WitchHart: Dark Temptation

"What?"

Darla kisses Will on the cheek, then backs off a bit. "I see you always trying to do the right thing. Well, what has that gotten you? Dumped by a girlfriend who was using you and lied to by a man who has always told you to be honest. They may still be your friends now, but Hammer and the other Whitecaps will follow Audrey's lead when your latest victory wears off."

"I thought you were trying to make me feel better."

"It's called a reality check, the sooner you face the truth, the sooner you'll be free."

Will sits back in his seat. "Ok, what reality do I have to face?"

Darla leans in, "you're not supposed to always do the right thing." She then gives Will a deep, lustful kiss and places her hand over his growing cock. Will lets out a soft moan as their lips part. "I... I want to... I'm just not sure if I should."

"Stop overthinking it Will, don't worry about what happens tomorrow or the next day and so on. What do you want in this moment?"

"I... want to go upstairs."

"That sounds wonderful," Darla purrs while continuing to rub Will's member. "But I have a better idea." She motions to the driver's side with her free hand, "may I?" Will lets out a moan and nods. "This is going to be a night you'll never forget."

A few blocks away, tears flow and makeup runs on Audrey's face as she stumbles along a sidewalk. Will!" The emotional teen cries out as she staggers her way onto a crosswalk. "I'm so Sorry... she made me."

Down the street, Madison's ruby lips are wrapped around her boyfriend's hard cock. The distracted Hammer does not notice Audrey in front of his car before it's too late. A loud, echoing thud sends the blonde flying over the hood and through the windshield. Hammer and Madison scream out in horror as the car screeches to a halt.

Chapter Nine

"What are we doing at Pryce Manor?" Will asks between pleasure filled moans."

Darla guides the car through an opened area of the fence while continuing to rub Will's bulge with her free hand. "Do you remember the private party I was going to have before my reinstatement?" Will nods while moaning again. After parking, Darla helps Will walk with one arm while holding a flashlight with the other. "I found something when I came here for research," she explains as they move to the door.

Will puts most of his weight on the good leg, uses the door frame for stability and limps inside while Darla holds the broken door. "What did you find?"

Darla discreetly makes a waving motion with her hand before following Will inside. "A place to relax and clear my head. The motel is great, but surrounded by activity most of the time and for obvious reasons the boat isn't an option." Outside, Darla's enthralled workers mindlessly walk into the woods.

Madison embraces her parents as they enter the bustling crash site. Some medics tend to a slightly injured Hammer while others close Audrey's body bag. "It was an accident," a tearful Madison explains in Anne's arms.

Eldridge gazes around the scene, then closes his eyes." What is it dear?"

The priest reopens them and places a hand on his distraught daughter's head. "I should have sensed this earlier."

Madison's voice suddenly takes on a dark, raspy tone, "you're no match for her priest!"

With a hand still on his daughter's head, Eldridge says a phrase in Latin, "Ego mittitur ex tenebris spiritus, in nomine Dei." Madison let's out a gasp as her eyes widen and briefly flash green.

Her face is filled with horror. "What have I done?"

"It's alright dear, you're free now."

"What was that?" Anne asks while consoling her daughter.

"An old trick from another life," Eldridge explains. "Madison, do you know who did this to you?"

Suddenly, Hammer breaks away from the medics and charges towards the priest. "Leave her alone!"

Eldridge turns and meets the disturbed teen with a hand on his forehead. "Ego mittitur ex tenebris spiritus, in nomine Dei!" Hammer's eyes widen and flash green before he collapses on the ground. Father Eldridge waves for the medics, turns back to his daughter and in a calm, soothing tone asks again, "who did this to you?"

Madison's head tilts slightly and her eyes dart back and forth as she tries to remember. Then, in a whisper between tears, "Darla."

Father Eldridge gives his family a warm hug before pulling back and addressing Anne. "There is something I must do. Have Madison checked out, then take her home." Anne nods and ushers her daughter to the side as Eldridge gets in the station wagon and drives away.

"Welcome to my sanctum," Darla says as they enter a room in the manor's stone basement. Will looks around while sitting on the emerald sheeted bed. The space is lit by a trio of hung camping lanterns. A stand beside the bed contains a cassette player and a thick, unlit candle made from green wax. "You must come down here a lot," Will says while motioning to the candle. "It's halfway used up."

Darla smiles," As you can see, I have been here often, however, I haven't used the candle yet. It was like that when I found it."

"So," Will nervously continues, "your plan was to have a private party in this old basement?"

Darla briefly exits into an adjacent room and returns with a bottle of red wine. "I didn't say it was going to be a happy," she pauses to open the bottle and take a sip, "or sober party." As Will lets out a small laugh, Darla moves closer and extends the wine to her guest. "Perhaps you can help remedy one of those things for me." Will smiles and takes the bottle.

Silence in the dark room #6 is suddenly broken by the sound of jangling keys just outside the door. This is followed by a large click and Father Eldridge entering the room. He flips on the light and looks around for clues to Darla's location. "Bit of a slob," he says while uncomfortably moving through the teens scattered clothes. Then, he spots the edge of a book beneath a stained catsuit. Carefully, he pulls the book away from the garment. Eldridge's eyes widen upon looking at a page recounting the events of Pryce Manor in 1970. The priest lets out a gasp when he reads a handwritten note under the printed text. "Will and Darla Hart, King and Queen Of Darkness." Eldridge immediately drops the book and rushes out of the room.

The lanterns have been dimmed to a faint flicker and the green candle lit as Will and Darla trade sips of wine between deep, lustful kisses. When the bottle is empty, a drunk Will falls back on the emerald sheets. Darla gives another deep kiss while she slowly lowers his slacks. When Will's hard, throbbing cock is fully released, Darla gently transitions from the kiss to a deep throated blow job that makes her lover cum immediately. "I'm sorry Will says when Darla rises up and wipes his cream from her lips.

"It's ok, that was just an appetizer.

"But... I... I'm used up now."

Darla brushes her hand over Will's limp member and it responds with a small pulse. "Don't let that blonde goodie fool you. A real woman can get an encore performance." The seductive redhead pushes play on the cassette player and a rock song with foreign lyrics begins.

"What are they saying?"

"I don't know," Darla lies, "I just like the beat." The seductive redhead slowly begins to sway her body to the music while caressing her breasts. One pulse is followed by another and another as Will's cock comes back to life. It reaches full mast when Darla's emerald gown drops to the floor. "Are you ready?"

"Yes."

Darla steps out of the fallen gown, slips from her heels and seductively moves onto the bed. She strokes Will's revitalized member while rubbing her stocking clad legs over his. Will is lost in a haze of drunken lust as the song's catchy foreign chorus echoes through his mind. "Tempus est nye enim natum est, de prophetia eligere viam."

Darla gives Will a deep kiss, pulls back and shifts on top of him. Her wet, dripping pussy hoveres just above his hard cock. "Do you want inside me?"

"Yes."

"What we are about to do is not that light, flirty crap you did with her."

Will lets out a wanting moan, "I... I know."

"What I am about to do to you is twisted and dark. Do you want that?"

His senses are blurred by the wine, music, lust, and emotions from the past few days, Will moans again and replies, "yes... I want it!"

Say it Will Hart! Say you want the darkness!"

On the cusp, the prophesized product of perfect light and dark is pushed over the edge when juices from Darla's hovering, dripping sex flow onto his hard, wanting cock. "I want the darkness!"

Darla discreetly glances at the mirror where a brief shimmer of green indicates her cohort's approval of the declaration. "Then you shall have it." Darla lowers herself onto Will and both cry out in pure lust as he thrusts deep inside her. In their haze of ecstasy, neither lover notices the candle's flame and those from the lanterns turn green.

Outside, Eldridge hears the music. "I hope I'm not too late."

Out of tape, the music has stopped. Will and Darla lie spent on the bed with their exhausted pants echoing through the room. "What have you done?" A horrified Father Eldridge asks as he slowly enters.

The mirror fills with green flame as Victoria's disembodied voice begins to devilishly cackle. "Your too late priest! The choice has been made!"

Holding his head, Will sits up. "What's going on?"

"Please tell me she's lying."

"It's not a lie old man," Darla answers as she sits up. "He chose darkness."

Eldridge steps back as Victoria reveals herself in the mirror. "You failed, William's fate is sealed!"

Will, still feeling the effects of earlier, darts his eyes back and forth between his dad and the ghostly woman. Slowly, he puts it together. "Oh no... she... she's right."

"No," Eldridge fires back, "a green candle and words don't decide fate! It's your actions that define you."

"His words are hollow William," Victoria counters, "a desperate attempt to cover his failure."

Will turns to Darla, "was everything between us a lie?"

Darla slips off the bed and backs towards the wall. "Not all of it. I truly have feelings for you, always have. Desperate in my need for vengeance on those who wronged me, I came here to cast a spell from an old book I found." Darla points at Victoria. "She appeared and offered me a path to revenge... and... you."

"Don't let her fool you," Victoria explains. "She has proven to be a cruel and cunning cohort. Her father, Daz, Miss Jenkins, all inspired plots. However, her real genius was twisting elements of your life."

"Shut up! "Darla screams.

"Don't play innocent child, creating tension with Eldridge, taking away football, and best of all, manipulating his friends and sister to push him right into your arms."

Will gets out of bed with an angry scowl and limps to Darla. "You'll pay for what you've done! I will repair what's been broken while you rot in a cell!"

Victoria laughs, "there's one thing he won't repair, or should I say person. "Right Father?"

Will turns to his dad, "what's she talking about?"

Eldridge shakes his head, "not now."

"Don't be shy priest, tell him about Audrey's accident and who caused it."

Will looks deep into his father's eyes and knows a look he's seen a thousand times. He falls to his knees and cries out, no!"

"Enough!" Eldridge screams as he approaches a cackling Victoria. "It's time for you to go!" He then takes a pointed cross from his bag and drives it into the mirror. Cracking glass is followed by a green flash that dissolves Victoria's image away. When Eldridge turns to help Will, the room fills with Victoria's sinister laugh followed by another green flash in the mirror that sends Father Eldridge's cross flying into his back.

"Did you think it would be that easy?"

As Will tends to his injured dad, a conflicted Darla darts her eyes between them and the cracked mirror filled with green flames. "Get him out of here," she says to Will.

Will shoots the redhead a cold stare as he stands with Eldridge. "This doesn't change anything!"

"I know," Darla replies as the injured father and son help each other out of the room. She then grabs a lantern and tosses it onto the bed. "Since you're bonded with the house, you can burn with it!" As flames grow on the bed and begin to spread, Darla moves to follow the others. A sudden pulse of green energy from the broken mirror sends her flying against the wall.

"You're going to burn with me!"

Outside, Will and Eldridge stumble onto the yard as the fire quickly spreads through the rotting manor. From the ground, Eldridge looks at his son, then back at the burning structure. "Darla."

"Let her burn," Will replies in an enraged tone.

Eldridge places his hands on the ground in an attempt to get up. "No, we have to be better than that." Slowly he gets up and takes two staggered steps towards the manor before falling back down. "William," he pleads while looking back, "be better." Will swallows his pain and slowly rises. Placing the majority of his weight on the good leg, he limps to his dad and offers to help him up. "I'll be fine son, save her."

Will rips a section of his shirt and uses it for a facemask for the growing smoke as he limps into the inferno. Each step is agonizing, but he grits through the pain and moves forward. Darla has managed to claw her way through Victoria's attacks to the den. However, she's passed out from smoke inhalation. Will bends down and nudges the redhead, "you have to wake up... I need you to wake up."

"Darla briefly comes to and faintly whispers, "I'm sorry," before fading back to unconsciousness.

"Leave her!" Victoria's disembodied voice cries out. "She's served her purpose."

Overwhelmed with heat, smoke and pain, Will lets out a deep, powerful yell. "I will not give up!" Green flames appear in Will's eyes as a matching flame engulfs his injured ankle. With full strength, he hoists Darla over his shoulders.

Victoria's voice booms, "very good grandson, "you are going to be a powerful Pryce."

Will takes a deep breath and replies, "my name is William Hart! My fate will be decided by my actions!"

Victoria's shrills of rage fade away as Will carries Darla out of the house. Once they are a safe distance, his green magic fades and he collapses onto the lawn. Lying next to him, Eldridge, about to succumb to his injury, smiles at his son before drifting into death. Will blacks out to the sound of approaching sirens.

Epilogue

A gentle spring breeze moves tossed caps through the air as Pine Bay's Class of 1988 celebrates their accomplishment. Hammer and Madison pose for a picture from Anne as the football field fills with parents and loved ones doing the same for their graduate. After a few more photos, the trio move to the parking lot. Waiting for them is a smiling Will. He's leaned against his El Camino. The decals have been removed and blue paint replaced with black. "Congrats," Will says to the grads."

Hammer gives his friend a hug. "You too, a week early."

Anne and Madison share an embrace with Will. "You didn't have to transfer," Madison says. "Authorities believed our story about Darla going nuts and causing everything with hallucinogenic drugs."

"True," Will replies," I'm aware and hope the doctors at Pineview can help her. I just thought it best to finish the year elsewhere."

Anne smiles, "I understand, is the room in Springville ok? If not, I could..."

"It's fine mom, tell the church board thanks for me."

"So," Madison asks, "what's next?"

Will motions to his braced ankle. "As expected, offers vanished when recruiters found out it would never heal properly. But I think I'll find a smaller school and figure out a new path while knocking out general classes."

"I have something that can help with that," Anne says while holding up a finger, "give me a sec."

After going to her car, Anne returns with a manila envelope and hands it to Will. His eyes widen upon opening it.

"I don't understand, the manor was destroyed."

"The manor yes, trust fund, no."

"But... they were evil."

"True, The Pryce's chose to use their wealth for evil." Anne places a hand on her son's shoulder. "You can do better, be better."

After another embrace with his family and Hammer, Will moves to his driver's door. "Not so fast," Anne says while getting in the passenger's seat.

"Yeah," Madison echoes as she and Hammer get into the back. "You're not going back to Springville today. We just graduated and it's time to celebrate."

"Will smiles and gets in the car. "Alright, where we going?"

Anne sees a picture of Father Eldridge taped to Will's dash and smiles at her son, "you choose." Will nods, brings the car to life and drives away as afternoon sun glistens off of the bay.

The End