The Spell

By Callipygian

Emily Grantchester lit the honey-hued candle with so much care that anyone would think the world would break if she did not. The waxing moon would soon be at its zenith and Emily could feel the tension in the air. There was such a small oportunity after sunset and before the perfect moment of moonrise; she needed to time it just right.

Blowing the match out gently Emily knelt back before the altar and dropped the smoking stick on the wooden floor as she inhaled the pungent scent of matchwood and candle. She could already feel it.

For Emily it was like a flow of a million sparks drawing down from the heavens even as a million more were drawn like water form a well from deep in the Earth so that she knelt where the two streams met. It was electric and she closed her eyes to feel it.

“Oh Goddess above and Goddess below hear me,” she intoned, “Hear me.”

She began to inhale through her nose and slowly exhale through her mouth; she thought about the sleek and shiny red car, she really focussed…

“Oh Goddess above and Goddess below hear me,” she intoned, “Hear me.”

She focussed really hard, manifesting the shiny red in her mind seizing it with her heart.

“Oh Goddess above and Goddess below hear me,” she intoned, “Give me what I need, oh Goddess, give me what I deserve…” She began to sway feeling the flow of a million sparks flowing through her. “Oh Goddess above and Goddess below hear me.”

She longer thought about the objects on the table: the candle, the lacquered bowl with the rune writing and glyphs crafted into a prayer, or the little red car, the small brass hare or the white marble statue of an unnamed Roman goddess she had once bought in an antique shop.

“Oh Goddess above and Goddess below hear me,” she intoned, “Hear me.”

She swayed and sang and ever more intently focussed on the car she desired, focussed on the red shiny and sleek lines. “Give me what I need, give me what I deserve, oh Goddess.”

It was intense, so intense, a million tiny sparks she could feel, but not see and above it all the moonrise reaching its zenith.

“Oh Goddess above and Goddess below hear me,” she intoned, “Hear me.”

Then with a sudden purpose she blew out the candle and said, “So mote it be.”

***

David Grantchester’s pulled up to see his house in darkness. He frowned as he got out of the car and puzzled over the lack of welcoming light. Emily’s car was in the drive, so she must be home surely. He fumbled for the house key and strode purposefully towards the front door; there was something, he could feel it.

Then he saw his shadow cast in silver light and turned to look at the glorious full moon rising above the treeline. It felt like the excitement of distant Yule and something of comfort settled on his stomach. He looked back at the house; “of course,” he said as he smiled.

The house lights came on washing the drive with a welcoming glow and David tossed the keys and caught them again.

He opened the front door and the house accepted him as it always did. He could smell the candle scent at once. He had long since come to accept his wife’s craft and he had seen enough in 10 years of marriage not to scoff. He glanced at the altar in the small sitting room, noting the candlestick, goddess and familiar small brass hare. Then he saw the small red car and he frowned.

“Not this again,” he sighed, and called out, “Emily.”

There was a long silence and David tried again, “Emily, are you home…?” he knew she was, the lights had come on. He looked back at the altar and at the bloody little red sports car. He didn’t usually mess with her spiritual stuff, he had too much caution for that, but he felt something, something very real. The moon was up and he knew that mattered in some way. “Emily are you trying to manipulate me again?”

He felt an idiot saying such things aloud, who was he, Daren? Emily certainly had the looks to be Samantha, but she hated that show… she hadn’t even heard of it until he had found some reruns on a cable channel to show her.

David took off his jacket and hung it up. He needed a scotch. Then he stopped to look back over at the altar through the open door to the side room. He wanted to get a drink, and he knew he could… but something… he went into the small sitting room and snatched up the little toy car. “I know what you’re doing,” he muttered and gripped the red sports car tightly and then thrust it into his pocket, “Scotch,” he told the room defiantly.

Emily emerged in a short robe and a knowing smile. She was a head and a half shorter than him and with long dark hair rolled in a towel she resembled a geisha or… her polished brown eyes held his; full of mischief and confidence.

David sipped his whiskey and then reached for the toy. Holding it up he expected her to react; she hated it when he touched her altar.

“You were drawn to it,” she purred.

“Yes,” he admitted and tossed the toy into the air and caught it again. “The moment I entered, even before I think… there is a full moon,” he smiled, “I mean how could I resist?”

Emily’s smile broadened and she crossed the room to embrace him. “I have been looking at finance deals…” she said and kissed him, “There is no interest to pay for 18 months and the…”

“That car costs 35,000 pounds,” he said, “You had a new car less than two years ago and we have only just…”

“I have 4k and my car is easily worth twice that… if we add the same from savings it will only cost…” she tried to focus, to hold the magic. She smiled again.

“No,” he said and put down the scotch.

“But…”

“No,” his eyes held certainty and he held her away from his chest. “We have had this out so many times, haven’t we?”

Emily drew her mouth into a pout.

“What did I tell you… and… what did you even do? I have long since stopped being cynical about your craft, but using it to manipulate me; seriously?”

“It hasn’t exactly worked has it?” she said sullenly, all pretence of friendly guile evaporated.

“I felt it,” he admitted, “I was drawn to the bloody little toy wasn’t I? I can feel it still… can’t you?”

“But I want the car,” she said as she frowned; not actually stamping her foot, but her body language suggested it somehow.

David closed his eyes and sighed. Then with a slight jerk of his head he took a step back. “Um…” he said, “Actually, thinking about it… well maybe… I mean I suppose we could afford the car.”

“Really?” she gasped and her face exploded into glee.

His smile was somewhat goofy and he began to sway. Emily suddenly felt worried, but before she could speak his grin melted away to a frown and he said, “No.”

“You…” she punched his arm.

“Did you really think that…?” he was shaking his head in disbelief.

“No,” she denied it, “I was just… it doesn’t work like that… well, I don’t think it does… David…”

Her husband took a deep breath and began rolling up his sleeves. “I have wanted to do this for a long time now, somehow tonight I feel empowered,” he said as he advanced on her.

“David, David, listen… listen very carefully, you are not yourself… I think the spell… David,” she shrieked at the last as he took hold of her and led her to the sofa where he sat and drew her down across his lap. Her robe was quickly turned up and her splendid bottom was bared.

“Oh I am pretty sure that I am,” he grinned.

“David, you can’t do this, David,” she blustered.

Her husband slapped her bare bottom once and putting in some effort and she yelped. “Looks like I can,” he spanked her again, “Yes definitely able to.”

“David,” Emily shrieked.

“Emily,” David replied and began slapping her bare bottom vigorously.

His wife growled and began to twist as she kicked her legs as her bottom turned slowly deep pink and then red. “You can’t do this,” she said furiously for the umpteenth time.

“I definitely can,” David chuckled.

“You cannot spank me like this,” she yelled angrily and made a futile attempt to break free.

Her husband stopped at once, as if spell struck. “You are right,” he agreed, “What was I thinking?” he let her drop to the floor as he stood up and she gripped at her bare bottom and tried to wring out the sting.

Emily panted hard, the towel on her head fallen away and her hair cascading over her face. She didn’t see David return with the clothes brush that usually hung in the hallway, not until she was thrown back across his lap.

“N-n-no, no, nooo,” she protested.

The brush slapped down hard with real bite and an almighty crack, not once, not twice, but many, many times and Emily made to twist as she shrieked. “Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” she wailed.

“Sure,” David said and continued to spank her.

“I said I am sorry,” she was crying now.

“I know,” her husband answered, his tone reasonable and almost cheerful; he continued to spank her about as hard as it was possible.

“David I’m sorry,” she was shrill now and her bottom burned beyond belief.

“You’re always sorry, you are so often a spoiled little brat and you play at witchery far too much, what else have you been up to? Do I even make choices anymore?” he said sharply, the brush impacting Emily’s bare bottom with a burn she would feel for weeks.

“Nothing, I don’t… not much… I… ow… please,” she wailed.

“Maybe I should take this outside and spank you in front of the neighbours,” he warned her, “You can moon at the moon.”

His spanking arm paused and she was truly sobbing, the tears down the face kind and with a snotty nose sobbing.

“Please don’t do that,” she sobbed, she didn’t know if he would or not, she didn’t know if she was even dealing with her husband.

“Oh why not?” David asked.

“Because I am sorry,” she sniffed.

“Don’t you deserve it?” he said.

“Yes,” she sobbed again.

David reviewed his wife very shiny red bottom and wondered if he had maybe over done it. “I don’t suppose you managed to cook a meal what with all the bloody witchcraft?”

“I’m sorry about that too,” she said miserably.

He pulled her out of her robe leaving her naked. “You can go and stand in that corner while I make dinner,” he told her, indicating the corner of the room at the L of the open plan room that could be seen from the kitchen.

“So no neighbours seeing my arse?” she asked with a pout.

“No, but you can make it up to me later,” he laughed.

“Yes Sir,” she said.

Five minutes later he was mixing something and the smell was wonderful. Emily didn’t look though, her nose was pressed into the corner and her bare bottom, her very red and shiny bare bottom was displayed to the room.

“David,” she said.

“Yes dear,” he replied and looked over, enjoying the view.

“I hope that was you, and not just the magic,” she said.

“Well, you had better not try that again just in case,” he laughed.

“I won’t, I swear,” she said eagerly; the startled movement made her flex her bottom and she winced. “Although you do know that I won’t sit down for a week?” she added ruefully.

“Oh I know, I worked a spell of my own,” he grinned and winked at her well-presented bare bottom.