A Sister Haunted

"Isabelle?"

"Yes my dear?"

"Are you happy?" Why not ask the obvious?

"I am happy with you Mr. Du Bois." She's got it bad.

"But, what about everything else. Are you happy with your work, your home, what do you want for yourself?"

"You are really good to me, I never want to leave you." Great, I have a stalker.

"But -". Before I could ask another question she leaned over and kissed me. She was soft and gentle. She worked her way down my neck and to my ears. My breathing changed and I started getting aroused. I didn't want to feel guilt tonight, I just wanted to relax and have peace. I used her words.

"Will you just hold me my dear?" It worked.

"Yes my love." She rested her head behind mine and we drifted to sleep.

When I woke up Ashley was sitting next to me. She asked if I slept well and told me she didn't want to wake me so she let me sleep. She was back in her own clothes and was reading the diary. She asked about the encounter and I told her every detail, even the kiss. She looked a little curious about the kissing but seemed too shy to ask more about it. Plus, she really wanted to search for the missing pages. We must have looked for hours through the boxes and still didn't find them. We decided to rest and search the next morning.

When I got up the next day Ashley was already upstairs plundering. I told her I'd help after breakfast. We even ate upstairs because she was so fixed on finding her lost pages. She was determined they'd have a clue. I wasn't going to argue with her. We searched again for hours until we were both sweaty and tired. I was ready for a break.

"I'm going to get something to drink you want anything?" I asked.

"Sure, bring me whatever you're having."

After pouring our drinks, I walked back upstairs just in time to see Isabelle pulling her dress over her shoulders. I told her hello and took note of how comfortable I was becoming with her around. But it didn't change my agitation at the situation she was forcing on us.

"I brought you some tea."

"Oh thank you very much." She looked surprised like I had given her a diamond.

"Its not a problem." I acted like no big deal.

She commented on how sweet the tea tasted, I told her it was a new style that came from Mississippi. She liked it. I was happy my lie worked. I was getting good at lying; even to myself. I tried not to think about the events that had taken place between us. But I couldn't help but wonder if they were going to happen again. I didn't want them to, I swear. I was just wanting to make sure Ashley was safe.

Isabelle sat drinking her tea and watched me pace the room. I felt so antsy. I hated being in unknown territory. I deal with facts at work, and this situation was all speculation. I was recounting all that I had learned to this point. Isabelle was calm and seemed like she wanted to talk. I just need some good questions. I remembered her entry about wanting to visit her family one day.

"Have you heard from your family lately?"

"Yes, I hear from Momma last week. She is feeling better." She sipped at her tea again. It was funny watching her sip iced tea. I guess there was only one way to drink tea back in the day.

"That's good." I just went with it. "So, what have you been telling them about your life over here?" I'm getting good at this.

"I tell them how much I love it. And how much I love working for you." She took another sip.

"Thanks, I guess." I wasn't sure where to go from there, so I just asked the obvious. "What is it you like so much about me?" She giggled at the question.

"You mean besides love?"

"Yes. I think." I wasn't certain what she was asking, but I wanted her to talk.

"I like how you treat me. You no treat me like servant. You hard worker. You generous man. Should I say more?"

"No, but thanks - again." I could see we weren't getting anywhere.

"I can hardly wait for you and me to be together." She walked to me.

My heart started beating faster just watching her approach. I knew I shouldn't want to kiss her, but I couldn't help it. I wanted to. I leaned down to meet her advances. We kissed aggressively. I embraced her at the waist, then let my hands travel upward to her shoulders, then on her neck and face. I kissed her repeatedly. When she spoke Du Bois' name in her unmistakable french accent, it reminded me of what she had caused me to do. Ashley and I were victims in her ploy. We were at her mercy.

I started feeling angry. My sister was beautiful and sweet. She didn't deserve to be taken advantage of by me or anyone else. Isabelle was just a jealous psycho, who couldn't stand the fact that Du Bois had someone other than her. She didn't deserve to have him. She didn't deserve her last wish. This was all her fault. If she was going to force me to do this, I wasn't going to let her enjoy it.

I pressed her against the wall and started kissing her very rough. She didn't relent. In fact, she matched my intensity. We were tearing at each others lips biting, sucking, breathing heavy. I had my hands locked on her face, she held my face with hers. I pressed my pelvis against her, pinning her against the wall. With each break in our kiss she exhaled fiercely then inhaled before diving back in. That bitch. She was actually enjoying it. I broke the kiss again; I was pissed.

"All you want is to fuck isn't it." I accused her. "I'm gonna give you what the fuck you want!" I was yelling.

I spun her around so her back was facing me and pressed her chest against the wall. I grabbed at my pants trying to unfasten my button and zipper. She was pulling her dress up. She was actually wanting it. I freed my cock about the time she revealed her naked bottom. She held the hem of her dress in front of her with one hand and leaned forward to expose her puss. I pressed my shaft between her ass and felt it rub over her slit. She was soaking wet.

I felt her hand guiding me inside her. I pushed in hard. She screamed loud and grabbed at my clothes pulling me toward her even more. I jerked out and pushed back even harder the second time. She cursed and pleaded. But she wasn't begging me to stop, she was begging me to do it again. Fuck! How could she! What woman likes to be abused sexually like this? 'She was a total freak!' I thought to myself.

I pressed her flat against the wall and continued my assault on her cunt. She screamed with every thrust. The slap of my pelvis hitting her butt echoed through the room. I grabbed her hair and turned her face to the side. I put my mouth next to her ear and hatefully whispered.

"Is this the way you like to fuck? You couldn't resist could you?" I moved in and out of her; over and over again.

"You couldn't stand the thought of me fucking someone else, so you seduced me so I'd fuck you didn't you?" She acted like she wanted to turn around. I forced her back against the wall and buried myself inside her as deep as I could.

"Don't try to turn around, I'm giving you what you want." I pressed harder. I felt cum rising inside me so I pulled out of her and held her against the wall with one arm while I jerked myself to climax with the other. Jets of cum sprayed her ass. When I looked back up at her I saw tears in her eyes. I didn't care. She deserved it. 'Now maybe she'll leave us alone.' I told myself.

When I stepped back away from her she didn't turn around. She let her dress down and walked to her dressing table. She wiped herself off with a towel. We didn't speak to each other. Remorse was starting to set in. I stumbled back into a chair and watched Isabelle clean herself off. Her sniffling told me she was crying. Tears started falling down my face. 'What have I done?' Reality was hitting hard. I just fucked my sister.

Chapter Nine

Locked away in my restroom, I stared at my reflection, watching the tears fall from my eyes. I had sneaked from the attic after Isabelle went to sleep. 'I am a sick person.' I will never forgive myself for what I did to Ashley. I invaded her innocence. My frustration with Isabelle took over me and Ashley paid for it.

Isabelle seemed pretty upset about the encounter too. After what Du Bois, or I, had done to her; she had to hate him. Why wouldn't she? I blamed her for everything. I prayed it would make her leave us alone. But even with the prospect of being rid of Isabelle, I still couldn't collect myself. I kept seeing Ashley's face pressed against the wall and tears flowing from her eyes. I know she didn't feel what happened, but if she knew about it she would never forgive me.

I was sitting in a dark corner of my room when I heard a knock on my door. I didn't answer. I heard the door knob rattle and watched the door open. Damn, I thought it was locked. Ashley looked around then saw me on the floor. She rushed over and asked what was wrong. I was so wrapped up in my guilt I couldn't speak. When I tried to say something, my voice gave in to the hurt inside of me. I cried aloud and buried my head in my arms.

Ashley held me and pleaded for answers. I felt like I was having a mental breakdown and I couldn't bear the weight of my secrets any longer. So I confessed.

"I had sex with her." I barely got the words out before I started crying harder. She was silent. I felt her hands retreat from around me. I braced for an attack. I just knew she was going to strike me.

"What?" Her voice was low and shaky.

I couldn't answer again. We sat on the floor until I calmed down a little.

"I'm so sorry." I started crying again.

I was afraid of what she was thinking, but no matter what, I needed to clear my conscience. I couldn't live with myself knowing what I had done. I wanted to comfort her like a brother would his sister, but the problem was, I was the assailant. I was too ashamed to look at her when she finally spoke.

"What happened?" Her voice was low.

I had to think about where to begin. I told her about Isabelle being possessive of Du Bois and how she got hostile when I rejected her. I told her about the suicide threat and how jealous she was of Ms. Du Bois and how she couldn't stand the thought of Mr. Du Bois having sex with his own wife. I told her that's why I wanted her to leave town; because Isabelle was forcing me to do things and if I didn't I had to worry about her getting hurt. I told her that I hurt Isabelle's feelings and accused her of causing problems for Mr. Du Bois. But after explaining everything, Ashley was only thinking of one thing.

"So, you and her, I mean me, we did it?" All I could do was shake my head to confirm. My eyes never left the floor. We sat in silence again.

"I need some time to think." She went to her room.

Our paths never crossed the rest of the night. In fact, neither of us left our room. My mind raced uncontrollably. I wanted to know what Ashley was thinking, but I was too afraid to approach her. For all I knew, she was packing to go back home. I wouldn't blame her. I would be lucky if she ever spoke to me again.

I went down to the kitchen to get something to drink. My gut tightened when I saw her sitting at the counter eating a bowl of cereal. I hesitated for a few minutes. She seemed calm.

"Hey." She looked back at her bowl and stirred her cereal.

"Hey." I responded. "I just need something to drink." I got my water and started back to my room.

"So, do you think she'll come back?" She asked. I didn't turn around to look at her, I just faced the doorway.

"I hope not." That was all I could manage.

A couple of days passed with no Isabelle. Ashley and I were moving around the house again, but our relationship was far from normal. We barely spoke to each other. She didn't react to me with hate or disgust when we talked, she acted completely indifferent. I thought I would be happy to know she didn't despise me for what I had done, but truth be known, she didn't have to; I despised myself.

I couldn't look at her the same as I did just a week earlier. When I saw her my eyes roamed over her body. Seeing her was a constant reminder of what we had done. Each time I'd catch her bending over or reaching for something, images of her naked body would flood my mind and the guilt of my betrayal would soon follow. I didn't want to have sexual thoughts about her, I just couldn't control them. I even dreamed about her for what little time I slept.

I'd watch her bend over in front of me and slide her panties to the floor, then I'd press her against the wall and enter her. She would cry out my name and beg me to continue. Then I would wake; sweat streaming down my body, my member fully erect. I was in complete and total agony.

One night my screams must have been louder than usual. I was holding Ashley down by her throat, choking her and ripping her clothes away from her body. Even in my dream I hated myself. I could feel the internal struggle. It felt so real. Right as I got to her opening and prepared to enter her, I screamed as loud as I could. When I woke up Ashley was shaking me and telling me it was just a dream. I turned away from her and cried. I was losing my sanity.

Ashley held me that night. For a change we felt like brother and sister again. I was very thankful she was with me, but I didn't want to call attention to it and make her think twice about staying. I felt at home in her arms. I watched the stars through my bedroom window and thought about how difficult it must be for her to stay. I didn't deserve her comfort but she gave it anyway. She was a better person than me. She even tried to blame herself.

"I'm sorry I made you do this." Her apology was sincere.

"You didn't do anything Ashley, I don't deserve you. I'm so sorry. I'm so very sorry." She squeezed me tight and we didn't speak the rest of the night.

While we were eating lunch the next day she suggested we talk to someone about what happened. When I asked who, she recommended Gale. There was no way in hell I was going to tell that freak I had sex with my sister. She would probably read it all over me the moment I walked in the door; if not before. Hell, she probably already knew.

"Ash. I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want anyone to know about it."

"Clay. You're driving yourself crazy, we need help." She was right on both counts, but I just couldn't do it.

"Isabelle hasn't been back in days, I think its over. I think we should just try to forget about it."

She didn't say much after that. We finished our lunch and went our own way. Even though we'd talk, we were still far from normal; I wondered if we'd ever get back to our old selves.

I noticed she was reading a novel. I asked if she had read anymore in the diary and she told me she finished it. Nothing really strange happened except there were several more missing pages. We had been through all the boxes in the attic and didn't find them so it was likely we never would. I commented on how nice it was to be free of Isabelle. She didn't respond.

Watching her reading her book, I thought about how beautiful she looked. Before Isabelle came along, I never thought of Ashley as beautiful. But I had to admit, Isabelle's sexy demeanor and Ashley's beauty was a lethal combination. If Ashley could figure out how to use her looks to her advantage, she could have anything she wanted. Each time I turned a page of the ledger I was reading, I would glance at her just to soak in her image.

When she decided to retire early, I wondered if she just couldn't stand being in the room with me any longer. I hoped she didn't catch me looking at her. I was paranoid. The name Hart, Schaffner & Marx was handwritten on one of the pages in the ledger I was reading, I was familiar with the clothing company. Maybe they were a supplier and Du Bois was a clothing retailer. No other names were distinguished. I was ready to call it a night.

As I was about to close my bedroom door I looked down the hall and was surprised to see the attic door open. I walked over and listened, I didn't hear anything. I knocked on Ashley's bedroom door but she didn't answer. I called up in the attic but didn't get a response. I walked up the stairs just enough to see Isabelle's room, she wasn't there. I went back downstairs and called for her again; no answer. A noise came from upstairs. Back in the attic, I looked around the stored boxes, nothing. I check her restroom and it was empty. When I turned to walk out I nearly jumped out my skin.

Isabelle was standing in front of me.

Chapter Ten

She appeared out of nowhere. Watching me with blank eyes, she didn't attempt to speak.

"Oh, hey. You startled me." I was so disappointed. After not seeing her a few days I thought she was gone for good. Her expression never changed. Nervousness was starting to seep in, so I spoke again. "Are you okay?"

She darted towards me so quickly I didn't have time to react. I fell back hard and she was screaming at the top of her lungs. I hit the floor while she slammed the door. There was a loud crash just outside. The weight of whatever fell was so heavy, a cloud of dust lifted from the floor. A minute passed before I reacted to her assault. The door was obstructed by something and would only open a couple inches.

"Isabelle?!" I yelled. I don't think she could not hear me over her screams and the sound of furniture crashing. I yelled louder.

"No more Mr. Du Bois! No More." Her screams projected through sobs of emotion and hurt. Her voice was shaky and unstable. Deep in my gut I had a fear I had never felt before. Ashley was in danger and I had to protect her. "Isabelle!" I roared. "Please talk to me, Isabelle!"

"I end this now. You lie to me!" She accused.

"No Isabelle, No. I didn't meant to hurt you I'm sorry. Please don't do this!"

I watched as best I could through the crack in the door. She appeared in my line of sight with a length of rope. She threw the rope into the rafters and it crashed back down to the floor.

"No. No. No. Isabelle, please God don't do this." My fears gave way to panic and I felt the muscles of my body harden. My reactions became pure instinct and I crashed into the door with all my might. I was a caged beast trying to get free. The door wouldn't give not matter how hard I pushed. I stepped back and rammed it with my shoulder. Pain sliced through me but I didn't stop my pursuit. I cried out in anguish each time I hit the door. I feared my body would break down before my obstacle, but no matter how insurmountable, I was determined to get through.

Isabelle managed to hook the rope on a rafter and was struggling to tie a slip knot that would hold it in place. She was crying uncontrollably which made her task even more daunting. She kept fumbling the rope and had to start over. She would look in my direction each time I battered the door. The hits were so loud it sounded like the walls were crumbling around me. She figured out she could accomplish her objective by tying a simple loop in the rope and sliding the opposite end through it. She pulled the rope and watched the loop slide to the rafter until the length of rope no longer gave slack.

Seeing how close she was getting to her objective, I completely lost my mind. My shoulder became a lifeless battering ram. I couldn't lift my arm or rotate my shoulder blades, but no matter what, I was determined to get free. I ran with all my might and collided with the door. My body didn't bounce back to the floor like it had in previous attempts; but instead fell forward as the top half of the door split. As I was trying to pick myself up from the wreckage, I glanced up to see Isabelle stepping on a chair and wrapping the rope around her neck.

I leaped through the shattered door ready to put an end to Isabelle's plans when all the sudden my leg sank into the back of the armoire that was wedged between the door and opposite wall. My body landed hard in an awkward position half-way on top of the armoire and the floor. As I pulled my leg out of its tangles my eyes shot up to Isabelle to see if my sister was still safe. Our eyes met. If not for the flow of tears running down her cheeks, she would have appeared calm.