Spellbound

Eric had not behaved in any improper way unless he was in contact with the pendent. Once it touched him he turned into one of the characters from those mother son movies. Then he forgot about it. Yet Emma had the thoughts and sick desires and she recalled everything they'd done.

There had now been three encounters like that, each getting progressively worse. There was only one way to go further than they had last night and that was to do the unthinkable and have sex with her son.

That thought pushed her to send a text to Sherri. Hopefully it wouldn't wake her and she could reply in the morning. She'd kept it simple. "Hi, this is Emma. I just moved into the house on Hollow road and Ernest said you wanted to speak to me. Sorry for how late this is. Hope to hear from you tomorrow."

Emma put the phone down and went back to the notebook, listing all the things she'd decided she would research while lying there last night. She was surprised when her phone beeped and she picked it up to see a reply.

"Hi Emma! Don't worry about the time. Trust me, I'm not surprised you're texting me this late. Night time is when most things happen there."

"Can I call you?" Emma quickly replied.

"Sorry, but no. I'm not alone and don't want to be overheard. Would you like to meet in town tomorrow? Susan's bakery has fantastic coffee and is usually quiet after the morning rush."

Emma had a meeting with her new employer tomorrow and asked if one would be okay? Sherrie replied it was fine and she was thrilled to talk to her. She'd added not to worry, she had reason to believe Emma and Eric weren't in any danger, but simply needed to understand what was happening.

Emma stared down at the paperwork in front of her which was her contract the new firm wanted her to sign which asked she work there a minimum of three years and included a two year DNC that only applied to their two biggest competitors.

The rest was her salary, vacation, benefits and pretty much an employee handbook. Two days ago Emma would have signed it right in the office. But today, even though it went smoothly and the partners were all very nice and eager to meet her, she said she wanted to look it over.

Fact was she might be high tailing it out of here if things didn't straighten out. She knew she could move into town, but if Emma was going to leave over what was going on in the house then she'd want to put some serious distance between her and it; a couple of states worth of distance.

While flipping through the paperwork, Emma took note of her emerald green nails. Her meeting had ended earlier than she expected and Sherri had texted her and said she was sorry, but she would be an hour late.

Emma planned on simply hanging around the coffee shop for the hour and seeing if she could dig up some dirt on not only the house, but Robin and her family. When she spotted the nail salon just putting out their sign for the day she decided to treat herself to a much needed manicure and pedicure.

She'd chosen the deep green color for her fingers and toes to bring out her eyes, but now looking at her fingers she recalled her lust fueled thoughts of last night. Thoughts of how much sexier she'd look for her son if she painted her nails.

Emma had touched the pendent which she had tucked under her button up black blouse and noted it was cool to the touch. Just as it had been since she left the house. Flipping open her notebook, she scribbled. 'Does it lose power when not in the house? Is it the house itself that does this and the necklace is some kind of transmitter?

She looked at the pad and thought how ridiculous her notes were. Like something out of a lame ass horror story. The bells sounded again and Emma looked up and froze.

Robin had just entered the shop. She was looking in the other direction and Emma quickly lifted the small menu and held it over her face while lowering her head.

"Hey Robin," The woman behind the counter greeted her. "Haven't seen you in weeks!"

"Been busy." Emma heard Robin reply, "But I came here to meet up with a friend. Can I get some of that fantastic blackberry tea?"

"Coming right up, have a seat and I'll bring it out."

"Oh, and a blondie too." Robin laughed. "Can't come in here and not fall off the wagon you know."

The woman laughed and Emma risked a peek over the menu. To her dismay Robin was heading right towards her. Giving up the childish idea of hiding, Emma lowered the menu and gave her a wave. "Hey, fancy meeting you here."

"Not really." Robin came slid into the booth across from her. "You did agree to meet me here."

Emma stared hard at her. "You're Sherri? What the hell kind of bullshit is this?"

"I know this is underhanded and I'm sorry." Robin put her hands up in a disarming gesture. "Just give me a minute to explain and if you want to leave then I won't try and talk you out of it."

"Talk fast because I don't like being duped."

"The day you arrived when we were talking that night I asked you that if anyone said anything strange about me you'd come to me."

"I remember."

"Look, Emma I've lived in this town my entire life and as I alluded to my family has a strange reputation as does the house you moved into."

"Well deserved, at least about the house." Emma grunted. "Strange doesn't do it justice."

"Ernest gossips like an old woman and you're not the first tenant he's opened his mouth to about things that happened there."

"Since when is the truth gossip?" Emma stopped when the woman brought Robin her tea and pastry, and refilled her coffee for her.

"You're running out of time to convince me of why I should be listening to you."

"I knew he would say something to you and he thinks it's funny to be cryptic and leave people curious. He's gotten people thinking poorly of me in the past and I'm tired of it happening."

She took a sip of her tea and shrugged. "So I set the old coot up and had a friend call him and play into his little game of liking to spook people and tell him she knew he was moving someone else into the house and to please have them call."

"I can't believe you'd trick me like that." Emma shook her head. "Why not just be a damned adult and come talk to me?"

"Because I needed to wait until you were ready to talk. Seeing you texted I assume you want to talk about what's happening."

"I do, which means I guess your little stunt worked because now that you're here you owe me some explanations."

"Emma, I promise I'll tell you anything you want to know, but with conditions."

"You're pretty damn ballsy aren't you?" Emma asked, but Robin seemed unaffected by her words.

"I will be completely honest with you as long as you keep an open mind and let me explain what's going on."

"I'll do what I can." Fact was after what had been going on Emma would be hard pressed to dismiss anything Robin might say.

"But fair is fair and if I ask you things you need to be honest with me or we're wasting our time."

"Robin you just played a high school level trick. You have some nerve asking for honesty from me."

"You're right, Emma." Robin's blue eyes lowered to stare into her tea. "I hate not being forthcoming, but if you listen to what I say maybe you'll understand why I can't."

Robin took another sip of tea, then sat back in her chair and gestured to Emma. "Go ahead, ask away and you can decide if I'm telling the truth now."

"A woman really hung herself in the house?"

"You knew that. You brought it up the night we sat and talked. Your son looked it up."

"But you didn't tell me about her sons. One vanished and the other ended up in an institution?"

"That's true Sean ran away right after his mother's funeral and Kenny had a break down. After a few months Tim moved Kenny to Connecticut to a private facility. Last I heard he was doing much better and was back home, but won't ever talk about his mother."

"Why did she kill herself? You made some remark about life being too much for her, but now I think there's more than that."

Robin broke off a piece of her blondie and chewed slowly as she no doubt was stalling on how to answer.

"So much for honesty." Emma made to rise, but Robin reached out and put her hand on her.

"I'm just trying to decide how much to say and how soon." Robin explained. "So I'll answer a question with a question. Have you dreamed of Maria?"

It was her turn to take her time to respond. Did she really want to openly admit her dreams? She hadn't even told Eric about them and here was Robin who was little more than a stranger.

"This is where you need to be honest in order for me to be." Robin prodded her.

Emma weighed her options. If putting her cards on the table would get her somewhere with this madness, then she may as well show good faith as she'd tell an opposing attorney, then she may as well make the first move.

"Yes and I had dreams about Mary and another woman named Kathy."

"Happening very quickly." Robin said it as if it were a good thing. "I always wondered how the absence of a husband would change things."

"What?"

"Sorry," Robin blinked. "I'm getting ahead of myself. When you dreamt of the women, were they alone?"

"I have a feeling you know the answer so why are you bothering to ask?"

"I need to know for sure you saw the big picture so to speak and not just a glimpse."

Emma stalled by sipping from her coffee and Robin didn't push, instead she picked at her blondie, patiently waiting for Emma's reply.

"They were with their sons," Emma scrunched her face up in disgust. "And I mean with their sons. Maria with both."

"Both?" Robin seemed surprised. "You had two dreams of her?"

"No, they were with her at the same time."

"That's...." Robin frowned. "I had no idea. I assumed she was with one of her sons and the other one caught her."

"Let's just say she wasn't playing favorites."

"Both of them desired her and she them," Robin whistled. "I would have never thought polygamy would be an option."

"Obviously it wasn't." Emma rolled her eyes. "So if my dream wasn't some twisted thing my subconscious came up with and she did commit that act I'm going to assume it was the reason for her suicide?"

"Yes, some people handle it differently." Robin said softly. "Now I see why both boys were affected so strongly. The guilt must have been overwhelming."

"Okay, I'm going to step right into this twilight zone conversation and ask why because unless my dream was off they were all pretty goddamn happy with what was going on."

"They were at the time because they were under its influence. But..."

"It?"

Robin touched her neck. "The Pendent."

The pendent. Robin said it so matter-of-factly. Emma had spent the last three days wondering if she were losing her damn mind and most of those thoughts surrounded the necklace. Here Robin had brought it up as casually as she would the weather.

"You're saying this pendent affects women and their sons? That it makes them desire each other?"

"Long answer is there are certain requirements and conditions for it to do it, but the short answer is yes."

"How do you know that? Wait!" She snapped her fingers. "Ernest said he saw this on other women. Did you talk to them? Did..."

Robin raised her hand to stop her. Her other hand reached into the neckline of her blouse to withdraw what was at the end of the silver chain around her neck. Emma gasped when she saw it was a stone the same size and shape as hers, but appeared to be a diamond.

"I know from firsthand experience."

"That one is just like this?"

"Yes, they're a set."

"But if you're wearing it then..." Emma's eyes widened as she heard Ernest in her mind talking about Cliff. "That means..."

"Yes, Emma." Robin spoke softly looking her in the eye. "Cliff isn't my husband, he's my son."

Chapter 12

"Your son." Emma repeated numbly.

"I told you I'd be honest with you." Robin tucked the diamond pendent back into her dress. "Now that you've seen my necklace and heard that confession I hope you'll have no issue being open with me, and more importantly know I won't think anything you say or ask is crazy."

"You're living with your son." Emma shook her head. "He's your lover."

"He's my son, my lover, my best friend," She smiled fondly. "Cliff is my everything and I couldn't be happier."

"I can't believe it. Robin, that's sick."

"Why because society tells us it is? You saw Cliff and I together, did it look sick?" She smirked. "You didn't seem to think so."

"I didn't know who he was."

"That changes it?" Robin sighed. "I know, you're conditioned to believe that."

"So is everyone else." Emma pointed out. "So let me guess, all that incest porn in Eric's closet, you left that there?"

"Yes, its all part of setting the stage and the mood."

"And you gave me this pendent." Emma continued. "You gave this to every woman that's lived there."

"I have to keep trying." Robin told her. "Our pendants were once one larger stone that was cut in half. One half has fulfilled its legacy, but the other is still searching for the woman who will let it accomplish its mission."

"Its mission." Emma sat back and rubbed her temples. "I suppose if I follow this insanity its mission involves mothers and sons?"

"My family is originally from Scotland and generations ago one of my ancestors fell in love with his mother. The story is his father was a drunken womanizer and abusive as well."

"The son, Connor, who I imagine would be my grandfather a couple times removed, saw how his mother was mistreated and felt she deserved better. He spent a lot of time with her and was always comforting her and trying to get her to leave his father.

"Back then women didn't leave, they just took whatever their husbands gave them. Connor decided that if she were to find a better man, one who would love and cherish her and be good to her in every way she would leave."

"And for some reason he thought he would be that man?"

"I don't know the details, but yes, he fell in love with his mother and wanted her to love him. He felt she did, but was holding back because its wrong."

"It is."

"So one night he hiked into the hills to seek out a local witch."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Emma sighed.

"Emma, have you heard it speaking to you?" Robin leaned over and pointed to her. "Honest answer. Have you heard its voice?"

Emma looked away, but whispered. "Yes."

"Then you know that isn't just a pretty necklace so please let me tell the story."

Emma nodded, and Robin went on.

"The witch sold him a cheap necklace with a pendant she referred to as the family jewel. It was a talisman of forbidden lust and love."

"That I believe."

"But the witch warned him that it would only work if there was some desire on his mother's behalf. The stone couldn't create that desire, but if it were there even in the slightest form it could augment it."

"I take it, it worked."

"It did. He gave it to his mother and as the story goes shortly thereafter Connor and his mother ran away together; all the way to the United States and to the city of Chicago."

"In his desperation to find them, Connor's father went to the same witch. For a price she told him exactly what she did and provided him with a divining rod to search out the stone."

"He followed them here, but it took some time and by the time he showed up on their doorstep they'd had a child together, a son."

"It seems he did love his wife, or perhaps was too prideful to admit she would leave him never mind for who, and he tried to get her to see reason and go back home with him. She refused, but wouldn't let Connor do what he wanted, which was kill his father so they could have peace once and for all."

"Big mistake I take it."

"He tried to woo her back. Kept coming around with gifts, acting apologetic and of course telling her how sick her being with Connor was. In the end he blamed the stone and taking it from her smashed it with a sledgehammer."

"A week later he returned and when she still pledged her love for Connor he killed her, then Connor when he came home. Fortunately the son was being watched by a neighbor or I'm sure he would have killed him too.

"Just like Nathan killed Mary and her son."

"Exactly, because he then killed himself. The boy was raised by the neighbor and what Connor's father, and Connor himself never knew his son, Timothy, had found two pieces of the stone and kept them."

"When he grew older he smoothed out the two pieces and made two necklaces from them. Necklaces he bestowed upon his daughters when they were of age. Timothy had found work at a winery and became quiet adept at making his own. Adept enough to get a loan and open his own vineyard."

"He bought the land that is now mine and built two houses, one for each of his girls and their husbands. That's when the stone came back into play. I have my great grandmother's diary and it seems she managed to do some research on this stone by reading up on old folklore and eventually speaking to someone with, as she put it, knowledge of all things ungodly."

"Robin is there a point to this story? Not to be rude, but I'm worried about now and myself and my son."

"Just trying to help you understand. See the stone had one purpose, to bring mothers and sons together. I think originally it might have required something specific to activate it, but once it was broken I guess to put it in modern terms it was glitching."

"Great."

"But it still held to its original mission and the rule there had to be some thought and feelings between the mother and their son. The pendant affects the mother more strongly. It increases the thoughts and desires and feeds the libido."

"A horny stone." Emma laughed without humor.

"The stone pushes the mother to be the aggressor, it doesn't affect the son unless he is in direct contact with it. Once he touches it seems to transmit the mother's desire to him and he instantly thinks of her in ways a young man is taught to never think about his mother."

Emma looked down at the notebook she'd scribbled questions in. She had to admit Robin was answering them as she went along.

"I want to show you a couple of pictures." Robin put her purse on the table and fumbled around in it. She produced a small photo album and opened it.

"This is a picture of my parents with my brother Jason."

Emma looked at the photo which was taken in front of the house she just moved into. The first thing she noticed was the woman in the picture was wearing the pendant, except in the black and white photo it appeared much darker.

Robin's brother appeared to be in his late teens and Emma noticed he wasn't looking at the camera, but at his mother while the father stood behind the two of them. He was giving his mother a shy smile that she seemed to be returning.

Up until a couple nights ago Emma wouldn't have thought anything of the way they were looking at each other, but now she swore the look was flirty.

"This is a picture of me with my mother and father taken a few years later."

Emma's eyes widened at the second picture which showed Robin's mother sitting on the porch with a young Robin sitting on her lap, smiling and waving at the camera. What caught her attention was the man standing behind them with his arms around Emma's mother's neck was her brother.

"Wait, you said this was your mother and father."

"It is. My father is my much older brother Jason." Robin smiled sadly. "He passed away of a heart attack about two years after my mother died. I think it was really a broken heart he died from."

"Your brother was your father."

"Jason's father was a cheating dog who kept my mother home and pretty much isolated. He wasn't physically abusive, but my mother was lonely and neglected. Jason was her world and he was very close to our mother. Even in his teens he spent all his time with her. His father made fun of him, calling him a mama's boy.