The Cauldron of Tears

Her heart rate settling, Hayley expected that her former inhibitions might return, but the goosebumps remained, the streetlight still flickered, and the stage, as it were, was hers. There was also now a feeling, somehow, that she was being watched. Had been watched. Good. That reaction surprised her.

Steven would be up by now, raiding her coffee. She grinned. She turned away from the light to face the street. Spreading her legs quite a bit more than necessary, she bent at the waist, slowly, to pick up the paper giving Steven, she hoped, quite a view. She straightened and slowly turned to face the house. Steven was not there watching, as she had expected. Instead, the sudden flickering of the Woodman's porch light drew her eye. Her lusts had more than a flicker as well.

She knew what Thomas looked like. She had spent all 1001 nights with him in her dreams. None of it made any sense, but it didn't have to. The scenes and circumstances had shifted only enough that she would strip from her clothes and surrender to him. Not that he was the only one involved. There had been others, vague or faceless, watching or participating. But he was the magnet. The roles flashed in her head... willingly as a lover, as a gift from another man, as a slave, as a concubine, as a seduction, as a prize, as a lost bet, as a battle plunder, as a mistake that she didn't regret. So many ways. In every scene, he'd take her and light her afire from within. And, it seemed, her body still reached out for his touch. She stood there a few moments more, facing his house. Daring him. Daring herself. The light went dark.

"I'm surprised you remembered the paper." Steven was there, sitting in front of a window that overlooked the driveway, instead of through the door where she thought he would have been. His PJs were down around his ankles, and he was holding his cock, which was red and swollen.

"Enjoyed the show, I hope?"

Steven smirked, nodding. "I took a chance that my wife, who moaned much of the night, might take another trip down the driveway. And, sure enough, I've been watching you stand stark naked at the end of the driveway, and I had a choice. Call out to you, go out there, or enjoy your own enjoyment from here." He took a sip from his coffee as he watched her prepare her cup. "And, I'm not really worried about it. Why? Because no one else here gets a friggin' newspaper. No one will see you." He took another sip, but she didn't fill the silence.

"The thing is," he said, "is that I'm not going to question you about it. Sure, I'd like to tease you unmercifully, but the fact is that I've had a hard-on for about a day and a half. It's not a urinary thing or health related either, I think. I've just been turned on by the sight of you, the smell of you, and, when we're apart, the thought of you."

Hayley gave him tight smile. She could tell he wanted to say more.

"I know that might sound romantic. But it's not. It's earthy. It's carnal. But there's something that keeps holding me back. Maybe there's this notion of saving all my sperm for when it might matter the most, but it's not that either. I figured I'd just build myself to a little orgasm to relieve the stress and not tell you about it, but, try as I might, I can't get my cock to cum. And it's not a mental thing. My thoughts have been as randy they were in high school the last few days. So it's something else. I'm just going to say, based on your morning walks yesterday and today, maybe something is going on, with both you and with me, and I can't wait for it to get here and be over with.

Hayley felt for him. "It started for me a couple of days ago. I'll leave out the details, but there is this presence, I'll say, that maintains a sense of having to wait for Saturday night. I'm excited about it too, though. I don't think there will be any possible way I can disappoint you. There's an urgency about it that I feel to my bones. And I don't know that hormones can account for it. It's just strange. But I know I'm not thrilled by waiting a couple more hours for a party before we can work this out, but there's this..."

Steven interrupted, "There's this sense that the timing will be right, even with that. Destined. Yeah."

Hayley nodded. "Weird, right? I wonder if anyone else feels like that."

"I just want to say, while I'm thinking about it and lest I forget, after whatever wickedness comes this weekend, I hope you keep walking around naked where anyone can see. I enjoyed watching, not to mention your performance. It turns me on more than anything you've ever done."

A dream scene resonated with Hayley that she didn't want to describe. "And, if you saw someone... touch me?"

Steven shook his head for a few moments. "Until now, I'd be in a rage. Now, just you saying that should cause my cock to explode!"

Hayley brought a finger to her chin as if being thoughtful, then cast a glance at his erection. "If you greet me each morning like that," she said, "I just might let you donate my housecoat. But in the winter, it wouldn't be a walk. It would be a run!"

***

When Hayley got to the office, she could tell that it would be a day of "mailing it in." Her body wasn't necessarily accusing her of neglect, but it still wanted... attention? Steven? Thomas? Her memory of her dreams were not as vivid, but her body gave a quick shudder when she touched on how they had made her feel. She couldn't doubt her current need. Approaching it logically, it had to be hormones. That didn't explain Steven, as he'd gone over a week without sex a number of times without being in his present condition. Chemicals? She couldn't think of anything new that they had brought in the house. If she could figure that out, they could package it and sell it. No, there was something... other... involved here.

Sarah. She was home all day. Sarah hadn't been one to talk about intimate things, but... maybe. She had to talk to somebody. Hayley closed her office door and gave Sarah a ring.

"Hi, Sarah. Just, eh, checking in. Two days until the party. Any sign of the new neighbors?"

"Well, no," said Sarah. "But I haven't exactly been out in the yard or watching for them. I've been distracted."

Hayley could tell she wanted to say more. "Well, at this point I'm sure it's not over the Halloween candy decision. What's up?"

"Um," said Sarah. "I've had this weird thing going on, and I was going to try finding answers on the internet, but..." Hayley could sense Sarah was debating what to say. "I'll just get to it. Does your husband look at adult sites?"

That was the least likely thing Hayley would ever expect Sarah to ask. "Um, not that I know of. We just have the one computer..."

"Well, I didn't think Jason did. And there's this... stuff. Bookmarked pages. I'm so angry with him, but... Hayley, it's like I can't look away. What these women are doing..."

"Sarah," Hayley interrupted softly, "You can't compare yourself to models and whoever."

"No, it's not that. I may be short, but I'm not insecure. It's just that, I'm messed up right now. I want to be offended by what I see and pissed off at Jason. But, I've had these weird dreams lately..."

"Sex dreams?" Hayley asked.

"Well, yes, but not those romantic dreams that don't come often enough. They're like... sex. It's just about the sex with... Well, and then there's his computer. There's a theme in what he's looking at. It's not something we've ever discussed. So, I'm really confused about how I feel. This isn't me. This isn't us. But it could be? Maybe." Sarah stopped talking.

"Let me guess. You can't stop thinking about it?"

"Yes."

"And the way it makes you feel?"

"Yes." Sarah started crying. "I can't hate him for it. I love him. But I wish he would talk to me about things like this. I've never ever... I don't know, really. I could do some of this if it made him happy. And what's going on with me. Hayley, you know, I mean, everyone knows. We all want to have kids. And I'm sure we're all watching our body temperatures, so you know this weekend is the time. What's different is..."

"What?"

"I'm just feeling overly sensitive, I guess. I'm not sleeping well and..."

"It's all building to something?" asked Hayley.

"How would you... I... yes. And I hope it gets here before it exhausts me."

"I think we're all ready," Hayley said.

"Yes! And Jason, too, the poor guy. Hayley, what's going on?"

Hayley didn't know, but... the only real change in the neighborhood was Thomas. Thomas and what's her name. She didn't have an ominous foreboding about them, but she knew that their arrival brought with it a sensual gravity that was pulling her, and others, to them. Soon.

***

Friday morning was fun. Steven actually walked to the end of the driveway with her, clothed of course. And he brought his cell phone. The time was an oasis of enjoyment for the two of them, taking their mutual sexual stress and finding a temporary relief from it. She had rarely allowed him to take pictures of her, but now... She modelled for him in every way he asked, some quite explicit. It seemed that the boundaries of propriety between them had passed, both in what he asked and what she was willing to do. Twenty-five minutes they were out there, more than doubling her other trips, netting one awesome orgasm in the middle of the cul-de-sac and an untold number of photos. Or video. Whatever he wanted, and she was happy he wanted a lot from her. As far as she knew, no one caught them, though it certainly wasn't dark when they hurried inside.

When she got home from work, the invitation was in her mailbox, written by someone practiced in calligraphy.

Our new friends, join with us

The timing is ideal

Welcome All Hallow's eve

Come Dressed as you feel

*10PM, adults only

It was signed Thomas and Ellie. No last name. Really? She showed the invitation to Steven, who only asked, "Well, how do you feel?"

***

She called Janelle before settling in, but she didn't want to talk. "Hayley, I think after tomorrow, maybe we can talk. Jeff is fairly miserable, I'm tired, and I just want to get a good night's sleep even though I know that's not going to happen. Whatever this is, I'm excited to play along, but I just hope we survive!"

Indeed. And there wasn't a hint from anyone about resisting.

***

Friday hadn't been a restful night, even though Hayley was certain she had slept through it. More dreams. More sex dreams. And these hadn't been with Thomas, though when she thought of his name, a certain thrum resonated in her body. That wasn't unwelcome either. It was more the anticipation of a promise that would finally be delivered. Her body had a need for that, if not for Thomas, then at least the idea of him, though she would never tell Steven that. It would be awkward enough to tell Steven she'd had sex dreams that included everyone on the street.

Although Sarah hadn't said anything specifically about whatever porn was on their computer, Hayley couldn't help but wonder if her own imagination about what Sarah had seen had caused her dreams to become hedonistic. She had sex with everyone. Everyone had sex with her. Everyone had sex with everyone. Single partners. Multiple partners. Steven had been in those scenes too, screwing her, screwing her friends. But the clearest memory of him was standing near her, prideful in her lustful abandon as his friends used her body, stroking his cock furiously and cumming in time with her orgasms. Weirdly, she liked having him watch. Truth. Whether that was a voice or her subconscious, she knew it to be true. She did like him watching. Oh, dear. The dreams had to stop. Sarah was right. They were exhausting.

Steven had had dreams, too, awaking with glassy eyes. She tried to get him to say what they were, but he just shook his head. She wasn't going to let him off that easy.

"Well, then, did your dreams turn you on?" He nodded.

"Did you feel guilty about having them?" He nodded.

"Did you want them to end?"

Finally, he answered. "Not the ones with you in them." He rose from the bed, his cock massive, as big or bigger as she'd ever seen it. She reached to touch it. "No!" he groaned. "It would kill me." He left to go to the bathroom without saying another word.

There were hardly any words between them the rest of the day. A few about lunch, a few about dinner. They could eat. They needed to eat. They just couldn't share what they were feeling. The goosebumps were persistent throughout the day, coming back so quickly she hadn't realized they had gone away. She was overly sensitive to any type of physical stimulation. So, she didn't move much.

The kids stormed through the street starting at six, parents watching from the cul-de-sac as they should. In a few years, maybe that would be them. Steven turned off the porch light at 8:30 when the candy ran out, then blew out the candle in the jack-o'-lantern he'd gotten around to carving late that afternoon. That left an hour and a half. An hour and a half of complete and utter frustration.

"Dress how you feel." Hayley laughed inwardly to herself. Strangely, it was like she had no choice. She wanted as little touching her as possible. Wearing a bra and panties made sense, if she wore nothing else. But she understood that they involved labor, of a sort, to put on and take off. She could wear a swimsuit, one or two pieces, but she knew that was similarly wrong, somehow. She had dresses for formal occasions. They were too heavy and... complicated, was the word that she heard in her head. She didn't even bother to look in her closet for a spring dress. She went to her lingerie drawer and removed a simple satin backless nighty, shiny silver with no other adornments. It had two thin shoulder straps, a deep 'V' between her breasts, and enough fabric to fall just short of covering the bottom of her buns. It covered the bases, but that was all. If there had been a seduction garment when she and Steven were dating, that nighty was it. As she looked at herself in the mirror, the voice in her dreams and in her head and in her body said, Yesss.

Steven, for his part, wore pajama pants and a tank top. She looked at him, and he looked at her, desiring each other, knowing that something was entirely wrong. Steven cocked his head a bit, looking at her, and said, "That's, eh, nice. I don't know that I ever imagined anyone else seeing you in it. But, yeah!"

They slipped into sandals and walked hand in hand the short distance to the Woodman's. They were nudged by a heated breeze that accompanied them through the cool October night to their neighbor's front door, the one with the flickering light.

***

Thomas looked much like she thought he did, the man of her dreams. Only, both he and Ellie were clothed, wearing robes, robes that might be complimentary in a hotel that they, as yet, couldn't afford. Sleek, well cut, just like the two of them. They had manners and a certain grace as they welcomed Hayley and Steven into their house. Janelle's description, "yum yum," was appropriate, only he was more magnificent. Ellie, well, Steven had never dropped his jaw at the sight of another woman, but it that was the effect taking in her beauty. Hayley didn't fault him for it. And if anything, the dreams of the week had stilled any jealous thoughts she might have regarding Steven in... in all of this. Ellie was everything a girl dreamed to be, and every girl would forever fall short of her for having seen her. Skin, bone structure, hair... glow. They both glowed. Not in the sense of lighting a dark room, but there was a vibrancy and vitality about them both.

It took some moments to become aware of the surroundings. The once-familiar den of the Woodman's was now a simplistic open space, with an abundance of large cushions placed against the walls and others of various sizes and shapes placed around. And, there was a small circular table in the center of the room. In the kitchen, she could see pitchers of ice water, glasses and two trays of small fruit slices and grapes. The room was lit by candles, though many others remained unlit, the room colored warm but oddly dim. There was nothing surprising about it, in the same way she had known exactly what to wear. They would all have sex here.

Study them. Appreciate them. She happened to be looking at Ellie and Thomas when she heard the words, but she wasn't certain if they had spoken out loud. The message wasn't coercive in the tone, but she knew it required compliance.

Janelle wore a gown, similar to her own except much longer. Admire them. Her breasts were tight, high, her nipples hard. She had a narrow waist that flared to a sexy butt. Her fingers and toes were long, supple. Her lips begged tasting. Her black hair flowed to the middle of her back. She looked devastating.

Jeff. Jeff. It was unnerving to see him because of what he'd done to her in her dreams, never mind the stories that Janelle had shared about him. He had broad shoulders, a square chin, serious blue eyes and physical strength. Like Steven, not much in body hair. She knew that he could manhandle her in ways that she would like. He was wearing a T-shirt and boxers. He... looked to be in the same uncomfortable condition that Steven was in.

Sarah. Short, with Jason towering above her. She was short waisted, with huge boobs for her size but otherwise petite. Cute nose. Her nipples strained at her cami top, and, and that was all she had felt like wearing. Cute belly button too and hairless between her legs. She maybe wouldn't have expected that from her.

Jason. He was beginning to get a tummy, but he had rugged good looks with his beard and grey eyes. His arms were long, his legs were long, his fingers were long, and his cock was long, his boxer shorts inadequate for holding him in.

Terri wore thigh highs and a transparent sleep shirt. Had that been her seduction outfit? She was thin, with small dark breasts as yet unaffected by gravity. Shoulder length brown hair, and it was a wonder that Chuck didn't break her, given her frame.

Chuck wore silk boxers and nothing else. Athletic, big ears, hairy chest and legs, close cropped hair. A great laugh that offset his intimidating 250 lbs.

Krissa wore a lacy black strapless bustier top with matching panties. Her boobs were pushed up and otherwise had great muscle tone and naturally tan skin. She could model, with her hourglass figure.

And then there was Mike, the whitest black guy she could ever meet. He wore casual shorts and a tacky Hawaiian shirt. The nicest guy on the block, and also the one who was staring at her nipples at the very time. She didn't mind it. He had done much more to her in her dreams. Attractive dark chocolate skin.

Thank you all for coming.

Everyone turned to look to the center of the room where Thomas and Ellie stood.

Let us take a look at Halloween. All Hallow's Eve. Ellie. Her voice was slightly theatrical, narrating. The seasons come. The seasons go. Seasons change. The circle of life, which begins, grows, flowers, and passes away even as new life begins.

Thomas began. The people live to the seasons, in which there is both joy and sorrow. There is life, and there is death. Centuries ago, people worshiped the little gods, making sacrifices, asking for bounty in all things or to assuage the anger of those gods who controlled the sun, the water, the earth and the air.

Ellie's voice again, her lips... moving? The air shimmered around them both. There is a season for sowing, and another for harvesting. The people sought to gain the favor of the Aos Si, to ensure that their people and their livestock survived the winter. Food and drink were left at the little gods' doorsteps. They were spoken of as "good neighbors" who, though always present, came closer to the world at dawn and dusk when they were easier to encounter. The people were careful to avoid angering or insulting the Aos Si, Ellie emphasized, lest retribution follow.