Saturday morning dawned cooler and showery, the lingering remains of a front of heavy thunderstorms that moved through the night before, giving the town a brief respite from the midsummer heat wave.

Jason used to look forward to weekends like this, ones where his father was not on call at the hospital. He found it rather surprising that a small town like Haven could generate so much work for a neurologist. Even back in the city his father did not work so many long hours at the office. On Saturdays he liked helping his father around the house with odd jobs, as it gave him the chance to finally spend some time with the man.

This weekend, however, Jason was just as glad to continue avoiding him. Sometime during the night one of the downspouts broke, and his father was in a foul mood dealing with the small flood in the basement. The last thing Jason wanted was a distraction from his thoughts about obituaries.

The flash of insight that told him obituaries were the answer to his dilemma had come to him just as he arose that morning. His reasoning went like this: Mara must have had some surviving family. She was old enough to have had kids, and young enough to still have parents that were still alive at the time. One of them might have owned the house after her, or there would be a record of them selling it off when they handled her estate upon her death. Her obituary would be the perfect place to start, since it generally indicated who a person was survived by, or where services were held, and so on.

When he attempted to look up this information, however, he hit a snag. All obituaries for the town would appear in the Haven Town Gazette, but the digitized copies on the Haven Library's website went back only as far as 1978. Anything before that was still on microfilm at the library itself. He would have to pay a visit to the library to find out what he needed to know.

That would have to wait until later, after he had his daily visit to the house.

After eating a quick breakfast, Jason grabbed his light jacket and headed for the door. Before he could get much further than the entryway, his mother cut him off and stopped him.

"And where do you think you're going, young man?"

Jason was so surprised by the question that he did not respond immediately.

Audrey Conner filled the silence for him. "Your father is going to need help putting that downspout back together."

"What, this morning?" Jason cried, a little louder than he had intended.

"Yes, this morning."

"Can't I do it in the afternoon? I really have to ..."

"Jason, you've hardly been around this house anymore ever since you started seeing that Sovert girl."

Jason panicked. "But you said you wanted me to get out of the house more!"

"Not this much. And I think you're a little young to be this obsessed over one girl."

"I'm not obsessed!" Jason exclaimed, though his cheeks colored.

"Then you can tell me that she's not the one you're going to see right now?"

Jason said nothing. He could not think of a convincing lie to tell his mother.

"I thought so."

"Mom, please. I've never had a girlfriend before. Let me spend a little time with her and I promise I'll come back after noon and help with anything you want. Come on, Mom!" Jason's voice rose to a shout when Audrey began shaking her head. "This isn't fair! I just want to ..."

"All right, what in blazes is going on up here?"

Jason immediately fell silent as he watched his father step into the room. The man made an annoyed swipe at his dark hair with the back of a latex-gloved hand. The other held a damp mop.

"Henry, you're getting water all over the floor," Audrey admonished him.

"Never mind that," Henry Conner snapped. "What's the ruckus up here? I can hear you all the way down in the basement."

Audrey started to open her mouth but Jason rushed to speak first. "Dad, I want to go see my girlfriend and ..."

"Girlfriend?" Henry said in surprise, his eyebrows rising.

" ... Mom won't let me!"

"Henry, you said you needed help with the downspouts ... " Audrey began.

"Wait a minute," Henry said. "Jason has a girlfriend? When did that happen?"

"About a week ago." Her voice turned acidic. "Maybe if you were home a little more often ..."

Henry ignored her and turned to Jason. "You really need to see her now? I mean, that's great that you're finally dating and all that, but I did need some help around here."

"I know, Dad, but can't I do it later? Please?"

Jason was pinning his hopes on his father being more understanding than his mother. Surely he could sympathize with something like this! He must have gone through something similar when he was Jason's age.

"Henry, I think he's seeing her a little too much," Audrey said. "And he's a little young for anything long-term right now."

"Come on, Mom, it's only been a week!"

"Your mother has a point, son," Henry began.

Jason's face fell. He stared at his father, first in disappointment, and then in anger as the man continued to speak.

"Don't get yourself too worked up over a girl now, not when you're only fourteen."

Jason's hands clenched into fists. This simply was not fair. Jason felt he had never asked for anything like this before, the least his father could do was cut him some slack!

"Now, if we get started on this early, then maybe you can ..."

He stopped. For a moment his mouth appeared frozen in a single point of time, like a film being freeze-framed. He blinked rapidly for a few seconds and slowly closed his mouth.

Jason stared, dumbfounded.

"Henry?" Audrey said in a tentative voice, a bewildered look on her face.

A slight shudder passed through Jason's father. Finally a small smile came to his lips. "Jason, I'm sorry, what was I thinking? Of course you see your girlfriend this morning," he said in a softer, even voice.

Audrey cast a reproachful look at her husband and folded her arms.

"Huh? You ... you mean that?" Jason said. His voice quavered. The look in his father's eyes made him uneasy.

"Of course. Anything you want, son."

"Henry!" Audrey cried in exasperation.

"Audrey, cut the boy some slack."

Jason swallowed hard as he heard his own thoughts come from his father's mouth. Now he recognized that look in his eyes. It was the same one he saw in Melinda's eyes when he was controlling her. He slowly backed away. "Um, o-okay, thanks, Dad. I'll be back later."

He turned and ran before anyone could stop him. The last thing he heard was Audrey starting to berate Henry just before the front door closed behind him.

Jason ran to the house, a light mist hanging in the air and dotting his glasses with moisture even as the first breaks appeared in the clouds overhead. By the time he got to the intersection, he saw Heather and Melinda already ahead of him halfway down into the cul-de-sac. He was surprised to see Heather, and more so to hear an argument brewing between the two of them as he caught up with them.

"But you already had a turn yesterday!" Melinda cried.

"That didn't count," Heather countered. "I was only getting back at Richie and I hardly got off on that."

"Oh yeah? Then what was that you were doing to your pussy, huh?"

"Look, Mel, don't do this, I ..."

"Heather, what are you doing here?" Jason asked as he came up to them. "I thought you said you didn't want to do this anymore."

"She changed her mind," Melinda said sourly. "And now she wants to cheat!"

"I am not cheating! I just want to get my fair time, that's all."

"It's not your turn!" Melinda cried shrilly. "You had Richie and Jason had me! Now I get to do it!"

"Look, can you two stop arguing for a minute?" Jason said crossly. "I have to talk to you about something. Something really weird just happened before I came over here."

But neither was listening to him. "Jason, tell her it's my turn," Melinda said. "I didn't get a chance to do anything yesterday."

"Why are you running to him?" Heather retorted. "I'm the oldest here. I ought to be the one to decide."

"Now, wait a minute, Heather," Jason said. "You didn't come into this until later. You can't just take over."

"See? See?" Melinda piped.

"I'm not taking over! I just think I'm the most mature one here."

Melinda snorted loudly.

"You know, maybe there's a better way to settle this," Jason said loudly. "Let the house decide."

"Huh?" said Melinda, looking at Jason in confusion.

"Well, we've already seen the house decide things sometimes for us. Let it do it now."

"Oh, and what if it just hands it over to you again?" Heather demanded.

"Then I promise I won't accept it, okay? It's not my turn today. I went yesterday."

"So did Heather!" Melinda shouted.

"No, wait, I like Jason's idea," Heather said. "Let the house decide. None of us are getting there earlier than anyone else. It will be fair and square that way. None of us had a chance to try to cheat."

Melinda folded her arms and gave the two of them a sullen look.

"Come on, let's go before we all get any wetter standing out here."

Richie took his time walking to the house.

He smiled as he recalled the night before. He remembered feeling disappointed at first when his control over his mother slipped away soon after dinner was done. However, it had been very amusing to him to watch her grow distraught over it, obviously searching for some sane reason for her behavior. And when she had looked at Richie later on, there had been fearful respect in her eyes, as if she somehow had known he had done it.

He turned the corner in time to see the others slip into the house just ahead of him. He tried to push any doubts out of his head. The house had already promised him his turn today. Yet as he got close to the open door, he paused to listen for a few moments before venturing inside.

"I don't understand this," whined Melinda. "Why won't it answer?"

"I think it's a 'she', Melinda," said Jason.

"What the fuck difference does that make?" exploded Heather. "The point is, we're not getting any answer!"

"All we want to know is whose turn is it, you stupid house!" shouted Melinda petulantly.

Richie smiled and stepped inside. The other three turned and stared at him in surprise for a few moments.

"Hi, guys," Richie said with a smarmy grin. "What's up?"

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Heather hissed.

"Richie, I thought you said you didn't want to do this anymore," Jason said.

"Oh, I was just messin' with you. So what's the problem? Can't figure out whose turn it is?"

"I already know whose turn it is!" Melinda cried. "But no one will listen!"

"Hey, maybe it's my turn again."

"No way! No fucking way! It can't be! You already ... oh my God, Heather!"

Heather was trembling and panting, her eyes squeezed shut, her hands at her temples. "Oh no ... no, please ..." she begged in a weak but no less despairing and desperate voice. Her hands left her temples and curled into fists as she struggled against it. "N-not me again ... n-not ... oh ..."

Jason just stared, his heart pounding, unable to think of anything to do. He never saw Heather fight it so much or for so long. Her eyes misted as if she were about to cry, staggering as her mind was penetrated. Nothing she did could stave it off, and her will simply collapsed. She panted a few more times, her body shuddering. Her eyes slowly opened, and her hands fell to her sides. A serene smile spread across her face.

"This isn't fair!" Melinda screamed. "It was supposed to be my ... uh ... no ... no! ... n-not me! ... noooo!"

Melinda fell to her knees, gasping, her body shaking.

"Melinda!" Jason cried, rushing over to her. But in the short span of time it took him to come to her side, her will had already been crushed, unable to summon up the same strength that her sister had to resist for as long. Now she rose to her feet, her eyes glazed as she fell into complete enslavement. She lifted her gaze and smiled as her sister did.

"Yep, it's my turn again," Richie said.

Jason ran over to him, shoving him hard in the chest. "You let go of Melinda, now!" he screamed.

Richie blinked in surprise at first and staggered back, but his recovery was swift. With his face twisted in anger and indignation, he ran into Jason full-tilt and sent him off his feet and crashing to the floor.

"What's the matter, Jason?" Richie sneered. "Don't wanna share with your friend?"

Jason was breathing hard, some of the wind knocked out of him. He had managed to miss the corner of the coffee table by inches, but his bones ached from the jarring fall. "You're no friend," he spat back.

"Look, I'm don't want to fuck your precious girlfriend, okay?"

"Then what do you want ..."

Jason trailed off when he heard a moan from Melinda. He turned his head, and he was so shocked at what he saw that he could only stare.

Heather was standing behind Melinda, her hands sliding up and down Melinda's sides. Melinda was panting, her eyes closed, her head lolling back against her sister. Slowly Heather's hands slipped around Melinda's waist and up her slim body, tracing the swellings of her budding breasts.

"Want me to touch them?" Heather said in an sultry whisper into Melinda's ear. "Want me to touch your little titties?"

"Oh, yes, please, touch them," Melinda moaned. "I've always wanted you to."

Heather's hands cupped Melinda's mounds through the shirt, squeezing the flesh and rubbing hard at her erect nipples.

"Ohhh! ... Oh yeah ... oh, that feels good!"

Jason scrambled to his feet, shaking. "You ... y-you can't ..." he sputtered.

Richie smiled broadly. "It's my turn. And I can do whatever the fuck I want with them."

"They asked me not to do it! I promised them!"

"I didn't promise them! And you can't tell me you're not liking this!"

Jason swallowed and looked back at the girls. Heather had removed Melinda's shirt, fingers now touching and squeezing bare flesh.

"Ohhh!" Melinda cried. "Oh, Heather! Squeeze my titties! Oh yeah! I'm getting so horny!"

"Mmm, would you like me to touch your little cunny, too?"

"Oh, please! Touch it! Stroke my little cunny!"

One of Heather's hands slid from her sister's tits and plunged under shorts and panties. Melinda squealed with delight and spread her quivering legs, bending slightly at the waist and pushing her ass into Heather. "Ohhh! That's so nice, Heather! You're so good to me!"

Jason could not get his throat to work. His heart was thundering, and the stiffness in his crotch was unbearable. Yes, he was enjoying this. He was incapable of not enjoying it. To ask someone his age and his inexperience to simply stop liking it or turn away was asking the impossible.

"I'm not hurting them, am I?" Richie said. "And I'm not touching your girlfriend, am I?"

Jason shot another glare at Richie but did not move.

Heather pulled her hand from Melinda's panties. Melinda pouted and whimpered. "Strip," Heather said. "I want to see your cute little naked body, baby sis."

"Only if I can see your hot, sexy one," Melinda breathed.

The two of them parted and began to remove their clothes.

"Jason, this is gonna be a great show!" Richie said excitedly. "Come on upstairs with me. There's a surprise at the end."

Jason found his voice. "Richie, I-I can't let you do this to them. They didn't want this."

"Then make me stop! Go on, make me! You can't. So just enjoy it. You like this too, you just didn't have the balls to make it happen yourself."

"Melinda, I have a treat for you," Heather said with a grin.

"Oooo! What is it? Is it good?"

"Oh, yes, it's good. You're going to eat my nice wet pussy."

"I'll bet it tastes good!"

"You're going to find out."

"At least make them stop saying those things," Jason said in a low voice.

Richie laughed. "But that's half the fun. Come on, let's go."

Heather and Melinda slid an arm around each other as they walked towards the stairs, giggling to each other and touching each other's bodies as they walked.

Jason reluctantly pulled up the rear. While they ascended the stairs, his eyes continually darted towards Heather and Melinda as they fondled each other's ass. He tried to think of something to do, and dozens of ideas flashed through his head, but none of them were remotely practical.

Hating Richie for this would be easy had it not been for the fact that Jason himself was very aroused by this. The thought had already been planted in his head before now, and he could not shake the fear that he was somehow partially responsible. The house already had shown how easily it could pick up on their thoughts and turn them into reality.

One thing Jason was sure of: this was going too far.

The bedroom they entered was a repeat of Richie's porn-movie set. Heather and Melinda shared a long, lingering kiss before eagerly climbing onto the bed. Heather parted her legs and spread her labia apart with her fingers. "Come lick me, baby sis," Heather said in a husky voice.

Melinda crawled between Heather's legs. "Oh, it looks so good!" she gushed in a childlike tone of voice.

Jason bit his lip. "Richie, don't, please ..." he uttered in a weak voice, though his own eyes were riveted on the scene. He tried to use his own willpower to stop it, hoping the house would respond somehow, but it did no good. Melinda smoothly lowered her face to her sister's pussy and flicked her tongue skillfully at Heather's clit. Heather writhed and moaned deeply.

"Dude, you can't tell me this ain't makin' you hard," Richie said.

"What difference does that make?" Jason snapped.

"If you like it, you want it, that's what. So who the hell are you to tell me to stop?"

"More ..." Heather moaned. "Eat me, Melinda ... oh yeah ..."

"But they're sisters!" Jason protested.

Richie grinned. "Yeah. Kinky, huh?"

"You're sick."

"No more than you, nerd-boy. Here." Richie moved over to the foot of the bed, where Melinda's feet dangled over the edge. As he approached, Melinda spread her legs apart. "Go take a feel between your girlfriend's legs. See how wet she is at this."

"You're making her that way!"

"And you never did?"

Jason bit off a retort. What could he say to that? Richie was right, it wouldn't be the first time someone used this power to arouse her.

Heather suddenly reached down with her hand and planted it behind Melinda's head, mashing her little sister's face against her mound. "Eat me," she demanded in a low but excited voice. "Eat me, sis."

"Mmmrrph!" Melinda moaned, her body jerking and flailing for a few seconds before she managed to angle her head so she could breathe again. She panted through her nose as she licked and sucked with abandon at Heather's cunt. Her legs trembled and opened wider.

"Go finger Melinda," Richie ordered.

Jason just glared at him.

"Or do you want me to do it?"

Jason swallowed. His cock was so hard in his pants that it hurt. As he advanced, he heard Richie undo his belt. Jason found himself longing to do the same.

He placed a knee at the edge of the bed between Melinda's squirming legs. His hand trembling, he reached between her thighs and under her body. Quickly his fingers found very warm and very wet flesh. Melinda shuddered at his touch and writhed for a moment as if trying to get away. Not long after she relaxed, moaning deeply from her nose as he stroked her slot.

"Oh yeah, that's nice," Richie said in a husky voice behind him. Jason did not dare turn around to see what Richie was doing just now.

"Ohhh!" Heather cried. "Oh yeah! Make me cum, baby sis! Yeah!"

"Mmrrph! Mmmrrr!" Melinda moaned as she rose quickly from Jason's fingers stroking her faster and faster. Jason wished he could stop himself, but now his own hormones wielded as much power as the house. Melinda shuddered and her hips jerked as she orgasmed.

"Oh yeah! ... Ohhh! ... Uhhhhn!" Heather moaned, tossing her head back as her pussy throbbed.

Melinda made a shrill mewling noise as her sister's pussy squirted her full in the face. Heather gasped as her climax pounded inside her, her hand still pressing Melinda to herself. Melinda made a gurgling moan, her face soaked with Heather's juices. She kept licking frantically at her sister's pussy until it was spent.

Jason withdrew his fingers, panting lightly himself. He felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped.

"Get more comfortable, for Chrissake," Richie admonished. He was standing in his briefs only, his cock bulging the crotch. Jason glanced at it briefly and suddenly felt very smug that he was more endowed than his friend. He wanted so much to throw that in Richie's face, but knew it would likely earn him a bloody nose or a broken jaw.

Jason stood up and bowed to the inevitable, shedding his clothes save for his briefs.

By the time he was done, Richie had the two girls change position. Melinda lay on her back, her face still wet and dripping with her sister's juices. She spread her legs eagerly as Heather crawled over her. The two kissed, long and deep, moaning as their tongues slid past each other.

For some reason, Jason found this more shocking than the oral sex. Mercifully they broke off, Heather sliding down as her sister panted in excitement.

"Oh, lick my little cunny, Heather," Melinda moaned.

"Ooo, is your cunny all grown up enough for that?" Heather cooed.

"Ohhh!" Melinda cried as Heather's tongue touched her. "Oh, Heather! ... I love that ... lick me ... oh, lick me, please ..."

Richie grinned broadly and jumped on the bed between Heather's legs. "Heather's mine," he said, thrusting his hand up between Heather's thighs.

Heather jerked once as Richie's fingers slammed into her cunt. She moaned loudly and writhed frantically as Richie finger-fucked her. "You know, I almost made them sixty-nine," he said, as matter-of-fact as if he were announcing the weather. "But we wouldn't've been able to do this."

Jason stood with his hands clenched into fists. He felt his cock throb dully with his heartbeat in his briefs. He wanted to do something to stop it. He railed in his mind at the house to stop it.

I cannot stop it.

Jason blinked. His mouth opened.

Do not speak, Jason. Do not let him hear you.

Jason swallowed, heart racing.

Richie is trying to take it all. He's trying to take the power all for himself.

Melinda arched her back, moaning. "More ... lick me more ... put your tongue in my cunny ... oh yeah ..."

Heather grasped her sister's legs and rammed her tongue into Melinda's tight tunnel, making her squeal in delight. Melinda cupped her own tits and squeezed them, panting hard.

Jason didn't understand. What did the house mean?

You got a taste of power earlier, didn't you? So did Richie. But now he's greedy.

His father! Jason had been right! It had been just like the control he had over the others at the house. And he had done it to his father. He felt momentarily sick.

When the voice sounded in his head again, it was more contrite, and there was a hint of desperation to it. I was only trying to be nice. I only wanted to help you, Jason. Like I wanted to help Richie. But Richie wants too much.

"Yeah, Heather, ride it," Richie said urgently. Heather's hips had started bouncing up and down on Richie's fingers. "Ride it, you slut. I'll give you something else a lot better there later."

"Ohh! I'm going to cum, Heather!" Melinda cried stridently.

He wanted the power permanently. I refused him, so now he's trying to take it anyway.

Jason started to panic.

No, relax. Play along. Just do as Richie wants for now.

But then what?

Try to take it next time, Jason. Take it for yourself.

Jason shook his head. He didn't want it anymore. He did not want to wield that power anymore.

Yes, you do. You must. Or someone else will. Besides ... you're the truly responsible one, right?

Jason stopped and paused. On the bed, Melinda uttered a shrill cry as she crested, her body quaking as she throbbed. She closed her eyes tightly as Heather made her orgasm continue until she could barely stand it any longer. Heather's cunt squeezed around Richie's fingers as she grew close, and then convulsed as she went into orgasm as well. Richie mercilessly stroked hard at Heather's slot, making her hips jerk and squirm.

You know how to handle it, Jason. You can control yourself. Not like the others. Certainly not like Richie.

Jason wanted to believe this. He wanted to think he could restrain himself. Certainly he was better than Richie or Heather. Each of the had already abused it. Jason never did. Yet he was not completely convinced anyone should have this power anymore, even himself.

Someone has to have the power. Do you want it to be someone like Richie?

Richie pulled his fingers from Heather and drew back. Melinda and Heather slowly broke apart, moaning and panting. Richie stood and smiled at Jason. "Now for the surprise," he said. "And you're gonna love this."

Jason watched as Heather and Melinda rose to the knees on the bed. They turned to face the headboard and leaned forward, first down on all fours, and then lowering their heads to the bed. They thrust their asses into the air, exposing their tender and still wet pussies between their legs.

"Melinda's all yours, dude," Richie said as he yanked down his briefs.

"All mine? For what?"

He knew it was a stupid question the moment it left his lips. Richie laughed loudly. "Man, if I hafta tell you that, you really are pathetic."

Jason bristled at this, and for a moment he just stood there as Richie climbed onto the bed, the springs creaking under him. He slapped his hands around Heather's hips. "Betcha know what you're getting, Heather," he said.

"Oh, Richie, stick it in me!" Heather moaned. "Stick your cock in my twat! Fuck me hard!"

Richie turned his head to Jason and grinned. "Hey, don't miss out on the fun. You have one waiting for you right here."

"Please, Jason!" Melinda gushed. "Come fuck me! I love your cock in my sweet little pussy! Please!"

Play along, Jason. You must.

Jason resisted for another moment before finally pulling off his own briefs and jumping up on the bed, moving in a frenzy. Next to him, Heather uttered a short cry as Richie speared her pussy with his cock and started riding her.

Jason felt a little lightheaded in all the excitement, and his hands trembled when he placed them around Melinda's hips. She swung her hips towards him in anticipation. He paused just a moment more, then parted her labia with the engorged head of his cock and pushed forward.

He felt himself slide into her more easily than he ever thought possible. He penetrated her much more deeply, burying himself inside her completely. "Oh, that feels good, Jason!" Melinda cooed. "Please, fuck me ..."

Jason could not resist it any more. He was far too excited.

He rocked himself against her, gripping her hips tightly. Beside him, Richie was already moving at breakneck speed, his body making slapping noises against Heather's rear that sounded comical to Jason's ears. Yet Jason himself was already ramping up to this himself, his hips pistoning hard, his fingers digging into Melinda's skin and moving her hips along with his.

"Oh yeah!" Melinda moaned. "More! Harder!"

"I love being fucked by you, Richie!" Heather cried. "Don't stop!"

Richie threw his head back and uttered a loud groan, his movements faltering as he throbbed inside Heather's cunt. He slammed himself forward and let himself cum as deep inside her as possible, moving his hips back and forth just enough to keep himself going.

Jason was rapidly approaching his own peak. Normally he wanted to draw it out, but this time he wanted to get it over with as much as he wanted the relief. He made surprisingly little noise when he crested. He trembled as he held Melinda's hips tightly, letting himself stay only a little more than halfway inside of her.

"Oh, man, that was great," Richie said in a breathless voice as he pulled away from Heather.

Jason pulled out of Melinda slowly. Melinda gasped for breath for a few moments and collapsed onto the bed, Heather joining her a moment later.

Richie smiled at Jason. "See? No one got hurt, and everyone had fun," he said.

The next moment, Melinda burst into tears.

Richie frowned. "Huh?"

"Why did you make me do that?!" Melinda wailed. Next to her, Heather curled up and turned her face into the sheets on the bed. She clutched at her head with one hand and sobbed softly.

Jason jumped off the bed as if burned. Richie just looked at her in confusion.

"You made me ... w-with my own sister ... oh my God!"

"Oh, come on," Richie said, forcing a smile. "You enjoyed it."

Melinda sat up. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her face screwed up in anguish. "No I didn't, you fucking ASSHOLE!" she screamed.

Richie scrambled off the bed. He was genuinely surprised at Melinda's reaction. "Stop acting like a baby," he muttered.

Melinda gave Richie a look of pure hatred and leapt off the bed, raising her fists as she came at him. Jason surged forward and caught her before she could get very far. "Melinda, don't, please! Don't get yourself hurt!"

Melinda wrestled herself out of Jason's arms. "Shut up, Jason!" she bellowed, her face red with rage. "Shut the fuck up! Why didn't you stop him?! You're just as bad as he is!"

Jason's just stared, devastated.

Melinda tried to rush at him in her anger and frustration, but this time it was Heather that stopped her. "It's not worth it, Melinda," Heather said in a low voice. She wiped at a tear stain on her cheek and sniffled once.

"I don't understand this," Richie said, bewildered.

"What don't you understand, Richie?" Heather said in clipped tones. "Real life? Which piece of porno shit did you get this from, huh? You think that crap is real?!"

Richie said nothing, his eyes wide. Yes, this is exactly what he had been thinking, but he would not say it. Or more accurately, it was the way he hoped things would be, and he thought that using the house to indulge himself would make it real for him and everyone else. He was truly surprised at how upset Melinda and Heather were.

"Melinda, please, I didn't want him to do this!" Jason exclaimed. "What was I supposed to do? I can't stop it once someone has control!"

Melinda glared at Jason for a few moments before responding. "All right, fine!" she exploded, tears still trickling down her face. "But I didn't see you turning down a chance to fuck me when you did! I didn't even cum on that last one, you shit!"

Jason's eyes watered. "I'm sorry ..." he croaked.

"Nobody ever cares about my feelings," Melinda sobbed, breaking down into tears again. "First Heather, and then Richie, and now you! Oh, God, this is too much ... I almost wish Richie hadn't let me go ..."

"Please don't say that," Jason begged softly. "I'll ... I'll make it better, Melinda, please, I promise. I'll ..."

Do not tell her.

Jason's mouth snapped closed.

"You'll what?" Melinda demanded, wiping at her eyes and sniffling.

Do you want Richie to know what you're doing? Do you want this to happen again?

Jason sighed in frustration. "Just ... just that it won't happen with me. I won't do that to you myself. Ever."

Melinda stared at him for a few moments, her lower lip trembling. "I wish I could believe that, Jason. I just don't know anymore."

Jason was crushed. He wanted to beg and plead with her to make her believe him.

Actions speak louder than words, Jason.

Yes, of course they do. That was it. The next time Jason had control, he'll make sure to do all the things that he knew Melinda liked.

"This is stupid!" Richie shouted. "I made you two cum! You can't say you didn't like that! Bullshit!"

"Richie, I was right when I called you a little boy," Heather said acidly. "Because you don't know shit about sex. Or about girls. Or about anything."

"What's there to know?!" Richie roared back. "You fuck, you cum, you enjoy yourself!"

Heather rolled her eyes. "I give up. Forget it. I'm going downstairs and getting my clothes back on and getting the fuck out of here."

"I'm going, too," Melinda said. "I don't know if I ever want to come back."

The two of them left the room without a single backwards glance.

Jason watched them go, then turned a venomous gaze towards Richie. "Nice going, shithead," he muttered.

"Fuck you, Jason," Richie declared as he put his clothes back on.

"I told you they wouldn't like it!"

"Look, that's just bullshit, okay? Come on, you know how many pics there are of girls going at it. They love that."

"Richie, you really believe all that? I mean, seriously?"

Richie paused for a long moment. "What difference does it make?" he finally muttered.

Jason was stunned. Even as many pictures as he himself had downloaded off the net, he had some grip on reality. He knew they were fantasies, just something that someone found arousing. It wasn't real.

In a way, it made him feel better. It was another example of how he measured up to Richie and came out ahead. It made him feel a lot better about himself.

"What the fuck are you grinning at?" Richie demanded.

Jason had not realized he had been smiling. He coughed and tried to stop. "Nothing."

"Jason, it doesn't matter what's real, okay? This house makes it all real. I thought you woulda figured that out by now."

"Yeah, but it doesn't change people's feelings."

"So are you going to wimp out now just because your girlfriend is pissed off?"

Jason sighed. He wasn't sure if Melinda was his girlfriend anymore. Or even if she ever was in the first place. "No, I'll keep coming here," he said in a small voice.

"Good. I really do just want Heather, you know. She's way hotter than Melinda."

Jason disagreed with that statement, but held his tongue.

"All right, I won't make them do each other anymore," Richie said, rolling his eyes. "Shit, now I wish I had made them sixty-nine. Oh, well. See ya Monday."

Richie left. Jason slowly gathered his clothes.

Still don't want it, Jason?

"No one should have it," he said softly.

Everyone wants it, Jason. And everyone will do whatever they can to get it. No matter who gets hurt.

"Not Melinda."

Yes, even Melinda.

"No!" Jason said firmly. "She just wants her fair share, that's all. She doesn't want any more than that."

But you're not entirely sure, are you?

Jason said nothing.

Boy, she was angry, wasn't she? She might just want a little payback.

"Not Melinda," Jason said, his voice weaker this time in its conviction.

We'll see, won't we?

"Heather, you're not going to keep coming back here anymore, are you?" Melinda asked as they dressed.

Heather did not reply at once. The words of the house kept repeating in her mind. Power had a price, it had said. And was she willing to pay it? She kept thinking back to what had happened with Brad, and how wonderful the sex had become once she had him attending to her properly. It was as good as she had always hoped it would be at that point.

Heather no longer could imagine not having that sort of control anymore. She didn't want things to be haphazard or chancy in her life. She wasn't interested in using the power to gain money or fame or anything like that. She already had much of what she wanted, and simply wanted to keep things that way. She didn't want it the way Richie did.

"I'm going to keep coming back, Melinda," she said softly.

Melinda gaped at her. "What?? Why?!"

"You think I'm going to let Richie get away with what he just did?"

"But how do you know if you'll ever get a turn again? It's cheated me out twice now!"

"Melinda, just be patient, okay?"

"You mean you want me to keep coming back here?" Melinda nearly screeched, staring incredulously at her sister.

Heather gave her a wan smile. "I thought you liked Jason."

Melinda frowned. "After what he just did?"

"Oh, come on, Melinda, he didn't do it. Richie did it."

Melinda sighed despondently.

"Remember? He told Richie ..."

Heather abruptly stopped as Richie walked into the room. She and he glared at each other silently until Richie had left through the front door.

"He told Richie we didn't want to do it," Heather finished her thought.

Melinda shuddered. "I still can't believe we did that."

"Yeah, I know."

"You didn't ... you didn't like it, did you?"

Heather made a face. "Or course not!"

"You better not have!"

Heather sighed. "Look, finish getting your clothes on and let's get out of here, okay?"

"I don't know why I should come back at all," Melinda muttered. "Everyone cheats."

You're right, Melinda. What a bunch of lousy cheaters.

Melinda blinked and looked up. "Huh?"

Heather looked askance at her. "What?"

You're a real trooper, Melinda, for hanging in there like that.

Melinda took on a puzzled look.

"What is it?" Heather demanded.

And I really do like you, Melinda. More so than the others. You're the best of them all. You're such a little spitfire!

Melinda smiled.

Heather raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking to the house?"

Say no.

"No," Melinda said.

That was so mean of Jason to take advantage of you like that, wasn't it? He didn't even try to use the power himself to stop it! You were so brave though all that, Melinda.

"Then what are you smiling at?"

"Nothing."

And just to help make things up to you, next time you get in trouble with your Mom, I'll help.

Melinda was intrigued to know how this could happen, but she managed not to show it too openly. Heather just shook her head. "You know, you're fucking weird, Mel."

"Yeah, love you, too, Heather," Melinda sneered.

Don't worry, Melinda. Next time, it's your turn, I'll make sure of it. No more being cheated out of it. Fair's fair.

This time, Melinda was careful to control her reaction, though one corner of her mouth twitched upwards briefly.

Heather stared at her little sister warily for another moment. "Come on, let's go."

Melinda hesitated, but the voice came soothingly to her. Go with your sister. Everything will be fine. And come Monday, you can knock some sense into all of them.

Jason could not remember when he had been to the library last. There was usually no point to it. Everything he could find was online. This was almost a new experience to him.

Using a microfilm reader seemed hopelessly primitive to him. He looked at the public access computer terminal with longing, wishing this information had been at his fingertips, where he could click a few buttons and get exactly what he wanted. Instead, he strained his eyes to read the tiny print on the viewer, searching laboriously through pages of the Gazette. Since obituaries do not always appear on the day immediately following the death, he had to look through several days worth of issues from the date of Mara's death.

At first, it had been a good way to distract himself from what had happened. He felt angry at the lot of them. Richie for starting it in the first place, and Melinda and Heather for getting so terribly upset at it. Maybe Richie was right in a way. Maybe they were getting more worked up over it than they needed to be. Who got hurt, anyway? No one. Embarrassed, maybe, but so what?

By the time Jason finally found Mara's name, a headache had started above his eyes stretching around to his temples. When he looked at what he had found, he wanted to scream in frustration, for he again ran into a brick wall.

Mara Sanders, beloved friend of Elizabeth Jellison, the obituary read, died peacefully in her sleep in her home at the age of 30, of natural causes. No formal services are planned. A quiet, reclusive woman, her presence will be missed by her close friend and confidante.

Nothing! Not a word about relatives! No services! No mention of the house or her personal effects! Not a thing to go on!

Jason slapped the arm of his chair in frustration as he leaned back, sighing heavily. He re-read the obituary several times, hoping for some flash of insight, not expecting to receive any.

Nevertheless, insight was exactly what he received.

Elizabeth Jellison. He recognized the name. He had seen it recently, he was sure of it. Yes, now he remembered. He saw the name when he was researching paranormal occurrences in the area.

He turned away from the reader and dropped himself down in front of one of the PCs. He searched the internet again for paranormal events in Haven, but this time added the woman's name. There it was. At the time of Mara's death, Elizabeth was a self-proclaimed witch, touting herself as an expert on witchcraft and the supernatural. She even ran a sort of consulting service for investigating claims of the paranormal. Yet there was no mention of Mara in any of her history.

He found birth date information on her and discovered she would have been 52 at the time of Mara's death. And to his surprise, the woman was still alive and living in Haven, residing in the Sunny Hills Nursing Home at the age of 88.

Jason had the crazy idea of visiting Elizabeth Jellison.

He shuddered. The last time he had been in a nursing home was when he was eight, a mere week before his grandmother had passed away. As the woman had been well-advanced into Alzheimer's, it had not been a pleasant experience, and he had no desire to repeat it. Anyway, what could this woman possibly tell him?

Jason returned the microfilm and trudged out of the library, feeling defeated. The only source of information he had left to him was the house itself, and he already did not like what it was trying to tell him.

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