Gina returned to her bedroom after breakfast to find that her clothing for the day had again been arranged for her, arrayed in a neat line atop her bed.

Some changes had been made from the previous day's attire. The skirt had been replaced by rather abbreviated shorts. She took them into her hands and discovered that they were hot pants, made of a stretchy material similar to spandex. Accompanying the shorts was a tube top of a similar material, with a high cutoff and a triangular opening below the top hemline. Lying next to it were sheer black stockings. The shoes sported longer heels; the day before they seemed no more than two inches. These appeared to be at least three inches.

Her eyes scanned the bed but could find no underwear. She raised her eyes and turned her gaze towards her dresser.

"There's no underwear for a reason, Gina."

Gina spun around. Victor stood in the doorway. "I'm not to wear underwear?" Gina asked.

"You won't need it with this particular outfit," said Victor.

She looked back down at the clothing, her gaze dubious.

Victor observed her hesitation with a thoughtful eye. He folded his arms. "Put them on, Gina."

Gina glanced down at her hands as if she had forgotten she was still holding the hot pants. She stepped into them and pulled them up her legs. They met resistance as she lifted them past her thighs, the material having to stretch to get around her hips. It pulled snug against her sex and her ass, her folds appearing in faint relief. She lifted the waistband and let it go with a light snap.

"These clothes will help you present much better," said Victor.

As she turned to pick up the top, the pants seemed to rub her pussy. She believed it had to be an illusion, but her rising heat was not. It felt good. It made her look good. It made her ...

(more slutty)

The top dropped from her fingers to the bed. Gina just stared at it.

"Is something the matter?" Victor asked.

Gina blinked and picked up the top. "No, I'm fine."

"You seem hesitant this morning."

Gina turned to face him, but said nothing.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "Did you sleep okay?"

She paused. "Um ... yes, I think so."

"Hmm. You sound uncertain."

"I had some odd dreams."

"Did you see Stephanie in your dreams, Gina?"

Gina shook her head.

"Are you sure of that?"

Gina paused. She had seen someone in her dreams. It was ...

(not Stephanie)

... but Victor may want to know that ...

(didn't dream of Stephanie)

... because it might be important if he knew that another person was ...

(DIDN'T DREAM OF STEPHANIE)

"I didn't dream of Stephanie," Gina said.

Victor nodded. "Put on the top, Gina."

Gina pulled the top over her head, grunting with the effort to tug it down over her torso. The top clutched her breasts, the cutout positioned over the cleft between them. Some of the soft flesh squeezed against the edges as if trying to escape. As she turned, her boobs jiggled, and the material rubbed against her stiffening nipples.

Victor smiled. "Oh, yes, you'll present so much better. Think on that as you put on the stockings and the shoes."

Gina sat down on the bed and took one of the stockings in her hands. As she slipped the silky material over her calf, she felt a tingle in her sex. She imagined all the boys watching her, their eyes drawn to her jiggly boobs and her stocking-clad legs. She let out a soft, husky sigh as her foot filled the end of the stocking.

She turned to grab the other one, and her tits moved inside her tube top. She envisioned many eyes upon her, watching the plump flesh roll. Her nipples became hard and tingly. She slipped the other stocking over her leg, her pussy swelling against the fabric of the pants.

By the time she had slid her feet into the shoes and stood, a pleasant warmth washed over her whole body.

(look more slutty)

But that's what she was supposed to look like, or so Gina thought. She didn't understand why her thoughts had called attention to it. It couldn't be wrong if Victor said it was okay.

"Gina."

Gina looked up. "Um, yes?"

"Are you preoccupied?"

Gina paused, waiting for the odd thoughts to return. When they remained at bay, she shook her head.

Victor stepped forward. "Have you offered yourself for sex to anyone at school?"

"Yes. Brad."

"And how did it make you feel?"

A tiny smile touched Gina's lips. "It felt nice. I was very excited."

"Very good."

"I think he wants to do it before the party."

"And do you want to?"

"Yes," Gina said. "But ... that's for him to decide."

Victor smiled. "Yes, very good indeed. You're learning."

"So I should let him if he wants to do it before the party?"

"Certainly. As you said, it's what he wants that matters. Now, you should get on to school. Oh, and I will not be seeing you today in my office. I have an errand to run this morning. I will be here when you return home from school."

Gina nodded and picked up her books. Her gait was measured as she walked towards the door. While the higher heels would require some time for her to adjust, she was more concerned about how her walk would look to others. She hoped it made her legs stand out more.

Victor watched her go and waited until he heard her leave through the front door. He took out his cell phone and dialed Charles. "How is Lydia this morning?"

"Quiet," said Charles, his voice flat. "But I can't say the same for earlier this morning."

Victor frowned. "Explain."

"I wish I could. My servants tell me she was very restless all night. At one point it was so bad it looked as if she were convulsing. Suddenly, right before dawn, she became still."

Victor said nothing. He looked towards the window.

"Victor, it was like a damned light switch flipped off. She's more quiet now than she's ever been. I don't know what it is, but something is really giving me the creeps."

"Spare me your superstitious nonsense."

"You yourself said that the veil is exceptionally weak this year. What if something else is going on? What if Lydia has tapped into something? You've never had this much trouble acquiring a new slave, not since--."

"Stop it," Victor snapped. "Halloween is part of a natural energy cycle, nothing more. There are no ghosts or ghouls. There are no wraiths or demons. I am quite disappointed in you, Charles. I thought you didn't buy into the pablum that I feed to the cultists."

Charles was silent.

I know what it is, came the thought of the Darkness in a tone that was between curious and smug. He senses my presence. He has done your work in Haven for many years. It was inevitable that he would sense me.

Victor had suspected as much himself but had hoped he was wrong. He found his association with the Darkness more chafing every day. "This is nothing more than the remaining core of Lydia's old personality tapping into her psychic abilities," Victor said. "It is quite possible that she has just burnt herself out in a vain attempt to gain sway over Gina."

"Did you sense her in Gina's head?"

"Not directly. My avatar had encountered something which had injected a brief but strong sensation of fear into Gina's psyche last night. Fear is a very powerful emotion, Charles. It opens the mind and leaves a lingering resonance the same way that sex and pleasure can, but in a much more crude fashion. Its only advantage is that it is faster."

"You think Lydia did that? To open up Gina's mind so she could get into it?"

"Yes. The attempt failed, and it won't happen again. You will watch her. If she becomes agitated, you will sedate her and keep her sedated."

Charles sighed. "I'll try."

"You will do what I say. 'Try' will not be sufficient."

"Sedation cannot be used willy-nilly on someone whose mind has been altered as drastically as hers, unless you want another death on your hands!"

Victor's face was a mask of stone. His fingers tightened around the phone. "That death is not on my hands."

"I'm sorry, Victor, poor choice of words on my part."

Victor was silent for a few seconds. He stared at the trees beyond the window, as if willing his eyes to penetrate them and peer into the graveyard that lay on the other side. "Do what you can, Charles, and contact me if you have any difficulties."

He snapped the cell phone closed a split-second after the final word had passed his lips.

Victor closed his eyes and put his hands together as if in prayer. He kept his breathing slow and regular until the dark thoughts of anger and resentment had passed. He had allowed himself to become unsettled. This was not acceptable. It did not work for the Darkness, and it would not work for him.

I sensed something last night, Victor, the Darkness said. Something along one of the energy lines.

Victor nodded. The Darkness had been partially right. Pure Presence is for the dead. What Lydia had accomplished was Projection. She used the energy lines to project her essence around Haven.

And how have I not sensed her before this? the Darkness thundered in Victor's head. In order to Project herself to the school or to Gina's neighborhood, she had to pass through the node to cross the lines! WHY HAVE I NOT SENSED HER?!

To this Victor had no reply.

Get the Book away from them, Victor. I don't care how you do it. I don't care who you enslave, destroy, or KILL. Where the Book is concerned, EVERYONE is expendable.

Victor opened his eyes. "Even me?"

And to this, the Darkness had no reply.

Jason's foot skidded on the thin coating of slushy snow over the gravel as he marched off the bus and into the school parking lot. Heather and Melinda were quick on his heels and bumped into him, almost sending him sprawling.

"There's got to be something in there we can use, Jason!" Melinda said.

"Haven't any of you been listening to me?" Jason cried in exasperation.

"The whole fuckin' bus heard you," Richie grumbled.

"Yeah, so much for keeping the Book a secret," Heather muttered.

"You know, maybe I just don't care anymore," Jason said. "Half the school already thinks we're stark raving mad. What's a few more?"

"Jason, maybe there's something in there that's not as bad as the rest," Melinda said.

"I have yet to find one."

"And what if we don't have any choice?" Heather asked.

Jason sighed. "We're not at that point yet."

"Don't you want to help Diane?"

"You really didn't listen to me, did you? One of the spells you want us to use would require us to enslave her. You're the one that got all upset when I ... uh, used ..."

Jason fell silent and turned his head.

Diane toed a clump of slush on the ground, her eyes downcast. "Um, hi."

No one said anything for a few awkward seconds. Finally Heather stepped past the others and stood next to Diane. "We were just talking about how we might use the Book to help us."

Diane looked up. "Use the Book? I thought we're not supposed to do that."

"Those were the old spells. These are new ones that do stuff with the energy lines." Heather glanced at Jason, who glared back. "We're just trying to work out some problems."

"Maybe you shouldn't be telling me this," Diane said, backing away. "If Victor trances me again--"

"He won't. We'll help you fight him off."

Richie snorted. "Sure, right. Like we did last time."

"We didn't have any clue about our powers then!" Heather retorted. "Now at least we know what we're doing."

"That makes one of us."

"Richie's right," Jason said. "We're not sure how much power we can muster against him." He paused when he saw the forlorn look on Diane's face. "I mean ... well, just that--"

Diane shook her head. "No, I understand. I was right all along, and even Jason agrees with me. I think ... I think I better just drop out of the Harbingers for now."

Heather's face fell. "No, Diane, wait--"

"Heather, I have to! If any of you get hurt because Victor made me repeat back to him something I heard, I'll never live it down."

"There has to be something we can do!" Melinda cried. "Jason?"

Jason gave her a sour look. "I don't have all the answers, Melinda. Stop treating me like I do."

Melinda recoiled, a hurt look in her eyes.

Richie frowned and shifted his gaze from her. She was nice to look at when she was just a little upset, but when it was this bad, it was better to look somewhere else. It did nothing to stop his prurient thoughts. He had flirted with an erection while on the bus, and it was threatening to return as he thought ahead to that afternoon.

Yeah, real sensitive, asshole, he chided himself suddenly. She'll be freaking out about her sister in detention.

He had to distract himself with the most unsexy thing he could find. His eyes sought Mr. Seeger and focused on him standing at the top of the steps leading into school.

"Look, I can still hang out with any of you," Diane said. "We just can't be Harbingers when I do."

"Diane, we're working on a way to get you free of him!" Heather said.

"That's fine. Thank you. But don't tell me about it, or Victor will know. Just ... just do it to me." She glanced towards the street, where Cassie's limo was easing into the parking lot. "I better get going. I'll catch you later, Heather."

Heather opened her mouth to say something, but no words would come to her. She watched Diane retreat towards the school building.

"Don't do that to me again," Jason declared.

Heather turned and frowned. "Huh? Do what?"

"You made it sound like I was going to go along with using the Book."

"All right, fine!" Heather cried. "I know, everything in there makes you do bad things to people to get what you want. But maybe it's not so bad if it's not permanent."

"We can't just go grabbing people and do these things to them! That makes us no better than what we're fighting against!"

"But the spell you found said we'd have to use one of us anyway!" Melinda piped. "You just said that Diane would be perfect for--"

"I never said it that way," Jason said. "And Heather is the one that got bent out of shape when--"

"Only because you did it without asking her first." Heather said. "If she's willing to do it, maybe we should consider it."

"Jason, I-I'd volunteer to do it," Melinda said. "But I'm not exactly a virgin myself." Richie snickered. Melinda tried to glare at him and failed. The best she could do was roll her eyes and turn away before her thoughts went places she didn't want them to go. "So maybe there's something else I can volunteer for, okay? So long as it isn't something really weird or icky."

Jason did not have an immediate response. He thought perhaps telling them what he had heard from the Book would dissuade them from this idea. He was spared making the decision when Cassie and Ned came running towards them, with Harry admonishing her from the car against running on the snow-covered gravel.

"Jason!" Cassie called out. "Jason, I think I got through to Gina last night. I think I might have started something."

"I only got bits an' pieces of it," Ned said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder and sneering. "Thanks ta that goober over there that decided ta start listenin' in on our conversations and askin' questions ."

"Ned, be nice. Harry is only looking after me, and frankly I'm surprised he let it slide this long. Please, everyone, we don't have a lot of time for me to explain everything. Something else happened that I'm still figuring out, but if I'm right, there might be more to my Gift that I ever realized!"

"Shit, you're acting as if you won the freakin' lottery," Richie said.

"News flash, Richie," Heather said with a smirk. "She's already rich."

"You know what the fuck I meant!"

"Finally figuring out that I'm not communicating with the dead did wonders for my outlook," Cassie said. She gasped as Richie snorted. "Oh, Richie, I didn't mean--!"

Richie waved a hand. "Forget it. Someone's gotta do it, no sense in it bein' two of us. Least I can choose whether I want to do it or not."

"Yes, exactly. I personally want us all to stick with the land of the living. Now listen--"

"Ah, ixnay on that babe," Ned said, gesturing ahead of him. "La Italiana at twelve o'clock."

"What? Oh ..."

The Harbingers turned and watched as Gina left the last school bus to arrive and started across the parking lot.

"Holy fuck," Richie muttered.

"Shit, I'm surprised she doesn't fall down walking on those things on the slick ground," Heather muttered.

"Fall?" Melinda cried. "Look at those shorts! She'll freeze her legs off in that thing!"

"That's worse than yesterday," Ned said. "There's a name for girls that dressed like that back in my ol' neighborhood."

"Slut?" Melinda suggested. "Whore? Hooker?"

"Jailbait."

Melinda's eyes widened. "You don't think Mann is ... eww!"

"No fuckin' way Seeger's gonna let it go by," Richie said.

They watched in silence as Gina strutted towards the stairs. Seeger had swept his gaze over the parking lot as the students arrived in waves, but now his eyes had found their way to the Harbingers once more.

Gina climbed the stairs. Seeger turned his gaze towards her and watched as she approached, passed, and disappeared into the school. He folded his arms and resumed his scrutiny of the Harbingers.

"Huh," Ned said.

"No, that's what I thought would happen," Jason said. "It's what I said before, that this is viral in nature. She probably believes it's natural for her to dress like that, so Seeger believes it, too."

"Or maybe he just likes looking at her legs like I do," Richie said with a smirk.

"You're sick," Melinda said.

"Would it help if I said you have nice legs, too?"

"I don't ... what??"

Jason sighed and stepped between them. "Proposition my girlfriend later, Richie. Cassie, I'm sorry, but I think we'll have to listen to this later. We need to get inside before Seeger comes after us."

"He's just been standing there all this time," Richie said. "Look, the whole freakin' lot's empty and he's still just standing there."

"Seeger's been acting weird lately," Heather said.

Richie snorted. "Why? He act nice to you or something?"

"Yes, that's exactly what he did!"

Richie blinked. "Fuck, yeah, that is weird."

A frown crossed Cassie's face for a moment. "All right, Jason, I guess this will have to keep until later. Maybe we can find time after school to really talk about it. I mean ... um, well ... after other things."

Richie smirked and looked at Melinda. Melinda glared at him in return, but it was half-hearted at best.

Seeger watched the Harbingers, resisting the urge to march across the parking lot and sweep the lot of them into the school. He had threatened to do as much the last time he had spoken with them, and to not follow up on such a threat was to make him look weak in the eyes of the students.

Or -- as it seemed these days -- weaker than he already felt.

He convinced himself to wait just another minute longer, and then just another minute more after that. He rationalized it by noting that they were breaking no rules, that it was their responsibility and not his to get to class on time.

It seemed the most unlikely collection of people to form such a tight group. The class geek. The malcontent. The popular girl and her follower. The bratty girl. The rich girl. The class clown.

They finally approached the entrance. Seeger put on a proper glower as they filed past, but he had to force himself to maintain it, even as Richie sang "Saggy-saggy-Seeger" under his breath and Ned saluted him.

Seeger scanned the parking lot one more time for stragglers before he headed inside, kicking the doorstops and letting the double-doors swing shut. He patrolled the halls until first period began.

He spotted Gina once more and stared at her for a long moment, then shifted his gaze elsewhere. He frowned. He felt that odd sensation again, like something was amiss. He glanced at her again, but averted his eyes after only a second. She could not be the source of the problem, and the last thing he needed was to appear as if he were ogling her.

That made no sense. Why would he be worried about such a thing? Why would anyone think he would ogle her?

He turned to look at her again, but she was already gone. He could not shake the feeling that he had missed something important.

Cassie dashed out of her first period class. When Ned called out to her, she gestured for him to follow without slowing down. Ahead of her, Heather stood at her locker with Diane. "Heather? Heather, wait up, please."

Heather turned her head. "What is it?"

Cassie ran up to them. "I wanted to ask you about something I saw in Gina's head last night," she said as Ned jogged up behind her.

"I'll see you later, Heather," Diane said, turning away.

"Diane, wait, this might not be about ... fuck," Heather muttered.

Cassie looked perplexed. "What's the matter with her?"

"She thinks she can't hang out with us as a Harbinger anymore because of what Victor did to her."

"Is that what all that tension was about that I sensed from everyone in the parking lot?"

"Cassie, you don't think we should be using the Book, either, do you?"

Cassie was a bit surprised at the question and hesitated in her response. "Well ... I certainly don't like the idea of having to do things to people just to gain power."

"But if they were willing, wouldn't that make it okay?"

Cassie's eyes widened. "You don't seriously want to use--"

"We have to do something. Halloween is only three days away and we haven't figured out anything yet."

"Heather, I made--" Cassie paused, glanced around, and stepped closer. "I made contact with the part of Gina's mind that's resisting Doctor Mann. That's a big breakthrough, and I did it on my first attempt."

"Sounds like ya had help from Stephanie, from what ya told me," Ned said.

"You may be right about that, Ned, but she made a point of telling me that she can't help me anymore beyond this."

"Cassie, I'm not talking about that!" Heather cried. "I'm talking about protecting all of us, especially if Victor finds out you're doing this."

"I gotta admit, she has a point," Ned drawled.

"Oh, honestly, doesn't anyone trust Jason's judgment? Is that what was upsetting him this morning?"

"Why don't you talk to him yourself about it?" Heather snapped.

"Because I'm not sure if I'll keep my head about me if I try," Cassie said in a quavering voice.

Heather smirked. "Got the hots for him?"

Cassie squirmed. Ned frowned. "Ya could be a li'l more, y'know, subtle," he said.

"Why? There's no point. Cassie wants to fuck Jason. I want to fuck you. Melinda wants to fuck Richie. It's just going to be a big fuck-fest from now on."

"I get the picture," Cassie said, squeezing her legs together. "I'm worried about Jason. He takes on so much responsibility and doesn't need any more stress."

Heather finished arranging her books and slammed her locker shut. "Then maybe you should back off about the Book. Let Jason listen to the rest of us."

Cassie looked aghast. "I'm not telling him not to listen to anyone!"

"Hey, c'mon, Heather, that's kinda outta line," Ned said.

"All right, forget I said that, I'm sorry," Heather said. "Jason is not the only one stressing out. I still don't have the final bits of that damn vision about the Book."

"Don't we already know enough?"

"No, my visions are never complete until it gets close to the time it happens. Too fucking close. Maybe with more power I can tune it in more clearly."

"Well, the 'more power' shtick mebbe works fer Captain Kirk, but I don't think it's that easy with this."

"Okay, then how about just protecting Melinda?"

"What? Melinda?" Cassie said, confused.

"Yeah, Melinda. I had a vision about her, too. Something might happen to her over the weekend."

"Oh, goodness, just what we didn't need," Cassie said, shaking her head. "Did you tell Jason?"

"Not yet. By the time I thought to tell him, he was already upset enough that I didn't want to deal with him."

"He has to know. So he can ... I mean ..."

Heather's smirk was devoid of humor. "So he can what? Figure out a way to stop it? How?" Heather lifted her book-bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Maybe you really need to lose your attitude towards the Book. Unless you think we can protect me, Melinda, and get into Gina's head all at the same time."

Cassie tried to think of a reply, but nothing would come to her.

Heather sighed. "Look, I have to get to class."

"Heather, wait!" Cassie said. "I wanted to talk to you about Brad. I saw him in Gina's dreamscape last night. I want to know if you noticed him doing anything with Gina."

Heather snorted. "Well, yeah, everyone knows he's been making eyes at her, but considering that he's probably looking for an easy set of panties to get into, I'm not surprised."

"Can you let me know if anything else happens with them?"

"I'll try. Listen, I really have to go. I'm surprised Seeger's not breathing down our necks as it is. See you later."

Heather dashed away. Cassie and Ned soon parted as well.

Richie fell against the lockers. "Hey, you okay, man?"

Jason shoved books around in his locker, rattling the sides. "Yeah, just fine," he muttered.

"Look, if you're sore about me and Melinda--"

Jason's snapped his head around and glared at Richie. He let out a sigh that was part frustration and part exhaustion. "Forget it."

"Maybe you won't believe me, but I wouldn't do it if we didn't have to for this link thingie."

Jason paused, then slowly nodded. "No, I believe you, and I'm really not that upset about it. It would make me a hypocrite if I were considering how many times Heather and I have done it."

Richie shrugged. "So is it really this thing with the Book that's got the bug up your ass?"

"Why shouldn't it be? Do I really need to go into it all over again?"

When Richie remained silent, Jason shook his head and organized his books for the next class. Richie watched him for a minute before he spoke again. "Hey, you remember back when you were always gettin' fucked over by those bullies?"

"Before or after you were part of them?" Jason paused and frowned. "Shit, just don't listen to me today, I can't say anything without--"

"After, smartass," Richie said with a smirk. "When I protected you from them."

"Yeah, okay, I remember. So?"

"What'd they do to you?"

"Richie, what the hell is the point of--"

"C'mon, just answer me, okay? What'd they do to you?"

Jason closed his locker with deliberate care, refusing to give into his anger. "They used me as a fucking punching bag."

"Yeah, and what'd I do to stop it?"

Jason paused. "You did the same to them."

Richie grinned. "Fuckin' right, I did. Didn't hear you complain about it."

"This is not the same thing."

"Listen, nerd-boy, they used their fists on you, so I used my fists on them. That's how it works. And they stopped. Same thing here. They fuck with you, you fuck with them back the same way."

Jason was silent.

"They already fucked with us, man. Ms. Hollis on Heather and the School Tool on Diane," Richie said. "And that psycho-dude on my mother. We gotta start fucking them back."

"I want to fight them," Jason said. "I just want to do it the smart way. I don't want to risk us becoming like them."

"What the fuck was I supposed to do against the bullies? Talk 'em outta kicking your ass? Make a wish and hope they stop?"

"I get the point."

Richie shook his head. "Nah, man, I don't think you do. C'mon, use your fucking nerd-brain. Why didn't they just bust down your door and take the Book? Why didn't Victor just hold a gun to your head and make you give it to him? It's gotta be because they're shittin' their pants thinking you're gonna whip something outta that Book and kick their ass with it."

Jason shook his head. "No, there's something about the Book where it has to be given; he can't just take it. But you have a point. Why didn't he just directly mind control me into giving it to him?"

"I told ya, he's scared."

"No, that can't be it." Jason looked thoughtful. "Secrecy."

Richie frowned. "Huh?"

"Secrecy. That's got to be it. Look at how he's gone about everything: covering up Stephanie's kidnapping by making people believe she's dead; acting in the guise of a counselor; sending Diane against us covertly; distracting us with Terri Hollis. He's practically obsessed with it."

Richie nodded slowly. "Okay, so? What's that to us?"

"Maybe we can use it."

"And the Book?"

"Let me think about it."

Richie shook his head. "That's your problem sometimes, Jason. You think way too much. See ya later."

Jason lingered by his locker for another few seconds, his face somewhere between thoughtful and frustrated, before heading off to class.

Seeger stepped out into the hall from the nearby unused classroom and stood where Jason had just a minute ago. He frowned and wiped his face, glancing each direction down the hallway as if afraid his eavesdropping had been discovered.

Not that what he had heard had made sense to him. For all he knew, their ramblings had nothing to do with Haven High. Yet Terri Hollis' name was mentioned again, and now Victor Mann as well -- or so he assumed was the reference to the "school tool."

Seeger frowned. He should dismiss everything he heard as outright nonsense. The rational part of his mind had already done so; it was simply a matter of forcing the rest of him to follow suit.

And yet something about Gina Caligano still nagged at him.

Diane had only one way to deal with her troubles, and that was to focus on something else. The fact that two teachers had warned her about her slipping grades made it easy to decide what should take their place. Now that she no longer considered herself an active Harbinger, she felt a sense of relief to be freed from some responsibility for awhile.

She let herself be drawn into the gentle drone of the teacher's lecture, her head propped up with one hand while the other moved the pen across the pages of her notebook relaying every word that was spoken. She watched the cursive script of her writing expand in her pen's wake as her note-taking continued on automatic.

Diane let out a relaxed sigh. This was easier than she thought it would be. Her body wanted to settle into this monotonous rhythm, as if it needed the respite. Her breathing became regular, her eyes fixed on her hand as she fell into a torpor.

The shadow of Victor within Diane's head had noticed her condition and encouraged it, letting her descend into a light trance. Her mind was focused in a narrow channel: the instructor's words into her ear, out of her hand, and into the notebook.

The shadow oozed into the crevices of Diane's mind, working around that channel, disturbing little else. She would not even hear it whisper into her mind's ear. Instead, it let her enjoy being in this trance-like state, revel in the mindlessness of her task, and welcome the idea of someone else choosing her actions.

Another slow sigh slipped past her lips. A light warmth suffused her body. It was so good to be free of the stress and tension for a little while.

It was called simply "the lounge," uncapitalized in writing or inflection, despite holding the distinction of being one of the oldest rooms in Haven. For a good part of the 19th century, it was a well-known brothel. When Christian revivalism swept through the town, it became part of a hidden adult theater where the actresses gave "personal" performances after the show. When Prohibition came, it was piled high with barrels of illicit booze and housed a complete, well-crafted, and quite illegal distillery. It fell into temporary ruin during the Great Depression, then reopened as an ordinary tavern until a man known as "the Loner" discovered the odd plants growing behind the building and used the room to house his drugged harem.

And now, with the Li'l Missy Inn sitting atop it, it was a holding area.

The room was arranged to no particular design or style. Several mismatched easy chairs and sofas were scattered near two adjoining walls. The other walls held doors to closets interspersed with large mirrors. There were no phones, no intercom, no obvious communication to the Inn proper. None was needed here, for that was not how the denizens of this room were summoned.

Penny Sovert rose from her seat and started across the room, her bare feet padding across the carpeted floor in near silence. She ignored the others. It was easy to do, as no one spoke here. So many had succumbed so deep into the Darkness' control that they did little more than sit like statues and stare into space until called upon.

Penny had not gone that far, as the Darkness would not let her. Yet here, with its power throbbing and writhing in her mind until she was nearly cognizant of her own Aura, it was easy to forget her worry and remorse for awhile. She understood the attraction of letting herself go and sink so far into the Darkness that she could lose her ability to care about what happened to her or her loved ones.

She opened one of the closets and started picking an outfit. The needs of her next "client" were made known to her. Not everyone -- not even most -- wanted her to arrive naked. Remaining nude between clients was a convenience, as it allowed her to prepare herself faster.

She slipped on a pair of fishnet stockings and matching black thong panties. A lacy black garter soon joined them. Next came a matching bra, under-wired hard, pushing up her breasts until they appeared ready to pop from the cups.

As she strolled to a mirror to look herself over, she gave an exaggerated swing to her hips and drew the panties snug over her mound. She slipped into a very short skirt that would expose her panties when she sat or bent over. He wanted her not just to act the part of a total whore, but to look it as well.

Yet she still did not know what she was to gain from him.

Every client had something that the Darkness wanted, or was a key to luring someone more important to the Inn. Sometimes it was information, which could be coaxed forth in the throes of Darkness-enhanced sex. Sometimes it was influence, where sex was the vehicle for the Darkness to gain control. Sometimes Missy needed another new "managerial assistant" to work for her at the Inn.

This time, Penny was left in the dark. Her gentle inquiry was met by a wave of lust that wet her pussy behind the tight panties. A sense of urgency entered her mind. She must make haste to see her client.

Penny's arousal rose as she painted her lips in lurid scarlet red lipstick. She let out a soft moan and her hips gyrated as she applied the eyeshadow. By the time she completed the look with six-inch heels, she was panting.

Penny turned from the mirror and strutted towards a set of stairs in the far corner, her walk transforming itself to that of a brazen, shameless hooker without a second thought.

The stairs rose to a small landing. A wide door led back into the Inn proper, and a very narrow door lay opposite it. She opened the latter and stepped into a corridor lit by widely-spaced bare bulbs. She turned her shoulders to the sides so they would not brush the walls.

A second staircase took her up another floor. The thick pile of the carpet silenced her footsteps. At regular intervals, another corridor met at a right angle. At the third joining passage, she turned, walking between two adjacent rooms.

The passage came to an end, with another narrow door on one side. She sensed it was clear on the other side. The rooms allowed the Darkness some influence over their occupants; they could be distracted long enough to allow their "hostess" to slip into the room.

Penny pushed, and the door swung open on silent hinges.

She darted into the room and closed the door behind her, where it shut with a faint click, now undetectable against the wood paneling. Her quarry lay on the bed, a well-built man with his head propped up against the pillow, still dressed. He held a book in his hands, obscuring his face.

Penny still had no idea what she was supposed to do, yet her cunt was hot and needy in anticipation of acting as his horny slut. She crept to the normal hotel room door just a few feet away to complete the deception by opening it and announcing herself when she let it close again.

"You need not bother."

Penny froze, her teeth coming together to stop the gasp from rising out of her throat. She swallowed and turned away from the door, her eyes widening first in shock, then in despair as the book dropped away from the man's face.

"Now, now, Penelope, I don't believe I am quite getting what I asked for," said Victor as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "I asked for a whore, so I expect to get one."

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