Steve pounded the steering wheel of his 2009 Buick LaCrosse as the dashboard lights blinked. The voice on the radio warning of thunderstorms in the area began to warp and fade. He should have listened to the mechanic and replaced the battery before the warranty ran out.

The headlights went dark, the radio went silent—the car rattled to a halt on a deserted highway. This AI-inspired shortcut had stranded Steve somewhere near Salem, Massachusetts. He got out of the car and could faintly make out the glow of windows and a porch light on the other side of the road.

Next to the driveway leading to the house, bare branches of a large oak tree sprawled like shriveled fingers against moonlit clouds in the late October sky. White fog rose from the ground, obstructing the view ahead. The tortured cries of coyotes emphasized Steve’s discomfort and almost caused him to turn back, but to where?

The Buick was dead and the iPhone he nervously squeezed in his hand was fading fast. Also, the warning on the radio had caught up to him. He felt the first raindrops and the sky lit up, followed by the rumbling of thunder.

His feet landed in the muddy rutted driveway, and dead leaves crunched beneath his feet. The brick facade and loose shutters of a late 18th-century Georgian-Style house came into focus as he drew closer.

A small creature skittered across the highway and perched on a branch of the oak tree, its glowing yellow eyes watching Steve as he passed. A three-foot iron gate creaked on rusty hinges and remained open long enough for Steve to enter, then rapidly slammed behind him. He shot around to see who had followed, but no one was there.

Up three stone steps was a distressed oak door. He shook the rain from his hair and clothing, and as he reached for a large metal knocker, the door opened slowly, revealing a dark-skinned, smiling face with perfect teeth.

The tall, slender man in his mid-forties, wearing a blue bell-bottom romper half-zipped to reveal his smooth chest, a thick white leather belt with a gold medallion buckle, and white platform shoes, asked in a breathy voice, “What brings you out this far?”

“Google. I guess I should have used Apple Maps, or MapQuest, perhaps.”

The man sneered. “What are you, the fuckin’ Cat in the Hat?”

The man examined Steve and decided the young, attractive guy should be given a chance to dry off and rest awhile. “Look Bub, I don’t like riddles. Do you wanna come in or not?”

Steve said, “If you don’t mind. My car died on the side of the road, and my phone,” Steve raised his phone to the man’s face, “well, as you can see, it’s not as bright as usual, and I don’t really know where I am—”

The man pushed the phone away. “Don’t start rambling again. Come in and relax. You have all the time you need.”

Steve put the phone in his front pocket as the man led him into the entrance hall. The man produced a towel, seemingly out of nowhere, and handed it to Steve.

“But that’s just it.” Steve wiped his face with the towel and handed it back. “I don’t have much time. I’m supposed to meet my girlfriend and she’s waiting for me—”

The man shushed him and tossed the towel onto a bench next to the door. “That’s fine dear. We’ll take care of you and your petty issues soon enough.” The man called out, “Emberly, we have a visitor.” He scrutinized Steve. “Not much of a dresser—bluejeans and a T-shirt—but, a pleasant young fellow, here to see you.”

“I was only stopping to get—”

The man glared at Steve. “Dammit, you! I told her you’re pleasant.” Lightning flashed through large 12-pane windows. “Don’t start-up again.”

The man led Steve down a dim hallway lit by candles hung in sconces along the walls. Ornately framed 17th-century portraits of prestigious women seemed to squirm in the glimmering candlelight. Steve shuddered. “I feel like those paintings are watching me.”

The man scoffed. “Don’t be so vain. Just because they’re dead doesn’t mean they’re desperate.

They passed an 8-seat dining table and chairs beneath a large gold chandelier and into a sitting room with two red leather tufted armchairs, a mahogany writing table, and Emberly sprawled out on a red and gold damask love-seat with her jet black hair flowing over her shoulders. Emberly stood to greet Steve.

Her slender body cast a silhouette through a sheer black gown. She wore only black panties underneath, and her visible nipples lifted the thin fabric. Her black high heels clicked against the hardwood floor as she seductively approached.

She slurped and licked her lips, rolled her clawed finger tips, and spoke hoarsely, “Come closer.”

With their lips nearly touching, Emberly pressed the sharp tip of her first finger beneath Steve’s chin and whispered, ”What shall I call you?”

“Huh?”

The man quipped, “Your name, Bub. She wants to know your name?”

“Oh, uh, Steve.”

The man strolled up behind and squeezed Steve’s ass with both hands. “Well, uh, Steve, my name is Shade. Tell Emberly what brings you here?”

“I told you, my car broke down, and the battery’s dead. I need a place to charge my phone.”

Steve pulled the phone from his pocket. Emberly pouted, “Oh, dammit. And here I thought that bulge was for me.”

Shade squinted and puckered his lips as he ran his hands along Steve’s shoulders. “But, the poor, poor boy needs our help. And his girlfriend? Why, the lonely little girl probably hasn’t gotten any, I mean, seen her lover in ages. Is she pretty?”

Steve examined Emberly’s full lips and creamy smooth skin. “Well, yes, I suppose—”

Shade stepped around to block Steve’s view. “Your girlfriend, you naughty boy.” He softly slapped Steve’s chest. “Is your girlfriend pretty?”

“Oh my, yes. She is very nice and has a wonderful laugh. One time we—”

“What’s her name?”

“Her name is Dara, meaning ‘Oak Tree’ or ‘Wisdom’. Why, just the other day she was—”

Shade rolled his eyes. “There you go again with the folklore.” He placed a finger on Steve’s lips. “Why don’t you just relax? I’ll draw you a warm bath.”

As Shade sashayed away, Steve complained, “But I really just need to charge my—”

Shade shot around and growled, “I said, relax!”

⏾

Shade entered the wash room where Steve soaked, nearly asleep, in a luxurious claw footed tub. “Do you need help or are you a big boy?”

As Shade approached, Steve covered himself with his hands.

Shade oozed, “Oh! You are a big boy.”

Shade covered his eyes, peeking through his fingers, and got behind Steve holding a scrub brush. “Let me help you with the hard parts, um, the hard to reach spots.”

Shade rubbed the bristles of the scrub brush along Steve’s shoulders. Soap bubbles dribbled down Steve’s chest and collected around his nipples. More suds ran down his taut stomach and puddled where his cock was barely hidden under the water.

Shade sighed. “Tell me a little about yourself.”

Steve told him about his boring job and that he and his girlfriend were getting married in the spring.

Shade gasped, “Marriage? Don’t be silly. A strapping young man like you must get so many looks from so many women. Why not browse a little before taking the plunge.”

“Dara and I are very happy.”

“Oh, I’m sure you are, but someday she’ll grow old and haggard. Why not marry someone who is forever young.”

“I don’t know anyone like that.”

“Emberly has the body of a woman, the spirit of a young lady, and the energy of a cat. She was once the most desired woman in town. Her last lover, a lanky guy named Ichabod Crane, was so smitten he could barely keep his head on straight—”

The wash-room door flew open. Emberly barked, “What are you two talking about.”

Shade told Emberly about Steve and his girlfriend’s marriage plans.

Emberly stroked her chin. “A wedding? What a charming idea. We should celebrate.”

Steve raised his hand to speak. “But, I was planning to leave first thing in the morning. I just wanna—”

Emberly snapped, “Nonsense. You speak so fondly of this little girlfriend of yours. We shall bring her here for a traditional ceremony.” She swung her gown behind her and marched out of the room.

Shade broadened his eyes at Steve. “I guess I’ll have to dress you now. I’m sure I can find something bland enough.”

Part Two

Steve and Shade walked past the dining room table decorated with candles and flowers for the ceremony and into the sitting room to relax and wait for Emberly.

Shade explained to Steve:

“Emberly and Dara grew up together in Salem until, two years before Emberly graduated from high school, Dara went off to college in Boston. Emberly remained at the family home. They’re cousins, descendants of women who were married to high ranking military officers killed in battle.

“These women had been accused of witchcraft, but their social status allowed them to hire good lawyers, and they were never brought to trial. They all eventually died of natural causes, which some say proves they weren't witches.

“After the last of these women died, the relatives fought for ownership of the house. The State of Massachusets ultimately awarded the home to Emberly because her mother was the last to die. Dara’s family still challenges the decision because there is no known will.

“During one contentious challenge, Dara sent Emberly to Westchester County, New York, where Emberly met a lanky ghost of a schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane. It’s no coincidence your car broke down when it did.”

Steve said, “That’s remarkable. You think Dara did this?”

“I don’t know for sure. Maybe Emberly brought you here to steal you away from Dara. She can be a real bitch sometimes. But, I’d love to meet Dara. Let’s bring her here.”

Steve gasped, “Are you going to use physic powers to contact her?”

“No, jackass. You’re going to use your phone.”

Steve removed his phone from his pocket and jabbed at the screen. "I told you a hundred times, my phone’s dead.”

“Dead, you say?” Shade stood and raised his hand to the air holding what appeared to be a small snake. With his other hand, he pointed—perhaps to the source of some great power—and shouted, “Behold!”

The room flickered and the windows rattled. Steve turned and shielded his eyes as Shade bent down and pushed one end of the snake into a wall socket. He handed the narrow end to Steve. "Here, charge your phone with this."

Emberly marched into the room and called out, “Get away from him, Shade, he’s mine."

Shade giggled. “Oh, stop being so dramatic. The last man that stayed hard for you was Nathaniel Hawthorne, and that was just a statue."

Emberly huffed, “Step away, Shade, you fiend. He is mine for all of eternity. He was brought here to marry me.”

Steve quickly texted Dara, and there was a knock on the front door.

Shade said, “Wow! That was fast.”

Shade and Steve listened as Emberly stomped to the door. There was an argument, then there was a bang, and the voices went silent. Emberly calmly returned to the sitting room.

Steve panicked. “What happened. Where’s Dara?”

Emberly declared fiercely. “I sent her away, banished for all eternity.”

Shade and Steve gasped when Dara appeared in the doorway. Dara laughed at Emberly. “No you didn’t, you dumb-ass. Slamming the door in my face didn’t get rid of me, it only pissed me off more.”

Dara and Emberly raised their right hands toward each other, and a ray of intense orange light beamed between their palms. There was a bright flash; a rumble shook the floor.

Dara heckled. "Ha! What do you think you're doing." She raised her other hand and another beam of light shot from her palm. "You're wasting your time, you hag! You're not magic."

Emberly shouted back, "You and I are related—we're cousins, remember?"

"Yes, we're related, on my mother’s side of the family. My dad’s the witch, you fool.” Dara’s beams of light intensified. “I can send you to the time and place of my choosing, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”

Emberly dropped her hands to her sides. Dara shrieked and threw her head back, and one final thrust of her palms made Emberly vanish in a puff of smoke.

Shade ran to the spot where Emberly had been standing. "What have you done with her?"

"I sent her to a faraway land. I thought she could use a little vacation."

Shade huffed dismissively and snapped his fingers three times in a Z formation.

Steve asked Dara, “Were you the creature that watched me from the oak tree out front? Have you been here all along?”

“I was the creature, but first I had to get your crappy car towed away. Let me show you a real car.”

Shade, Steve, and Dara walked to the front of the house and stepped onto the porch. Two cars were parked on the lawn: a blue 4-door Lincoln Continental Mark IV and a red Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer 512.

Shade said, “Wow! You really are magic.”

“I didn't make these cars. I bought them with the money I made when I sold this house.”

Shade sat on the porch and began to sob. Dara sat and placed her arm around his shoulders. “Oh, Shade, don’t you worry.”

She took Shade by the hand and helped him to his feet. “Now Shade, close your eyes and make a wish—anything you want.”

Shade wiped tears from his cheeks and flashed a wistful smile. When he closed his eyes, Dara raised her hands, and beams of light shot from her palms. Shade was transported to a luxury penthouse in Manhattan to party with the Village People, while the Lincoln and a handsome chauffeur waited in a heated garage beneath the building.

Steve looked at the empty space where Shade had disappeared and said, “What about us?”

Dara said, “Well, we have the whole place to ourselves.”

With a blink of her eyes, Dara sat naked on the red and gold damask love-seat with Steve standing naked, facing her. Dara drew a deep breath and directed Steve in a soothing voice, “Try to control yourself.”

Dara moistened her lips and slipped her tongue along Steve’s cock. She slid her lips around him and swirled her tongue until his legs stiffened. She pulled away and let him relax. Steve heaved, “You really are magic!”

Dara gave his cock a rapid lick. It lunged toward her mouth and twitched intensely. As his reaction subsided, she licked again, this time forcing a narrow stream of pre-cum to dribble down his cock. She licked with a steady motion, and Steve’s irregular breathing deepened as a tingle radiated through his body.

Steve’s knees nearly buckled as he stood throbbing and moaning. With another lick, his cock lunged and his entire body shivered. Dara looked into Steve's eyes and commanded with a sultry whisper, “I want you to taste my desire”

Steve knelt on the floor in front of her. “I may not be magic, but I can still take control.”

Steve moistened his thumbs in his mouth and spread Dara’s pussy. He twirled his tongue around her clit. Dara moaned, “Oh god!” and raised her body against his chin.

Steve placed his hands under her and continued to tickle her with his tongue as her breathing deepened. Steve stopped to look into Dara’s eyes, and she demanded, “I want you to fuck me.”

Dara moved back on the love-seat, and Steve settled between her thighs. His warm breath and two-day razor stubble brushed along Dara’s sensitive skin as he kissed her shoulders. Her fingers clawed his hair, and her legs tightened around him. She gasped, “I want to feel you inside me.”

Steve’s eager cock stretched Dara’s creamy skin. She crossed her feet behind him and pulled him closer. Her stomach tensed and eyes squeezed shut as Steve fucked her with a deep, steady motion. She groaned and her pussy tightened in pulses.

Lightning cast ghostly shadows along the walls, and the bed vibrated from the rumble of thunder. Steve and Dara held each other tightly as static electricity prickled their skin. Dara screeched, “A la peanut butter sandwiches,” as her orgasm erupted.

Steve couldn't top that, but exclaimed, “I want to cum on your sexy body.”

Dara sat up and grabbed his cock as streams of semen shot across her breasts. His cock twitched in her hand. Cum trickled down her stomach and she put her lips around him, swallowing as he pulsed in her mouth.

Part Three

The next morning, Steve woke up in a luxurious four-poster bed surrounded by intricately carved dressers and wardrobes. The rain had passed, and large windows draped with gold-embroidered red velvet curtains allowed sunlight to flood the room. Dara sat in a tall-backed wooden chair, brushing her silky black hair in front of a gilded-wood-framed mirror.

Steve yawned and stretched his arms. “Okay, give me the keys so we can get outta here.”

Dara glanced at Steve’s reflection in the mirror. “What are you talking about?”

“I need the keys to the Ferrari so I can drive us home.”

“Are you crazy?” Dara turned to face him. “I’m not letting you drive that thing.”

Steve scoffed. “You’re funny. C’mon, hand ‘em over.”

“You saw what I can do. That car starts when I want it to start.”

The argument continued for several minutes. Steve got the keys. Dara drove the Ferrari.

⏾

Emberly sat on a bar stool in a small tavern in Westchester County, New York, when she noticed a familiar man sitting at a table by himself. She approached the table with a glass of wine in her hand. “Ichabod?”

Ichabod smiled. “Well, hello, Emberly. I thought I might see you here. It seems that sneaky Shade has brought us together.” He chuckled and snapped his fingers in a Z formation. “Wish it worked for me—I never really believed in magic until I met him.” He stood and pulled out a chair. “Please, have a seat.”

As the night progressed, Emberly and Ichabod moved closer; their hands became entangled. They giggled and shared several glasses of wine as they reminisced about old times. Emberly asked Ichabod what happened after his encounter with the Headless Horseman.

“Headless Horseman—who told you that bullshit story? I staged a scene to escape that wretched town. I sure hope people in the 21st century don’t suffer the same cultural delusions.”