“No,” the dyed hair in tight ugly curls moved around her head as she shook it vehemently. “No, you girls don’t know a thing. Wait till you’ve had a regular old man poking you, then go without and see what happens. After a few weeks you go crazy, near crazy, and my old man was caught up on the Continent with them foreigners, not knowing when he’d be home. So, I went out one night with a few girls down the pub and we got roaring drunk. She said, my friend that is, said I went off with three or four of them, but I don’t remember a thing. It could have been any of them, because a week later I was suspicious and a month later I knew.”
“I was right, you are a slut.”
The woman’s eyes narrowed and the hands clenched tightly together in her aproned lap.
“At least I had an excuse for what I was doing, but you and your sister, well, walking the streets in clothes like that for a ‘social study’ - are we supposed to believe that? We ain’t that silly, you know, just because we live in Kensington Drive! Sluts, both of you, no better than I was at your age!”
“And you gave us away.” Annie ignored the insults, pressed on with her questions.
“Course I did! Think I’d keep two brats from a father I didn’t know? No way, Jose!”
“But you didn’t know what you’d be giving away, you didn’t know if we’d be clever, beautiful or what!”
The cigarettes appeared from a capacious pocket, the cheap plastic lighter flicked and lit it, a cloud of smoke directed at the ceiling.
“Kid, like I said, you know nothing. My Danny was enough for me, the others, the boys, well, they’re all right as kids go, but I had my Danny and be sure nothing else matters to me. You girls were just babies, that’s all, I had you in no time, easy as shitting it was, pushing you out. And I never saw you again until you girls walked in here.!
Annie leaned against the chipped tiled fireplace, looked at the woman who was her natural mother, looked at her with hatred and anger so bad it almost consumed her.
So it never occurred to you we lived here in Salldown, you never gave us a thought when you moved back?”
No. Not for a moment. Mind, I was a bit surprised when you did turn up, I never thought you girls could be so stunning! You. Right proud of you I was, I am! But you ain’t mine, you belong with your fancy names to your fancy parents.”
“Thanks for telling me.” Annie walked across the threadbare carpet, walked to the door, hesitated with her hand on the latch. “Is Danny around?”
“Nah, gone to the amusement arcade in town, he’ll be back later. Why?”
“Oh nothing, I just like to see my brother occasionally, that’s all.”
“Keep your eyes off him, girl, you’re half-sister to him!” But Mrs Gibling didn’t move from the chair, and her expression didn’t change. Annie got the impression that it wouldn’t matter if she did get her eyes on Danny, this woman wouldn’t care, didn’t care about anything.
“No hard feelings, eh? I didn’t mean to call you a slut,” the words followed Annie into the Hall. She ignored them. Instead she slammed the door after her, but felt it was a wasted gesture.
Out in the street, Annie felt rage surging through her, felt consumed by it, and invigorated by it at the same time. She rode the anger as others would an adrenalin surge, felt the sweet taste of revenge coming closer, delighted in it.
She got in the car, turned, and headed for home.
Chapter Thirty Five
Q. How did Danny die, Tammy?
A. I don’t know for sure, but I know Annie had a lot to do with it. I think she liked him, I think it was a hard thing for her to do because she did like him, but - what better way to get back at the Giblings?
Q. I think you do know how he died.
A. If you know, why ask me? Oh I see, you’re guessing. Well yes, I did have a lot to do with it, and yes I do know how he died.
Q. Can you tell me about it?
A. Why not? I have nothing left to lose, have I? Well, it was like this. Annie hung around the local burger bar, drinking coffee and stuff, until Danny came in. She knew he would, she knew his movements probably better than he did. I was around the corner, in our mini, waiting. We had both passed our tests, in case you were wondering! She enticed Danny out of the bar, not a difficult thing to do, he had been at the amusement arcade and was restless, all those flashing lights and things. He came round the corner, hand in hand with Annie, she looking up at him and muttering things about ‘sisterly love,’ and crap like that. Anyway, he got in the car, said “Hi,” to me, and Annie got in the back with him.
“Where to?” I asked, as if I didn’t know, because it was in my mind already, Annie had flashed it to me.
“The lake, kiddo,” just like that, and I drove away.
“Hey, where’re we going?” Danny asked, but amused, laughing as he said it. Annie patted his face, I saw that in the mirror.
“Don’t worry about it, big boy, we decided we weren’t going to take any notice of that sister/brother lark. I’ve been to see your mother today - did you know we’re not fully related, only half related?”
“Are we? That’s news to me.” And his eyes got all big and round.
“Some other poor bastard was our father,” Annie laughed, enjoying the thought processes that went on behind his eyes.
“Ha!” He snorted. “Never thought the old girl had it in her!” and he said it with some pride. I felt Annie’s blast of contempt as clear as if she had said it.
You know the lake? Pretty spot. Lovers go there a lot, we drove in, and were the only car, by luck. Annie got out, giving Danny a good view of her behind as she did it, and then he climbed out as well. I locked the car and wandered over to where they were sitting by the side of the water, throwing pebbles in, watching the ripples, saying nothing. I knew what I had to do, she’d telegraphed it to me in a split second, and I had no problem doing it, I despised Danny Gibling, the thought was in any way related to me made me feel sick to my stomach. I picked up a rock and hit him on the head with it, hard. He went down like a sack of cement dropped on a building site. Annie grabbed his arm, I grabbed the other one and we dropped him, face first, into the lake.
Then we got in the car and drove away.
Q. No sense of remorse?
A. What for, ridding the world of another Neanderthal man look alike, a sponger, a scrounger, a loser? of course not.
Q. No one saw you.
A. No one. That was a miracle in itself! Our tyres are common as mud, it hadn’t rained so there weren’t clear impressions anyway, and a number of other cars apparently went in there that evening, drove over what we’d left, no, no one saw us, no one suspected us.
Q. Was Annie satisfied with that?
A. No.
Q. So what happened next?
A. After she went to the funeral? Yes, before you ask, she the nerve to go to the funeral! Stood on the edge of the group of mourners wearing her delicate black, touching her eyes with her hanky, I saw her from the car, I could not go near them. Mrs Gibling was fair broke up, nearly fainting at the graveside. It should have been enough but it wasn’t. She left it for a week and then went to visit our mother, all black clothes and demure face. She told me later how it went, how our Mother thanked her for going to the funeral, how devastated she was, and who would do such a thing, if anyone had done it, the Police weren’t sure if he had fallen and banged his head then rolled in the lake, or whether someone had hit him in a fight and left him, they didn’t know. Then she stood up to leave, imagined a snake, sent Mrs G. into a state. Annie walked out, got half way down the road, turned round and saw nothing. I believe her too. If she had seen smoke she’d have called the Fire Brigade. She thinks - thought - Mrs G - or Mother if you like - dropped a cigarette which fell down the side of the armchair while she was rushing around screaming about the snake, and - well, it all
caught fire, didn’t it?
Q. Would she have called the Fire Brigade, really?
A. Sure would. She’s a fine upstanding citizen, she was a fine upstanding citizen, pardon me, was my sister Anastasia. But it wasn’t smoke and flames when she left. That came later. We read that the Fire Brigade had pumped gallons of water into the house, first wash it had ever had, she said afterwards. Everything ruined. Mrs G - Mother got out but lost half her home.
Q. Insurance?
A. No. People like that don’t insure their homes!
Q. Was that the time she destroyed Alfred Wrayland?
A. If you’re asking questions like that, you know the answer. Yes, it was. She told the police in an anonymous letter to check-out the ‘Headmaster’ who punished people, especially under age children, in his home. They raided him, they do if they think there’s child abuse going on and found the latest batch of letters the magazine had forwarded, letters asking ‘her’ and ‘she’ to come and be punished by them. They found a dress in the cupboard - that was lucky, we didn’t know about his cross dressing! But it all came out at the trial. Funny how it all fitted together, as if Annie had planned it. His explanation that a couple of girls (he didn’t name us) had asked him to receive the letters was completely disregarded, after all, it was a pathetic story, wasn’t it? Why would two girls ask someone else to receive their letters? What nonsense! Or so the prosecution Counsel said and do you know, he’s right, it’s a pretty silly story, isn’t it? And the fact no parent gave their permission - not a single parent came forward to testify. Speaks for itself. I think that was a story, personally, I think he fantasized about children and was ashamed to admit it. Whatever, he got put away. That’ll teach him to believe innocent young girls!
Q. Then what happened?
A. Annie sent me out for another walk. Only this time it happened just as she had visualised.
Chapter Thirty Six
Summer pressed against the windows, a breeze moved langorous leaves on the huge tree in the lawn, sent Granny’s bonnet flowers nodding in their sleepy old fashioned way. Bees kept working, droning seriously around the flowers, in the foxgloves. Tammy stood at her window, breathing in the scented air, a vibrator firmly clenched in her slit, feeling the buzzing, reminding her of the busy little bees outside.
Annie had ordered her out for another late night walk, and the emotions had been too much to suppress. She would walk better, look better, be better if she wasn’t dying for a climax. Even as she thought of a stranger’s hand descending on her, the orgasm shook her, she arched her head back, opened her mouth in a soundless cry, felt the waves roll through her over and over. She felt her muscles twitch, felt juices flow, felt the vibrator slide out and lie buzzing and shaking on the floor.
“Nice one,” Annie’s thoughts entered her head. She snapped back.
“Get out! This is my time!”
All she heard was a laugh, a ghost of a laugh, trailing on her thoughts.
Mother and Father were out again, an interminable Golf Club dinner dance or something. They were left alone so much lately they were almost abandoned neglected children. One way of getting back at them would be to report them to the Social Service, thought Tammy, but they’d say we were old enough to take care of ourselves, I bet.
“They would, but it’s a good thought, kiddo.”
“Keep out!” Snapped Tammy, and felt Annie giggle. It was unusual for her to want to invade her thoughts to this extent, normally Annie kept to herself. She must be bored this evening.
Time to go. Twilight was darkening the edges of the sky, Tammy hadn’t realised time was slipping away.
She was already wearing the briefest of clothes, a tiny black skirt and an equally tiny white top. She had her hair loose, cascading down her back, a shimmering cloak of blonde hair brushed until it shone.
“Go get them, kiddo!”
“Get lost!”
The roads were deserted, a cat slinked past and ran for safety of a gate. Nothing else disturbed the evening.
“You there, sis?”
“Sure am, kiddo.”
“Stay with me.”
“All the way.”
Remembering. “I wonder who you fantasized about, or was it a faceless stranger, someone passing through Salldown, a business man on his way to a conference, stopping over night at the Coach and Horses, wandering around to walk off a late dinner and too many drinks, what would he think if he saw a girl looking as young as you do, kiddo, all the long blonde hair shining in the streetlight, that short short skirt, you know, the one we made together, the black one, with the slit up the side, the one that makes your behind stick out, would he think twice at your offer to give you a good tanning? In the back of his company car, a big one, upholstered seats, plenty of room, skirt up, pants down, hand coming down again and again, you wriggling and writhing and wanting to be free knowing he won’t let you free, knowing he’ll give you a good fucking afterwards, and knowing I’ll want to inspect you when you come in - is that what kept you and the vibrator busy all night?
“I was right in there, directing his arm, his hand, mopping up your tears holding your wrists so you couldn’t get away, feeling myself go red and sore in sympathy but kiddo, I didn’t need the vibrator.”
But Annie would have the vibrator now, clutched in her hand, sliding it around gently gently, teasing herself, waiting, watching the street through Tammy’s eyes, the empty lonely streets.
Tammy walked, her heels clicking, breaking the silence. A sound, a car, fast, slower, slowing right down, squeal of brakes, worn discs? Hiss of window rolling down.
“Hey, kid, looking for a ride?”
She took her courage in both hands. A rep, coat swinging from the hook in the back, damp under both armpits from the heat of the day, tired world weary look about the eyes, but a genuine smile, a real smile.
“Yes.”
“Good, hop in.”
Tammy walked round the bright red car with shaking legs. It was going to happen this time, after two false starts it would really happen.
The car started off immediately she slammed the door, she scarcely had time to fumble for the seat belt and slip it on.
“What are you looking for in particular?” He asked, hardly taking his eyes off the wheel, shaking a cigarette out of a packet and lighting it.
“A good spanking,” said in a firm voice which bellied her shaking and trembling stomach and legs. And the wetness that threatened to make her come before he even touched her.
“Oh, like that, is it? Well, I don’t mind doing that either, if it means looking at a bit of behind for a while. Anywhere in particular?”
“There are woods along her,” Tammy gestured to the right.
He smiled round the cigarette. “Done this before, haven’t you,” and it wasn’t a question.
“I have,” she was cautiously bold.
Deep in the twilight of the woods, leaves whispering their secrets to one another, night creatures scuttling away, the car was switched off, the engine ticked and cooled. The man turned to Tammy, smiled in the darkness, said.
“Want to get in the back?”
She nodded, and climbed out of the car, her heels sinking into leaf mould and soft mosses. The back of the car smelled of upholstery and papers, musty yet new. He got in the other side, and without another word pulled her over his knees. Left handed, thought Tammy inconsequentially as her tiny skirt was ripped away roughly, as without preliminaries he began to spank her hard, his hand looked white and smooth but it stung and stung, she began to wriggle after the first few smacks and he held her still.
“A good spanking, you said, and that’s what you’ll get,” and he slapped her again, harder.
It seemed to last forever, the relentless smacks falling again and again on her cheeks, her thighs, occasionally the backs o
f her legs if she kicked too hard. He knew how to spank. Tammy briefly wondered, between feeling nothing but pain, whether he was really into the s/m scene or just exceptionally good at it.
Then he sat her up roughly, and pulled a condom packet from his pocket.
“You got what you wanted, now it’s for me,” and opened his trousers. Tammy stared at the thick cock which protruded, felt herself go even wetter at the sight of it encased in rubber, shining in the pale light which filtered through the leaves and into the car. Her bottom burned as she sat, feeling the heat spread through her stomach and into every part of her, feeling the wetness creeping out, knew she would take him, no matter how thick no matter how long.
With a little manoeuvring they were on the back seat, she had her legs wrapped around his waist, he pumping hard and long, raining kisses round her face, into her ear, into her neck, until they exploded together in a shuddering climax.
Back in the front seats, clothing adjusted, he turned on the engine.
“I don’t suppose you want money, do you?”
“No.”
“It was for the experience of the stranger?”
“Right first time.” She smiled at him, shaking all over, wondering if Annie had felt it.
“Someone told you to do it.” Again it wasn’t a question. “You submissives are all the same,” the car swung round and back out on the street.
The man dropped Tammy off where he had picked her up, and she made her way home, slowly, dragging her feet, her legs wanting to give way. She longed for her bed, for peace , for a chance to go over the memories, to stand and admire the redness in the mirror, she wanted a hundred things at once.
Her pace increased just a little.
Whatever else, Annie was waiting.
Chapter Thirty Seven
Q. How did you feel after that walk.
A. Exhilarated. I rode the adrenalin high for at least two weeks, thinking about him, how hard he was, how severely he spanked, whether it was his scene or not! And the screwing afterwards, well, beats Niall and Mark any old day of the week!
Twin Pleasures Page 11