The Hathaway

The Serpent

As the brothers and I walked through the woods from our nearest neighbor towards the meeting house, I was happy. We had spent the day helping them put a roof on the home they were building. About a mile away. It was a simple dwelling for the young family, who so far had only three children. It gave us all pleasure to know that they would be able to stay dry under a fine roof tonight, since it looked like rain.

We could hear the sisters before we saw them. They were working in the garden and had been singing a weeding song to make their labor pass more pleasantly. While the others continued ahead, I stopped to take it all in. We were here but two years and I could not imagine a better life. We were able to supply our own needs, for the most part, and what we could not make for ourselves we could easily trade for. The gardens were flourishing and we had begun to raise sheep and cows, and had even purchased a pig this year. The meeting house had gone up quickly, especially once a neighbor or two stepped in to offer aid.

I had to admit to a great deal of pride standing there looking at the paradise we had created, perhaps too much pride. And maybe it was because of that pride that he arrived at that moment, Elder Caleb Jackson, the usurper. None of us had seen him since we had walked out on that fateful night over two years ago, but we all recognized him instantly. He was travel worn and clearly in need of food and rest. I knew the heart of our community. They would never turn away anyone in need, even knowing the depths to which he might stoop to get what he wanted. I watched with great foreboding as the others offered him a modest but compassionate welcome, and invited him in.

Over the next few days he told us how he had abandoned our parent community because of their great wickedness, and had been searching for us for months, remembering the purity of our hearts and hoping he could find refuge within the community he knew we would be building. Many of the others accepted his words without question, but the Eldress and I were not so easily swayed. She had led our exodus and remembered all too well how he had wheedled his way into a position of leadership through flattery and deceit. As the leaders of the community we took our responsibility seriously and kept a wary eye on him.

Things began to change as soon as he arrived. The camaraderie of love between the bothers became less and less apparent once he joined us in the sleeping loft. Brothers became less willing to offer comfort to one another and nights became long and lonely. Tensions began build among the men, and while there were no overt disagreements or hostilities, the harmony of the community was disrupted. Even the sisters could feel it and after only a week the Eldress sought me out for conference.

“The sisters are concerned,” she said as we sat under a tree peeling apples for tonight’s pies. “They tell me that they have seen one brother being short with his fellow pilgrim. I was also made aware that our guest has been heard to criticize his brother in such a way that he did not feel valued. Have you noticed anything like this?”

“I have,” I had to admit. “I’m afraid the serpent has once again found his way into paradise. I would value your guidance on how to handle this. We both know what he is capable of.”

“Indeed,” she agreed. “I fear if we do not root out this evil at once it will fester, and who knows where it will end.” she thought for a moment and added, “Perhaps we should address this at our evening worship so that all may have a voice.”

“A wise proposition, but I fear that some may have already been swayed by his cunning words. I believe he should not be allowed to cause further distention.”

“What do you propose?” she asked.

“I believe it would be best to ask him to allow us an evening of solitude. I could ask the neighbors if they would be willing to take him in for the evening. I’m sure they would be happy to offer him their hospitality in return for our aid in building their roof.”

She considered for a moment and smiled. “I agree. This will allow us to meet brothers with brothers and sisters with sisters, then we can come together and share insights.”

I rose and said, “I will go speak to the neighbors directly. When I return would you join me in asking him to leave us for the evening? I believe he will be more likely to agree if it is coming from both of us.”

The neighbors were thrilled to have the opportunity to thank us for our aid, and all was in readiness. The Eldress and I pulled Elder Jackson aside upon my return and made our request. “Tonight we need to have a meeting of the family in private.” I started. “We have made accommodation for you with our friend s just over the rise there, and they are expecting you after dinner. They are good people, and…”

“Am I not part of this family?” he interrupted. He was not pleased with this prospect, and was doing his best to hide his feelings, but his anger was all to easy to read.

“That may be part of what we need to determine tonight,” the Eldress stated with dignity. “We have no process for welcoming new members, nor have we yet considered...”

“New member?” He seemed incensed. “I was the lead elder. You dare question my qualifications, my authority?”

The Eldress remained calm. “Please do not interrupt either of us again. You have no authority here. You were part of another community and we know your background very well. You are a newcomer to this community and we desire an evening to discuss various matters among ourselves. We have taken you in and allowed you to live among us as a guest. It is not appropriate for you to be privy to our family conference. If this is a problem you are free to leave at any time.” Her bearing was almost imperial, and I was reminded that she had worked closely with Mother in her younger days.

Elder Jackson could tell that he was outclassed, and refrained for voicing any more objections, but it was clear that he was going to be a problem. I kept a close eye on him at dinner and whenever he seemed to be cornering one of the brothers in a conspiratorial manner I would send someone to pull the brother away from him on some pretext. I did not want him sewing any more discord than he already had. Finally, when dinner was done, while the others were cleaning up and setting up for the evening meeting, I escorted him to our neighbor. He remained sullen and spoke little, but remained congenial to his hosts when we arrived.

When I returned, the Eldress was just taking the sisters up to their retiring room to speak in private, and I gathered the brothers in the main worship space. As I had anticipated, a few of them began to defend Elder Jackson immediately, and I allowed them to say their piece. Thankfully most of the brothers had not fallen under his spell and they managed to help their weaker brethren to see the error of their ways with little or no aid from me. The sisters joined us and they stated their objections to his inclusion in a concise manner. It was clear as they spoke that the few dissenting brothers were deeply swayed by their opinions and when it came time for the men to speak there was no longer any dissent.

We determined to offer him accommodation with us for one more week and to strive to help him find housing and employment within the community or, if he wished, to help him move to another community. After this our evening worship began but it was subdued. While none doubted the rightness of our choices, all felt the sorrow of feeling the need to deny a seeker access to the paradise we found ourselves in. I could not speak for the others, but for myself, I wished him only well, even though the knowledge that he would be leaving brought me a deep sense of relief.

I woke to find Ben sound asleep but draped over me rubbing his dick against my thigh. I usually loved to be woken up by dick, but the dream had been quite a powerful vision and I needed to process it. I pushed Ben off of me and got up to pee. When I returned he was humping his pillow, still sleeping. I tried to stop him, shaking him to wake him up. It took a moment, but he began to blink groggily, looking at me in confusion while he continued humping. “What are you doing?” I asked.

“I don’t know” he mumbled, beginning to wake up properly. Before he had his full faculties back, he reached his climax and shot cum all over his pillow and the sheets. “I don’t...oooohhhh, I…” He shook with convulsions of pleasure as he collapsed into the warm ooze. After a moment, he looked up and asked, “What the hell just happened?”

“I was hoping you could tell me. Were you dreaming?”

“Yeah, but I can’t really remember. I mean, I was fucking someone, someone I didn’t know.” He searched his fading memory and he suddenly looked at me in disbelief. “It was a woman! I was fucking a woman! How can that be? I’ve never fucked a woman in my life, I’ve never even wanted to.”

I thought for a moment and remembered what Andi had said when we first moved in here, how the energy of the house was sort of boosting our sexual activity because it used to be a brothel. “Wipe your self off and put on some clothes, I think we need to do a little late night exploring.”

We wandered through the apartment and then went down to the main floor. “What are we looking for?” Ben asked as I dragged him from office to office and room to room.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, “Probably nothing, but this is the third time we’ve experienced this weird kind of disconnect around sex. Something’ got to be going on.”

Finally we made our way down to the lowest level. It was about three o’clock and the kids were all in bed. Even the night supervisor was snoozing on the couch in the rec room. We were careful not to disturb her as we wandered through the halls. I wanted to make a stop in Sylas’s old room, since we had seen Molly there before, but there was nothing. Ben confirmed that he had no sense of any ghosts wandering anywhere in the building, and we were turning to make our way back to our apartment, when we heard a faint noise. It was coming from the room that Kevin and Chad shared.

It was almost a mechanical sound, a kind of humming as if an engine were spinning or an electrical field were in overload. We knew that there was no problem with the electricity and that there were no engines in the bedrooms, so it just seemed curious. But then a second sound joined in with the humming, the sound of one of the boys gasping as if something unexpected had just happened to him. I looked at Ben in alarm and opened the door.

Kevin was lying on his back, jerking his dick for all he was worth. But he did not seem to be aware of what he was doing. Instead his eyes were glazed over and he was staring straight ahead. We went to him and Ben shook him and asked, “Kevin, are you alright?”

Chad stirred and rolled over, muttering, “He’s just jerking off, he does it all the time,” and seemed to fall back asleep instantly.

Kevin did not stir, but continued with the blank stare as we shook him again. This time the buzzing stopped and his dick went limp. I quickly covered him so he wouldn’t be embarrassed, and like Ben, he began to blink and regain his faculties. “What’s going on? What are you guys doing here?” he asked in confusion.

“We, umm...we thought we heard a noise so we came to check on everyone.” Ben prevaricated.

“Oh,” Kevin accepted this for a moment and then asked, “But why in here? I was having the best dream…”

“How have you been sleeping lately,” I asked.

“Lousy!” he offered emphatically. “I wake up more tired than when I went to bed. Just the last few nights, though. It’s probably nothing, just nerves about school.”

“Yeah, that’s probably all it is,” Ben said, giving me a look that make it clear he didn’t buy that for a second. “Then we better let you get back to sleep,” he added, gesturing toward the door with his head. In the hallway he echoed my alarm, saying, “What do you think that was? It wasn’t a ghost. I can tell you that right now.”

“I don’t know,” I admitted, but I think we should sort of keep watch for the rest of the night, just in case that humming comes back. Whatever has been happening to us seems to somehow be connected to what we just witnessed with Kevin. I just want to make sure he’s safe.”

“Ok,” Ben agreed, but just one of us. Me. You have to work in the morning. I’ll go wake up the night supervisor and fill her in on what we witnessed. After all, isn’t watching out for them at night her job?”

“Yes it is, but I don’t think Kevin would be too thrilled with a woman walking in on him while he’s got his dick out.”

Ben chuckled, “You’re probably right, I’ll let her sleep. I can always take a nap during the day if I need it.” he kissed me goodnight and headed into the kitchen to make himself a pot of coffee. As I passed through the main floor I thought I could hear the sound of music coming from the old ballroom. Not congregational singing like at the ruins, but dance music, a waltz. And laughter, the sounds of glasses clinking, and voices in conversation. I paused to listen. The sounds were faint and distant, but they were definitely coming from the direction of the ballroom. As I quietly crept closer to it, the sounds faded, and by the time I was able to peer into the room they had ceased altogether.

I didn’t know what to do. Should I go get Ben? Should I call Andi or even Sabina? The experience did not leave me frightened or with a sense of dread. It was just curious. Why was I worrying, I thought. I have met ghosts on multiple occasions, and even faced down a ghoul bent on carrying me to Hell. A little party music from a hundred years ago was nothing. “I hope you’re all enjoying yourselves.  Just try not to get too rowdy.” I spoke quietly into the room before turning to climb the stairs and go back to bed.