Cast A Circle

"Oh, you know Vicki? Your friend is Vicki? Oh slap me silly and call me Captain, I should've figured, you two must be great partners in crime!" Ilene always had the weirdest expressions and I don't believe I heard her use the same one twice. So much energy in that little thing always made me laugh.

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Meanwhile Vicki was backstage, doing what she was best at with a man, namely charming her way down his pants. As soon as she found Eric, a naughty smile appeared on her face and without any warning she pushed everybody out of the dressing room. Eric looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. He never knew what to expect with her.

Slowly she strode up to him in a feline way, taking off her shirt and licking her lips with anticipation. Her breasts were pointing at him and the only thought he could manage was which one he should put in his mouth first.

As she pushed him to the wall, she kissed him full on the mouth. He let out a surprised grunt and his hand clasped her breast, fondling it roughly then relenting to handle her more gently, caressing and squeezing.

"I have been waiting for this all night!" she said, sucking on his lips.

"Me too, why do you think I wore me accordion so low, lass?"

While she began to unbutton his shirt he asked ever so casually, "Alan... was that your work?"

She detected a bit of jealousy in his voice. "No, you know there's only you and besides, I don't have that much power. It's a friend of mine, but... enough talking..," she wheedled.

She stripped him of his shirt and went down on his nipples, gently pulling them with her lips. Her hands were busy with his belt and she moved fast to his pants, unzipping them with her teeth while looking in his eyes. He was anticipating her next move as the room got hotter.

She pulled down his pants and boxers at the same time. He'd just got out of the shower and she could smell the soap as her nose approached his very hard cock. "Don't tell me you have been that hard all night? she smirked."

"Nah lass, just when you walk in the room," he smiled proudly.

He sighed heavily when Vicki twisted her tongue around the head of his cock. She took it between her lips and started sucking slowly but hard, her hand groping his thighs. Soon she had his ass cupped in her hands and pushed his cock in farther, taking him fully in her mouth.

"Lord, you're so good to me," he sighed, gently caressing her hair.

She kept licking his balls a little until she rose to her feet, a determined look on her face. Unzipping her pants, she looked him in the eyes and demanded, "Fuck me, now!" She yanked him away from the wall, executed a quick about face and slammed her own back to the wall, pulling him back to her.

Like a little vixen, she lifted a leg to his hips. Eric's hard cock made its way into Vicki without any problem.

"You're so wet, you been waiting too...," he moaned.

He held her leg up around his waist while his hand searched her wet pussy to find her clit. He slowly massaged it and his mouth reached for her nipple.

She started breathing heavily as he played with her. His thick cock was deep in her; his mouth covered her breast while his finger was teasing her firm clit. He kissed her again, both of them breathing in the same rhythm as he went faster and deeper in her. Groaning together, fast approaching the end, he moaned into her soft flesh,

"Darlin', darlin'." Her hand reached the back of his neck and grabbed his hair.

"Eric... Oh yeah baby...," she threw her head back as he let himself go screaming, "Oh Lord... Oh Lord..."

I was catching up with Ilene. Most of the customers already had left since it was close to 3 am and I was getting a little "swimmy" from the beers I sucked down. I didn't have that much, it's just that I am not a heavy drinker. The ugly-shirt-jackass made his way to the bar, looked at me and winked.

"We been thrown out of our own dressing room so that the dude can get some with your friend!" he crowed. I gave him a 'so what?' look and he shrugged, turning to Ilene, "Hey Ilene... why don'ch'ya gimme a couple Guinness for the boys and myself?"

"Steve, I close in 15 minutes, so better hurry those babies down," she said, drawing a few pints for him and his pals.

"Lass, I never hurry to get a baby down!" he left with his beer, laughing.

I looked at Ilene, but she didn't seem insulted. After all, she was a bartender, I guess she heard a lot. We went back to our conversation when I saw from the corner of my eyes the charming singer with the glasses walking our way. He suddenly tripped over something - a crack in the floor, maybe? - And fell flat on his face at my feet. Slowly he got up, his eyes following the way up my legs with an embarrassed smile.

"There goes Ted again, acting clumsy to get the girl!" Ilene blurted out.

When his eyes met mine, his expression changed from admiration to fear. The blood drained out of his face so fast, I thought he was going to pass out. I tried to take his arm, to hold him up when he fainted but he backed away.

"Are you alright?" I asked, concerned.

"Hah! Ted, your trick didn't work I see, you owe me 50 bucks, man!" Alan walked towards us. "The lass seem too clever fall for that. Lemme present myself, pretty lady, I'm Alan Davis!" he took my hand and gently kissed it, a la francaise. I mentally blessed the dim light, my blushing wouldn't show!

"Nice to meet you, I'm Melissa," I managed to get out.

Ted kept pointing at me, still pale and his mouth gaping like a fish. I thought he might have a stroke.

"The ghost...She's the ghost..," his voice was trembling.

Everyone else looked confused. "Al, she's the ghost that sucked your dick!"

I became livid, knowing exactly what he was talking about. Alan was looking at him like he had lost his mind; I had to react fast. I gave him a puzzled look and was about to blurt out that his buddy had had enough to drink when my friends blew it.

"Melissa MacSween!" Ilene shouted, hitting the bar with her fist. "You didn't? Paint me orange and slap me on Alan's butt! You went Out-of-body and used your power on other people! You should be ashamed of yourself!" she thundered.

I would've been able to get out of this one but the rest happened so fast, I lost control, not that I had it... Vicki came out, her hand resting around Eric's waist, his around her neck.

"Eric, meet my friend Melissa," she introduced me.

"So, you're the powerful witch that made Al squirm like a little girl?" he boomed.

My eyes were going from Vicki to Eric, to Alan, to Ted, to Ilene and back again at a speed I never thought possible. Vicki was obviously drunker than I was, Eric had a euphoric look, Alan was merely confused, Ted was still scared to death and Ilene was disappointed in me. Terrific... Now seemed a good time to panic.

I did what I do best in uncomfortable situations: I left. I stood up, walked out, left everyone there and took a cab home. I never had to see them again. They aren't my friends, they're Vicki's. I would never have to deal with those guys again. And yet, I was wrong one more time......

I holed up in the house all day. A nice long bath, my lace plaid pants, a pretty white tank top and leaving myself barefoot with strong fragrant tea and a novel on the couch combined to soothe my spirits. I needed to cheer up. Such an ass! Why did I do that? Getting magick out of my head, at least for the day, might help.

Around nine o'clock the doorbell rang and Tavie jumped up barking. Shushing her, I opened the door to find Vicki, Ilene and the four boys standing on my doorstep. Wearing huge smiles, they entered carrying cases of beer and a bunch of musical instruments.

"We decided to have the party here tonight, since I knew you wouldn't come out," Vicki said when she came in.

I was speechless. Ilene and the guys followed her and made themselves to home. Alan gave me a huge smile and a flower. . . "Oh, no," I thought. I closed the door, drawn helplessly in their wake.

Steve was putting the beer in the fridge, helped by Alan while Eric lurked around my books inspecting them. Ted was sitting quietly on the couch and the girls were commenting on a painting I did recently. Tavie jumped on Ted and greeted him with a sloppy wet face bath. I quickly reached for her collar and pulled her away. It took me two or three attempts -- she's a St. Bernard! Muttering a quick apology to Ted I commanded her to get down. She responded by lying at Ted's feet.

I joined the girls in front of the painting and hissed at Vicki, "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Calm down, I explained everything to Al and Ted, they're okay with it and they won't bug you."

I was about to sass her back when Alan came up to me grinning and handed me a beer. He jerked his head towards the painting, "Is that your work?"

I took the beer with a shy smile and turned my head to the painting. It was from my abstract phase and the mix of colors was pierced by a ray of light. "Yes...," I took a sip. "It's my vision of energy: a dark, powerful, orangey-yellow light, becoming paler and clearer as it reaches me. It's kind of how I feel when I paint; when I create."

"It's beautiful" he said softly, staring at me.

I tucked my hair between my ear and looked down, blushing. I wasn't sure if he was talking about the painting anymore. Notes coming out of my harp floated gently on the air and I turned around to see Eric admiring it. "You play?" he asked, fingering it.

"Not really, I just love it and when the wind gets in it... it's like someone's playing it," I said shyly.

"Dudes, I got to get me one of these!" Eric exclaimed.

"NO!" his friends yelled in unison before he finished his sentence. The girls giggled, it seemed like a very nice inside joke. Alan's hand was warm on my back as he pushed me gently towards the couch. I joined everyone and he sat beside me. I was nestled between Steve, who had apparently found an even uglier shirt than last night's and Alan. Ilene sat next to Ted, who seemed to want to be as far away from me as possible, and Vicki snuggled up against Eric.

Steve started telling a few jokes, some of them very bad but with a few good ones too. Finally, I was able to loosen up and join the fun. After a few beers, Vicki and Ilene went to the kitchen and tottered back with a bottle of tequila, shooter glasses, lemon wedges and salt. Vicki gave a glass to everyone and winked when she got to me. I knew she was up to something. Ilene poured the tequila and gave everyone a piece of lemon.

"Okay, so here's the game: it's the version of truth or dare from my friend Jennifer," Vicki announced.

I rolled my eyes. With Jennifer's game, a drunkard couldn't go wrong!

"It's actually Truth or Truth. Taking turns, we ask a question of someone in the room, then that person answers with either the truth or a lie. The one who asked the question then judges whether or not it's a lie, and we all vote If you're wrong, the "asker" drinks his or her glass, if you're right, the "answerer" drinks. Everyone got it? Split answers are considered individually."

All nodded their heads. I was a little worried but Vicki started questioning Steve, "Steve, why did you buy that ugly shirt?"

"That thing? It's not ugly...nah, it's just that I wear that so that gals can volunteer to shop with me. It's just a way to get gals!" he said proudly.

Everyone looked at him suspiciously and then voted. Everyone voted "Lie" and since they all knew him better than I, I went the same way.

"Well, all drink up now!' Cause that's the truth!," he was so proud of himself.

We all emptied our glass and Ilene refilled them. Innocent questions like that were asked at first, but as the evening wore on, the tequila was forcing us into heavier questions.

Eric directed his question to Ilene, "Ilene... Did you get busy with Ted last night?"

Ilene chuckled and slapped her thigh, " Well dude, make my feet hairy and call me Sam the Hobbit, yes I did!" I shook my head, where in hell does she get those expressions?

Everyone voted that it was a lie and then waited for my answer. I looked at her closely... "Truth!"

She opened her mouth in surprise, then quickly shook her head and shouted, "Everyone, BUT Melissa drink up!"

I watched her cheeks getting rosier as she reviewed last night's "busyness".. I smiled and raised my glass to her. Steve announced that it was my turn and that he had a spicy one for me. I looked around and I think Alan saw the horrified look on my face so he grabbed his guitar and suggested that they play a little.

I gave him a relieved smile and he grinned back at me. I slid down to sit on the floor so that Steve and Alan would have enough room for their guitars. They played a few songs I never heard and some old traditional songs I was able to join in with. The alcohol was getting to me, I was singing loudly and with lusty abandon.

After a few request from Vicki, Ilene asked for a special song, "Do you guys know the song 'Under The Scotsman's Kilt'?"

I snorted, "I love that song!"

They all said that they didn't but Eric suggested we sing it anyway. Ilene said, "I only know the chorus but..." she turned her head to me.

"No... Hell no!," I replied.

Between guys insisting and the alcohol getting to my head, I cleared my throat and asked them to join in at the chorus.

"Well a Scotsman in kilt left the bar one evening fair. And one could tell about how he walked That he'd drunk more than his share He fumbled 'round until he could no longer keep his feet And he stumbled off into the grass To sleep beside the street.

Ring ding delil li le O Ring di de lil O He stumbled off into the grass To sleep beside the street

About that time Two young and lovely lassies just happened by One looked to the other With a twinkle in her eye, "See yon sleepin' Scotsman So strong and handsome built I wonder if it's true What they don't wear beneath their kilt."

Ring ding delil li le O Ring di de lil O I wonder if it's true What they don't wear beneath their kilt

They crept up on that sleeping Scotsman Quiet as could be Lifting up his kilt about an inch so they could see And there behold for them to view Beneath his Scottish skirt Was nothing more then God had graced him With upon his birth

The marveled for a moment And one said, "We must be gone. Let's leave a present for our friend Before we move along." As a gift they left a blue silk ribbon Tied into a bow 'Round the bonny part the scotsman's kilt had lift'd and shown

Ring ding delil li le O Ring di de lil O Tied into a bow Around the bonny part the scotsman's kilt had lift'd and shown

Now the Scotsman woke to nature's call And stumbled towards the trees Behind the bush he lift his kilt And gasped at what he sees And then in a startled voice says to what's before his eyes, "Och, lad, I don't know where ya been But I see ya won first prize."

Ring ding delil li le O Ring di de lil O Och, lad, I don't know where ya been, But I see ya won first prize.

"Well I'll be damned if that gal says she 's shy! Blowin' Al's dick and singin' dirty songs, she can't be!," yelled Steve before falling from the couch in laughter.

After Steve's idiotic remark, for which he received a deserved hard punch on the arm from Alan, Tavie started complaining and scratching at the door. I rose unsteadily and grabbed her leash. No one was paying the least bit of attention to me, I thought. Vicki and Eric were smooching, Ilene was talking with Ted and I noticed Alan was mumbling something to Steve.

"Guys, I'll be back, I need to walk Tavie," I said.

Vicki got up, pulling Eric off the couch, "We'll go too, it's getting late!"

"'Are you getting horny?" asked Steve with a stupid grin on his face.

Something was very wrong with that guy, god he was stupid! Vicki kicked him with in the ankle with her pointy little boot on the way.

"Ow! That was uncalled for!," he whined, rubbing his ankle. "Oh, all right, I'll leave too. Nice meeting ya, Melissa," and out the door he went.

Vicki hugged me and thanked me for a great evening.

"See ya soon, Melissa," Eric managed to say while being pulled out the door by a very impatient Vicki.

I waved goodbye and slipped my feet into my reliable old sneakers. Alan put his guitar aside to head towards the door, "There's no way your going out alone at this time of a night; I'm going with ya."

I threw Ilene and Ted a questioning look. "You two mind?," I asked.

"I'm sure we will be here waiting, if it's ok with you of course!," said Ilene. I shrugged my assent and left the house holding Tavie's leash, followed by Alan who kindly closed the door.

The night was warm but humid and a breeze was blowing. We walked quietly down the street for a moment. Tavie was pulling hard and the amount of beer I drank made it hard for me to control her. Alan took the leash from me and was able to keep her to heel.

We started talking about a bit of everything. He was asking about why I was living in California, what I was doing in life, simple stuff. I was getting very comfortable and found him to be very kind and sweet.

When he started asking questions about my witchcraft I hesitated before answering. Non-witches were scared away when I got to this point in a relationship so usually I kept quiet about it. My answers were vague and noncommittal but I opened up when I noticed that he was really interested. I explained how I became aware of the art and what I studied. The conversation then meandered into an interesting debate on religion and spirituality. He had very strong opinions and arguments but was also open to new ideas and more importantly to me, respected the differences.

We walked a little bit farther through the sleeping streets. I pointed out all the nice places. The moon was shining luminous and bright and quickly I stole a sideways glance at him. Silently he gazed up, observing the moon thought the clouds. After a moment he turned to me and in a serious tone of voice said," I gotta say, the full moon always gets to me, calms me down, and gives me peace."

I smiled. " It's not the full moon, the full moon was Thursday. However, you're right. The full moon does get to us, to all of us. The majority of people will take the negative energy from it instead of feeling the positive side. It's pretty rare for a non-Wiccan to be able to use or feel the positive power of the full moon."

"Why's that?," he asked.

I searched his face carefully to see if he was mocking me, but it seemed he was not. "When Christianity banned Paganism, everything that could be associated with the craft was considered evil, including the night. Everything dark, obscure or mystical was held to be the devil's work. Since the moon is a thing of the night and also represents the Goddess in our craft, it is considered evil. Even after all these centuries, people's minds have hardly changed..."

"The Catholic conscience," he mused and a huge smile appeared on his face when I nodded in approval. "In Wicca, what's your equivalent of the devil?"

" We don't believe in that," I said. A confused look crossed his face. "We believe that there is no evil force until you give it a name," I tried to explain. "In Wicca, the Goddess, the God and the Spirit guide us, they don't command us. They gave us our own free will and expect us to use it but not for harm. If a bad deed is done, or evil thoughts committed, we are personally responsible. There's not an evil force that pushed us to do it."

"All right, that makes sense... Now, one more question... What you did, the other night, during my sleep and at the show, did you feel it too?"

I looked straight in front of me, blushing. Oh why? Why me?

Tavie suddenly took off like a St. Bernard out of hell. I'd noticed a cat coming out of the alley and I don't think Alan was prepared for that- he was violently pulled forward and ended up running behind my cat chasing dog, arms and legs wind milling. I looked up and sent a fervent Thank you! skyward. I love that dog... I ran after them, laughing and yelling at the same time for Tavie to stay.