wind whistling outside my window, it was hard to think I would succeed. The hardest part was knowing that Shannon was coming with me. I had already gotten by best friend killed. If I got her killed too… I didn’t even want to think about it. But that didn’t stop the thoughts, not there, not in the dark.
Eventually I fell asleep. I found myself in the woods again. The place where it had all started, and where it would all end. I looked up, through the trees and past the thin clouds, and saw the moon. It looked dull, and empty, and dark. The dark of the moon.
“The time has come, Jake.” I didn’t need to turn around to know it was her. Her voice carried through the trees and darkness with the same echoing reverberation as before. “The time has come for you to give me what is rightfully mine.” I turned around, slowly, afraid to see what she might look like this time. But she was back to her angelic form, as beautiful as ever. She looked human, if impossibly beautiful. Except for her eyes. The haunting yellow orbs stared back at me through the darkness, and almost seemed to glow.
“You’ll have it,” I surprised myself by speaking aloud. Her angelic face spread into a wide, terrible grin. “I have her picked out. I’ll bring her to you tomorrow.”
“Good,” she said, her voice low and haunting. The word stretched out into a purr, and then a growl. Her face looked alight with an evil fire.
“But I need something from you too,” I said, and her smile faltered. Her upper lip pulled back from her long, pointed teeth, and for a moment she seemed to snarl like a wild animal. But then she was smiling again.
“I’ve already given you your gift, Jake,” she said in a soft and menacing tone. “Now it is time for you to repay.”
“I will,” I said, surprisingly aware and in control despite the dream state of it all. “But I want one thing more.”
“And what is that?” she asked, somewhere between a purr and a hiss. The sound of it sent shivers running through me.
“I want you,” I said, and her eyebrows lifted for a second. “I’ll give you your child, but I want you to be a part of it. I’m going to bring you the host, and then we’ll do it together. We’ll make our son together, both of us. The way it’s meant to be.”
The witch’s smile grew wide once again. Her eyes lit up, and I had to look away from them.
“This… is acceptable,” the witch agreed with an awful, chilling smile. Then she began to laugh. The sound of it was like broken glass and chains being dragged across harsh pavement. Her laughter grew louder, and I winced away from it. Before the dream ended, I thought I could hear someone else laughing as well, a child’s laugh, even worse than hers.
I woke up drenched in cold sweat. The sun was up, and it was already a hot day, but I was covered in goosebumps. I got up, shivering, and wiped the sweat off my torso. I put on my jeans, and then grabbed my Radiohead shirt off the floor. They were Ryan’s favorite band. I finished by grabbing my Alan Trammell jersey, and headed out to face the day, perhaps my last day. I walked out into the living room, and found Erin reading the same book she had been yesterday. Michelle and Mom were already out.
“Morning sleepy head,” Erin said when she saw me. She was smiling at me in a way that I still wasn’t used to, and maybe never would be. It was weird to have her acting not just normal towards me, but friendly, and even flirtatious. It was a stark contrast to the way she had treated me for years.
“Morning,” I said, rubbing my eyes. I was still shaken from my dream.
“Are you going to the thing for Ryan today?” Erin asked.
“What thing?”
“You don’t know?” she seemed surprised. “They’re having a thing… a get together or something, to remember him. It’s at the old rec center. Most of your class will probably be there. I’m sure people will understand if you don’t go.”
“No,” I said quickly. “I’ll go. Do you know what time it’s at?”
“Noon, I think,” she said. “Are you still doing whatever you’re doing with Shannon later?” I paused for a moment, really considering. Maybe I shouldn’t. Maybe I should just face her alone. Or just take whatever punishment she has for me. But I had already seen her style of punishment. She would punish me through my loved ones. And that I couldn’t take. But the plan Shannon had come up with was crazy. It seemed better in the light of day. But last night I had seen how crazy it was, how unlikely it would be to work. The Witch would see right through us. She would likely end up killing us both.
“Yes,” I finally said, feeling a cold, stony sort of resolve settle in. We would go through with it, even if it was crazy. Because what else could we do?
“Are you ok?” Erin asked. I looked over at her, and realized I must have looked off, because she was looking at me with real concern.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “I’m fine. Just… thinking about Ryan.”
“I’m sorry,” Erin said, getting up from the couch and walking over to me. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her body against mine. It still felt weird to get such a hug from Erin, but also good. I could feel her hard nipples poking me through our shirts, and my body wanted to respond. I wrapped an arm around her. I wanted to move my hands along her body, undress her, ravage her. But I knew I shouldn’t. If everything went perfectly, then tomorrow, and the day after, and every day I wanted to. But not today. Today I needed my strength.
“I’m going to head out then,” I said, and she released me. She took a step back, and looked into my eyes. I was so used to seeing those pretty blue eyes glaring at me, or looking sarcastic, or teasing, and not in the good way. Seeing those same eyes now look at me in an almost longing, lustful way was both arousing and weird.
“Ok,” she nodded. “If it gets to be too much just come home. People will understand.”
“I know,” I said, giving her a grateful but tired smile. “Thanks Erin. I’ll see you tonight, ok?” She nodded, and I turned to leave. I made it out the front door and halfway to my bike before she called after me.
“Jake!” She shouted, and I turned back to see her standing in the doorway. “Be safe out there.” I didn’t say anything. I just smiled and nodded, and then waved goodbye. I hoped desperately that it wouldn’t truly be goodbye. All of a sudden I very much wanted to see my sister again. But I knew it could be goodbye forever. I got on my bike, and left home, possibly for the last time. I thought about going over to Shannon’s first. But she was likely preparing for tonight in her own way. We would face it together; she could be alone for now. Instead I rode over to the rec center.
When I got there I saw that most of my graduating class was in attendance. All of the people I had always known, some of whom’s relationship with me had Changed very much recently, were there. I parked my bike and chained it, and walked inside the building. The moment I walked in everyone stopped talking and looked over at me. I could see the faces of all my friends and classmates staring right at me. Some began to whisper. I ignored it. I walked over to where a big water cooler had been set up, and poured myself a cup. Stephanie was the first to greet me.
“Hey Jake,” she said as she approached me. She moved in for a hug, pressing her body into mine in much the same way my sister had. “I’m really sorry about Ryan,” she said as she let go of me and took a step back. The way she was looking at me suggested that Ryan and his untimely passing was not what was really on her mind. She had a glint in her eye, and I could see that she was holding back a smile.
“Thanks, Steph,” I nodded. “Is Ella here?” Stephanie’s lips pursed tight at that, and her eyes narrowed. It was clear she didn’t like me asking that.
“No,” she said bluntly. “But I am. I want to properly express how sorry I am for you.”
“Thanks,” I smiled awkwardly. “I’ll be fine.”
“Oh, I know you will,” she said, her smile creeping back in. “I don’t just want to say sorry. I also want to say thank you. You definitely restored my reputation. And I think I helped yours out too.” Her eyebrows did a little dance, and she leaned in closer to me. “And I want to feel you in bed, not just in the dressing room at the mall.”
“I’m afraid I have to take a rain check,” I said, and her face fell. “I have plans for today…big plans.”
“With Ella?” Stephanie asked angrily.
“No. With Shannon actually,” I said. For a moment Stephanie looked totally bewildered. “There’s something we have to do… for Ryan.”
“Fine,” Stephanie huffed, clearly displeased with my rejection. She turned and stormed off. She wasn’t more than ten feet away when Britney took her place.
“Hi Jake,” she said, smiling sadly at me. I could tell she at least felt sorry for me.
“Hey, Britney. How’s it going?” I asked, and downed my cup of water.
“Fine. You know… except for Ryan,” she said awkwardly. “I can’t believe it. My dad said they’re not sure who did it yet, but that they have some leads.”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “That’s pretty much what he told me too.”
“My dad talked to you?” Britney asked, her eyes going wide. She looked nervous.
“Yeah,” I nodded. “But just about Ryan. He doesn’t… uh… know about us. I mean… he knows. He just… doesn’t know it was me.”
“Ok, good,” Britney said with a shaky laugh. “Because he would kill you. I mean…” she stopped, seeming to realize that might be an inappropriate thing to say under the current circumstances. “I didn’t mean…”
“I know,” I smiled, and let out a tired laugh. She seemed to relax, and went back to smiling sadly at me.
“Ella said you guys went on a date the other night,” Britney said, not meeting my eyes anymore. She rubbed her arm uncomfortably and looked down at the floor. “She said it was going really good, but then… well…”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “That was when I found out about Ryan.”
“Sorry,” she said again in a quiet, shy voice. At that moment Jessie and Frank walked over to us, instantly changing the energy.
“Jake,” Frank said, and clapped a hand on my back. “The big man in town.” Jessie snickered at that. “Sorry about your friend. He was alright.”
“Yeah.” I agreed, not quite sure how else to respond. As much as I had once wanted their approval and acceptance, I no longer cared. With everything that had happened, and everything that was yet to happen, I realized I could not care less about what Frank and Jessie thought of me. They were assholes. They always had been.
“So, we’ve been hearing all kinds of stories about you lately, bro,” Jessie said with an eager grin.
“People talk too much,” I said, and his grin vanished. He opened his mouth to say something else, but I beat him to it. “It’s good to see you guys,” I lied. “I’ll see you around.” I clapped Frank on the back with the same force he had to me, and walked away. I had spotted Amy standing alone, looking sad. As I approached her, she noticed me. Her cheeks went flush, and she looked around, as if for an escape, but I made it to her before she could leave.
“Amy, can we talk?” I asked her. I knew nearly everyone in the building was staring at us, but I didn’t care. Amy seemed to care though. She was looking around nervously, holding her head down in a way as if she were trying to hide in plain sight.
“We have nothing to talk about, Jake.” She said. I could hear the hurt in her voice.
“Yes we do,” I said. She looked like she wanted to contradict me, but I didn’t let her. “Come on,” I said. “Let’s get some air.” She looked around at all the people staring at us, and then reluctantly nodded and followed me. The whispers grew as we walked out together, but then the outside air felt nice and warm and easy. We walked down the street a little, neither of us saying anything, and then I broke the silence.
“I’m really sorry about everything that happened,” I said truthfully. “All of it.”
“It’s fine,” she said in a high, defiant tone. I could tell she was trying to hold it together. “You wanted a reputation. Well, you got one. Everyone thinks you’re some kind of sex god or something.”
“Amy…” I began.
“You didn’t have to call me a liar though,” she cut me off. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I mean… I’m sorry that I left you like that. But… what was I supposed to do?”
“I know,” I said, trying to convey my true feelings with a look. “You didn’t do anything wrong, at all. I mean… you didn’t need to tell anyone what happened with us.”
“I only told one person,” Amy said. Her voice cracked, and tears began to well up in her eyes. “And she told Stephanie. Stephanie’s the one who went and told everyone else. And now everyone thinks I’m a liar. And…”
“You’re not,” I said, and she just glared at me.
“I know I’m not,” she frowned. “I don’t know how or why Stephanie and Britney are telling people the things they are, but I know the truth. And so do you.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “But sometimes the truth can be a lot more complicated than you might think.”
“Whatever,” she scoffed. “Why don’t you just admit that you lied so people wouldn’t think you’re a loser.”
“I didn’t, I mean I don’t, want people to think I’m a loser,” I said, trying to decide what to say to her. My journey had clearly affected her much more than I ever would have wanted. But I didn’t know how to explain it to her. “But… and I know you’re not going to believe me. But I didn’t lie. And neither did Stephanie and Britney.”
“Jake, let it go,” she said, eyeing me as if I were sick in the head. “You can tell everyone else that you have a giant cock, but I saw it, remember? I know the truth.”
“The truth isn’t always black and white,” I said. She scoffed again, and began walking ahead of me. I looked back, saw no one watching us, and decided to take a risk. “Amy,” I called after her. She turned back to look at me, frowning and angry, and then her eyes dropped down and went wide. I was gripping my dick through my pants, pulling it tight against the fabric to show her the outline of it. It filled up my whole hand and then some.
“What the fuck!” She shouted, and I let my dick go. “What is wrong with you?”
“It’s real,” I said, realizing she didn’t believe it. And why would she? She had sucked my real dick.
“You’re sick, Jake,” she said, walking away again.
“Amy, I’m sorry about all the bullshit,” I called after her, jogging to keep up. “I never meant for any of this to happen. I just… I wanted…”
“I know what you wanted, Jake,” Amy said angrily. She stopped walking away, and turned to look at me again. “And you got it. Everyone thinks you have a big dick. Which you very clearly care a lot about. You don’t need to keep up the act with me though.”
“I know I don’t,” I said, wishing I could make her believe me. I knew the only way to make her believe would be to actually show her. But what for? What good would it really do? At best she would think she had been so drunk that she didn’t see the truth. At worst she would think she was crazy. Showing other girls was one thing, because they hadn’t seen it before. Showing Amy was different. As much as I wanted her to know that I wasn’t like I had been that night, I knew I shouldn’t. Instead, I let out a sigh, and let her go. “I’m just really sorry, ok?”
“Ok, Jake,” Amy said, looking at me with a mix of pity and shame. She turned and walked down the road, and I let her go. I slowly walked back to the rec center, not really wanting to. There was no one there I wanted to see. But when I opened the door and walked in, I saw the two people I really did want to see. Shannon was across the center, talking to Meagan. She saw me, and I could see the determination I felt mirrored in her eyes. She could wait. What we had to talk about wasn’t a conversation for here. Instead I walked over to Ella, who was chatting casually with Britney. They saw me approaching, and Britney said something to Ella and then walked away.
“Hey,” I said when I reached her.
“Hey, Jake,” Ella said softly. “How are you?”
“I’m ok,” I said. “I’m sorry about how things ended the other night. I… I didn’t mean…”
“Jake, don’t,” she said, and put her hand on my shoulder. It was a light touch, gentle, comforting. “I had a great time. And I… I’m really sorry about Ryan.”
“Yeah, me too,” I nodded. Talking to her just felt different than the others. It felt better. It felt real. “I know it wasn’t exactly the ending to a date that anyone would ever want. But… I had a really great time with you. If you want… I…uh… I’d really like to…”
“Yes,” she said, cutting off my mumbling. Her smile shined through the awkward tension that seemed to hang in there air. “I would too. As soon as you’re ready.”
“Good,” I smiled back, feeling lighter. Speaking to her made it feel like I had something to look forward to, something to fight for. If I get to have a tomorrow, I’d like to spend it with her. “I’ll call you tomorrow. Ok?”
“Yes,” she blushed cutely, her freckled cheeks becoming rosy. “I’ll look forward to it.”
“Me too,” I nodded. We stared into each other’s eyes for a moment, and I felt more confident than I had all day. In that moment I felt like maybe I really could defeat the witch. Our little moment got interrupted as Stephanie and Britney came walking over. A second later Frank and Brad were there too. Everyone began talking all at once, a mess of gossipy blabber that felt jagged after the softness of Ella. It was overwhelming, and I didn’t care to hear any of it. I looked around, saw Shannon standing alone, watching me with an amused look, and left the little group that had formed.
“You still up for this?” I asked her as I walked over.
“Do we have a choice?” She retorted. She didn’t seem happy about what we had to do, but she did seem resigned.
“Yes,” I nodded. “We do. We have a few options, actually.”
“No, we don’t,” she said seriously, the look of determination only deepening in her brow. “You’re not doing what she asked for. And we’re not waiting to see what she does next. We’re going through with this. It’s the only way, Jake. And you know that.”
“Yeah,” I sighed, knowing she was right. I wished she wasn’t. I wished I could just keep what the witch had given me without having to give her the awful payment she demanded. I wished I could just give her the payment and not have to spend the rest of my life haunted by it. But I knew I would be. Shannon was right. There was only one option now. But that didn’t make it any easier.
“Do you need to go home first?” Shannon asked. “I’m ready to go as soon as you are.”
“No,” I said, wishing I could go home. Now that the time had come, I didn’t want to do it. Going home sounded nice. I could probably go have sex with Erin or Michelle, rather than facing my impending doom. But it was time. No more fun and games. Now for the grand finale. “I’m ready.”
“Ok, let’s go then,” Shannon said, and turned to leave. “I want to get it over with, one way or the other. This waiting is too much.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. I knew exactly what she meant. The anticipation of what we had to do was overpowering, and as much as I didn’t want to do it, I also wanted to rid myself of that feeling. It was time to do what we could. For better or worse, it was all going to be over soon. I very well might be going back to the way I had been before all of this started, which really didn’t seem as bad as it might have a few days ago. I suppose I could even keep what I had gained, without the looming dread of the which hanging over. And then there was the third outcome, which seemed increasingly likely the more time I spent thinking about it. So I stopped thinking about it.
I followed Shannon out of the building. I could feel the eyes on us as we left together, but I didn’t care. Whether it was because of my experiences with the girls, Ryan’s death, or just some basic inner growth through it all, I just didn’t care about what other people thought the way I had before. It seemed so trivial now. Why should I give a shit what someone like Frank thinks of me? I don’t think very highly of him, and that certainly doesn’t seem to be dragging him down at all. It was a lesson I wished I had learned a fortnight sooner, but better late than never.
We emerged into the bright daylight, and I took a deep breath. The air felt fresh. The sun was warm. Birds were chirping. It was a nice day. A day worth living in. Maybe even a day worth dying in. I tried to shoe that thought away, but it wouldn’t go. As we walked to our bikes, I couldn’t stop myself from contemplating my own mortality. It wasn’t something I ever really thought about, and now that I did, it scared the shit out of me. Just having the knowledge of the witch’s existence added a dark and haunting undertone to such contemplation. It suggested something deeper than I normally considered. It suggested something involving good and evil. It suggested…well, something bigger than the world I’ve only ever considered.
“You ok?” Shannon asked as we mounted our bikes. I looked over at her, and smiled wanly.
“Sure,” I nodded. “Just… you know… trying to get ready for this, I guess.”
“Yeah,” she nodded back. “Me too. But there’s no sense thinking about it anymore. It’s time to shit or get off the pot, as Ryan liked to say.” A sad chuckle escaped me. He did like to say that, and it seemed to apply now more than ever. Our eyes met again, and we both nodded. We rode off, away from the building with all of our friends, towards an unknown fate. Shannon turned her bike down her own street when we reached it. I followed, wondering if she was finally having second thoughts. She parked in front of her house and ran inside without a word to me. A second later she emerged with a backpack in her hands.
“What’s that for?” I asked as she remounted her bike, throwing the bag over her shoulders.
“Supplies,” she answered simply.
“What kind?”
“Garlic, salt, a cast iron skillet,” she listed off. I laughed, and then realized she wasn’t joking.
“We’re not going to cook an omelet, Shan,” I reminded her.
“Shut up,” she snapped back. “They’re all in some lore or another. I also have a mirror, three vials of holy water, a rosary, some rope, and… the knife.”
“What’s the mirror for?” I asked, moving on from the kitchen supplies without any argument.
“I read that succubi can have adverse reactions to their own reflection,” she explained as we rode off down the street again.
“You think she’s a succubus?” I asked, feeling a chill go through me at the thought.
“I have no idea what she is,” Shannon said without looking back at me. “I brought different materials that are supposed to affect different demonic entities. The garlic is for if she’s a vampire. The Rosary and holy water probably apply no matter what she is.”
“What are you going to do with it?” I asked. In my minds’ eyes I could see the witch from my dreams, her arms spread out like wings, her teeth dripping like fangs. I tried to picture throwing a small vile of water on her and her exploding from it. It didn’t seem very likely.
“I’m not totally sure yet,” she said. “But my plan is to pour the water onto the knife.”
“And you’re sure it’s a silver knife?” I asked, knowing how much could go wrong. Even if all of our assumptions were correct, so much still had to go our way in order for this to work.
“I’m positive,” Shannon nodded. “It’s pure silver.”
“Ok,” I sighed, pedaling hard to keep up with her. “And what about the rope? What’s that for? I doubt we’re going to be able to tie her up.”
“It’s not to tie her up,” Shannon said without answering my question.
“So…what’s it for then?” I asked again. I rode up beside Shannon and looked over at her. She glanced over, blushed a deep scarlet, and looked away.
“It’s to tie me up,” she said. I didn’t even know what to say to that. I began to realize we hadn’t discussed our plan nearly enough. We should stop and talk the whole thing through, no matter how awkward that would be, so we could be on the same page when we needed to. But our bikes were already leaving the asphalt. Twigs snapped under our tires as we rode up to the edge of the woods. All of a sudden the day didn’t feel so warm anymore. We got off our bikes and let them fall into the dirt. Shannon took a deep breath, and began to walk into the woods.
“Shannon, wait,” I said, and she stopped and turned. “You don’t have to do this. This is my problem, not yours. I can deal with it myself.”