Echoes of the Past

Chapter 10

Eric peered into the small window of Charlene’s house looking for any way in. Gwendolyn’s spirits dudes, as Eric liked to think of them, had advised that Annie would still be there and Charlene likely wouldn’t finish her off until she completed the new slave’s training. He grimaced at the thought of some poor woman being reduced to providing power for the evil entity he found himself fighting.

“Tell me again why I have to be here for you to collect your girlfriend?” David hissed from behind him.

Well hell! What could he say? Hey, Dave. You need to be the one to get Annie out of the house. I can’t touch her because she makes me sick! How’s that sound to you, buddy? Oh, and by the way! I want to get naked as soon as you’re done, so hurry back! No, that wouldn’t do. But he had to think of something. And it had to involve the truth already! Damn it! Eric was tired of fighting evil on his own. And David was damned sorcerer here!

“Okay, listen carefully, because we don’t have much time!” he whispered, pulling David back to a crouching position.

The redhead nodded solemnly and waited.

“Remember Gwendolyn? That psychic lady?”

“The one you called crazy?” David asked. “Yeah, why?”

“Okay, maybe she’s not as crazy as I thought.”

Eric watched David’s face for a reaction, and he didn’t need to wait all that long. The redhead fell from a squatting position to sitting flat on his ass and stared up at him in shock, his mouth flopping up and down in disbelief.

“Y-you actually believe her?” he demanded. “But you told me she was out of her mind. Now you’re buying into her scam?”

Eric nodded seriously wondering if any of this would sink in. David stared at him for a few more seconds then started chuckling.

“You almost had me there.”

Eric shook his head and sighed, knowing it wouldn’t be easy explaining this all to David. Maybe he needed to use the shock element, like Gwendolyn did on him. He suddenly wondered if David had any memory of their out-of-body encounters. But would that be too much of a shock. David’s laughing subsided and he looked up incredulously at his dark-haired best friend.

“You can’t be serious!” he said.

Eric only shrugged at him. He opened his mouth to explain but they heard a shuffling noise from inside the den. Eric put a finger to his lips and raised his eyes back up to the window, leaning back to stay out of sight. David followed suit and they looked on as Charlene half carried a nearly unconscious Annie into the room. The window was partially opened to allow the breeze in, so they had no trouble hearing Annie’s pained whimpers as Charlene laid her on the sofa.

“You need your rest,” Charlene cooed in faux concern. “You’ll need it for our last session.”

“No …” Annie moaned. “P-please.”

“Shhh. Save your strength. I’ll want every last bit of it once I test Deirdre out.”

Charlene bound Annie’s wrists together with a long piece of cloth and tied the end of it above her head and around the wooden arm of the sofa, repeating the process with another piece of cloth and Annie’s feet. Then she leaned back and watched her helpless prey struggle to get free. It was clear Annie knew her fate all too well.

“But … I’ve … been … good. I … keep … Eric … busy.”

“You have been good,” the evil-looking witch agreed, leaning in to cut off Annie’s protests with an aggressive kiss. “But I’ve worn you out. You don’t put up the resistance you used to, and I can’t get enough power from you anymore.”

“You ... d-don’t have to … break me,” Annie panted. “Y-you could keep u-us b-both.”

Charlene smirked down at her and ran a hand over Annie’s voluptuous curves appreciatively, her eyes holding a lusty possessiveness that turned Eric’s stomach even more than the thought of touching Annie did.

“You don’t need your mind to keep an eye of Eric, dear.”

“Please!”

“You’ll be much happier when we’re done,” Charlene went on casually, like she was discussing the weather. “No more worrying about anything. All you’ll want to do is what I tell you. And that’s all you need to do. The whole world will share your fate soon, anyway. And they’ll bow before me like they were always destined to.”

“B-but …”

Charlene produced another long piece of cloth from ad tied it around Annie’s mouth, muffling her protests. Then she picked up a large white candle and lit it, waving it under the prone woman’s nose. Annie writhed and tried to pull her face away, but Charlene pushed her head back to it, muttering a strange incantation. Annie’s movements slowed until she quieted and Charlene smiled. She took her hand away from Annie’s now stilled form and ran her hand down the bound woman’s body to her crotch and began a rhythmic rubbing motion. Annie soon moaned from behind the gag and her breathing deepened audibly.

“Breathe it in,” Charlene coaxed. “That’s it. Breathe. Don’t fight it. You know you won’t win against me. You never have. I chose you for a reason, Annie, and I trained you very well.”

Annie’s moans eventually became distant and her eyes glazed over as she breathed in the fumes from the candle. Eric thought it might be the same kind of candle Charlene had used on him when she put a spell on him, though his memory was still fuzzy so he wasn’t sure. After a few more minutes of watching Annie fall under the spell, Charlene smiled in satisfaction and rose from the sofa.

“That should keep you quiet until I’m ready for you,” she murmured to the now-sleeping woman and left the room.

Eric finally looked over at David, whose mouth was agape in shock. His normally pale face was even more ashen.

“Now do you see?” Eric whispered.

“What … the FUCK?!” David squeaked.

“Shh!” Eric covered his mouth with his hand. When he was sure the redhead had himself under control again, he pulled it away and looked at David sternly. “What do you think she’ll do to Annie if she knows we’re here to get her out.”

“And how are we going to do that?” David whispered angrily. “Just what the hell IS she anyway?”

“A witch.”

“A what?”

“A witch! And your sister from way back when. The one who wanted to marry me … and suck my soul out, like she’s going to do to Annie. You see, if she gets her way, I’ll indirectly help her take over the world. Sucks to be me, huh?”

David shook his head furiously, as if trying to wake himself up.

“This has to be a dream!”

“Don’t even go there!” Eric shot back. “If you do, I won’t be responsible for what happens!”

-----------------------------------

“Oh my!” Gwendolyn murmured when she opened the door to let the boys in.

David was straining under the weight of the unconscious woman. He huffed and puffed as he quickly made his way over to an easy chair in one of the back rooms and laid Annie down as gently as he could. Annie fell back with a whimper but she didn’t wake.

“Sorry, dude,” Eric said again. “I would have helped you carry her if I could.”

The older woman looked on in sock. “Eric, how did you find her?”

“I went to Charlene’s and got lucky,” he replied. “She was planning to … finish her off after she tested the new one.”

“Oh my!” Gwendolyn said again then took on a faraway look. “My guides tell me you got to her just in time.”

“I know. We saw Charlene tie her up.” He went on and told her exactly what they heard Charlene say to the blonde woman as she tied her up and put a spell on her. “Since I couldn’t touch her, I had to bring him with me,” he finished.

David still looked shell-shocked as he looked from Annie’s limp form to Gwendolyn and Eric talking. Eric could almost see the wheels turning in his mind as he processed the situation they were dealing with.

“Was it wise … do you think … to tell him?” she asked the dark-haired man. “He doesn’t seem to be handling it all that well.”

“How long can I keep him in the dark?” he quipped. “He’s the only one who can stop her.”