Hope

ONE

They could sense her approaching before they ever saw her: Hope Escher. The Woman From the Edge of Town. The Cock-Breaker. The Glitch-Bitch. The Broken Lady.

The forty-five year old woman didn't appear particularly noteworthy. Five and a half feet tall, a slim build, a small bust, and a rather plain face. Light blond hair cut off at the shoulder, grey eyes, and fair skin. She could pretty herself up quite nicely if she tried, but she was average enough that under normal circumstances, no one would notice her in a crowd. Although the rejuvenating nature of Sex Magic gave her the body of a twenty year old, you could tell she was really middle-aged. She carried herself like an older woman, kindly stoic, almost matronly, dressed in simpler, more practical clothing. Slacks, a white blouse, flat brown shoes, and a light green cardigan sweater. She even drove an old, clunky scooter, not a common vehicle to be sure, but just the sort of utilitarian thing for a quick run into town for errands.

Hope was just an average woman going about her day, but when she entered town, everyone took notice, whether they wanted to or not. She tried to make the trip quick. Just zip into town, stop by the grocery store, post office, gas station, and back home. Her old scooter puttered worryingly as she steered onto the main street. She was going to have to get it fixed, and she wasn't sure she had the money for that. Her budget was tight this month.

Pulling up into the parking lot of the grocery store, she tried to ignore the glares. Living in a tiny town meant she only had a couple places to go for supplies, and that meant repeatedly interacting with the same women who just wanted to punch her teeth in.

Along with the glares, she tried to ignore the near-screaming psychic hum of every penis within a hundred yards straining at maximum hardness from her presence. Men were bending over at the waist, clutching their thighs or their crotches. Some tried to act tough, refusing to cup themselves, or perhaps unable to, and stood there with teeth grit, sweating bullets. When she got far enough away, even the tough guys would collapse against the nearest supporting wall, vehicle, or significant other, gasping with relief at the sudden loss of tension.

The women around her might have once thought it a funny little trick. But that had been when the Sex Magic was new and interesting. Now, the trick was an invasive, unwelcome pain. The men couldn't take it. The women resented that Hope's aura of sexual tension overwhelmed their own spells and protections to make their men suffer. And, more to the unspoken point, none of the women in town liked the idea that their boyfriends' and husbands' and subs' dicks yearned for her ten times harder than for them.

Most of these women would have to consciously project the sort of erection-inducing aura Hope broadcasted automatically. There were a few others that, like Hope, broadcast the signals that awoke men's dicks without trying. But they weren't nearly as strong, and they could reign the signals in with little effort, just a conscious thought to mute the effect.

Not Hope. Her broadcast was overclocked so high up, it was only the healing side effects of the magic that kept men's dicks from bursting the moment her aura touched them. Even straining to her utmost to reel her magic in, to tamp it down as hard as she could, the best she could do was make it hurt a bit less for the men. Some women tried to block Hope's signals from reaching their men, but it was a considerable effort on their part; most couldn't block it completely.

Well, there was nothing she could do. She had to come into town if she wanted food to eat and to make money through her deliveries to the post office. If nothing else, she had managed a routine. She only needed to go into town a couple times a week, and as long as no one gave her trouble, she could minimize the suffering she inflicted on others.

Okay. Ten to fifteen minutes at the grocers. Twenty if the lines didn't clear a path for her. She knew exactly what she needed. Breathe calmly. Push the aura down. Walk quickly. Ignore the glares. Don't hesitate or linger if anyone runs or faints, just keep going about your business. She grabbed a cart and started shopping. People let her pass; they'd learned the best thing to do was to just let her get her shopping done. Giving her trouble just meant she'd take longer to leave.

As she went, she sensed a couple young men break, unable to stand her aura any more, and dash off to the bathroom for the illusion of privacy. They were already grabbing themselves and masturbating furiously before their pants hit the floor. They didn't care that Sex Magic let every adult woman around immediately know they were masturbating and what they were thinking of while they did it. Stimulating the men's penises did wonders to soothe the ache of their erections. Still, even if they came, it would do nothing to lessen the tension.

The woman the young men had been standing next to, their sister if Hope remembered right, shook her head disapprovingly at the boys' behavior. Normally there sudden loss of control and furious self-pleasure would earn them a scolding and someone would make them stop. With Hope around, the other women were lenient enough to let them do what they had to, but they were still going to get an earful from their sister afterwards.

The store was staffed almost entirely by men, with a female store manager. Since the arrival of Sex Magic some years ago, it was an unfortunate necessity that men were regulated to grunt work. Hope felt some pity. The men at the registers could barely do their jobs and the two at the deli retreated for a sudden "smoke break" all the way past the back lot. They'd no doubt get chewed out for leaving their post. Hope tried not to think about the poor guys' inevitable fate.

Eggs. Milk. Cheese. Ham. Apples. Bread. Bananas. Peas. She was forgetting something. She checked the small pocket of her cardigan sweater, and muttered a curse as she realized her list was gone, probably having fallen out when she drove into town. If she'd forgotten, she'd have to make do. Everyone who could see her was giving her long glances and expectant stares, expressions urging her to hurry the hell up. Livvy, the store manager, was pursing her lips in that way she did when she was about to go off on someone. Hope actually spared her a quick glower. She wasn't sure if Livvy had always been a total cunt or she just let the power of Sex Magic go to her head. She had no qualms threatening to manhandle Hope out of the store if she took too long.

Hope hurried to the first check out, the customers vacating it for her. She passed through the alcohol aisle on the way. She was tempted to grab one of the large bottles of wine as she went through, but reminded herself she didn't have the money.

"H-h-h-hi," gasped the young man at the register. He clutched the edges of the counter with a white-knuckle grip. Hope gave him a warm smile and held up a hand, indicating he didn't need to talk. She felt awful for the boy. Barely eighteen, first job, had only just started a couple weeks ago. He was the newbie, so he got to be the one to deal with the Glitch-Bitch.

Even worse, it seemed the boy had it rough at home. She could sense his balls were several weeks overdo for relief. Hope couldn't help but glance through his thoughts and blanched. His mother was one of those super strict mistress-types who thought denying her son masturbation and orgasms would shape him into a good little submissive for a future wife. His current girlfriend didn't even have her powers yet, and she was already proving to be a real ball buster, figuratively and literally. Hope considered giving the kid a break. Tonight, while she was at home, she could reach out with her power, find the boy's cock, and give him an orgasm. Give him several, even, before his mother could stop it, just to give the poor kid some relief. It was the least she could do for making him put up with her super-intense aura.

Of course, he'd probably just get punished harder, if his memories were any indication. Not all the women in town were such intense control freaks, but enough were. Hope wondered, if her own power didn't force her to live on the edge of town, if she had been allowed to integrate into the local culture, if she'd be just as much a cock-controlling bitch to the men in her life. In a way, she was grateful she hadn't been given the chance.

Hope glanced up at Livvy, who was watching from the customer service counter. Livvy was still glaring at her. Hope glared back. Why the hell wasn't Livvy running the register? She could have checked Hope out without a problem, while this kid could go nurse his erection at another station. Instead, she was just being a bitch, because she hated Hope, and wanted Hope to feel terrible for making the kid suffer. Fucking cun—

The boy, Sam his nametag indicated, gave a sharp squeak and bent over, dropping the milk he just picked up. Hope immediately gave him an apologetic look. She almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but forced her hand back down. Being this close to her was bad enough for most guys. Touching them tended to make them black out from a sudden spike in the already unbearable sexual tension. Sam already looked like he was about to pass out.

Instead, Hope renewed her efforts to tamp down her aura. Livvy had distracted her, almost gotten her worked up. The aura was even worse when Hope got emotional. Hope forced herself to maintain her stoicism, concentrating as hard as she could to suppress her aura. After a moment, Sam got himself enough under control to resume scanning the items. Hope offered him a small smile. Sam blushed, and refused to meet her eyes. She could sense his turmoil. She was torturing him worse than any woman had before just by standing near him. And yet, he found her pretty, he knew she didn't mean it, and he knew he was getting short-changed by his fellow employees. He wanted to hate her, but couldn't, and felt bad for wanting to.

"Th-thirty—thirt—uh!" Sam gave up trying to speak and tapped the read out in front of the register. $35.67.

Hope place two twenties down on the little counter. "Keep the change," she said in a low voice. She could have used the change for stamps, but the poor kid was going to need a drink after this little encounter.

"Th-th-thank—thanks!" he said. He moved to bag the groceries, but Hope waved him off, bagging everything herself and quickly walking out of the store. Right as she got back to her scooter, she cursed, as she realized she'd forgotten the Oatmeal. She glanced back at the store and sighed. She could see and/or sense everyone moving, resuming their routines and duties. The two teens who'd dashed to the bathroom were stumbling out. Two orgasms apiece and now their dicks were just more sore from being forced hard post-climax. They were getting scolded by their sister now, despite everything.

Hope sighed. It wouldn't be worth it going back in. She started the scooter and headed off to the post office. Again, the scooter puttered worryingly. She had just enough gas to make it to the gas station; she hoped the engine wasn't going out. She didn't feel like torturing a mechanic today on top of everything else.

The post office visit went smoothly. A female clerk was available to help her, and she'd quickly and efficiently gotten Hope's packages processed, while the male staff all but cowered in the far corner until she left. At the gas station, she used her credit card at the pump, while men throbbed in or behind their cars. There was even a young woman at the pump farthest from Hope who did a very poor job hiding the fact that she was grinding her crotch against the edge of her car's trunk.

Hope looked away, slightly embarrassed. For some reason, she found the idea of arousing women a bit mortifying. Men were supposed to be vulnerable to Sex Magic, but women normally were immune to one another. Hope's lustful aura seemed powerful enough that, while it wasn't nearly as potent on them as it was for men, even some women were affected. Every trip to town, at least a handful of women were left squirming from Hope's presence.

Her errands finished, Hope started to drive back home. She got three blocks before her scooter gave a loud bang, and died on her. A few failed starts, and Hope let out a loud sigh, hanging her head. She knew where the mechanic's shop was, and she knew no one was going to dare give her a ride. She wheeled the scooter to the side, and walked it the fifteen blocks to the shop. If there was one benefit of her aura affecting so many people, it's that the ethereal energy of their sexual tension fueled Hope with plenty of stamina to make the walk.

TWO

As much as Hope wished she didn't have to live by herself, she was quite glad to be back when she finally returned three hours later than planned. The scooter's engine had been shot. Hope wasn't much of a mechanic, and despite trying to do a little maintenance, she couldn't keep the old clunker from giving up the ghost. Repairs would have cost more than just getting a new scooter, and she couldn't afford that, either. She'd had no option but to junk the damn thing. The mechanic was quick to shove her out the door when it was clear the scooter was a lost cause; there was no way he or his three male employees could get any work done while she was in the shop.

The one female mechanic, a young redhead named Emily, had been gracious enough to give Hope a ride back home, if only to get her out of town quicker. The head mechanic had given her a disparaging look; thanks to Hope, they were behind schedule. The redhead had just given him a stern look, and he buckled on the spot. Hope didn't even need her magic to know the two no doubt had an "arrangement." Hope glanced through the older man's thoughts anyway.

Ah. Emily was his niece, freshly awakened to her own Sex Magic. She "secretly" used her powers to tease the guys she worked with so they'd give her the easiest jobs and do her little favors. If they were too hard on her, well, her mom would have some words with her uncle, and her uncles wife would have more to say afterwards. The poor man was almost as bad off as Sam, just old enough to know resignation to his fate was the safest recourse.

The redhead just scowled as Hope sat in the truck, looking out the window. Hope lived on an old farm house, ten miles out from the edge of the city. I was a long enough trip for the awkwardness between the women to become quite tangible. Emily was ticked that Hope had such a disruptive effect on her little space. What good was a queen bee when the attention of her drones went astray?

Hope wasn't all that sorry when she noticed the girl also squirming in her seat, squeezing her thighs together, face flushed with angry embarrassment. Apparently, she was affected by her aura, too, and did not take well to such humbling.

Hope glanced over to the girl, trying to think of something to break the ice. She had a feeling that anything she said would just set her off into a tirade, so she remained silent, letting the younger woman seethe.

They were still six or seven miles away from Hope's house, following the winding road that curved through a small forest, when she finally cracked, glaring furiously at her passenger. "What the fuck is your problem?!"

Hope glanced back at her, giving her a calm look, saying nothing. It was a very common question. That just made the girl angrier. "Seriously, why do you bother us? Why do you come into town and fuck with us like this?"

"Why do you think?" said Hope. "Can you guess?" As she said that, she made a slight motion of her arm, causing the grocery bags in her lap to crinkle.

Emily didn't get the hint. "Because you're a psychotic bitch who loves to torment us." She grit her teeth and shivered slightly. "They say you can't control your powers. I don't believe it. Most women who have problems with their magic, they're weaker than average. They can barely effect one person at a time, they're influence is like half that of a normal woman. And if they aren't weaker, if their abilities are stronger, it's always something that effects them negatively. They can't shut out men's thoughts, they're vulnerable to women as men are."

Emily shook her head and she stiffened, making a small gasp. The truck lurched. Hope clutched at the door and the seat. Emily took a breath and slowed down. "Fuck. Glitches, broken bitches, they don't have the kind of power you do. They can't light up three blocks just standing around. They can't affect other women." Emily shuddered again and grit her teeth, trying to keep her car under control. "Goddmanit, I'm trying to block you out, and it just—"

Hope reached out and grabbed the wheel turning it to follow the curve of the road before Emily ended up driving straight off it and into a tree. Emily gasped and slammed on the breaks. The truck screeched to a halt and Emily shivered, fear momentarily eclipsing the lust building in her body. Emily looked at Hope and swallowed hard. Hope gave her a slight smile. "If you don't mind, I think it would be better if I drove."

Emily nodded. She seemed stunned out of her anger for the moment. She put the truck in park and got out. Hope let go of her pages, arranging them on the passenger floor, then slid across the seat to the driver's side. Emily got back in from the other side, almost reluctant. Hope waited till she was settled, then put the truck back in gear and smoothly returned to the road.

"See?" said Emily, her voice low, body shivering. "I'm not gay, not even bi. I'm trying to block you out, and you're making me wetter than—" Her eyes widened and she bit back her words, blushing even harder. "A real Glitch can't do this. You're so powerful! And it doesn't affect you at all!"

Hope frowned. "Of course it affects me. I can't set foot in town without the lot of you wanting to lynch me. I can't be with anyone or I'll accidentally kill them."

"You're lying," said Emily, shaking her head. "You do this on purpose. You have to be doing it on purpose! You—nnngh, fuck!" Her hands had started drifting towards her crotch, and forced them to grip her thighs instead. After another moment, she sat on her hands. "Fuck! Can't you stop? Why won't you stop?!"

Hope frowned. "I would if I could."

"What are you?" said Emily, gazing at Hope with a mix of fear, resentment, and growing lust. She was trying to stay angry, but the haze of lust was relentless. If anything, her heightened emotional state was making it worse. The younger girl was so used to being in control, making guys squirm and cry and bend to her every whim, but such control had been handed to her on a silver platter, just like every other woman. And she was still too young and inexperienced to appreciate that she needed to learn her own self-control.

"I don't know," said Hope. "I've read there are other women whose power is far greater than average. Archmages, Megami. But they're not only powerful, they have great control over their abilities. And they can also do things most women can't. Making duplicates of themselves, turning into animals, that sort of thing. I can't do any of that."

Emily's eyes widened. "So you're a, what, some kind of Megami-Glitch?"

Hope shrugged. They were exiting the woods now, entering the disused farmland that surrounded her property. After a quarter mile, she turned onto the gravel road that led straight to her house. Another few minutes passed, the sound of the crunching gravel and the occasional whimper from Emily as she fought to control her urges the only sounds to break the silence. Finally, they arrived, Hope's one-story home coming into view past the row of shrubs that served as a natural fence.

She parked the truck at the edge of the bushes. They were just far enough that if Hope went to the back of her house, Emily should be just outside of the range of her aura. Hope glanced at Emily. The girl was fully concentrated on trying not to masturbate. There was a growing stain in the crotch of her pants from the persistent flow of her fluids. Hope blushed and looked away. Emily's attitude aside, she felt bad for the young woman. She hadn't had to give Hope a ride.