Future of Porn

“Special thanks to Sandy for the edit and direction.”

*Chapter 1 – The Artists*

It was a nice touch and a great way to end two semesters of study. Their instructor had decided to hold a formal charity event and put the art work on display, even though the artists were only amateurs.

Nick was dressed in a black tux, holding a glass of wine in one hand. His petite wife, Nancy, hung from his other arm as they walked from room to room taking in the different pieces of student art. Nick was positively glowing at the encouraging comments he overheard from the viewers that milled around admiring the pieces.

Nancy gave his arm a squeeze, sensing his pride and sharing it. She had every right to feel proud of him. She knew Nick had always been interested in art, but now she was getting a firsthand view of what she only heard about.

“These are good Nick.”

“Oh we can thank Julie for that,” He replied modestly. “She’s a first class tutor.”

“No Nick, I mean these are very good,” She smiled up at him. “And it’s not all down to Julie. It’s “your” talent she’s refined, but the finished piece is still “yours”!”

“Hold on a minute!” He chuckled, “It’s not all my stuff you know.”

They moved on to a second room arm in arm. Julie had rented a full house for the show. It was quite professionally done using lots of track-lighting on the ceiling designed to focus on the items being displayed on the walls. Each room highlighted a class project for the month, displaying a number of different pieces that were created by each of the students. Julie was the one who selected the pieces, framed and mounted the work on the walls. Each room sported a different theme. There was the watercolors room depicting ’still life’ using the standard vase setting, surrounded by flowers near a window. Another room contained abstract oils that captured nothing but colors, texture, and light. A third contained canvases with different items glued to the matting to project texture, accented with splashes of oil where the artist decided it was needed.

Nancy was all smiles, spouting an endless stream of questions, especially when she came upon an item that had Nick’s name on it.

“It appears that retirement has been good for you.” Nancy said, as she moved closer to one of his pieces on the wall.

Nick was able to retire at fifty-five, earlier than most. His business had done well and he was able to sell it off to his partners to retire. Early retirement provided him the opportunity to do all the things he wanted to do, but could not in his younger years. Nick had dabbled a bit in art while at college, knew that he enjoyed this outlet, having received good grades and feedback. He also recognized that he would never be able to live off the wages of being an artist. The desire was always there, but his working life never allowed him any extra minutes to even try.

Last summer Nick found he had the time and told Nancy that he wanted to enroll in an advanced art study course at the University. She thought he was nuts at first, but the first semester moved into the second Nancy found that she enjoyed her own personal time while he was away for a few hours at the college. She slipped from his arm to examine a piece more closely and Nick’s mind wandered, reflecting on the past year.

The class was made up of people that ranged from twenty years of age to sixty. Most all of the students were women, with only one other man besides Nick. You could say that these women were not shy about almost anything. It was not unusual for Julie and a number of the students to adjourn to the local bar after the class to discuss the project and life in general. This discussion group quickly became comfortable enough with each other that they could speak freely during these evening sessions.

The course covered many different aspects of art focusing on the use of different media and tools. It was almost eight months later when they moved into figurative studies using only paper, pencils, and chalk. Julie had taken the group to a retreat in that final week to get away from the distractions of everyday life, to focus only on art.

Nick’s mind was drifting back to the art show and as he looked up he found Nancy striding quickly toward him with a great big smile. She took his hand and dragged him toward another room. “I want you to explain the art in the next room.”

Nick thought he knew what was coming. “At least she was smiling.” Not that he expected anything less from her.

In the room were a number of pencil studies. In each of these pieces there were one or more models depicted. Nancy knew the retreat had involved drawing live models. Now she was seeing the results of that retreat and wanted to know more.

Nancy walked him up to one picture showing a woman in a full length coat, unbuttoned, and standing by a sliding glass door. In front of her was a desk and behind the desk was a man. Apart from the coat the woman was wearing, both models were naked.

“Nick, tell me about this picture.” Nancy prodded in a playful voice.

***** ***** ***** *****

It was the last week of the final project. Julie had taken all that would go on a six day retreat off into the country. They had labeled themselves the ‘Core Five’: Liz, Christy, Vickie, Rebecca and Nick. Julie had rented a Bed & Breakfast three hours from the city, set deep in the countryside. She had used the establishment in the past and the owners were comfortable with a home full of wannabe artists. Upstairs were the bedrooms. The barn out back had been converted into a studio. Its main room sported a thirty-foot ceiling surrounded by numerous windows, and large enough to support a group three times the size of theirs. Adjacent to the main room were a number of smaller rooms filled with props that could be used to set up a scene for just about any study.

They had traveled down the previous night and Nick was first up and into the studio the next morning. There he found a table set up by the window, draped with cloth and an assortment of vases, flowers, and different pottery. The window was selected to allow the sun to stream in, providing a rainbow of texture and reflections. Surrounding the display were easels, drawing tools and chairs for each of the students. Nick had already selected a station and was seated when Julie and a couple of the other students walked in.

“Good morning. Take a seat at any one of the easels and we will get started shortly.” Julie instructed. “When everyone is here, I have an announcement.”

About fifteen minutes later all the students had arrived and were seated. Julie addressed the group. “I know I told you that we were coming out here to study the human form. The model I had hired came down sick and he had to back out from working the week.”

A low grumble of disappointment could be heard from the others, when Vickie blurted out. “I was going to get to draw a naked man and now I’m not, damn!” The other women laughed at Vickie’s comment.

“I am sorry. I tried to find a replacement last night, but came up short.” Julie sounded genuinely frustrated and Nick could well imagine her making frantic telephone calls until she ran out of options.

“How about using Nick as our model?” Liz shouted out. Bringing another round of high spirited remarks from the women.

Nick could feel the blush rise in his cheeks while he sat quietly, not wanting to acknowledge Liz’s suggestion. Nick thought to himself, “I have only been naked in front of my wife and I have no desire to be naked in front of a room full of women. Especially these women. If you had a flaw, they would paint it.”

“Yes, why not Nick!” Chimed in Christy, the youngest of the class.

“I really don’t think that would be a very good idea.” Nick finally answered.

“Too bad. I would enjoy drawing you in ways that might make you look better than you thought.” Answered Liz. Drawing another round of naughty remarks and laughter from the women.

“Okay, ladies. I think we have embarrassed Nick enough this morning.” Julie cut-in. “We have our study in front of you and we need to get started before we lose the morning light.”

The laughter died and the group turned to the work at hand with Julie giving the class her final instructions on how to proceed and what she was expecting to see from their work.

***** ***** ***** *****

That evening the ‘Core Five’ remained in the barn with Julie as Liz broke out three bottles of wine and six glasses. Nick had thought the conversation earlier that day had ended, he was wrong. As the wine flowed so did the conversation, drifting back to the lack of a model.

“I really think you would make a great model Nick.” Liz said looking over her glass of wine directly at Nick.

Nick wasn’t sure if he really liked Liz. She was the most outspoken amongst them, and at fifty-nine she was also the eldest in the group. At five-foot-ten, Liz was a tall woman and was always dressed in some expensive outfit. She wore her graying brunette hair short, helping to present the authority figure that Liz liked to project. She was married to a CEO and had risen to a vice-president’s position in her own company. Now retired, her expectations had not changed. When she spoke, she was use to having everyone agree with her and always tried to impose her will on the class, something Nick found objectionable. He was about to voice his objection when Christy interrupted him.

“I agree.” Christy chimed in.

Startled, Nick turned to look at the youngest member of their group. Christy was twenty-five. Her long blond hair hung in a ponytail from beneath her baseball hat. She was always dressed in jeans, which hid those slender long legs, and a top that never reached her pants. She usually didn’t say much in the class, but when she did, she reaffirmed that she was the least experienced. Yet she was sincere, and that fact endeared her to the group.

“So do I.” Vickie said, looking Nick squarely in the eye after setting her glass down.

There was a mischievous glint in her eye that Nick found immediately uncomfortable; maybe it was the wine, he couldn’t be sure, or maybe it was something else. He sometimes suspected that she might be sweet on him, but there was always the strongest likelihood that he was seriously mistaken so he didn’t ponder such possibilities.

Vickie was thirty-eight and married. She had a career that she loved and then gave it up to raise kids. She had come to the class to provide an outlet, a break from her daily home routine. Her art was good. If she had something to say, she said it. But generally she sat quietly and focused on her work. Nick loved to watch her come into the class, sporting that wiry Irish red hair, dressed is some old slacks, loafers, sporting a loose blouse that hung over her pants, hiding some larger assets.

Nick was getting it from all directions. But he was totally surprised when Julie, his earlier ally, switched sides by saying… “You know, they are right. You would make a wonderful model.”

“Now wait a minute, ladies.” Nick cut-in, “It is one thing to be on that side of the easel, making a fool of myself. It is quite another to be sitting naked in front of a room full of women making a fool of myself. Besides, you really need a younger man.”

“Oh, I think you are dead wrong.” Julie replied. “You have a very distinct jaw that projects power and given that full set of hair, though it is turning gray, it is turning in all the right places. I have used a lot of different models and I would say that you would be more natural than most.”

“I too think you would make a great model.” Rebecca finally joined the consensus of opinion.

Nick did not say a word. He now realized that it was five against one. As his head turned to look at Rebecca, he blushed. The five women did not miss the redness of his face and they chuckled.

Rebecca was in her early thirties, she was once married and none of them were sure if she was currently married. She always wore her hair up in a bun and Nick thought when he first met her she might be a librarian by trade. Whereas in fact, he discovered that she was a photographer. The was something about Rebecca that Nick really warmed to, he couldn’t quite place what it was about her because there was so much about her that was a mystery to him. He enjoyed looking at her and yearned to see her jet black hair down around her shoulders. She always wore something dull and conservative, moving from slacks, to a long dress, but most times a skirt that skimmed the floor and a long sleeve blouse. She didn’t say much even during the evening sessions, unless she had a question or something important to say. But at the end of each project, as the class walked around to view the other’s art, her pieces drew the most favorable comments from the class. She had the photographer’s eye for light and detail.

“In my younger years I might have agreed with you, but now with the extra weight, I don’t think I’m model material.” Nick finally answered.

“We are here to study the human form and most human forms are not perfect, which makes you the perfect model for our class!” Julie was quick to retort. It was as though she had anticipated his answer, and Nick had walked into her carefully rehearsed trap.

She had definitely caught Nick off guard and he did not answer her right away. He had started to dig himself into an early grave and he wanted out. As his mind groped blindly for an escape route, he finally found one that he hoped would put the question to bed. “Okay, I’ll do it only if one of you ladies will also pose with me!”

The five of them sat silently for a while. They turned to look at each other and then a common smile spread between them. It was as if they had just shared telepathic experience and reached a consensus agreeable to all. Nick’s heart shrank as Christy vocalized her opinion.

“Deal – I’ll do it!”

Julie again took over the conversation. “Good. I will work on how you will be posed. We will need to set a scene that you can remain comfortable in for ten to twenty minutes at a time. Once set, you will need to remain still and not move; otherwise no one will be able to draw. You can use any of the props from the other rooms to set up a scene and you will be able to talk. You cannot move after we set the pose. Is that agreed?”

“I definitely agree.” Said Christy.

With that a round of applause erupted from the five ladies. Nick’s bluff had been called, and he was now going to be held accountable for his remarks.

“Okay… okay… I agree.” Nick answered while starting to get out of his seat. “And I think I have had enough wine for tonight, so before I get into anymore trouble, I will say goodnight and take this up with you all tomorrow.”

“Get some good rest.” Said Liz. “You may need it tomorrow when you are posing.”

Nick got up from his chair and moved out of the room, catching a number of goodnights from the five women, along with some giggles. It was clear the women were still in the mood to talk. Nick needed to put this behind him and escape to his room.

***** ***** ***** *****

Nick made his way quickly by foot out of the room and slowed as he reached the stairs. Now away from the women his mind drifted deep into thought as he climbed the stairs slowly back to his room. As he shut the door, he was contemplating what might happen tomorrow.

“Looking at a naked woman would be nice.” But being looked at as the only naked man did not settle well with him. “They will not just be looking. They will be drawing me, naked! And what if someone would recognize me in the picture? Oh My God!”

“When I am in a room full of people, I feel very comfortable dressed in a nice pair of slacks and a solid long sleeve shirt with the collar open. Now thinking about me walking into the same room, naked. I’m not sure I can do this. I am just not sure.”

Nick had stripped down to his boxer shorts and was staring into the mirror while he brushed his teeth. He studied the reflection in the mirror. An older retired man was looking back. Nancy had stroked his ego when he made love to her by telling him how sexy he looked, but those remarks came through the eyes of a loving wife. These women were not his wife and he had the feeling they would be telling him something different. They would be telling him the truth, and he was not sure he wanted to hear the truth.

“Should I call Nancy and ask her for her advice? No! She will probably think there is some kind of orgy going on up here and only get worried. It was bad enough just thinking about doing this, I am not going to tell Nancy. At least not right now.”

“How am I going to get out of this? Maybe with a little sleep I will be fresh enough to come up with a clever excuse.”

He laid his head down on the pillow, still deep in thought. His mind remained active with of all sorts of thoughts running wild. He had almost convinced himself that he would never fall asleep, when his tired body succumbed, and he drifted off to sleep.

***** ***** ***** *****

When Nick left the room and was safely out of hearing range, the women’s conversation changed slightly.

“I wouldn’t mind modeling with Nick!” Rebecca, normally so quiet, suddenly spoke up.

“Since we are here for a full week, I think it might be a good idea if you all took a turn. Then you all would have some *skin* in the game, so to speak, and Nick might not feel like we are picking on him.” Interjected Julie.

Julie was clearly the instructor and she told you that with the way she dressed, the way she spoke, and way she ran her class. Julie was forty-three, and had experience life enough to know what she wanted and needed from herself and her students. She was small in size, standing only five-two, but knew when she needed to take charge and she took control even if she had to look up at you and tell you what she wanted. She always wore some crazy old hat and loved the color orange. Sometimes you had to look hard to find that color, but it was somewhere on her body.

“Vickie… Liz…do you agree?” Asked Julie.

“Yeah, I agree. Why should I let Christy have all the fun?” Liz blurted out realizing that this was going in a direction that she could not control. “I agree only if I can go first.” Liz added. Her mind was racing as she looked around the room and realized that she was no match for these younger women. To minimize her embarrassment, she needed to be first.

“Okay, you can go first.” Julie quickly answered, not wanting Liz to have too much time to change her mind.

“I’m okay, since we are all doing it.” Answered Vickie. “But what should I wear?” This brought a round of laughter from each of the women. Vickie laughed at herself after she understood how absurd her comment sounded.

“How about a little wager?” Everyone suddenly became silent and looked at Rebecca expectantly. “I have a little game in mind and I wonder if the rest of you would like to play?”

They leaned forward conspiratorially. All eyes watchful as Rebecca slowly revealed what she had in mind, her hands dancing in the air like a conductor leading an orchestra as she emphasized her point. They listened with fascinated interest, the bold brashness of what she was proposing was not lost on any of them for a moment. Even Julie, their tutor, who was supposed to be impartial to these kinds of things, found herself being swept along by the tide of Rebecca’s proposal.

Rebecca continued to explain her plan, dropping her voice to make sure no one outside the room could hear. As she spoke the women slowly moved their positions closer, making sure they did not miss a single word. From outside the room it almost appeared as if the group was growing smaller in size as each woman inched her way closer to Rebecca. Then, suddenly, the group exploded with shrieks of laughter and loud applause as Rebecca finished and they finally understood.

Her eyes were locked on Raven’s as she felt Katrina’s long nailed fingers dig deep into her buttocks. The redhead thrust her face deeper into her mound hungrily feasting on Gemma’s seemingly never ending excitement. The twins drew her aching nipples deeper still into their mouths as their lips clamped around her distended areolae cupping the swell of her large breasts in their small hands. As they suckled hungrily on her their tongues teased around her swollen sore wounded teats sending painful thrills through her. Tearing vainly against her unrelenting bonds her eyes locked on Raven as the other three girls renewed their efforts in her most recent violation Gemma realised she was going to come again. Suddenly she squealed in anguish as another orgasm built torturously within her already wrecked nervous system. Even in the midst of her climax Gemma knew all she wanted now was to caress Raven, to satisfy her tormentor was her only desire now. Her strongest urge was to plunge her face between those wicked thighs to devour and taste the creature’s arousal. But helpless her body writhed on the bronze star as once more she climaxed. The orgasm was less intense than the last thankfully and was brief but still made her scream with passion and pain.

As soon as she had finished coming the three girls fell away as one leaving her hanging limply once more. She was delirious, she felt weak, gasping for breath Gemma was totally lost in a state of exhaustion and extreme sexual bliss. She hung on the structure vaguely unaware of the discomfort she felt or her surroundings, her adoring eyes could see only Raven before her and she was totally oblivious to the rest of the chamber.

Unnoticed by her captivated gaze the twins moved noiselessly around to the back of the sacrificial structure. In her dazed and weak state it took some time for Gemma to become aware that her ankles were being untied and pain ripped through her as her legs dangled numb and lifeless beneath her. No sooner had she managed to comprehend this when she found herself all of a sudden slipping from the structure and plummeting to the floor. The girls had cut through the straps of leather attached to her wrists allowing her to drop heavily and painfully to the stone floor. Her whole body was screaming in anguished torment as her joints moved freely for the first time in what seemed hours, she couldn’t prevent herself collapsing heavily upon her knees. In exhausted agony she slumped in front of the bronze structure, despite her most valiant effort Gemma managed to raise only her head she gazed up adoringly at her tormentor. The look she received in return from the creature made her insides quiver with excitement, clearly even though Gemma was in such a distraught state Raven was not finished with her yet. Gemma’s tortured body took advantage of the brief pause to bolster her resources and begin to repair what damage it could and she felt her strength slowly flowing back though she was still very weak.

We had a few drinks and of course Glen grabbed my ass and kissed me in front of everyone. I guess he wanted them to know I belonged to him.

We headed up the rest of the way to his - and now, of course - our home. When we got to the middle of the mountain, there were two houses. We drove through an open gate with a steel sign above it saying, “Ravens-Glen.”

One of the houses looked brand new, a long ranch type with a fenced in pool and three car garage. This was a beautiful looking place. The other house sat upon a hill maybe fifty yards from the newer house. It looked like it was ripped out of the pages of the movie, “Psycho.” It was an old two story but did have a newer garage built next to it.

I looked over at Glen and asked, “Which house is yours?

“Both of them. Doris and the twins live in the new house and you and I will be living in the old mansion. It was willed to me by my grandparents. You’ll love it, believe me; it’s full of antiques and old pictures and everything.” He was smiling at me.

I didn’t want to hurt his feelings; I was not an antique lover. I bounced from house to house, foster parent to foster parent. Old pictures of people I didn’t know didn’t do a lot for me. I couldn’t hurt Glen’s feelings; it would be too cruel. Besides I now was going to be part-owner of a house of my own, even though it looked like a Halloween mansion.

As we drove up to the newer house, out came two men that could have passed for Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum, from Alice in Wonderland. They were both built like pears and had their heads shaved. There was his sister, Doris, a really hard looking country woman, wearing a dress but no bra, probably no panties either.

Glen got out and rubbed his brothers’ heads and then gave his sister a hug and kiss. It didn’t look too sisterly but I just noticed them when they separated. I could have sworn he grabbed her ass. God, I hope not.

He introduced me to everyone. Doris gave me a chilled hello but the twins with minds of six year olds couldn’t believe my red hair. I really couldn’t tell Larry and Harry apart. One of them asked if he could touch my hair. I wasn’t sure what to do. I’ve never been around retarded adults before. Glen said to let them feel my hair. They would never hurt me.

I leaned over and they both started rubbing my head. For some strange reason I wasn’t afraid of these two big guys. They were just like two big kids. I gave them both a hug and told them it was nice to meet them. They both kissed me on the cheek. Doris kind of kept her distance. She talked a lot to Glen but hardly gave me the time of day.

Our first night together was again special. The old house made all kinds of creepy noises but I wasn’t afraid. I was busy making love to Glen. When I asked him about all the house noises, he said it was probably his grandparents watching us and deciding to do the same thing. I told Glen that his grandpa would be worn out by morning. We both laughed as he pumped his hard cock into my waiting moist pussy.

Our first night together was great but the house still was pretty creepy with all the old furniture and pictures of people from God knows how many years ago. I did feel safe because Glen was there.

The following day we headed off into town. We were headed to see his attorney.

Glen said, “I want to make sure that you know I love you.” He had both houses transferred into our names and had a will made out as me being the lone beneficiary.

I told him, “You don’t need to do anything like that, Honey. What about Doris and the twins?”

“There are provisions in my will to make sure they are well taken care of.”

After doing the legal stuff, he headed to the car dealer. He told me to pick out any car I wanted.

I couldn’t believe it. I have never owned anything and here I was picking out a car. I went to the used car department and he told me to get a new car. The used ones were driven too hard on the mountains and he wanted me safe. I explained to him that I knew nothing about cars except I had to have an automatic. I never drove a stick shift vehicle before. He started smiling. I think the word stick shift meant something else to him.

I asked him to pick out the car for me and I would say yes or no to the color. He picked out a PT Cruiser in a red color.

“Take the red one. It matches your beautiful flaming red hair.”

“The car is awesome and I love it and I love you,” I told Glen.

We went into town and had dinner while they prepped my new car. I felt like I had died and gone to heaven. I drove my new car very slowly up the mountain to my new home. It was a little scary driving this road for the first time. As we drove through the town with Glen following me in his truck, I honked my horn at everyone I saw. They all waved back. Life was getting better.

When we drove up to the house Larry and Harry came running out. They were like two excited little kids even though they were grown men. They asked for a ride and I told them to hop in the back and to buckle up. I asked Doris if she wanted to come along and she gave me a stern look and said, “No, thanks.” I felt sorry for Glen. He was really trying to get us all together but Doris was being a bitch.

Anyway, the boys and I drove around for a half hour. They asked for ice cream but I told them they couldn’t have it in the new car. I stopped at the store and went in and bought some to take home for the boys. Again they were two happy campers.

When we got back we all went into their house. Glen and Doris were there talking. Glen must have said something to her; she was a little nicer to me. I asked the boys where the bowls were and dipped some ice cream out for everyone. The twins told Glen they liked me. I thought all it took was a ride and a little ice cream to make friends with them. Too bad Doris wasn’t that easy.

Over the next couple of months, things seemed a little better. Doris would talk to me but still wasn’t friendly. The twins, now, were another story. Every time I pulled up in the cruiser they asked for a ride. They would get in and buckle up and I just drove around the two houses on a driveway and the boys were happy. I would sit on the porch and listen to them talk.

It was surprising what these two boys knew. I began asking them questions but wanted to make sure I didn’t make them nervous or cry. They told me their parents died and were buried at the church. I guess they, the Ravens, had their own little church. The boys asked me if I wanted to see it and of course I was interested. They held my hand as we walked up a path and I could see the little church. It probably held maybe twenty people and had a little cemetery behind it.

“This is where mommy and daddy are buried.” The boys showed me their parents’ grave. They had tears in their eyes.

“Who are in the other graves?” I asked the boys.

“This is grandpa and grandma’s grave here, and our doggies’ graves are over there with just crosses on them,” the boys replied.

When we got back, there was a woman there. The boys told me it was Hilda, their babysitter. It seemed odd that two grown men needed a babysitter but I kept forgetting that their mental capacity was limited.

I introduced myself to Hilda and she was friendly enough. She was a woman in maybe her early fifties and built like you might think a Hilda would look like; quite overweight, wearing an apron, standing taller than the average woman. She had these big boobs but wore a bra, although it didn’t help much.

“Hi, I’m Hilda. I usually watch the boys whenever Doris goes somewhere,” she said.

“How come this is the first time I’ve seen you here?” I asked her quizzically.

“I took some time off to be with my husband. We live near the country store and took a vacation. He’s the caretaker of the store down in the burg.”

“Who actually owns the store, Hilda?

She kind of laughed and said, “It is a relative of Glen’s. Everything on the mountain is owned by someone in the Raven family.”

Hilda did tell me she had been around in the last month but I must have been at work. She told me sometimes Doris would go down to the burg during the day and she would come up for a couple of hours. It answered a question for me. I wondered what Doris did every day. Now I knew she went out for a few hours each day. I didn’t think anything of it. Everyone had a right to their own life.

I did ask Hilda if she could tell me about the accidents that befell this family and she changed the subject on me. I asked her again and she looked scared.

“Tammy, I can’t talk about it. I’d get fired or maybe something even worse. I’m sorry but you have to find out from someone else.”

“It’s okay; I was just curious.” Now I knew I had to find out.

I was surprised we had telephone service way out here in the boonies but then I remembered that’s what Glen did for a living. I called Rita and asked her to find out what she could about the history of Ravens-Glen. I was really wondering now. Rita and I discussed everything that had been happening since I got married.

“Rita, I’m really happy here but the veil of silence surrounding the place is bothering me, although my life with Glen couldn’t be better.”

“It’s so good to hear that. I was worried about you.”

I told her about the twins and they were probably my best friends now. We both started laughing at that.

Rita said, “Tammy, I have to get back to work but my boyfriend is a reporter for the local newspaper and we’ll see what we can find out and get back to you.”

“I miss you too and hope you can come up to see me soon.”

We said our goodbyes and I started to make dinner for Glen. I always make extra because I knew the twins would be up to eat. As I have mentioned, they always show up when either Glen or I come home. Glen lets them jump in the back of his truck and drives them around the property for a few minutes.

One day on a Saturday, I didn’t have to work. I saw Doris pull out of the drive and knew she would be gone a couple of hours. I thought I’d go down and visit Hilda and the twins. The front door was locked so I went around the back and through the gate by the pool. The pool was still closed due to the cold weather. Glen told me they never opened it till around June. Anyway, I walked through the gate and called out to the boys.

They were in the living room and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Hilda was masturbating the two boys. I was shocked and wasn’t sure what to do. The boys just glanced at me and smiled. I don’t think they had any idea what was being done to them. Hilda had a nervous look on her face when she looked up at me. I had to say something to her but I didn’t want to scare the boys. You have to understand that I’m not a prude but this did kind of shock me.

“Hilda, what are you doing? Do Doris and Glen know about this?”

About that time, the boys came. They both had on condoms. Hilda had a rag handy and wiped the boys off and sent them outside to play. They smiled at me and asked me to come play with them. My God, it was hard to keep my senses. I just told them I would see them later. I wanted to talk with Hilda for a few minutes. After they went outside, Hilda looked at me.

“Yes, both Glen and Doris know. They told me it was part of my job when they hired me. I was very embarrassed the first couple of times but now it’s not so bad.”

“What else have you done with them? You don’t have sex with them, do you?”

“Listen, Tammy, this is the best paying job I’ve ever had. I do what I’m told to do. I know they have minds of boys but, as you can see, their cocks are those of men. In answer to your question, no, I haven’t fucked them or had oral sex with them. Glen says just to get them off. Believe me, I’ve thought about having sex with them, but Glen says, ‘No.’ Jacking two big cocks off like that can get to me too. If I was told to fuck them, I would. They really don’t know about sex. They’ve seen my boobs and have asked to touch them and I let them. For them, it’s just curiosity.”

I didn’t know what to think. They were boys but yet they were men. It didn’t seem right but ….damn, I’m so confused. I told Hilda that I would see her later. When Glen got home, he saw that I was upset.

“What’s the matter, Tinker?” He’d called me that every since I met him at the Halloween party.

“I went down to see the twins today and Hilda was umm… she was umm… she was masturbating the boys. I was shocked; I didn’t know what to say. She told me that you said it was all right. I felt so…” Glen cut me off.

“Tink, I know they have minds of kids but one day we found them playing with themselves. I wasn’t sure what to do so I talked with them. After that, we decided that the sitter could do that for them. They aren’t allowed to have sex with them. The boys don’t even know about that. Some day we might have to explain it to them. Hilda was told about it before we hired her. I’m sorry you saw it, but now you know. We take care of family here.”

“I don’t know how I feel about it; it just seemed so weird. I’m sorry I let it bother me and brought it up to you.”

“Tink, if you have a problem, we’ll deal with it. After all, you are my wife till death us do part.”

I know I should have felt better when he said that, but I didn’t. It just didn’t seem loving. It seemed more like an ultimatum. It made me feel a bit uneasy but I did my best to smile. I didn’t know if it was me or if I had a reason to feel this women’s intuition. That night we had sex but it didn’t feel loving. I began feeling strange inside and I didn’t like it.

I went to bed early and Glen said he was going to the burg. I was actually glad he was leaving for awhile. I needed to get my head on straight. I must have fallen asleep and when I woke up it was totally dark outside. Glen wasn’t home yet and I was a little worried. I went to the front door to see if I could see anything and I saw his truck parked down at the other house.

I decided to walk down the path to the other house and see him. I was hoping I didn’t make him mad earlier. I keep thinking the worst about him when he hasn’t done anything wrong.

I opened the front door and could hear a woman groaning. I turned the corner and saw Doris bent over the couch with my loving husband, her brother, fucking her from behind. I screamed out.

“Glen, what the hell are you doing? She’s your fucking sister! You bastard, you’re fucking your sister.”

Doris looked up at me and smiled. She said to Glen, “Fuck me, little brother. Fuck me the way you’ve been doing for years.” Then Doris started laughing.

Glen didn’t stop. He was going to finish what he started. The fucking bastard was getting his rocks off inside of his sister. While he was coming, I ran out the door and back up to the big house.

A few minutes later, Glen came up the hill and into the house. I had locked the door but he had a key. He came upstairs where I was crying in our bedroom.

“Tink, you don’t understand.”

“I understand. You had your sister bent over the couch and were fucking her. I understand very clearly.”

“No, you don’t understand. Family takes care of family. Doris needed me and I went to her.”

“Bullshit! You just fucked your sister. Don’t you get it? You didn’t help her with anything; you just plowed your cock into her and think that’s natural. Well, dear husband, it isn’t natural. She’s a grown woman in her thirties. She could go down to the burg and get porked anytime she wanted. She just wanted you. She wanted to break us up and I think she’s succeeding. Please get out of here and leave me alone.”

“Tink, I love you.”

“Just get out, get out!” I was screaming at him.

I watched him turn around and go out the front door. His car was still parked at the other house so he jumped in my car and headed out the gate.

I laid there and cried. I didn’t know what I was going to do. One day I had it all and now I find my husband fucking his sister and thinking it’s normal. I needed to sleep; I wanted a clear mind so I could make the right decision. I took sleeping pills so I could get some sound sleep.

I was awakened in the morning by Doris banging on the front door. I slowly got out of bed and answered it. When I opened it, Doris looked shocked to see me.

“What the hell are you doing here? Your car is gone. Where’s Glen?” Doris asked me, knowing she knew the answer.

“He took my car after fucking you and hasn’t returned,” I yelled in reply.

“No, no! You were supposed to leave, not Glen.” She started crying as she ran back to her house.

About an hour later, two Sheriff’s Deputies showed up at my door. I was both scared and nervous when I answered the door. Both were men, one an older fellow maybe in his fifties. The other was a young, fairly good looking fellow. Of course at the time I wasn’t worried about them. I was wondering why they were here, at my house.

The older deputy did the talking. “Are you Tammy Raven?”

“Yes, I am, officer. What is this about?”

“We found a car in the river. It was turned over on its top. Apparently the driver missed the big S curve. We dragged it out and took it to the impound. It was a PT Cruiser, red in color. It was titled out to you. Is it yours?”

“My God, where’s Glen? He took it last night; we had an argument and he was going to cool off in the burg down the road. Where is he?”

“That’s what we want to know, Mrs. Raven. We didn’t find a driver.”

“I don’t believe this is happening. Where is he, where is he?” I started crying and had to sit down.

Right then, Doris appeared at the door. “What’s happened? Is my brother alright?”

She started crying also. The deputy repeated the same story he told me. He told us that there was a diving team out since sun-up, but hadn’t found any body.

It was at that moment that I thought that Glen might be dead. “God, please God, don’t let him be dead. Please, we can work out our problem.”

The officers asked me to come down and file a report for the car and a missing person report for Glen. I explained that I had no way to get down to the station. They mentioned that there were still two vehicles on our property. I explained to them that those vehicles, both trucks, were stick shifts and I wasn’t able to drive them. They offered me a ride to the station so I could get the paper work filled out.

I quickly got dressed and when I came downstairs, Doris had gone home. I rode to town with the officers and took care of business. The younger deputy, whose name was Deputy Ryan, drove me over to the insurance company to file a claim for the car. He then drove me to the car dealership so I could get a rental until my insurance claim was settled. I just took any car for now. It didn’t make any difference to me. I knew I had lost Glen. It would just be a matter of time till they found him.

I drove the rental car home and the twins were waiting for me. “Where’s Glen?” they asked. “Doris and Hilda won’t tell us.”

I tried to explain that Glen took my car for a ride and they found my car in the river. “They haven’t found Glen yet.”

“Is he dead?” asked Harry. “Is Glen dead too?”

I thought to myself about all the death surrounding these two boys. They had been there for all of it. I tried to ease their minds but still be honest with them. They were crying.

“We don’t know yet. Maybe he survived the crash. We’ll have to just wait and see.” I hugged the two boys as they turned and walked down the hill to where Hilda was. Doris must have left again.

I called off work for the remainder of the week. They said they understood; news traveled fast in this rural community. I went to the doctor the next day to get some kind of nerve pills. I was out of pills now and knew I would have trouble sleeping like the night before.

I kept hearing strange noises. It was bothering me being in this big old house alone. I would glance down at the other house and see figures walking around. I took some pills and went to bed hoping to get some sleep. The noises seemed to get louder and louder. Maybe it was the medication or maybe someone was trying to break in. I couldn’t take it and I called 911 and told them there were strange noises.

They sent a cruiser out and knocked on my door. I screamed out but then saw the flashing lights. It was Deputy Ryan.

“I cruised around the property and didn’t see anything,” he said.

He saw how drugged up I was and told me I was probably hallucinating.

“Why don’t you just go back to bed and I’ll ride by every couple of hours to check the property.” It did make me feel a little better, so after he left I just walked over and slept on the couch.

Three days went by and there was a knock on my door. I was scared to answer it. They knocked again and I went to the door and saw Deputy Ryan. He was with a female officer. I opened the door and let them in. I knew it was bad news. I could see it in their faces.

“He’s dead, isn’t he? Glen is dead,” I repeated myself.

Deputy Ryan spoke, “Mrs. Raven, we found your husband’s body today. It had drifted downstream about three miles. Some loggers came across him while they were working. We’re very sorry.”

I started crying and grabbed Deputy Ryan and cried on his shoulder. The female deputy went to stop me but Deputy Ryan told her it was alright. I must have cried for what seemed like five minutes and then backed up and apologized to the deputy. He asked me if I wanted to identify the body, but I told him I couldn’t do it, I just couldn’t. He told me he understood and would have someone else verify the remains.

The deputies asked me if I would be alright and I told them I would be okay. The hardest part was over, the not knowing. It will drive you crazy. At least now that I know he will never return, I can figure out what I was going to do.

I cleaned up and went and told Hilda and the boys that Glen had died. Hilda told me that she knew. Doris had called a few minutes ago from the burg. As I had mentioned, news travels fast up here on the mountain. Hilda did ask me to tell the twins. I called them in and explained to them that their brother went to heaven to be with their mom and dad. It was hard for me but the boys seemed to understand. They did cry and asked me if I was going to stay there with them.

How do you explain all this to kids? That’s what they were. I told them that I would have to talk with the attorney and see what happens. I couldn’t promise them anything right now.

I had to make all the arrangements myself. Whenever I went to talk to Doris, she always said the same thing. “It was supposed to be you. You were supposed to leave, not Glen.”

I made the funeral arrangement and had a closed casket. A lot of people that I have never seen showed up to pay their respects. I held the services in the funeral home and a wake at the bar in the mountain burg. Hilda talked to a few close cousins of Glen and they carried his body up to the little chapel at the cemetery where we had a private service for Glen. The only ones attending were Doris, Hilda, the cousins I mentioned, the twins and me. After our private service, Glen’s cousins lowered him into the ground.

We all headed back to the wake. I looked up and was so glad to see Rita there with her boyfriend, the reporter. Also Brett showed up for the service.

The wake went on for hours. I told a few of Glen’s friends that I was heading back to the house. If they needed anything, they should get in touch with me. His friends all treated me nice and casual as long as Doris wasn’t around. It was as though they were afraid of her.

Rita and her friend, Brett and I all headed back to the house. As we were leaving, I spotted Deputy Ryan. I felt better just knowing he was there. He told me he would keep an eye on things and make sure they didn’t get out of hand.

We no sooner got into the house than Rita said we needed to talk. They had some stories to tell me about Ravens-Glen. They wished they could have gotten to me sooner.

Rita’s boyfriend, Clark, worked for the local newspaper in his city. He’d been there a few years. Rita asked him to check the archives and use Ravens-Glen as the key word. He had a lot of information come up.

There was a lot of death around the mountain throughout the years. A lot of lumberjacks got hurt and a few missing people that were never found. Even a coal mine collapsed in the early nineteen hundreds.

I asked Rita about the last fifteen years or so. I was more interested in the more recent accidents and mishaps.

Clark said there was a double beheading with a sickle about ten years ago. It was an old couple who were tied-up and probably robbed. The ‘probably’ was because no one knew for sure what they owned but the premises was really in disarray. No one was ever convicted of the murders.

I figured this was Glen’s grandparents. No wonder he didn’t want to talk about it. According to the story. The family was out and the old couple was home alone. When the family returned they found the couple tied up and blood everywhere. Their heads were on the other side of the room.

I thought about the stained carpet downstairs. They must have not been able to get all the blood out. I wondered what the thieves were after. The place was loaded with antiques. Even though I wasn’t into antiques, they must be valuable to the right person.

Clark said, “Two years later, a young housekeeper came up missing. She was never found. Her car was found down at the burg but no one remembered seeing her.”

I didn’t know anything about a missing sitter. It must have been before Hilda started there.

Clark continued, “About three and a half years ago, there was a fire. Glen’s parents were both found dead inside the house. Their bodies were burned to a crisp so the coroner ruled it an accident by fire. I guess the old house had a fireplace and the fire somehow broke out. Mr. and Mrs. Raven were found dead at the bottom of the stairs. The article said that the police thought they were overcome by the smoke and never made it out. ”

“Did the article say where Glen, Doris and the boys were at the time?” I asked.

“According to the article they were all out fishing overnight. Glen had taken the boys fishing and Doris went along. It was supposedly an overnight camping trip. I guess they did it quite often. When they returned home, they found the house burned down and the remains of the parents. Again it was ruled an accident and of course they had closed caskets.”

“Clark, why do you keep saying supposedly? It doesn’t say that in the article.”

“Well, Tammy, I read some other unpublished articles about the fire. It was all hearsay so we weren’t allowed to publish it. The editor was afraid of possibly being sued. A couple of the firefighters had told our reporter that the burned bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Raven were missing their heads. Not really missing but they were severed. We couldn’t find anyone to verify it through normal channels and we went back to the firefighters, but they refused to have it put in print.”

“My God, first the grandparents and then the parents, and no witnesses. What about Glen’s first wife? How did she die?”

“This is scary, Tammy,” said Rita. “She missed the curve and her car went into the river. She drowned in the same location that they found your car. They thought the brake lines were tampered with but couldn’t prove it due to the damage to the underside of the vehicle. Of course they ruled it as an accident.”

I didn’t know what to think. I remembered what Doris had said that awful morning. “It was supposed to be you that left, not Glen. It made me wonder if Doris was behind Glen’s wife’s accident. I couldn’t come out and accuse her. After all, it was her brother that was killed, not me.

My friends said they had to leave but would be back the following weekend to spend a couple of days with me. I thanked them for all the information they found out for me. The last thing my friends told me was to be careful. I do have to admit I was scared but I had to get through this. I was to see Glen’s attorney and the insurance company this week. Maybe I could get enough money to move out of here. Before going to bed, I looked out and saw Deputy Ryan coming up to see me. I invited him in for a few minutes.

He had the kindest, nicest smile. It was something I needed right now. He assured me that everything was going to be alright. He would make sure the patrols drove by a couple of times a night and checked the premises. He got up to leave and I thanked him for everything he had done. I wasn’t thinking and gave him a hug. I quickly stepped back and apologized, but he just smiled and said it was okay; in fact, it was better than okay. He left and I popped a couple of sleeping pills and went to sleep.

The next day I talked to the attorney and he said that the correct papers were all being filed. It would be at least a couple of weeks before he would have any answers about the estate and accounts and so on. He told me I could stay at the house at least till the wills were read. I didn’t have any money of my own except my paycheck. There was no place for me to go; I had to stay there until I could get enough money to move out.

During the week, I didn’t see much of the boys. I figured Doris was keeping them under lock and key and away from me. A couple of times when I knew she wasn’t there, I went down to see them. Hilda seemed to be on my side. I had to wonder what she knew or at least what she thought. She wouldn’t discuss anything with me but kept a lookout while I talked and played with the twins.

The following weekend, Rita, her boyfriend, and Brett came and visited. They asked me how things were going and I told them I was a mess. I couldn’t wait to get some kind of a settlement and move out of the area. I really did like the country but it was just too much for me being alone.

I showed them the house and they all loved it. Rita told me it had so much character. Brett was looking at the antiques and said that they were really old and could be worth a lot. I had to explain to everyone that I didn’t know who owned what. The attorney was taking care of it. I would find out in the next couple of weeks. After all Glen and I were only married a few months.

We all took a ride down to the burg. The tavern was busy as always. Everyone was still giving me condolences about Glen. They really weren’t such bad people after all. Just kind of back woodsy.

We all got pretty tanked and headed back up to the house. I passed what I thought was a couple of strange cars; no one else seemed to pay attention to them. Rita and her boyfriend said they would share a bed. I told Brett he would have to sleep alone and showed him to his room. I headed for my room and didn’t need any pills tonight as I went off to sleep.

The next day, we rode around the countryside so they could see what a beautiful area it was. I took them back to the chapel and cemetery and knelt down and cried over Glen’s grave. My emotions and feelings for him were so mixed up. They asked about the beautiful house that Doris and the twins lived in. I told them everything was new and the house was built after his parents house was burned down. They asked me who owned it now and I told them I didn’t know. Until the attorney got back with me, I had no idea about what I was going to do. My life was in limbo.

Brett said, “I won’t be staying tonight. I’ve got to head back because I’ve got a date. I had first seen her at the Halloween party that we all went to last year. She was dressed as a witch. Her name was Lucille. The next time I saw her was when she came into the bank. She worked for the phone company.”

I really had to wonder if it was the woman Glen was screwing at the party, or the woman he slapped at the office. Brett really seemed happy and I wasn’t going to ruin it for him. We would probably find out in the future if they stayed together.

Brett mentioned that they were getting pretty serious and she just might be the one. He told me that her only problem was jealousy. She hated it when he talked about other women. He told her that he was coming to West Virginia to visit old friends and would be back Saturday to take her out. He even offered to bring her along but she said, “No,” she had to work.

“I did asked her if she knew Glen Raven and she said she did, but didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to upset her so I never mentioned Glen again to her.”

I opened the door and, as he was leaving, I gave him a kiss goodbye. It was just a friendly kiss to an old friend. I said goodbye and we held hands as he walked over to his car. He was a good friend. I was glad he finally found someone.

A little while later we heard sirens coming up the hill. It was Deputy Ryan and another deputy. He asked if they could come in. I looked down at the other house and saw Doris standing on her porch looking up at us, the light shining from behind her. The two officers came in and looked sadly at me.

“Your friend, Brett Cain, was killed down near the burg. He was off to the side of the road and a passerby noticed his car.”

I screamed out, “No, no, it’s not happening to me again. Death is following me.” Ryan grabbed me and shook me.

“Tammy, I’m sorry but we have to ask a few questions.”

Rita was crying too. “Deputy, I’ve been here for two days with Tammy, Clark and Brett. Maybe I can answer any questions you may have. How was Brett killed?”

Ryan looked over at me and then back to Rita. “He was beheaded. There was a sickle next to his headless form on the front seat. He might have known the person because he pulled off the road. We can’t say for sure, but we don’t think he knew what was coming.”

I was crying harder, almost hysterical as Rita put her arms around me and held me.

“Can one of you tell me what you did and who all you saw the last two days? We are trying to figure who would have possibly done this and why.”

Clark told Ryan everything we did and pretty much who we saw the last two days. He told the deputy that Brett was just headed home to see his girlfriend. All we know is her name is Lucille and she works for the phone company. The way he was talking about her he was in love with her. None of us knew her.

Ryan looked at me again and said, “I might know her. Glen dated a woman named Lucille before he met you, Tammy. Did you know that?”

“I know he dated but we both said our past would stay our past. I heard of Lucille but never met her. I wouldn’t know her if I saw her.”

“I need you all to come down tomorrow morning before going back to Ohio. I hate to say this, Tammy, but I need you to not leave town without our knowledge and permission. Since you know him and were the last to see him alive, we have to watch over you.”

“God, Ryan, surely you don’t think I did this?”

“No, Tammy, I’m almost sure you didn’t but you are a material witness and we need you here.”

“Will I be able to go to his funeral, Ryan?”

“Yes, Tammy; in fact, I’ll take you myself. By the way, call me Bo; all my friends do,” replied Ryan.

Ryan - I mean Bo - said he had to leave and was headed over to talk to Doris. Since she lived so close, maybe she saw something.

Rita, Clark and I headed to the station the next day to fill out statements after a very rough night. None of us slept well. In fact Rita came in and lay with me. It felt so good just to have someone close.

Three days later, Deputy Ryan - I mean, Bo - and I drove to Brett’s funeral. If there was a Lucille there, I wouldn’t have known who she was. Ryan said that the local police were doing the investigations in Ohio. He hadn’t heard if they talked to Lucille or not.

On the way home, we talked and I told him all the stories that I had heard. He told me he had heard most of them also but he had to have proof before accusing anyone of anything. I even told him about seeing Glen with his sister. He pulled over in a rest area and said he needed to tell me some things and didn’t want to be driving while he said it.

“We believe Doris is tied up in these accidents or murders, whatever you want to call them. Doris was in a mental ward before Glen’s grandparents were killed. It was Glen who convinced the hospital she was ready to come home. According to the records, Glen was her alibi during the grandparents killing. He was seen by dozens of people that day. The same goes for the killing of his parents or the accidental fire, so to speak. He was her alibi that day also.”

“My God, do you think she killed Brett?”

“She didn’t know him and Hilda swears she was there with her and the boys the whole night.”

“What about Glen’s death or his wife’s?”

“We have no proof. Besides, why would she kill Glen? She really loved him; everyone knew it but you. They’ve been having sex for years. If anyone had a reason for killing Glen, it was you.”

“How can you say that, Bo?”

“I’m just telling you how a jury would see it. Of course there is no proof there either. Everyone knew that Glen was a great driver and knew the road like the back of his hand. We checked the brake line and thought it might have been tampered with, but it was your car, not Glen’s.”

“Bo, I’m scared. I’m really scared. I think Doris is trying to do me in. Please keep a close watch for me. I have nowhere to go right now and I’m not allowed to leave town.”

“Don’t worry, Tammy, all the deputies are told to go by your place regularly. I’m not supposed to do this but I’m giving you a gun. Put it under your pillow and use it if you have to.”

“A gun? I don’t know how to fire a gun, Bo.”

“I’m going to show you. Let’s go back here and I’ll show you how to aim. I’ll take all the bullets out right now.”

He showed me how to aim and fire the weapon. He took me home and put the bullets back in the gun. He told me to put it under my pillow and keep it close.

The first night back, I was scared to death with the gun under my pillow. I was afraid I was going to shoot myself by accident. The second night I put it in the drawer of the night stand. Surely I could hear someone coming up the stairs and have time to get the gun out.

I would wake up every couple of hours and I could see the patrol car checking out the road from a distance. I was feeling much better now.

I hadn’t seen the boys in a couple of days. I was afraid Doris was turning them against me. They were innocent bystanders in a family of turmoil. The third night I couldn’t sleep. I think I took too many sleeping pills and finally passed out on the bed.

I looked up and started screaming. There stood Harry and Larry with their cocks out. They jumped on the bed and pulled the covers off of me. They ripped at my nightgown tearing it to sheds. Behind them stood Doris yelling, “Take her boys, fuck the red headed pussy. Tear her apart with your cocks. She killed your brother; fuck her to death.”

I was screaming out, “Boys, please don’t do this. Please don’t hurt me. I loved Glen; I didn’t kill him.” Just as both boys pounced on me and one of them was getting ready to ram his cock in me, I woke up.

My God, it was a nightmare. I was soaking wet from sweating. I was all rolled up in the blankets and had trouble getting up. When my breathing got back to normal, I got up and took a shower. I guess I had enough medication in me that I went back to sleep.

The next morning I was sitting on the porch and looking across the way. I could see Doris’ vehicle was gone and saw the boys in the yard. I waved to them and they came over.

“Where have you two been? How come you didn’t come and see me? I missed you.”

“Doris said you were bad and going to send us away. She said you hurt Glen but we told her we like you and don’t think you hurt Glen.”

“What did she say then?”

“She got mad at us and made us stay in the house.”

“Where is she now?”

“Don’t know. Hilda said we could come see you as long as we don’t tell Doris.”

“I know it’s still early but would you boys like some ice cream?”

Of course they said yes and I called over to Hilda to make sure it was okay. I wanted to have them there. I needed to get over the nightmare I had about them. I had to meet my fears, even though it was a dream. The boys were happy and after eating their ice cream I told them they better get back home. I didn’t want them to get in trouble.

“We like you, Tammy. We like you the best,” the boys said as they smiled at me and left.

Wasn’t exactly sure what they meant but as long as they liked me, I was happy.

Later that day, Bo stopped by to see me. I told him everything seemed alright, but I still wanted him to keep an eye on the property. I asked him if they made any progress on either Glen’s or Brett’s death.

He told me that someone might have messed with the brakes on my car. It looked like my brake lines were severed but only enough for a slow leak. That way it wouldn’t be noticed by the driver till they were headed down the mountain and too late to do much about it. Bo did say that all the accidents and murder cases were staying open till solved.

I know he was attracted to me. A woman can sense it. I thought he was a great guy too but I wasn’t interested in any relationships right now. I did my best to put Bo out of my mind except as a deputy and friend.

Before going to bed that night I took a sleeping pill and checked the night stand to make sure the gun was there. I nodded off to sleep. I heard a noise and looked up and there stood Doris in a nightgown holding a sickle with her arm raised. I started screaming and wanted to wake up. I didn’t want another nightmare. The problem was, I was awake and Doris was standing there with a sickle in her hand. I wasn’t dreaming this time. I went to move to the night stand to get the gun but I had to move the other way quickly as Doris swung the sickle at my head.

I screamed out over and over. “Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this to me?” I rolled off the bed and hovered over in the corner waiting for my fate.

“You took my boyfriend, my lover, from me, you slut.”

“Doris, he was your brother! Don’t you understand?”

“I loved him. First, it was the babysitter, then his first wife Amy, now you. I got rid of them both just as I’m going to get rid of you,” she said to me as she kept swinging the sickle at me.

I screamed and the next thing I saw was the twins bursting into the room and grabbing Doris. The sickle flew out of her hands. I moved quickly trying to get to the night stand when she grabbed my ankle and I fell. She went for the sickle but one of the boys beat her to it. He raised it and brought it down on her back cutting her wide open.

I saw a patrolman in the doorway aiming his gun at one of the boys.

“Don’t shoot, don’t shoot! He saved my life. Please don’t shoot.” Bo had followed the first patrolman in. He told him it was alright, and not to shoot. I asked Larry to drop the sickle which he did. The two boys came over and sat next to me. I was crying; I couldn’t stop.

“We like you, Tammy, and we saw Doris take the sickle and came over here. Glen told us to watch over you when we first saw you. We did what Glen said. Is Doris dead now too, Tammy?”

I hugged both boys and kissed them on the forehead. Bo said he would have to take the boys in. He didn’t have a choice.

“Ryan, the boys saved my life. You can’t put them in a jail cell. Please, Ryan, see what you can do.”

The boys started crying. They said they didn’t want to go to jail. By this time, there were two ambulances there: one to take Doris’s body and the other to take me to the hospital. I never noticed it but Doris must have cut my arm and I was bleeding pretty bad. I must have lost a lot of blood as I passed out.

I awoke hours later in the hospital. The nurse told me I had been through a lot and to lie still.

“Where’s Deputy Ryan? Where’s the boys? What happened to Doris?” I asked.

The nurse said she was supposed to contact Deputy Ryan when I woke and that he would answer my questions. In about fifteen minutes, Bo came in.

“Hi, Tammy. How are you feeling?”

“Where are the boys? You didn’t send them to jail did you? Please tell me you didn’t, Bo.”

“Easy there, girl. You’ve been through a lot. I had to take the boys somewhere. After all, even though they saved your life, they killed Doris.”

“I killed Doris; the boys didn’t have anything to do with it. Let them go. I confess.”

“Easy, Tammy, you don’t need to lie for them. They’re okay. They are at the mental civic center. They’re being taken care off. It’s like a hospital but only for patients like them, adults that have minds of children. You will be able to see them tomorrow.”

“Bo, Doris told me she killed Glen’s first wife and also a sitter. Does that help anything? Maybe they can link their deaths with my car and killing Glen.”

“Tammy, we figured Doris had something to do with the missing girl but have never found her body. We figured she or Glen had something to do with the killing of Glen’s first wife. We just don’t have any proof that would hold up in court. I hate to say it but your word isn’t enough; I wish it was. I’d love to close these cases.”

Bo stopped by the next day and picked me up from the hospital. We went to see the twins. When they saw me, they came running to me. Two grown men with minds of a child. I started crying and hugged them.

“We miss you, Tammy. Can we go home now?”

I looked over at Bo and he explained to the boys that they would have to stay at the civic center for awhile till I could get things figured out. It might be a few weeks. I did ask them if they liked the center and they said that there were other kids to play with just like them. I promised them that I would be by to see them regularly. I turned around and saw Hilda. She came to see the boys too. They went and hugged her also.

———————–

I did go visit the twins about every two days. I took a leave of absence from the bank till I could get my life in order. I called my friend Rita and she said she would come down and stay with me for a couple of weeks. It sure was nice having her there. Things were finally coming to a close.

I contacted the insurance company and they gave me a check for my car and another for Glen’s life insurance that he had with them. It was over a hundred thousand dollars. I deposited it in the bank. Rita and I went over and picked out a new car. I got another PT Cruiser the same color as my first. As Glen had said, it matched my hair.

A couple of days later, there was a reading of Glen’s will. I now owned a mountain and the big old house and all the contents. I did own the new house but the boys had a right to live there. I wasn’t sure what to do about that. Maybe I should just give the boys the house but they weren’t mentally capable of owning it. Some of the businesses that were partially owned by Glen like the stores in the burg were turned over to Glen’s relatives.

I didn’t quite understand all this. How can I own a mountain but the building on it like the church and other businesses be owned by someone else. The attorney explained it to me. I did own the mountain but not the businesses. They all owned their own businesses. They also owned their buildings but I could charge them all rent for the space the building sat on. It was still pretty confusing and I’d let the attorney handle it.

I told Bo that I didn’t know anything about business and I was lost. I needed some help here. I didn’t want the old house and I wasn’t an antique person. He gave me the name of one of Glen’s relatives who ran an auction agency. Bo suggested I have an auction and get out from underneath a lot of the problems.

“Bo, I own a mountain. I have no idea what that means.”

Bo laughed and said, “It means you are a multi-millionaire.”

“What? It’s just a mountain.”

“The logging companies would pay to get some of these trees. On the other side of the mountain, the coal company would pay for the right to mine the land.”

“Oh, my God! I can’t believe this. I’m rich?”

I talked every couple of days with the twins. I told them that they would be back home eventually but I had things I had to do to make sure they were taken care of. They really didn’t understand but said they just wanted to be with me. I wasn’t sure what to tell them. I didn’t even know who their guardian was now. I’d have to find out. Up to this time Hilda was paid out of a trust that Glen’s dad had set up. I guessed it was still good.

I looked at the two boys. They looked a little sad. I knew what would cheer them up. “Hey, Boys, want to go out for some ice cream?” Their faces lit up and I got permission to take them out for a couple of hours.

I contacted Glen’s cousin and we set up an auction. I told him to sell everything in the big house and even parts of the house if he liked. What ever was left, I was tearing down. Too many bad things happened in that house.

On the day of the auction, I couldn’t believe how many people showed up. There were hundreds of people on the hillside. Were all these people interested in antiques? Rita and Clark even came to the auction.

I asked Clark why so many people came to an auction on the mountainside in West Virginia. He told me that half the people were collectors of antiques and the others were collectors of memorabilia. In this case, murder and crime scene. You won’t believe what they will pay for a piece of the house. Just saying it came from Ravens-Glen will bring a high price.

Bo showed up and was bidding on some of the old photographs. I couldn’t believe it after what Clark just said.

“Bo, if you wanted the pictures, all you had to do was ask. I’d gladly have given them to you.”

“Tammy, it’s not for the reasons you might be thinking. My grandfather had taken some of these pictures years and years ago. He was their photographer. I’m picking them up as a surprise for him. Isn’t there one thing that you would like to keep? You can bid on it too, you know.”

I decided there was thing I wanted. We brought a lot of Doris’ things over to sell. Most of it was going for top dollar. She owned a vanity that was real old but was so beautiful. It was passed down from her grandmother. I loved it but never told anyone. I called Rita over and asked her to bid on it for me.

“How much are you willing to pay for it?” asked Rita.

“I don’t know about stuff like this. Maybe a hundred dollars?” I told Rita.

Rita started laughing as she walked away to bid on the vanity. She came back about a half hour later.

“Well, Tammy, you own the vanity. I need you to write a check and pay for it.”

“Great, I really do like it. How much did we have to pay?”

Rita looked at me and started laughing. “Three thousand dollars.”

“What?” I yelled out. “You bid three thousand dollars for a vanity. How much is some of that stuff going for?”

“Let’s just say it will be more money than you can spend. You can have a party every weekend for the rest of your life and not spend it all.”

I couldn’t believe it. A year ago I had nothing and now I’ll be worth millions. The attorney told me I was Glen’s next of kin along with his brothers. The only request was that the boys be well taken care of and never want for anything.

Rita was right. The Glen estate went for nearly a million dollars. People bought wood off the home and even the front steps. One man made a bid to buy the shell of the house for fifty thousand dollars. Another man offered a hundred thousand for it. It ended up selling for two hundred thousand dollars. A man was going to dismantle it and rebuild it elsewhere. To top it all off, I still owned the mountain.

I got a call from the lumber company offering to buy the lumber rights. I decided not to sell the rights right now. I told all the mining and lumber companies in the area that if I ever decided to sell that they would get first chance. I didn’t need the money and I still had to figure out something for the boys. This mountain was the only home they ever knew.

I called the lawyer and he said I could have custody of the boys and become their legal guardian since I was their sister-in-law. I gave a call to Hilda and asked her if she wanted to be the boys’ full time sitter with a raise in pay. She agreed to watch them for now until she could talk it over with her husband.

I lived in the new house for now and the boys had their own rooms. Hilda had a room of her own also. I decided I was going to have a house built on the old house site as soon as the man finished dismantling it. I decided I was going to stay. I really had nowhere better to go.

I was sitting at the vanity one day and opened one of the drawers. The drawer stuck and I had trouble opening it. I messed around with it and found it had a false bottom in it. I pulled out the false bottom and found a kind of diary. It wasn’t exactly a diary but a small book that someone had written remarks in. It belonged to Doris. It looked old but had been recently written in.

I pulled out the book and spent the next couple of hours reading pages of it. Oh, my God, most of the rumors were true. I called Bo and showed him the book. He started reading it and said it would close a lot of cases. He asked if he could take it. He promised he would return it.

A few days later he brought the book back to me and told me he got commendations for cracking open so many cases. My friend Rita and Clark were there; they came to see me when I told them the shit was ready to hit the fan. I promised Clark a look at the book when Bo brought it back. He was going to be popular in his newspaper office when he showed them copies of the book.

Rita asked Bo if he could give them the short version of what all happened.

Bo began telling the story about Doris’s book. “Ten years or so ago, Doris’ Grandpa Raven caught her having sex in the back of the house. He called her a whore and a slut and said he was going to send her to the mental hospital to get straightened out. At that time, Doris and Glen lived with their grandparents and the twins lived with their mom and dad.

“Anyway, Doris was sent up to a mental ward for six months. According to her writings she vowed revenge on her grandpa. One day shortly after she returned home, she hit him over the head with a bottle and knocked him out. She tied him to a chair and then her grandma came in and screamed at her. ‘Dear God, what are you doing?’ She then forced her grandma into a chair and tied her up also. As they were pleading with her, she went outside and brought in a sickle and cut their heads off. She threw things around to make it look like a robbery. She did take some of their money but that’s all she said she took.

“She then cleaned off the blood and changed clothes. She walked over to her parents’ house; they were waiting for her. They were going to the fair. She spent the whole day with the family. When they got back, she had her parents find the bodies of her grandparents. Of course, she screamed and cried like everyone else. They thought someone had broken in and killed and robbed the grandparents.”

Rita asked Bo why nobody suspected her. He told her that she made sure she stayed with the family all day. Glen was her biggest alibi and everyone believed Glen.

“Do you think Glen knew?”

“Not at the time, but we think she told him later. He always said that family takes care of family and was mad when she was sent away. ”

“What about her parents? Did she kill them also?”

“She had a part in it. It looks like Glen had a part in it also. According to her story that day - or I should say - night. They spent the night at their parents’ place. Their dad caught Doris riding Glen. In her story, she said she was fucking her lover. We believe her lover was Glen. When she was caught by their father, she said she jumped up and pushed her father down the stairs. The commotion woke up their mother and they pushed her down the stairs also. According to her diary, she went out and got the sickle and nearly cut off their heads. The parents bled to death.

To cover up the murders, we believe they got their tents and fishing gear ready and woke the boys and took them out the back way. Of course the boys wouldn’t have thought anything about it. They loved to fish and they would go in the early mornings. Sometime in the afternoon, Doris came back to the house and started a fire that ran from the fireplace and engulfed the whole house. Later that day, they returned and saw the burned down house. They reported it and they all lived in the grandparents’ house till their new one got built. She wrote in her book, ‘Family always takes care of family.’”

I asked, “Bo, what about the baby sitter? You know, the girl that came up missing that took care of the boys.”

“Her name was Missy. According to Doris, she came home one night and found Glen fucking Missy. Glen was a pussy hound. He used to screw every girl in sight. I’m sorry, Tammy, but it’s the truth.”

“I know he was. It’s just that I didn’t see it before we married. It just makes me feel so stupid.”

Bo continued, “One day Doris followed Missy to the burg. She wrote that she killed her and brought her body back up here and, when Glen saw her, he shook his head and they buried her up in their cemetery. They hid her body until after the search and then buried her. We are going to have to dig up a couple of graves that are suspect.”

“Bo, there are crosses for two dead animals that the boys had. I think one of those graves might be Missy.”

“Thanks, Tammy, we’ll check it out tomorrow. The next person she wrote about was Glen’s wife – well, first wife. It was pretty much the same as your situation, Tammy. Glen was gone and one day came home married. She caught Glen screwing Doris and jumped in her car but had no brakes. You just can’t stop going down that mountain. She hit the guardrail and went over the embankment and into the river. Of course she drowned.

“The only thing she said about you, Tammy was that you were next. The only thing was she didn’t expect for Glen to be driving your car.”

“What about Brett? Why did she kill him?” asked Rita.

Ryan responded, “I don’t know, she never wrote about it.”

I asked Ryan why she would keep a dairy and let everyone know she did it.

“I don’t know. She was a mental case; who knows how they think? Maybe she was proud and wanted everyone to know. She wasn’t hiding the fact that she came after you that night. People do strange things.”

We were all sitting around now thinking about somewhere to go this weekend. Bo mentioned that a friend of his was having a costume party and told him to invite everyone he saw.

“Are you guys up to it?” asked Bo.

“Sounds good to me,” said Clark.”

I told them, “I don’t know, guys. I’m not over the Halloween one yet.”

Rita spoke, “Tammy, you have always fought your fears. You need to fight this one. I say we go. After all, we’ll all be together.”

“Okay, I guess. Do you think it would be alright to wear my Tinker Bell outfit again? I really did like it.”

“Hell, yes,” said Bo. I heard a lot about that outfit and would like to see for myself.”

Rita and Clark dressed as The Lone Range and Tonto. Rita looked sexy as a female Tonto in her tight Indian dress. Of course I dressed in my green Tinker Bell outfit and believe it our not, Bo dressed as a cop. I asked him about wearing his uniform instead of a costume. He informed he that it was a city cop outfit. He was a Sheriff’s Deputy. I just told him okay, even though the rest of us couldn’t tell the difference.

The party was a lot of fun. It was fun having a costume party even though it wasn’t Halloween. I looked around for a witch wondering about the past. I did see one but it was a lot heavier woman. As Bo and I were dancing, I shuddered when I saw a person dressed in the same kind of costume that Glen had worn. Bo asked me what the problem was.

I explained to him that the costume was similar to the one Glen had worn. It made me shudder. After that I wasn’t having as much fun. I walked off to the drink table to get myself something when the ghoul started to approach me. I screamed when I noticed the sickle was real. I backed up against the drink table as the ghoul raised the sickle.