by Ju Ephraime
****
Jean Louis was pleased that he had gotten to spend time with Lange last night. He couldn’t believe his luck when he was able to follow her into the home. He’d not penetrated her, but he’d done everything but. He loved her body. It was perfect. Her skin soft and smooth, her breasts, firm and heavy with perfectly shaped areolas and nipples made for sucking. He didn’t look at the patch between her thighs, even if he played with it to his heart’s content. He knew if he’d looked at it, he would’ve mounted her. He would not have been able to help himself. It was foolish of him, but he wanted her to be aware of their first time together. Maybe it would trigger her memory and make her remember him—make her recall how it used to be when they made love. He had used projection on her to make her believe she’d been dreaming.
Aside from outwardly expressed illusions, he possessed the ability to create hallucinations within the minds of specifically targeted individuals by taking from them the ability to separate dream from reality. He accomplished this by performing a series of intricate hand gestures. The potency of the spell varied at his whim. The longer he poured the dark side into the spell, however, the more likely it was that the victim would be unable to recover. He had no intention of permanently harming Lange. Also, she possessed strong willpower because he had to use considerable magic to achieve the little that he had. She resisted him all the way. He was only able to get to her when she was in a REM, the third stage of sleep.
Nevertheless, he was closer to having her than he’d dared hope. Now that he’d entered her home in his altered state, he wanted her more than ever. In that state, his senses were heightened and he was primed for sex, but last night he’d not been able to satisfy his baser instincts. He’d have to go to his Master because evidently he was much changed and the skills he had to take what he wanted were being denied him, and the only one who could do this was his Master. He must have removed some of his abilities because, though he could enter the home during the day in his altered form, he was not able to perform as a true Black Magic Man. The things that had been normal for him were no longer so, and he needed to know why. He’d have to wait until the new moon, which was in a week, before he was able to communicate with his Master. He knew it was going to be difficult to wait so long, but there was no other choice.
In the meantime, he intended to spend as much time as possible in her house. He was thrilled about the incident with the alarm. He’d been taken by surprise when the police came with the dog. He knew the dog would sense his presence in the house. That was why he went out and stayed out until they’d left. It was a huge beautiful dog, all black and glossy. He would hate to have to hurt it. Thank the gods it had not come to that. He believed she was beginning to know when he entered the house because she’d stop whatever she was doing and get very still. He loved her and didn’t want to hurt her or cause her any harm, but he had no way of getting to her because of that husband of hers.
He’d wait. Maybe his Master had a solution. In the meantime, he’d get himself ready for the solstice. This was a critical time, and everything had to go as planned, or it could cost him his life. Not that his life was worth much. He was a ghost of his former self, and nothing worked the way it used to before. He hoped his Master could restore him to what he used to be. Then he would be free to love Lange and have a relationship with her the way she had with her husband.
It was not easy for Jean Louis. He was not a very patient man. He was so unhappy with the way things were going that he spent very little time at his home. He spent his days following Lange around, but he was careful to maintain his distance.
She had started her new job, and she left the house every day at 11:30, so his time with her was very limited. He couldn’t even play any pranks on her after the alarm incident. He was maintaining a low profile so his Master would take pity on him and help him if he had to call on him on the night of the solstice. He did not want to make him angry; he could be very vindictive. So, he’d limited his activity to moving things around and opening and closing doors. It took a lot of magical energy to accomplish this, but it was all he had, for now. The most difficult time for him was the nights, which used to be his favorite time. He was, after all was said and done, a creature of the night, but now he was useless. Since he couldn’t have her, he did not enjoy watching her husband make use of her body, and, man, did he make use of it.
He was always buried deep inside her. They went at it like bunnies. The most difficult time for Jean was on the nights when Rupert slept attached to her. He just rolled off her and fell asleep, and those nights were brutal for Jean because they had sex all night. This was something he used to do easily, only he never went to sleep. Now he had to watch this man do the things to Lange that he wanted to be doing with her. After three nights of witnessing this, he no longer remained in the house when they were together. Also, he’d not been able to project his thoughts into her, and after that first night, he had not been able to follow them inside for the simple reason that they never left the house at nights.
Jean Louis watched the house like a hawk. He followed Lange everywhere she went, keeping his distance. He didn’t want her to catch a glimpse of him now that he’d made up his mind to claim her. He didn’t want her to know he was following her. The last thing he needed was to scare her away, but he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t stay away. Had he not been so obsessed with her, had he not wanted her for himself, he would have to acknowledge she and Rupert made an attractive couple. Her beauty was a perfect complement to his. They drew attention everywhere they went, and he wondered if that was what attracted him to her in the first place. His was not to question the whys; he just knew he was determined to have her, and have her he would.
****
Lange was happy, not that she hadn’t been happy before. Maybe she should say she was happier, if that was possible. She was working, even if only part-time, and she and Rupert were closer than ever. They always had an active sex life, but now it seemed they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. As usual, he only had to give her one of his smoldering looks, and her body responded to him.
They were both enjoying the beautiful weather with a barbecue in their backyard. It was Sunday, and a few of their friends were stopping by to partake of the delicious food that Lange had prepared. She had been cooking furiously all morning.
She had just finished the last dish and was sitting on the porch, her long legs swinging in the cool breeze, her face covered with a sheen of sweat from all the running around in the hot kitchen. A few tendrils of hair had escaped the hairband she’d used to keep it away from her face, and her beautiful bright eyes were reflecting the buttercup yellow of her sun top.
He was happy to sit back and watch her. His work wouldn’t start until their guests arrived and he had to mix drinks and man the grill.
He was perfectly happy with just grilled food and drinks, but Lange thought they should have some local food, so she had made green banana salad, codfish balls, and her famous hot, spicy dip to accompany everything. To finish it off, there was rice pilaf, seasoned cooked-up rice that was authentically St. Lucian.
“You’re magnificent,” Rupert told her, grinning, and then he brushed a kiss across her lips.
Enjoying his attention, Lange grinned back at him, looking at him through her lashes. “I know why you are looking at me like that,” she told him coyly. “You want to take me to bed.”
“I always want to take you to bed,” he assured her.
She brushed her hand over her hair as she blew air over her heated face. “You just have to control yourself, my husband. Our guests will be here shortly.”
“I could take you to bed for a quickie and have you back out here before they arrive.”
“I don’t think that’s a very good idea. Besides, you are not a quickie man.”
Their banter was interrupted by the arrival of their first guest, one of Rupert’s co-workers. Soon everyone had arrived, and the party got into full swing. Rupert h
ooked a couple speakers on the porch and soon had the music blaring over the speakers. Very soon, there were a couple uninvited guests stopping by. There was plenty of food, so no one was turned away.
The barbecue went on well into the night before everyone was ready to call it a night and they began leaving. That was the part of entertaining guests that she didn’t enjoy, the cleaning up. She was thankful Rupert didn’t mind doing it. Pouring herself a rum punch, she sat down on a recliner, watching him make trips to and from the house, putting things away and loading up the dishwasher.
She must have dozed off for a minute because she found herself in one of the most disturbing dreams of her life.
She was lying on her bed. It was in the middle of the night, but it was one of those beautiful, clear nights when the moon was full and lit up the entire room. She couldn’t see Rupert, but she was aware he was in the room. She couldn’t call him, and neither could she reach out to him. She was held in place by something, but she couldn’t tell what because she didn’t feel anything binding her hands. She was naked and spread eagle and not able to move. As she was straining to reach for the quilt off the bed to cover her nakedness, a figure walked into the room.
She could tell it was not Rupert because he was of a shorter stature than her husband, and his body was covered in tattoos, even his privates. She could not make out his features, try as she might. It was as if there was a black hole where his face should have been, but she could clearly see the prominent phallus protruding in front of him. It was so thick and heavy it appeared weighted down. She got a glimpse of the thick, bulbous head as he climbed over her. And suddenly, she heard the whistling tune from Phantom of the Opera.
It was so vivid and detailed that she couldn’t believe it was only a dream, even after she had been awake for a while.
She was so distraught that she began to struggle, the force of which landed her on the ground.
She woke, gasping, just as Rupert came walking out of the house.
“What’s the matter, darling? Are you okay?”
“Rupert, I just had the most horrific dream.”
“Another dream? What’s going on with you and these dreams?”
“This one was more horrific than any I’ve had before.”
“Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. It’s only a dream.”
“But it seemed so real.”
“Come on, let’s go take a shower. Then we can relax, and you can tell me all about this horrific dream. I’ll try to erase it from your mind with my special brand of medicine.”
“This is not a joke, Rupert. These dreams are beginning to get more frightening as time goes on, every one more frightening than the last.”
“I know, darling. I’ll take care of it.”
“How?
“I’ll show you in a minute. I’ll make it disappear,” he murmured, dragging his mouth over hers with soft, familiar kisses.
Lange resisted briefly and stared at him with a worried look on her face. “I don’t want to seem like a nuisance, but these things that have been taking place in the home are getting me worried.”
“You’re not a nuisance, darling, far from it,” Rupert said, finding her breast beneath the skimpy sun top. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before. I love you more than anything, my darling.”
He palmed the weight of her breasts, applying pressure to the nipples until they became hard points and her breathing changed. When he heard her moan and she wrapped her arms around his neck, he knew he had her at the point that he wanted. He lifted her, triumphantly, and carried her into the bathroom. He was intent on giving her such pleasure that all trace of the dream would be banished from her mind, if only for a little while.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Jean Louis couldn’t breathe or think. His body felt frozen with a kind of rage he’d not felt in a long time. He was beginning to get desperate. He was very upset; he couldn’t get to Lange, not even through her dreams. He was thwarted at every turn, as if something was preventing him from achieving his ultimate goal—sinking his cock into her hot, warm pussy. This husband of hers was everywhere. He was all over her, always touching and using her body as if it belonged to him.
He absolutely hated witnessing her husband’s hands all over her. He left the place in a foul mood and went to his lonely house. There was nothing to do but to contemplate his plight and plot and plan a way around it. It would have been easier had he been able to slate his lust on some other unsuspecting woman. It was irritating to him that no other woman would do. He wanted Lange, and only her. What utter sickness had possessed his body?
He kept telling himself he should lay low until the solstice, but he just couldn’t. He was like someone possessed. Who was he kidding? He was possessed. He just couldn’t stay away. But after this last interruption, he would try harder to stay away.
He threw himself into preparations for his meeting with his Master. He knew now he would need his help if he were to be successful in capturing and keeping Lange. But even though he was not able to see her, she was never far from his thoughts. Occasionally, before he could stop himself, he’d project his thoughts into her mind, but he’d quickly catch himself and retreat without causing any harm; however, that brief glimpse was able to keep him going. Only a few more days remained before the solstice. He was now ready to approach his Master. There was no further reason for delaying the inevitable.
****
Lange was finally beginning to get into the swing of things at work. Life was beginning to return to normal, no more dreams, whistling, or false alarms tripping. She was beginning to believe Rupert was correct in it was just a series of circumstances that seemed to happen close to each other.
She loved her job. In the little time she had been there, she’d secured two large accounts, which had won her a raise. She was well on her way to establishing a place for herself with the company. Even Rupert had to acknowledge that she was good at what she did.
Today, they were on a lunch date. She was looking forward to spending time with her husband away from the house. She seemed to be falling deeper in love with her husband as they progressed. When she thought about her family’s opposition to their marriage, she couldn’t help but think it would have destroyed her had she not been able to marry Rupert. He was her world—without him, there was no her. She had waited for her family to come around and accept him, but things were still a bit rocky on that front.
She believed there should be a relationship with her parents, so she invited them over for dinner. She had not told Rupert yet and was hoping to use this lunch date to bring the subject up.
She’d gone to visit her parents. She wanted to share her good news with them. She wanted them to see how well she was doing and had taken the first step in trying to mend their relationship.
Lange had been nervous driving up the familiar driveway. Stopping the vehicle in front of her parents’ house and walking up to the front door took all her willpower. She did not want to argue with her parents. She was weary of fighting and arguing. She just wanted things to be the way they used to be before they had met Rupert and taken an instant dislike to him. She had tried to make him realize it was not him. No matter whom she had brought to her parents, if he was not of their caste, they would not have welcomed him.
The housekeeper met her at the door, and a wide smile lighted up her face when she recognized her. “Ms. Solange, it’s good to see you. You are looking well. Married life is agreeing with you. Come in, child. I’ll tell your mom you are here. I believe she’ll be pleasantly surprised to see you.”
“Thanks, Ms. Margaret. How is my mom?”
“She’s fine and your dad also. Come, I’ll take you to her.”
“Is she in her sitting room?”
“You know she is. She is working on a completing piece for her crochet collection.”
“I know where it is. I’ll go surprise her.”
“Okay, dear. I’ll go get some refreshment. Are you hungry? I can fix yo
u a plate of roti.”
“No, I’m not hungry, but I’ll take some light refreshment and save the roti for another time. I miss your roti, Ms. Margaret.”
“Hopefully, we’ll see more of you. I know your parents missed you, especially your mom. Listen to me carrying on. Let me go get the food.”
Lange walked through the familiar house. Nothing had changed in the time she’d not been here. She didn’t want to give her mom too much of a shock, so she greeted her before stepping into the room.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Lange, Lange, is it really you?”
“Yes, it is, Mom.”
And they were in each other’s arms, hugging and crying. She’d not realized how much she had missed her mom. It felt good to hold her, to smell her familiar scent… mint and lavender. As a child, Lange had always associated her mom with the strong smell of mint. It brought her a sense of comfort every time she smelled mint. Now she knew she always would because the feeling was just as powerful.
“It’s good to see you, Lange. Did you come alone?”
“Yes, I did. Rupert is still at work, and I was visiting a client in the area, so I thought to stop by and see you and Dad. Where’s Dad? How is he doing?”
“Ask him yourself. He’s standing behind you.”
She turned around, and her heart began to race as she saw her dad. He looked the same, tall and distinguished, his black eyes bright and piercing. As she hesitated, a change came over his face as he stared at her, his features softening with hope and love.
“Lange—”
She rushed into his open arms, throwing her arms around him. He was so comfortingly solid and dear. A wave of happiness came over her, and lowering her face to his shoulder, she began crying hysterically.
“Dad, listen to me,” she said quickly, her arms locked hard around his neck. “I missed you. I’ve come to realize you only had my best interest at heart. I’m very happy with Rupert, and I want you guys to give him a chance to have a relationship with you and Mom. I missed you guys so much. Can we start over and put this behind us? I love you both.”