Southern Circle - Pt. 01

Author's Note - Hello, Everyone! This is my first submission, so any comments or constructive feedback would be welcome. It is the first part of a series that will contain graphic descriptions of sex including incest, violence, strong language, and magic/alternative religions. If any of these things bother or offend you, please stop reading now. Also just a head's up there is quite a bit of story to go along with the sex so for those who are just looking for straight up banging from start to finish you may want to look elsewhere. And of course, everyone in the story is over 18. Thanks, and on with the story!

The sun was retreating behind the horizon as Tim drove up the winding driveway towards the building sitting at the end. He'd intended to drive another hour or so to the cheap roadside motel he usually stayed at on these trips, but his last few days at college had been far more stressful and mentally exhausting than he'd expected, and he was just too beat to continue.

So, when the fatigue really hit him in this sparsely populated region when he'd stopped for gas, a quick search on his phone had revealed this little B & B to be the closest accommodations. To his surprise its rates were surprisingly reasonable, only a few bucks more than what he usually paid at the roach motel he'd been heading toward. Odd, he didn't recall passing it on his previous trips along this road to and from college, he thought to himself. It must be new.

The building was set rather far back from the road, the narrow band of trees encircling the property giving it the feeling it was somehow separate from the rest of the world. The inn itself was surrounded by a smaller ring of ancient, stately oaks adorned with their summer greenery. It was a refurbished two-story Victorian, painted white with green trim, splashed gold by the evening sun. He pulled into the small, empty driveway in front of the structure, killing the old Camaro's engine and reading the large sign in front of him, painted in big flowery letters interspersed with falling oak leaves:

Green Grove Inn

Welcome Tim!

Breakfast Included

Checkout 10:00 AM

Wait a minute, was that sign welcoming him personally? He rubbed his eyes and looked again, and this time his name was gone from the generic greeting. He leaned back in his seat and sighed, hours staring at nothing but the highway could make you see things. In any case, he was glad to be off the road and away from the drama he'd left behind at the university. And this place was so peaceful, he thought, watching the limbs of a nearby oak sway in the breeze, closing his eyes, deciding to rest a bit before heading inside.

There was the sound of someone tapping on glass, and his eyes snapped open to see a young woman, looking somewhere around his twenty-one years, tapping on the passenger side window, grinning broadly, gesturing for him to roll it down. "Hi there," she said when he'd done so, "You must be Tim O'Connor. "I'm Fiona Toolan, and this handsome fella behind me is my brother Aiden," she said as she moved aside to reveal the lithe figure of her sibling.

That they were siblings was obvious from their matching thin builds and almost elven features. Both had dark hair, which Aiden kept cut short with sharp bangs jutting out over his forehead, while his sister kept hers long, tied back in a ponytail that cascaded down her back. The brother was clad in black slacks and a trim button-down shirt of the same color, while Fiona was more casual with jeans and a lime-green blouse. Aiden tipped his head toward Tim in greeting, who returned the gesture. "We're the owners of this little piece of paradise," she said, holding out a gloved hand towards him.

Tim took the proffered hand and shook it, trying to shake off the grogginess that had been setting in. "Oh, right, pleased to meet you both," he mumbled, thinking it both nice and a tad strange that the owners would come out to his car personally to greet him. "But wait a minute," he added, something occurring to him, "How'd you know my name?"

"It was on your reservation," Fiona said simply.

I thought I just looked over the website, I don't remember making a reservation, he thought, but quickly dismissed it. Maybe he had, and just forgot. With what he'd been through few weeks, he considered bitterly, he was lucky to remember his own fucking name.

"Need any help with your luggage?" Fiona offered.

"Um, well, I just have this one overnight bag here," he said, glancing at the duffel bag sitting on the passenger seat. "So I don't think--"

But before he could finish, the sprightly girl had reached back in and grabbed the bag, handing it off to her brother. "Now if you're follow us inside I'll get you checked in. It's just my brother and I at the moment, but I'm sure we can make you quite comfortable," she said with a wink.

As they walked across the parking lot towards the trail that led up to the house, Tim again noted the lack of other vehicles. "Slow season?" he asked the pair walking in front of him, whispering animatedly to themselves.

The hushed chatter stopped. "That," Aiden replied without looking back, "and other reasons."

Before Tim could ask about these other reasons, Fiona shot her brother a withering look as she fell back beside Tim, her expression once again pleasant. "So, Tim, I take it your family's from the old country as well? Ireland, I mean."

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Came over in the mid-1800s," Tim explained as they made their way up the steps to the wrap-around porch. Rhododendrons bloomed in profusion around the base, their fragrance mingling with magnolias nearby. From somewhere in the distance, Tim thought he heard a whip-poor-will. "A fascinating story from what I understand, but you'd be better off asking my sister Riley about it. She's the history major and has done all kinds of research into it."

Fiona cocked an eye, gazing at him intently. "Oh, you have a sister?" she asked, her tone becoming curious.

"Yep, four actually, three elder and one younger. Riley's the youngest of the elder trio, two years older than me."

Suddenly Fiona let out a squeal of delight and clapped her hands together, practically bouncing with excitement on the porch which caused her long ponytail to dance wildly along her back. "Did you hear that, brother dear? Four sisters! Isn't that wonderful? You're a lucky man, Tim."

"Indeed," Aiden said, as he and his sister shared a knowing look. "And it does explain quite a bit."

Tim chuckled, focused on Fiona and missing what her brother had said. "I suppose that's one way to look at it, but as the only guy growin' up in a house full of women I gotta tell you, sometimes it was a little daunting, and I learned to choose my words carefully. And to always knock."

Fiona laughed. "Oh, I'm sure. But there's many benefits to such a special family situation, many of which I can tell you are yet to discover. But we can talk more of that later," she said, holding the door open for him. "Right now, let's get you all settled so you can freshen up before dinner."

After getting him registered Fiona went off to check on dinner while Aiden, still carrying his bag, showed him to his room, which was larger and much nicer than what Tim had expected for the price. He offered Aiden a tip, which he politely declined, saying that the honor of having such a distinguished guest stay at their establishment was reward enough, and that dinner would be served downstairs in an hour before leaving Tim alone.

Tim stood there scratching his head a moment, wondering what in the world the mysterious innkeeper had meant by that. Distinguished guest? Hardly. Maybe If he'd been told such a thing a few weeks ago there might have been some truth to it, but now, he the best he could hope for was a long, promising career digging ditches. He took a jewelry box out of his pocket, opening it and taking out the golden pendant that represented all his crushed hopes and dreams. No use dwelling on it now, he thought, gripping the bauble in his hands as he headed into the bathroom, taking a shower and slipping into casual attire. Without really knowing why, he slipped the bauble into his pocket before heading down to meet up with the siblings for dinner.

Since he was their only guest tonight, the Toohans invited Tim to eat with them in their private dining room. Just like the rest of the old house it had high ceilings and hardwood floors, the oaken walls decorated with paintings of idyllic pastoral scenes, the rich, succulent aroma of the pot roast that Fiona had just brought out filling the air. "This looks delicious," Tim said as he sat down at the small table in the center of the room, across from Aiden with Fiona beside him on his left.

Besides the pot roast, there were also garlic mashed potatoes, green beans with onions and fresh rolls with butter, all of it looking homemade. "You really outdid yourself, Fiona," he said, admiring the spread, unable to remember the last time he'd had a homecooked meal like this. At least since Christmas, he thought.

Fiona smiled warmly. "Why thank you, Tim, it's not often I get such direct feedback from our guests, and it's gratifying to know that my culinary efforts are appreciated."

"I tell you that all the time!" Aiden protested playfully.

Fiona smirked at her brother. "Of course you have to say that, unless you enjoy sleeping alone. Now let's dig in!"

For a moment Tim stiffened. Had he heard that right? Had Fiona just admitted that she sleeps in the same bed as her brother? No, he had to have heard that wrong, or she must have been joking, he thought, shaking it off. At the insistence of both siblings, he filled his plate first as Aiden uncorked a bottle of white wine, filling their glasses. When her brother had served them all, Fiona raised her glass. "A toast," she declared, "to our guest and new friend," she said, beaming at Tim, "and all the bright possibilities for the future."

He clinked his glass with the siblings' and did his best to smile, even though he wasn't quite so optimistic about his future prospects. As he did so his hand came into brief contact with Fiona's, and her expression changed to one of shock, causing her to shudder and nearly drop her glass. "What is it?" her brother asked as Fiona set down her wine and gave Tim the most pitying look he'd ever seen. "You poor thing," she whispered.

"What? What are you talking about?" Tim asked, puzzled.

"That woman...Tabitha, she did such awful things to you. I...I'm sorry, I knew you were carrying a great deal of pain, but what she did...there are no words. To not only break up with you, but to set you up for plagiarism, how horrible."

Tim stood up, glaring at the girl. "Okay, what's the game here? Did y'all do some sort of background check or something on me while I was showering, as some kind of scam or gimmick? Because I have to say, I'm not amused in the slightest. Or are you in on this somehow with Tabitha? Maybe I should just go." He turned to leave.

"No, please!" Fiona almost begged, standing and reaching out for but not touching him. "It's not like that. I'm sorry, the whole toast thing, I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean for you to find out this way, but, well, I have whatcha might call a gift, or curse, depending on how you look at it. When I come in physical skin-to-skin contact with people, I can see things, glimpses into their pasts and such. Sometimes the future, but that's bit more...involved," she said, blushing a bit.

Aiden nodded, swishing the golden liquid in his cup. "It's true, started when she was five and scared her and our parents half to death. But for some reason or other, I'm the only one who isn't affected by it."

Tim was skeptical, thinking this might be some sort of con game, but when he looked in Fiona's eyes he didn't see deception, only an earnest need for him to believe, to accept what she was saying. "Alright, but everything you've just told me is information anyone could have found out with a little digging. Mind answering something only I know?"

Fiona nodded. "Alright. As long as it has to do with your recent past, I wasn't able to see anything deeper from that brief contact we shared."

"Alright. "Before all this went down, I'd gotten Tabitha something to commemorate our one-year anniversary as a couple, something I tossed in a random bin in a back alley last week that no one else knew about or had ever seen. Tell me what it was, and describe it to me."

She smiled. "It was a gold pendant, laced on a thin gold chain. The pendant was in the shape of a heart, bordered with diamond dust and encrusted with small rubies. In the middle were the words 'Our Love is Forever' and on the back were two 'T's' entwined, for Tim and Tabitha. And you didn't throw it in the trash," Fiona corrected. "You were about to throw it in the river, but decided against it at the last minute. Now it's in your right front pocket."

Involuntarily Tim reached down to his pocket, feeling the outline of the pendant there. The only people who knew all that was him and the jeweler who crafted it, a man with a reputation for extreme discretion, whose shop didn't have a website or even a computer even in this day and age. And how did she know about the river? He said nothing, merely sat back down as Fiona did as well, her solemn expression making her look a lot older. "You say you can see the future as well?" he asked, no more doubt in his voice. "Could you tell me mine? Please?" he asked, needing something to cling to.

She nodded. "I can, but as I said it's more complicated than seeing the past. We'll talk more of it later. Right now, let's eat before our food gets cold."

As they ate, the conversation lightened as Aiden and Fiona shared amusing stories from their time running the inn, which they'd inherited a few years ago from their grandparents. They'd intended to sell the property after they fixed it up, but in the process of remodeling they fell in love with the place, and decided to go into business together. So far things had been great, whether it was aquatic pursuits at the nearby lake in summer or hiking the nearby trails in autumn and spring, they managed to attract a brisk business most times of the year. Not only that, but the siblings seemed to be very happy together in their little establishment.

Almost too happy, Tim thought, noticing throughout dinner how the siblings exchanged looks that could only be described as amorous, the kind a husband and wife might share. One time after some playful banter Aiden even took his sister's hand and kissed it, making her blush. Not only that, but when Tim reached down to retrieve a dropped butterknife, he noticed Fiona rubbing the tip of her shoe against Aiden's leg slowly.

Tim felt his heart begin to thump faster as he pondered the implications of what he'd seen, what he'd heard. Was it possible that these two siblings were...no, he couldn't even finish the thought, the implications making him feel queasy. Besides, whatever they were or weren't doing wasn't any of his business, no matter how illegal or immoral whatever they might be doing was. Tomorrow he'd be gone, and he'd forget all about this place and its bizarre owners. But still, if they were doing what he thought they were, this very wrong thing, then why did they look so happy, happier than he'd ever been with Tabitha or any other girl?

But Tim tried not to let his discomfort show, for whatever else these two were into, they had provided him with a great room for the night and a fabulous meal so the least he could do was extend them a little common courtesy. He laughed at their anecdotes and contributed to the conversation as best he could, telling them about his studies and dreams of being a writer. Everything was going great until the conversation turned in the one direction that, in light of what he now suspected about his hosts, he did not want it to go.

"So Tim," Fiona said as she used a roll to sop up the last of the gravy on her plate, "tell us more about these sisters of yours."

"Umm...like what?" he asked, shifting uncomfortably.

She chuckled. "Well, their names for a start. Besides Riley, I don't think you've mentioned any of the others. Then maybe a little about what they're like, your relationships growing up, that sorta thing. I don't mean to be nosy, I'm just curious is all, since exploring differing aspects of sibling dynamics has always fascinated me."

I'll bet, he thought as he swallowed, not really wanting to delve into this topic but not seeing any clear way out that didn't offend them, and if he did that they could ask him to leave. And despite his earlier bluster, he really didn't relish the thought of driving through backwoods country at night while also fighting his own fatigue. Besides, he could be completely off base about his assumptions, misreading things through road-weary eyes and ears.

"Okay, well, I guess I'll just start at the top and work my way down. Nora's the first-born of us, followed closely by Isolt. Heck, if not for their different appearances you'd almost swear they were twins, given how close they were growing up and their shared interests and passions. Both never seemed happy with life in our small hometown, always dreaming of bigger things. So the day they turned eighteen both left and never looked back. I haven't really seen 'em since, except around the holidays and sometimes during summer break. But they never hang around very long."

"Interesting," Fiona said, stroking at her ponytail, glancing at her brother. "What about Riley?"

"Pretty much the same, except after she finished her studies she came back to town, getting a job in the local museum. I hear she's having relationship trouble, and has moved back home with Aunt C. I guess, in that, we have something in common," he said wryly.

"Aunt C?" Aiden asked, as he and Fiona shared another look.

"Oh, that's my Aunt Caitlyn, she's my mom's younger sister who took us in after our parents were killed in an auto accident."

Another look. "I see," Fiona said, "Haven't you ever though it's odd that your three older sisters all left home as soon as they were eighteen?"

Tim shrugged. "Not really. As I said, Nora and Isolt were never really happy with rural life, and Riley, well, she's always been kinda caught in the middle you know, not really fitting in with Nora and Isolt, or Teag and I, so maybe that's part of it."

"Teag? Is that your younger sister?"

Tim nodded. At first he had been uneasy about sharing details of his family with these almost-strangers, but whether it was the wine or the cozy atmosphere he was now feeling more relaxed, like he was talking to old friends. "Yeah, it's short for Teagen. We've been close for a long time. I'd always write stories and act them out for her, and she'd make drawings based on them." He smiled at the memory.

Aiden and Fiona shared another look. Tim felt like that should be starting to annoy him the way they kept doing that, but right now he didn't seem to care. It was all good. Everything was good here.

"So tell us more about Riley," Fiona cooed, her voice like warm honey. "You said she was stuck in the middle. What did you mean by that?"

"Oh, well, like I said, while Nora and Isolt had their own little world they lived that dreamed of fine living and haute couture, Riley was more like Teagen and I, who enjoyed life in our little town. So even though she was older than us, she still tried to include herself in our activities." He frowned. "But for some reason, Teag always got upset and drove her off. I never understood why, because personally I liked Riley, so daring and adventurous. And beautiful. After all, it was with her that I first..."