The Usual Disclaimer: This is a work of fantasy. All characters featured in sexual situations are over 18. The characters in these stories are fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living, dead or undead is purely coincidental. Do not try this at home.
Right after I posted
The Hypnotist
, the very first comment I got was, "Excellent story, would love to have the parents involved sexually...in some fucked up way." I chuckled, as I often do when I get a comment like that. As an author, I always consider it the highest possible compliment when readers want more of the characters in a story I've written. The thing is, I generally suck at writing sequels.
Oh, I've tried. I couldn't tell you how many frustrating hours I spent trying to write sequels to
Keep It Down in There! Ease of Access
, and
Anger Mismanagement
, among others. Even the sequel I did publish for
It Had to Be Done
was a struggle.
Still, I thought of a story that would work for this, as long as I changed the ending to the standalone story I already wrote and posted. I just have to warn you up front, this story gets really dark and twisted by the end. So, this sequel picks up the evening Gwynne moves back into the apartment with her brother, Mitch...
* * * * *
We were still terribly nervous and uncomfortable as a family. It was clear from my parents' concerned expressions and the way they watched me and Gwynne so closely that they wanted to say something. My tension mounted as we got my sister's room set up once again. I could feel my shoulders tighten up when my mother finally cleared her throat to speak.
"I don't want you to think we don't trust you," she sighed.
Of course, that made it clear that they didn't trust us. Gwynne looked afraid and I could tell she was holding her breath.
"I just think it would be best if I stay with you two for a few days, after everything you've been through," Mom finished.
I immediately wanted to find a flaw with that plan, and shook my head. It just felt like having Mom there with us would make it even more awkward. Mom saw me shaking my head, but she jumped to the wrong conclusion.
"Oh, I won't smoke inside your apartment," she assured us, nodding toward the balcony. "I'll just smoke out there, and I'll make sure I leave the door closed."
I looked over at our dad, and he was nodding. I understood then that it was something they'd discussed and agreed upon before Mom sprung the idea on us this evening. When I saw that, I nodded. Gwynne's eyes went wide when she saw me do it, and I felt like I had to say something.
"That's probably a good idea," I murmured weakly, looking at my sister.
She licked her lips and nodded.
"We should probably get started on your laundry now," I added. When our parents looked at me questioningly, I felt the need to explain. "Everything Gwynne owns smells like cigarettes, after living at home the past few months. It helps reduce her desire to smoke if we wash all her clothes and bed linens so that smell doesn't remind her of smoking."
"Ah," Dad replied, nodding. "Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry...well, you know. We're all sorry you kids had to go through this. Hopefully this will be temporary and we can all get back to our normal lives."
All four of us nodded after he said that. We were all desperate for that return to normalcy and sick of being so tense around each other all the time.
"I should go pack up some clothes and wash them with yours," Mom suddenly added. "I'll be right back!"
She took off with her car, while Dad and I went down to the minivan and got the last few things out of the back. That included Gwynne's full laundry hamper and another laundry basket filled with her bed linens. Those we set just inside the front door of the apartment. It took all of ten minutes, at most, but Mom was back before Dad was ready to leave. It was clear she had simply grabbed a hamper full of her dirty laundry from the past week.
We all gave Dad big hugs, and Mom kissed him and murmured quietly to him before he got in the minivan and drove home. Then she turned to us and gave us a big smile.
"Shall we start on this laundry?" she asked.
Gwynne and I both smiled, and the three of us headed down to the laundromat to start washing those clothes. It was still awkward for us to hold a normal conversation. When we arrived at the little laundromat, one of our neighbors was there, sitting and reading a book while his laundry was spinning in one of the dryers. He nodded at us briefly before going back to his book.
Mom reached the washers first, and dumped her clothes into one of them. Gwynne and I smiled at each other uncomfortably as we divided up her clothes and filled the other three washers with them. Afterward we both let out a big sigh at the same time and had to smile again.
"I'm glad you're back," I said softly.
"Me too," she replied. After a long pause she asked, "How have things been at work?"
"It's actually been kind of slow lately," I chuckled. "I mean, we're still making money—the company is making money—but I haven't had to work any kind of crazy hours since you moved out."
"Have you been seeing anybody?" she asked.
I shook my head.
"No," I said softly. "It's just been too weird. I still have trouble accepting...what happened."
She nodded in understanding. Mom let out a soft sigh, but looked at me sympathetically.
"Yeah," Gwynne muttered. "I feel the same way. One guy asked me out, and I was almost scared to look at him. I feel like such a freak."
Mom gasped softly, and the guy with the book glanced up at that, but just for a second. We knew he was listening to us, though, so we chose our words carefully. It made for a painfully slow conversation until his clothes were dry and he left. Gwynne and I both laughed softly after he had gone.
"We are a couple of freaks, aren't we?" I chuckled bitterly.
"Don't say that!" Mom admonished. "We're all going to be fine, Mitch. It's just going to take time."
I let out another sigh. "Yeah, I sure hope so," I managed to reply, along with a little smile.
She gave me a lovely smile and hugged me to her. After Mom released me, Gwynne slid into my arms and we held each other softly. It felt good to wrap my arms around her once again, and we stood there and held each other until the washers started to ding. Then we sighed and released each other, and got to work moving the clothes and bed linens into dryers.
After that, we were both too self-conscious to hug again.
"So, you started a new semester," I prompted. "Are you taking anything interesting this time?"
"Actually, yes," she said. She smiled and shook her head. "Can you believe I'm actually taking a course in hypnosis therapy?"
I couldn't help but laugh at the irony.
"I know, right?" she said, chuckling along with me. "If only I'd taken it a year earlier! I would have known..." She trailed off, shaking her head ruefully.
I reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. When she looked at me I gave her a sincere look and a grim smile.
"If we hadn't gone through it, none of those other women would ever have gotten the help they needed," I reminded her. "And that...guy...would still be doing the same thing to other women. Really, it was just fortunate you didn't fall into the same trap."
Mom nodded as I spoke, and she had the same grim expression on her face as I probably had on mine.
"I know," my sister sighed, pulling her hand from mine. "That doesn't make this any easier."
"Does your experience help you with that class?" Mom asked.
Gwynne wrinkled her nose. "I doubt it," she said. "I mean, maybe I ask some better questions, but I have a tough time reading through all the books for that class. The theory is all over the place, too."
She went on to explain a lot about the class, the instructor, and some of what she had learned that might apply to our own experience. It was interesting and informative, but it was tough to look at her and not recall some of what we had done together while we had been "under that spell" as I had come to think of it. I wondered if she felt the same way, but didn't dare ask. With Mom standing there, I was afraid to admit how much I still thought about what had happened, and I couldn't tell anyone how much those thoughts still turned me on.
Eventually the clothes were dry and we folded everything before heading back upstairs to our apartment. Again, it was a little uncomfortable for me when we made her bed. Seeing her bent over the side of her bed like that was just a little too reminiscent of all the times I had taken her right there, and how much we had both enjoyed it. I swallowed heavily and forced my eyes away from her.
Mom was looking right at me, shaking her head slightly. I gulped, and wondered if my lustful thoughts had been apparent to her. She handed me a pillow she had just put the pillow case onto and I set it at the top of the bed. When Gwynne put the last pillow in place, she stood upright and turned to smile at us.
"There we go!" she said happily. "I'm all moved in again. Let's have some dinner and celebrate."
I smiled back at her—a genuinely happy smile for once—and nodded.