The Cauldron of Tears

It startled her like a piano chord being struck in the silence, resonating until it faded away. There was a sudden breeze that arrived with it, a surprisingly heated breath in the cool autumn air. The heat penetrated her jeans and light jacket, and goosebumps appeared across her flesh with an accompanying tickling of her flesh. The breeze passed, but the sensation did not, causing her nipples to harden, almost achingly so, as well as a tingling sensation between her legs that begged attention. Those feelings were not at all unwelcomed, but what overcame her seemed a premonition, perhaps, a sense that something was about to change, like something had shifted in the world that she might find out about later in the news. Given her body's response to the sudden sensations, the premonition left her feeling both eager and... wary.

Rhett, Hayley's Springer, who had been tugging at his leash to sniff out the nearby "For Sale" sign, looked back at her, cocking his head oddly and sniffing at the air. Maybe he felt it too? Or was he just wondering why his evening walk had suddenly halted? Hayley reached down, rubbing behind his ears. "It's okay, boy. I don't know what that was, but you're a good boy!" Rhett seemed pleased to hear that and lifted a leg to leave his scent on the sign, but he stopped, instead looking past it to the house beyond, then tugged at her to move along.

Strange. She hadn't noticed the "Sold" sign until just then. So soon? Hayley reflected on the house, next door to her own, with sadness. Brent and April had been good friends to her and Steven and all their friends in the little cul-de-sac, but Brent had been transferred suddenly to another city. Their departure was a reminder that things change, like the seasons. Their neighborhood was much larger than just their cul-de-sac, with several hundred homes, an active swim/tennis community and residents of all ages. So it was special, then, that their little slice of six homes had each changed owners a few years earlier, bringing in six couples, all in their mid to late 20's, each eager to make new friends. "The street," as they collectively called it, had become more than a handful of homes, but a club of good friends.

And it was a lively club. Common interests abounded, from grilling to music to sports to social games to mixed drinks to travel to future dreams, even. The stuff of good times, whether visiting with one person, another couple, or the whole street. And, of course, there was the other side of life -- bad bosses, college loans, affording a modern middle-class life, difficulty in conceiving, and definitely bad commutes. It was good to have people close by to share the good and bad, the ups and downs. But, now there was a vacancy.

When she reached her porch, she again felt the inexplicably hot breeze blowing across her face and somehow reaching... everywhere, stirring her body in all the right ways, causing her to shudder. As good as it felt, there was something

wrong

about it. The evening temperatures were in the low 60's, and everyone was resigned to colder temperatures arriving soon. Otherwise, there wasn't a hint of a breeze, and besides that, it felt like more of a breath the way it... touched her. As she felt it wane, she was reluctant to let go of the sensations it had triggered. It spoke of her physical needs, needs which she had to wait to fulfill for just a few more days.

Within, Steven was lounging on his recliner watching TV.

"Did you see the 'sold' sign next door? Know anything about it?" she asked.

"Uh, no. I don't remember seeing it. That was quick!" said Steven. She noticed he appeared to positioned somewhat awkwardly, apparently trying to conceal... a hard-on? She couldn't resist. "So, what do you have going on there?"

Steven chuckled, "I know. It's the strangest thing. It just kinda happened, and I just can't settle it down!"

"You're not already taking those blue pills are you? I thought those were for older men," Hayley teased.

"Yeah, yeah. Just you wait. Just you wait."

She was waiting, and he knew it.

***

Tuesday evening, Sarah called. Sarah was the only woman on the street who was at home during the day, presently caught between jobs and not entirely certain of what type of job she wanted. When she got her accounting degree, she hadn't considered how droll an office life might be. So, she was taking her time looking for another opportunity. Whether working or not, Sarah was the natural when it came to organizing events for the street. Maybe, when you're 5'3", it's the Napoleon thing. You just take charge and make things happen, even when your husband is 6'4".

Sarah started asking what candy Hayley had purchased for Halloween, adding that to her list so she could get something different than everyone else on the street. Kids needed variety, right? "But, hey, the real reason I called is that Cecelia was at the Woodman's house today. Remember her? The realtor? It seems like some couple already has a deal in place for their house, but they want to move in immediately. Apparently, they're going to rent until they close the deal. So, she was there to remove the realtor key box, check to make sure all the utilities were in order and just make sure that the house was ready. I mean, I guess that's not weird or anything, but the buyers hadn't even seen the house. They just offered based on the pictures. It's just disappointing, I guess. I kind of thought we'd see people come in and out, maybe they'd ask someone on the street what we knew of the house or the schools, that kind of thing. But, none of that."

"Well, we don't really have a say in it," Hayley reasoned. "When will they move in?"

"Tomorrow!"

***

As was her habit, Hayley went to get the newspaper first thing in the morning while the coffee was brewing, wearing her housecoat. Old habits died hard, even if it was her parents' habit. She enjoyed having a paper. The sun wasn't close to being up, and the sky was just beginning to brighten, on the edge from turning black to blue. As she reached to pick up the paper, the streetlight in the cul-de-sac flickered and went out. That was strange, for something that activated based on light. Suddenly, her breasts felt fuller, heavier, sensitive. She reached a hand within her robe to rub it a little, for a lack of anything else to do with the sensation, and, wow! Her nipple was hard and exquisitely sensitive. Her pulse quickened. She felt... ready. Ready for change. Ready for something different in her life. Ready for sex, obviously! But also ready for something...

other

? The streetlight flickered back on, illuminating both her and the newspaper. Hadn't she already picked it up? She just wasn't herself it seemed, walking back to the house and remembering the strange, hot breeze the night before.

She dropped the newspaper on the breakfast table, for some reason absent any interest in reading it. Steven was staring at her, looking delighted. "Well, good morning! What's up with you today?"

Huh? Her thoughts were distracted and not altogether there. And, she didn't understand what prompted the question. "What?" was all she could muster.

"WHAT?" Steven broke eye contact and gave her body the lecherous look a guy in a bar might give her, checking her out from head to toe and back again, lingering on the good parts. Steven continued. "I'm a lucky man, yes I am. I don't need others to tell me even though some do. Yours is the body that is the desire of any man with a pulse. But, you're going to give me a heart attack!" His eyes again trolled her body. "So, will this be a habit?"

Hayley looked down and saw that she was wearing nothing except her slippers. Where... where was her housecoat? It didn't make sense. She turned to look through the glass pane in the door to see the end of the driveway. Her robe sat there. Under the streetlight. Which flickered again. Her hands reached to her breasts in response, her eyelids falling partially closed and her mouth opening to breathe in... Desire... anticipation... readiness.

Steven interrupted, "Damn! Look at you! If you don't stop that, I'm going to make love to you right now, to hell with optimal sperm counts, and my cock was already primed and ready. Look at you; you're so turned on!"

"No! We have to wait!" Hayley said, surprisingly forcefully.

"I get it, but, okay, wait. Tell me."

Her mind cleared and she was suddenly

aware

, aware of her nakedness and hyper stimulation. What was going on? Really, what

was

going on? She knew he was waiting for her. "Tell you what?" she asked.

"I mean, I know your peak ovulation is only days away. Is this like a hot flash thing?"

"Uh..." Hayley took a breath. She had no answers. She didn't like it when any male mentioned ovulation, even if he was a doctor, which her husband wasn't. It was even more aggravating to her as, due to some discussion the men on the street had gotten into regarding the crankiness of their wives, they had figured out that all the women were on the same cycle. Something very personal had become a frequent party joke. And, none of that helped her mood as she lacked any good answers.

"Okay, tell me this then. Who can I tell?! I've got to tell somebody about this! If I tell the guys on the street, they'd laugh I'm sure, but I'd bet they'd just happen to get their newspapers the same time you do every morning, don't you think?" Steven continued, employing a tacky TV announcer voice. "Gentlemen, Hayley will be featured daily at 6:00 AM at the end of the driveway. Bring a chair and a cup of hot Joe to see the hottest woman on the street show you just how hot she is by cooling off. Only... don't tell your wives!"

Hayley was more concerned about her mental state than conjecturing some state of embarrassment. Strangely, the thought of someone seeing her hadn't registered. She didn't really seem to care, at least at the moment. But there was a drum within her, sounding

Sensuality. Readiness

.

Change

. She recalled a sense of each of these during the incidents. The answer had to be hormones. Maybe he was right. Her ovulation cycle would be peaking Saturday. Maybe her body was telling her that it was ready to make a baby. Finally.

Steven added, "Seriously. What's up? This isn't like you. Were you sleepwalking?"

"Maybe that's it," she said, knowing it wasn't.

***

Janelle, her closest friend on the street, called that evening. They had little in common, but their opposite natures worked perfectly against each other. While Hayley had been a "good girl," Janelle hadn't. Hayley had stayed away from alcohol and drugs. Janelle was personally acquainted with both in her high school years, giving those up in college to major in sex. She never knew what the two would talk about, but Janelle had a way of always bringing the conversation to sex. While it had been awkward initially, Hayley had come to like having someone to talk about "those things." Janelle was just as interested in hearing the temptations that Hayley, the "good girl," had not yielded too as she was to hear all the experiences when Janelle had said "Hell, yes."

"Hey," said Janelle.

"Hey back at you," said Hayley.

"Hey, I saw the moving truck today. It wasn't a big one. It left a while ago, so, rather than wait for Ms. Sarah to put together an action plan for bringing a welcome-to-the-street gift basket, I just went over and rang the doorbell."

"At the Woodman's, you mean?"

"Of course, silly! Where else?!"

"Well, okay then. Were they nice? Are they street people? Will they be good neighbors?" Hayley asked.

"Ha. We'll see. I was curious as to the state of things inside, but, you know, they're just moving in. Anyway, we talked for a few minutes on the front porch." And Janelle let it hang there, playing a game, waiting for Hayley to bite.

"Okay, well good for you! I appreciate the call," Hayley said, but didn't hang up.

"Oh,

fine

. What do you want to know?"

"Janelle," Hayley pleaded, "just tell me everything. What did you learn about them? How old are they? Will they be any fun?"

"Well, they actually look a little old fashioned in a way."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, she has a retro stacked red hairdo and was wearing a white dress with a kind of gaudy necklace. He was stocky, manly, five o'clock shadow kind of thing. Not a great dresser," Janelle estimated.

"Okay, well, first impressions are only impressions. What were their names?" she asked.

"Fred and Wilma."

Hayley closed her eyes as she mustered her self-control. "No. They're not! Come on Janelle!"

Janelle laughed. "I set that up perfectly, Hayley! But you're no fun. You could have asked if they had a dog named Dino, at least. Anyway, it's kind of weird finding the words. Actually, they do seem a little old fashioned, and maybe they're not street people, but we have to give them a chance. They're both blonde, like, naturally blonde. If they said their last name, I don't remember it. She, her name is Ellie, Esther, Lassie, something like that. Anyway, she's about my height, 5'7", slender. And he's definitely not a Fred Flintstone. He's about 6'2" of chiseled yum yum. They both look cut out of a fitness center advertisement. They're really a striking couple."

"His name?" she asked.

"Thomas, he said. Some sort of boring family name, I think."

Hayley felt a shiver and reached for a blanket. "So why do you say old-fashioned?"

"Well, they speak probably perfect English, not that I'd know. They're just careful with their words. It's a little intimidating, and they're smart, too."

"Huh. How old are they?"

"Good question. I think maybe 26... 28 or so. Or, maybe she's a good bit younger. Maybe not. They look younger than they act. Wait, they act older than they look. I guess that's the same thing, isn't it? I really don't know how old they are. All I can say is... he's

yummy

!" Janelle said in a famished tone.

"I'm sure we'll compare notes after I meet them. In the meantime, remember that you're married!"

"But!"

"You're married. To Jeff. I'm certain of it."

"Well, what if I gave him a night off? He's always wanted to watch." There was a slight pause. "Uh, I didn't say that."

The following pause was, Hayley thought, the first awkward silence at Janelle's expense she 'd heard. It was so precious, she just let it linger. What were friends for?

"Uh, yeah, well, you've heard most of my stories from college. Let's just say he has too, and likes them. And my dreams were a little crazy like that last night. But you can't say anything about this to Steven!"

"Of course not, Janelle. Of course not." Hayley hoped she was telling the truth.

"You'll see. When you meet him, I'll be there to remind you that you're married to Steven. When I say 'yum yum,' I

mean

'yum yum.' All kidding aside, wait. I'm not kidding..."

Hayley laughed. "Okay, okay, you minx. Do they have another truck coming later? Or is that all they're bringing?"

"I don't know if there's more, but what they have already makes me think they might be street people. Get this. They expect to be settled enough to host..."

Janelle and her teasing pauses! "Okay, to host what?"

"A Halloween party! They said it's their favorite thing to do each year, and they hurried the move hoping to hold the party so they could meet people in their new neighborhood. I told them I'd come, and Jeff will, too. They asked what might be a good time, and I told them that the neighborhood kids are done going door to door by 9:00 or so. I didn't think anyone on the street had plans, and I told them that, so they suggested starting the party at 10:00."

Hayley cringed. "Hayley?" asked Janelle.

"Well, it's, you know, that's the night we've all been waiting for. I guess we can wait a couple hours longer? And, a costume party with three day's notice? I have no ideas how to pull that off. I'm not that creative!"

"No, no. Not a costume party. I hear you. They did mention adults only, and I told them no one on the street has kids anyway, which they were kind of glad to hear because more people might come without having to find a sitter on short notice and on Halloween."

"Well, okay, I guess. It's kind of sudden. I'll talk to Steven. They know there's only 10 of us on the street, or are they inviting others?"

"Don't know, but they just asked about the street. We know from experience we have the right number of people for a good party."

Hayley considered. It could be fun, making Steven wait even longer and beg for it. "You should probably report in to Sarah so she can let everyone know, figure out who is going to bring what and all that."

"Ah, but that's the thing. They said again it's their favorite party to host and that they would have everything they need. Plus, they'll send invitations tomorrow. You hear that? They just moved in and they're sending invitations

tomorrow

. Sarah may be out of a job in the neighborhood, too. I meant that in a funny way, not a mean way. Hey, listen, I've got to go. I have visions of 'yum yum' dancing in my head. I need to go do something about my new dreamboat."

Hayley responded, "I hope..." but Janelle had hung up. She was going to joke that she hoped it was with Jeff and not 'yum yum.' Poor guy, that Jeff. Nice guy. But, he knew who he was marrying.

***

When Hayley woke with the alarm, she was wearing a fine coat of sweat, enough that her sheet was soaked. And some of that moisture wasn't sweat, she knew. She was wet. Hayley had slept the sleep of 1001 nights. Which meant, she dreamed. A lot. No Scheherazade or such, "just" a manic series of sexual liaisons that had absolutely nothing related to each other except

him

. It was exhausting in a feverish way, but she wasn't at all pleased to wake from them.

She relieved herself in the bathroom then took stock of herself in the mirror. Whew. She was stoked, and her body showed it. She was flushed and extremely sensitive, but, the reality was that it was a work day. She headed to the kitchen to start the coffee, and while the machine began its thing, she felt the tug of the cooler air outside. Paper time.

When she reached the end of the driveway, the streetlight was off. Maybe she needed to report that? But it was nice and cool, and the air felt good. She paused to admire the clear night sky, then looked around the street. Only one house had a light on, the Woodman's, just the front porch light but with no sign of activity. She turned to face it, a moth to a flame, wondering who her new neighbors were, what they would be like, what their routine might be.

The streetlight hummed with a faint sound of something electrical, and the light fluttered on, illuminating the area, and her, she knew. She wondered if Janelle had ever done such a thing. Probably so, somewhere. Terri? Krissa or Sarah? No, not straight-laced Sarah. She could probably ask Janelle, but she didn't really care. She felt amazingly... free... this morning. It was the dreams, of course, and perhaps a little reflection on the previous morning. And that's why she hadn't bothered to wear anything this morning, not even her slippers. It made her feel... sexual. It felt right, even though she knew it shouldn't, or wouldn't have a few days earlier.

Change.

She felt the oncoming goosebumps and welcomed the feeling, the excitement spreading across her body. She reached a hand to gently tweak her nipples, both of which were hard from the sensation, rather than the cool air. The other hand, why not? She started grazing the upper edge of her sex. No one was up and about to see her. And if they did, she couldn't imagine any of her friends bringing themselves to actually say anything. She rubbed a little harder. They'd... probably just step back to the shadows and watch, or look through their blinds. She pressed... a little deeper, a little faster. And if it was one of the guys, he'd lust for her, admiring her form, her hips, her bare breasts, wishing he could take her rather than hiding where it was proper, and... yes, he'd, he'd... yes, find his release, just as, there! She had.