The Erotic Mind-Control Story Archive

Part One: The House

Earl wasn’t usually nervous about the day his clients completed settlement on a house, but he couldn’t deny his anxieties today. Old plantation houses in the deep south—especially ones like the Davenport House—weren’t typical homes to be bought and sold. He finished putting some paperwork together, piled them in a corner of his desk, walked to his car, said ‘goodbye’ to a few of his colleagues, and drove to the house.

A man and woman were standing near the front door when he arrived. “David! Welcome back! I trust your flight was comfortable.”

David nodded.

“And you must be Julie! David spoke of a woman of unsurpassed beauty but even his descriptions don’t do you any justice, my dear!”

Julie briefly scowled, but the real estate agent’s drawl was such that she couldn’t suppress a faint giggle.

“So, Julie... What do you think so far?”

“This house is beautiful! Before you got here, Dave and I walked around outside. It’s all so beautiful around here. I love the pond out back.”

“Are y’all ready to look around inside the house?”

Earl turned towards the house and David and Julie followed a few feet behind. “He’s not putting that accent on, is he?” Julie whispered to her husband.

David smiled and shook his head.

The real estate agent led them into the sprawling mansion that they soon would call “home.” Julie’s eyes immediately went up to the high ceiling. She let out an audible gasp.

Earl turned around and winked at her. “I take it you like it.”

After completing a few rounds on the lower level, the three of them walked upstairs to inspect the bedrooms. Like many other rooms in the house, the master bedroom was partially furnished. There were two chairs, a bureau, and a tall, body-length mirror up against the wall near the door.

Julie stopped near the mirror and flipped the blanket that covered it over the top. Noticing her reflection, she proceeded to smooth out her skirt with the palm of her hand, and ran her fingers through her hair in hopes of getting it to look more like she wanted it to look.

“I wonder how old this mirror is,” she mused to herself.

Earl responded. “Almost as old as the house itself, I believe.” His voice trailed off and David wondered whether Earl wanted to say more but was intentionally holding his tongue.

David did not say another word until they had finished walking through all of the bedrooms upstairs.

Back in the front corridor, Earl twirled the keys to the house around his finger and glanced at his watch. “Let’s head back to my office and proceed with settlement. Did you have any additional questions before we go?”

Julie wanted to ask why the house took so long to sell, but decided against it. “So all of the furniture in this house...”

“... will be yours. Do with it as you please.”

Julie thought about the furniture that they were shipping from their apartment. She and David would probably need to keep the couch in a room that doesn’t have any of that antique furniture in it. It wouldn’t be too hard to figure out, but she couldn’t rule out selling something, even if she didn’t know what.

“Well, then,” Earl continued, “Shall we retire to the office?”

David and Julie nodded.

Earl drove off in his car and David and Julie followed.

Once on the road, David looked over at Julie. “You were awfully quiet upstairs in the bedrooms.”

“Huh? Quiet?”

“Yeah. From the master bedroom on. Is everything all right?”

Julie hesitated. “It’s just... Oh, you’d think I was being silly. Or overtired. Or something.”

“What?”

“Well, when I turned away from that mirror, I... I don’t know. I thought I saw, well, my reflection. It, um... it winked at me.”

David took his eyes off the road for a moment and looked at Julie. She quickly buried her face in her hands. After a long uncertain silence, he slowly started, “Are you sure...”

“Am I sure I saw what I saw? Yes.”

“No. Are you sure you didn’t wink yourself? Honestly, it looked like you winked at yourself in the mirror.”

Julie sat upright on hearing this. “R...r..really?”

“Yes, really.” She heard his voice and sighed. She closed her eyes and remembered the last time he used that tone of voice. They had already agreed to leave the city for a small, slow-paced, country life, but the day she quit her job, she was so full of doubt, anxiety, uncertainty. She didn’t know how he did it then. She didn’t know how he did it this time. But his reassuring tone meant more to her than anything in the world.

“Let’s buy this house!”

“Let’s.”

Part Two: Here Comes the Neighborhood

Settlement on the house went smoothly. An elderly man by the name of Jacob signed all of the required paperwork as trustee of the blind trust that owned the house.

They engaged in small-talk while waiting for the final paperwork. David and Julie had braced themselves for the usual questions about why they left the city to live “in the middle of nowhere,” as Jacob put it. They knew that they would be answering this question more times than they’d care to know, so they were prepared:

“I always dreamed of living in the south, ever since I was a young girl and saw Gone With the Wind.”

“And my doctor said I needed to slow down, leave the city. When I saw this house for sale down here, I decided to, you know, check it out.”

Jacob peered down his nose at the young couple. “Is it true, young lady, that you first set foot in the house this morning?”

Julie cocked her head to one side and said, “Yes. I had to stay up north. But he sent me pictures of the house from his cellphone. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“They do say that, don’t they?” Neither Julie nor David could tell, based on his tone, whether Jacob was being patronizing, condescending, or simply wanted to end the conversation. Regardless, the three of them sat in silence until Earl returned.

Earl bounced into the meeting room a few moments later. With a grin, he glanced back and forth between David and Julie. “Congratulations, you two! You’re now the proud owners of one of the most beautiful old homes in this town! Welcome to our little neighborhood!”

Julie giggled. “Thank you. It’s good to be here.”

Jacob stood up and shook David’s hand. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir!”

“No. Thank you.” He turned on his heels and departed, leaving a keyring at the edge of the table.

“He was kind of strange, wasn’t he?” David mused.

“Don’t worry none ‘bout that!” Earl smiled jovially. “So, what’re y’all going to do now?”

“Well....” David started, but Julie interrupted him.

“We were sort of thinking that maybe we’d walk around downtown. You know, see what there’s to see. Then go back to the house and get it ready for our stuff to come in.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

Julie glanced at her watch. “Where’s a good place to eat lunch around here?”

“Daisy Mae’s is the best place in the county.”

“Would you care to join us, Earl? You’ve helped us out so much, it’s the least we can do,” David offered.

“Sure. I can be ready to head down in a few minutes.”

Earl disappeared down a corridor while David and Julie remained in the meeting room where they had just bought their new house. David thumbed through the mortgage papers.

Julie giggled, “Okay. The accents might take some getting used to.”

David smiled and looked up at her. “They’re probably saying the same thing about ours.”

“What?”

David spoke with an exaggerated tone, playing up on some of the verbal traits associated with the city they had just left: “Aw, youse knows what I’m tawkin’ about...”

Their laughter had barely subsided when Earl entered the room. “Trish, the girl at the front desk, really likes your accent. She said it makes you two sound tough and sophisticated. I assured her you’re neither.”

Julie burst out laughing.

David smiled broadly and said, “Don’t worry, Earl. We like your accent, too.”

The three of them walked a short distance to Daisy Mae’s Restaurant. Earl walked in and sat down at the nearest open booth. David and Julie followed him.

Julie smiled and said, “I like the look of this place. Quaint, home-y. Kind of reminds me of something out of a magazine article about life in the south from forty years ago.”

“Why, thank you,” a waitress stepped up from the table behind Julie. “Are y’all friends of Earls?”

“I guess you could say that,” Earl laughed. “I just sold them a house.”

“Oh, really? Which one?”

“The Davenport House.”

“Well, welcome to our town! I’m Miss Kitty, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pleased to meet you. I’m David, and this is my wife, Julie.”

“Ya know, I’ve heard a lot of interesting things about your house there, David and Julie.”

“Oh, really? What’ve you heard?” Julie asked, her attempt at seriousness betrayed by the wide grin across her face.

“Well, I heard that it’s haunted. Slaves from before the war, I’m told.”

Julie laughed but said nothing. She would have been disappointed if there hadn’t been a ghost story from a building as old as the house they just bought.

“Well, Miss Kitty—if I can call you that,” David smiled as she nodded, “After Julie and I get settled in, we’d be delighted to have you come to our housewarming party.”

“I’d love to be there!”

“Excellent, Miss Kitty.” David tried to sound like someone who had lived in this town all his life. “Now, this whole menu looks delicious. What would you recommend?”

“I’d recommend the homestyle chicken, but make sure you save room for our famous blueberry pie.”

“I’d actually been thinking about the homestyle chicken, so I’ll have some of that.”

“Very good, David. What about you, Julie?”

“I’ll have, um... I’ll have the reuben.”

“Excellent choice. The usual, Earl?”

“Yup.”

As Miss Kitty walked away, Julie remarked to her husband, “She sure is friendly.”

“I’m sure you’ll find that just about everyone in this here town’s friendly.”

“That’s good to know.” David smiled as he sipped his glass of water.

A booming voice echoed from a few tables away. “Did I hear tell of our new neighbors coming in here?”

Miss Kitty stopped, pointed at David and Julie, and said, “You sure did.”

In relatively short time, a large man was standing at the head of their table. “Allow me to introduce myself. My name’s Colby Kendricks. I’m the mayor of this here town. I take it you two bought the old Davenport House?”

“Yes, sir.” David shook his hand. “My name’s David and this is my wife, Julie.”

“Excellent! Do y’all mind if I ask what you two do for a living?”

Julie spoke up. “I’m a lawyer, and David sells insurance. Once we get settled and get all of the necessary licensing and all in order, we’ll each decide about continuing our trades.”

“All the insurance agencies done closed their doors a few years back, so.... At any rate, it’s been a pleasure.”

Following the mayor, there was a steady stream of people stopping by their table to introduce themselves. Business leaders to everyday people, some of whom acted like they hadn’t seen an outsider in their whole lives.

Two hours later, David, Julie, and Earl were finally able to finish their lunch. They returned to the real estate office, from which David and Julie drove to their new house.

Once they were on the road, David glanced at his wife. “Well, I guess it’s true what they say. You can’t really be anonymous in a small town, can you?”

“Nope. I guess not.”

“This’ll be a nice change of pace, I think.”

“Yeah.”

After a short pause, Julie sighed. “Listen, David. I, um... I don’t know how to say this, but you know that mirror? I, er, I ... could we move it into another room? Where I won’t need to look at it all that much.”

“That winking thing really creeped you out, huh?”

“Well, yeah. It did.”

“That’s fine. I’ll move it first thing. If you’d like, we can throw it out...”

“No. It’s an antique. Maybe after we’ve got all the furniture set up, we could sell it or something, but at least for now, I just want it out of the way.”

“Gotcha.”

When they returned to their new home, David immediately went to the master bedroom and started to move the mirror. Bending low, he strained under the weight of this piece of furniture.

“It’s heavier than it looks!” he called out to Julie, who was taking stock of the kitchen.

“Well, take your time.”

After a few minutes, he finally managed to bring the mirror out into the hallway. The doorbell gave him an excuse to take a break.

“I told my ma that someone bought this house, and she didn’t believe me! Hi! My name’s Penny! And you must be...”

“Julie. And this is my husband, David.”

“It’s such a pleasure to meet y’all!” She shoved a basket into Julie’s hands. “Please. Take these cookies as a simple ‘welcome to the neighborhood’.”

Julie folded back the napkins covering the top of the basket and smiled. “Oh, thank you... Um... Penny. Do you live near here?”

Penny pointed at a house, barely visible over the top of a hill. “I live right next door!”

“Oh! Won’t you come in, Penny? Would you like a cup of coffee? I just put a pot up.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Julie, I really can’t. I just thought I’d come over and introduce myself. Maybe later, we can talk more.”

“That would be nice.”

“I’ll tell my ma how nice y’all are.”

“Thank you.”

David leaned out the door as he watched Penny disappear off of their porch and towards her own house. As he closed the door, they both laughed.

“I wonder if she’s usually that way, or if she’s just excited that someone’s moved in here.” Julie looked at David. “How long did you say this house was on the market before you bought it?”

“Something like two years.”

“Yeah. Our gain, don’tcha think?”

“Mmmm hmmmm.” David paused and then was filled with dread at having to move the mirror some more. “Before I finish moving that mirror, do you mind if I have a cup of coffee?”

“Sure.”

As he poured his coffee into a mug they had gotten from Earl, Julie said, “I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t forget to wash your hands!”

She laughed. “Always!”

She started up the stairway and was about to turn into the master bedroom, when she caught sight of the mirror.

Looking over her reflection, she felt strangely removed, detached. She heard her own voice call out, “David!”

“Yeah, Jules?”

“On second thought, don’t move the mirror. I want it right by our bed!”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely!” There was a sultriness in her voice that felt warm, familiar, and, at the same time, foreign. Had she really thought this, much less actually said it? She squinted her eyes and shook her head. She sighed... She couldn’t unring this proverbial bell now, not with David already complaining about how heavy it is. She would deal, pure and simple.

Part Three: Getting Settled

The following day, the movers arrived. David was able to convince the movers to bring the mirror back into the master bedroom, and set it up as Julie had requested—visible from the bed.

After the movers left, Julie sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her reflection in the mirror, slowly unbuttoning her blouse. David smiled as he watched his wife. She looked up at him and said, “You know, honey...”

“Yes, my darling?”

“There’s a lot of rooms in this house.” She stood up and wrapped her blouse over his shoulders.

“Yes, yes there are.” He put his hands on her hips and gazed into her eyes. There was a wild look in her eyes. He’d seen that look before, but it had been a while.

She turned her head to see her own reflection once more. In a swift movement of her arms, she was grasping the bottom of his shirt and lifting it above his head.

She stepped closer to him, craned her neck, and started to nibble on his earlobes. He placed his hands casually on her hips, stroking her sides and reaching up to unclasp her bra. There was a caution in his hand-movements. He smiled broadly and sighed.

She sat down on the bed, lay back, and kicked off her skirt, stockings, and panties. “Good to see I’m not the only one who’s excited to be here.”

He loosened the buckle on his belt, unfastened his pants, and rolled them, along with his boxer shorts, down to his ankles. He then bent over his wife and buried his face between her breasts.

Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t suppress a giggle. As if on cue, he moved from between her breasts, to her left breast and began sucking. With his left hand, he pinched her right nipple.

Screwing up her eyes, she did all she could to suppress a gasp of pleasure.

He moved back and forth between her nipples for a few minutes, occasionally tickling her with his free hand, between her legs. Soon, he stopped, sat up, and asked, “Would you like to make love?”

“I’d love to!”

She arched her back, bent one leg, and waited for him to position himself over her before he slowly penetrated into her waiting slit. She quickly wrapped her legs around his hips and let him thrust forcefully into her.

When he arched his back, she dug her fingernails into his shoulders and pulled herself upright to be closer to him. She glanced off to one side and noticed her reflection in the mirror. She smiled in the mirror as her body was overwhelmed with a bolt of pleasure.

After a while, the two of them collapsed, exhausted, into each other’s arms. He rolled over onto his back and she nuzzled into his chest.

“Wow. I don’t remember you ever being that wild before,” he gasped.

“Well, I’ve been waiting to see this house. I must’ve cum 20 times just now.”

He stroked her hair, smiling.

She closed her eyes. He was right: why was she acting this way? Sex had always been enjoyable and all, but this was on a completely different level. It was almost as if someone or something else was controlling her movements, from the moment she took off her blouse. Not just her conscious movements, either, but all of the little tingles and sensations over her skin. And she’d never looked at herself in a mirror while having sex, but this time... Well, whoa!

She fell into a light sleep, listening to his heartbeat.

Over the next few days, they alternately emptied boxes, rearranged furniture, and “tested” many of the rooms in their new home. Although the sex in these rooms was good, none compared with the quality of their new bedroom.

Julie didn’t want to say anything, but every time she wanted to go back into the bedroom, it was as much because she loved being next to the mirror as much as it was because she was turned on. The mirror seemed to ... heighten the pleasure.

One morning, David strode into the kitchen where Julie was drinking her morning coffee. “I’m going into town for a few hours. I want to pick up a few things to help fix up the study. Is there anything you’d like?”

Julie paused. “Um... Yeah, actually. Why don’t you see about picking up some invitations and favors for our housewarming party?”

“I can do that.”

David walked out the door and Julie finished her sudoku puzzle. As she was getting up to wash and put away her coffee mug, she heard the doorbell ring.

“Penny!” Julie opened the front door wide. “How are you? Is everything all right?”

“Oh, yes, everything’s fine. I was just wondering if maybe you might need some help around the house or anything.”

“Um... Well, nothing comes to mind, but...” Julie watched Penny turn around. “Wait! I’d like to talk to you for a minute.”

“Me? Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“Well, okay.”

“Would you like a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

“Penny, how long have you lived in this town?”

“All my life, really. This is really good coffee. Do you do anything special with it?”

“I put a pinch of salt in the grounds before I start the pot. Takes away some of the rough texture. My husband taught me that.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

“All your life?”

“Yup! All nineteen years!”

Julie chuckled for a moment. “So, Penny, I get the feeling, just from what Dave and I have had to clean up in here, that this house has been empty for a while. Do you know how long it’d been empty before we bought it?”

“About three or four years, I guess.”

“Why so long?”

“Because everyone around here... No, maybe I shouldn’t say it.”

“Oh, come on, Penny! You can’t leave me hanging here. What? Are they afraid?”

“Um... Yeah. All the kids in town were told to stay away from the house because it’s haunted. Have you seen any ghosts in here?”

“No, can’t say I have......” Julie’s voice trailed away as she contemplated mentioning the mirror to her neighbor. “There’s got to be more to it than that. Tell me more.” Should she say something about the mirror? It didn’t seem to affect David as much as it affected her and she wondered why.

“Well... About a hundred years ago or so. Civil war vet and his wife lived here. One day, he came home from work early and found her in bed with another man. He killed them both and then turned the gun on himself. They say that all three of their ghosts roam the house to this day.”

“Well, I haven’t seen anything like that.”

“But there’s more. The wife... She pleaded she didn’t realize she wasn’t sleeping with someone else. She said she wasn’t in control over her own actions, ya know? My great granddaddy heard the argument that led to the killings. That’s silly, isn’t it? Now, I’ve only been with two boys in my life, if you know what I mean, but I’ve always known exactly what I was doin’.”

Julie laughed. “Yeah. I know. Would you like some more coffee?”

“No thanks.”

“Do you believe those ghost stories?”

“No, not really. I think they’re just there to scare kids. Don’t ask me why the house didn’t sell before you got it, but I’m glad you bought it.”

“Thanks.” Julie glanced around the kitchen and had a thought. “Hey, Penny. Would you like to see something cool?”

“Sure. What’s that?”

“Come with me.”

Julie led Penny into the bedroom and stood her in front of the mirror.

Penny cocked her head to one side as she looked at herself. “It’s an old mirror.”

“Yeah, but if you look closely, you might see something else.”

“What?”

“There, did you see that! My reflection, it just winked at us.”

“Didn’t you wink, too?”

“I think I did it because my reflection did, not the other way around.”

Penny felt a slight tingling. “Hey! I think I just did, too.”

They turned to face each other. Before either woman knew what she was doing, their lips had come together.

With a slight gasp, Penny turned her head to the side. “I’ve never done anything like this before.”

“Me either.” Julie gently placed her hand over Penny’s stomach; she smiled at the slight quiver of anticipation she felt beneath her fingers.

About an hour later, David came home. “Julie, I’m home!”

“I’m in the bedroom.”

He walked upstairs to find his wife and their neighbor, naked in bed together. Julie sat up, smiled, and said, “We’ve been waiting for you, David!”

Penny sat up, too. “Yes. Please join us!’

Part Four: Heating Up at Housewarming

When Julie and David threw their housewarming party, it felt like the entire town showed up. May people brought small presents or food.

Mayor Kendricks was one of the first to arrive, striding through the door, arm in arm, with a well-dressed woman. “David, Julie, I’d like you to meet my wife, Corinne!”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Corinne.” David took her hand and kissed it.

“The pleasure is all mine, young man!”

Julie took off Corinne’s jacket and handed it to Penny, who had volunteered to help wherever possible.

Corinne turned to her husband and smiled. “It’s good to get some fresh faces in this town, isn’t it, Colby?”

“Yes, it most certainly is.”

Julie looked down for a moment and said, “Would either of you like a drink or an hors d’oeuvre?”

“I’d love something.” Corinne beamed at her hostess and the two of them walked off together into the kitchen.

“What would you like, your honor?”

“Please, you can call me Colby.”

“Very well. What would you like, Colby?”

“I do love a good scotch.”

“Will Glenlivet double malt do?”

“Oh ho ho ho, yes!”

David escorted the mayor to the bar and retrieved two glasses. “On the rocks?”

“Yes.”

As he poured their drinks, David looked up. “Do you think we’ll get a good turnout at this party, Colby?”

“I don’t see why not. Why do you ask?”

“My wife told me that some people around here are afraid of this house. They think it’s haunted.” He pointed back at his wife, who was welcoming Miss Kitty from Daisy Mae’s Restaurant across the threshold. Shortly behind Miss Kitty were Trish and Earl from the real estate agency and then several men he didn’t recognize.

“This house was empty for quite some time, David. So we told all of the children to stay away from the house. Keeps the property somewhat safe.”

“I see.”

“If you’d mind excusin’ me for a minute, David, I’ve got to talk with Jacob over there.”

“Of course!” David recognized Jacob from the settlement. David saw Julie, animatedly talking with the wife of the mayor and decided to step a little closer.

“... don’t think we should paint the walls. This house is just too perfect.”

“Will you do anything with the grounds?”

“Probably, but not until summer.” David interrupted the conversation. “Let us figure out everything inside the house first.”

“Oh, young man! I didn’t see you behind us. I was just telling your charming wife how lovely this house is. Would you believe that most of the people in this town have never set foot on the land, much less in the house?”

“Really? This is such a beautiful house. I hope everyone has a chance to stop by.”

“Too many people were told too many stories about this house when they were children, I should think.”

David simply nodded in response.

After a brief silence, Julie said, “But they’re just stories. And there’s no reason to be afraid of us.”

“Of course not,” said Corinne as she wandered off to talk to some other guests. The house very quickly became crowded, with people noisily chatting and laughing. David watched Julie disappear out of the study with Trish. He couldn’t tell what they were saying, but he couldn’t not notice the way they bounced out of the room.

David stood just on the outside of a small circle of people that involved Miss Kitty and two men he hadn’t met before. When a lull occurred in this conversation, David said to the three of them, “I hope you folks are having a good time.”

Miss Kitty smiled broadly. “A wonderful time. I guess you’re not comfortable saying ‘Y’all’, are ya, sugar?”

“No. I guess not. Not yet.”

David reached out to the two men and introduced himself.

“Stevie. I’m Miss Kitty’s brother.”

“Jesse. I’m the chef at Daisy Mae’s.”

David shook both men’s hands and then looked at Jesse and Kitty. “Is there really a Daisy Mae, or is that just a name?”

“There was, about eighty years ago when she opened the restaurant,” Kitty responded. “Ya know, there were rumors that she had an affair with the man who owned this house at the time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Jesse said. “This house has seen its share of infidelity.”

David laughed. “Julie and I trust each other fully.”

“That’s good,” Stevie said. “I don’t know what you’re used to from the city, but none can keep secrets long ‘round here.”

“Well, we wanted to move down here because we wanted to know our neighborhood. When you’re in the middle of a big city, it’s so easy to become isolated. It’s strange how more people around can make you feel so ... alone. So the whole no secrets thing and all, we just figured that we didn’t really have anything to hide, so... Well, here we are!”

“Well said, David.” Kitty smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

“So, who actually owns the restaurant now?”

Kitty laughed. “Me and my brother, of course! We bought it about ten years ago from Daisy Mae’s son. He died about three years ago.”

“Seems like you’re running it well.”

“We’d like to think so.”

“I hope you don’t mind my saying so, but I sell insurance and I’ll be getting back into it soon, but are you properly insured?”

“I think so.”

“Well, after I get my state license, I’d like to offer you a review to make sure what you have meets your needs. I’d do the review free of charge, of course.”

Kitty looked at her brother and then back at David. “All right.”

“Excellent. I’ll let you know when I’m ready to give you the review. I’ve got some other guests to introduce myself to, so I’ll talk to y’all later.”

“It still doesn’t sound right,” Miss Kitty teased.

“I’ll work on it.”

David turned his head and saw Trish come downstairs. Her hair seemed less perfectly coiffed than he thought he’d remembered it. She was smiling broadly as she smoothed out the fabric of her skirt with the palm of her hand. He quickly decided, just based on her demeanor, that this was not the time to say or do anything. Trish approached Miss Kitty. The two of them started laughing and disappeared into the crowd. Turning another way, he saw Penny and the mayor’s wife laughing before they disappeared as well. Julie was nowhere to be seen.

David brushed the arm of the mayor as he walked by. “Sorry about that!”

“Oh, don’t worry about it, David.”

“Ya know, sir, I was wondering if you knew anything about the organization that sold me this house in the first place.”

“Actually, I do. This house was an asset of a blind trust that represented this town. The house into the town’s ownership about ten years ago. When I became mayor two years ago I made the decision put it on the market. That’s where you and your wife came in. By the way, where is she now?”

“I’m honestly not sure. For that matter, a lot of the women seem to have disappeared.”

“Yes, I see that.” Colby muttered something under his breath.

“What was that you said?”

“Oh, nothing. Nothing.”

“No. You said something. I could’ve sworn I heard you say the word ‘mirror.’ What did you say?”

“I didn’t say—”

“Yes you did. And there’s a mirror in my bedroom that’s unusually heavy. My wife first said it scared her but then she changed her mind and said she likes it. If you know something about this mirror, I’d really appreciate it if you told me whatever you can.”

The mayor sighed. “All right. I can only tell you what I’ve heard. Hearsay and rumors. Nothing substantial, but there are stories about an enchanted mirror. They say that a woman who looks into the mirror will find herself being the reflection, doing what the image in the mirror does.”

“Where does this story come from?”

“It was allegedly bewitched by a slave whose family practiced voodoo. This goes back to before the Civil War, of course. He wanted to turn the women of the house into whores. Round here, folks get a little superstitious, so as long as the house was owned by the town, no woman was allowed in.

David mumbled, “That explains Julie’s appetite in the room.”

“What did you say?”

“Oh, nothing.”

“Do you think the stories are true? Has it ensnared your wife?”

“Oh, no. No no no. Definitely not.”

Julie, Penny, Trish, Corinne, and Miss Kitty all came back into the room, laughing loudly, makeup smeared and their clothes askew. Trish and Miss Kitty had messed-up hair. Julie and Corinne, upon entering the room, paused to powder their noses. As Julie parted company from the other four, she raised her hand and gave Miss Kitty a sharp smack on her backside. Miss Kitty let out a low yelp in response.

“Of course not.” The mayor smiled and turned to talk with someone else.

Part Five: Reflection and Introspection