1:15pm
PHILADELPHIA
ST. ANTHONY'S ACADEMY
The Dean of St. Anthony's Academy, Donald Klavis, sat in his office. The small nameplate on his desk had the engraved words, "Donald A. Klavis, Head Dean". On the wall were plaques of his past achievements: certificates, diplomas, awards, etc.
He was a balding man in his forties, wearing spectacles. At the moment,
he was reading a Tom Clancy novel. Suddenly, he looked up.
He saw a blond woman, dressed in white, enter the room. She had an aroma about her, a perfume scent.
Mr. Klavis couldn't place the scent, but he felt it was very...enticing, he thought. He didn't understand why.
The young woman said to him, "Hello, Mr. Klavis. I was wondering if you could help me."
Donald put his book down. "Well, that depends. What do you need help with?"
The woman replied, "My name is Xia..Xia Tan. I'm here for a job. I was told that you were the person to talk to."
"Do you have the credentials?"
"Yes, they should be in your computer."
"Hmmm. And..what position, exactly, were you looking for?"
"I was looking forward to taking Mr. Cunningham's place."
Klavis was surprised. "Excuse me? His place?"
"Yes. Oh..can you come here, please? I want to ask you something else. Please?"
He was a little confused. Her scent was very strong, very intriguing. He got up and walked over to her. As he got closer, the aroma was even more powerful. "What...Ms. Tan, *what* is that perfume? I've never smelt anything so strong."
She lightly yanked on his red tie and laughed. "Oh, that's just a fragrance I bought from the Far East. Do you like it?"
"Actually, yes. I do. It's..it's.."
"Alluring? Beautiful?" She took a step closer. They were several inches from physical contact. "Does it..*excite* you..Donald?"
He felt a little woozy. "Uhh...yeah. I..uh, what was it you wanted again?"
She held her palm in front of his face. There was a certain glow to it. She spread her fingers. "Desire. Pretense. Submission. Now, Donald Klavis, that is all you are to be. Your chi is diluted..in my power. You will do as I say."
He felt her left hand glide across his chest and to his shoulder, moving under his brown coat now. He slowly nodded, as if in a trance. "Yes..yes, Xia. What is your wish?"
"You will give me Stanley Cunningham's job. He, in turn, will replace you. You will resign. Quit. Leave the school. You will go to your home and stay there, until the day you die. You may go through your daily routines, but you will *never* have the desire to return here."
"Yes. I'll do it. I'll make a phone call to the School Board. Then, Stan will be my successor tomorrow."
She smiled. "Good. When I leave, you will do as you've said. You will not remember this encounter, you will only do as I've told you."
She put her hand on the back of his neck, then came closer, opening her mouth..but instead of kissing him, she simply breathed into his mouth and then pulled herself away. Xia felt it was better to tease her victims instead of entirely committing to the seduction. She quickly walked out of the room.
Klavis blinked. He felt goosebumps along his neck, as well as the electricity. He recognized this as the feelings that come with an intimate encounter. The strange thing was, he couldn't remember having a 'session' with a lady. He looked around the room, feeling as if he had suddenly awoke from a dream. "How did I get over here? I don't remember walking out of my chair." He shook his head. "Oh, well. Time for me to quit." He walked to his desk and looked in the Rolodex for the Board's number. He found it. He picked up his phone and dialed the number.
********
1:30pm
Lynn Sear just entered Stanley's classroom. She said to the teacher, "Mr. Cunningham, can I talk to my son for a minute?"
Stanley looked at her. "Your son?"
She nodded. "Yes, Cole."
"Of course. A mother must have communication with their child.. you may see him. He's in the back."
She walked to the back of the room. She saw him sitting in the corner, arms crossed. She also noticed that there was a pair of scissors stuck in the wall. She knelt beside him. "Cole, why are these scissors-"
He said, "The teacher threw them at me."
She was shocked. "What? He threw them..*at* you?"
He replied, "Yes. As a warning."
"But how could he do it? This is Stanley."
"I know. But remember what I said before? He's not himself. I think someone else is controlling him. Someone bad."
"Who do you think it is?"
"It might be that evil ghost I told you about. Tan."
"Tan? Tan...that name sounds familiar."
"He was a crime-lord in Chinatown before he died."
"Oh."
"I haven't seen him lately. But Mr. Cunningham is acting just like him..I don't understand why. Oh, did you get any package?"
"No, sorry. I haven't even been home yet, I just got off work. I was worried about you."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Yes, at J.C.Penny. I'll tell you all about it later. Are you sure you're alright? Would you like a ride home?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm okay, as long as I don't say anything. Don't worry, I'll be home."
She smiled. "Okay. Then..I'll go up to Mr. Cunningham to have a parent-to-teacher talk. NO ONE throws a weapon at my child." She rose
to her feet and walked to the front of the room. She said to Mr. Cunningham as she walked to his desk, "Excuse me, sir." She bent over, facing the teacher. "*What* is the big idea of throwing a sharp object at my son?!"
He smiled. "What? I didn't throw them at him. I threw them at the wall."
She demanded, "What do you mean?"
"You can rest assured that if I had wanted to hurt your son, I would have done so a lot sooner."
"You can't do that. I'll tell you something, I'm going to the Dean. He will know of this misconduct. If you don't apologize with a good reason, I'll personally see to it that you're fired. I don't know what's gotten into you, Stanley. I really thought you were nice. But this ends *now*..."
Stanley took his glasses off and walked around his desk, facing her. He raised his palm to her face. He whispered, "Stop. You will do nothing..look into my eyes, into the darkness of my soul."
She decided to play along with his little charade. "Okay." She gazed into his pupils.
He focused his chi to her. "You will do nothing, Lynn Sear. I did *not* threaten your son, nothing happened."
She squinted in confusion. "Uhh...no. Nothing happened." She chuckled to herself. "Of course, why would you threaten a child? You're a teacher."
He nodded in satisfaction. "Yes..that's right. You will leave to your home now. You won't go to the Dean, because he won't be here tomorrow. *I* will. You will leave Cole here..he can walk home, as he always does. Is that understood?"
"Y-yes..yes. I'll go now."
Mr. Cunningham dropped his hand and looked away, breaking the connection. Then he looked back.
Lynn blinked. "Stanley..did I say something important? I can't remember."
He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that whatever it was, it'll come back to you at some point."
"Well, I guess you're right. Goodbye." She turned around and left the room, feeling very confused.
PHILADELPHIA
ST. ANTHONY'S ACADEMY
The Dean of St. Anthony's Academy, Donald Klavis, sat in his office. The small nameplate on his desk had the engraved words, "Donald A. Klavis, Head Dean". On the wall were plaques of his past achievements: certificates, diplomas, awards, etc.
He was a balding man in his forties, wearing spectacles. At the moment,
he was reading a Tom Clancy novel. Suddenly, he looked up.
He saw a blond woman, dressed in white, enter the room. She had an aroma about her, a perfume scent.
Mr. Klavis couldn't place the scent, but he felt it was very...enticing, he thought. He didn't understand why.
The young woman said to him, "Hello, Mr. Klavis. I was wondering if you could help me."
Donald put his book down. "Well, that depends. What do you need help with?"
The woman replied, "My name is Xia..Xia Tan. I'm here for a job. I was told that you were the person to talk to."
"Do you have the credentials?"
"Yes, they should be in your computer."
"Hmmm. And..what position, exactly, were you looking for?"
"I was looking forward to taking Mr. Cunningham's place."
Klavis was surprised. "Excuse me? His place?"
"Yes. Oh..can you come here, please? I want to ask you something else. Please?"
He was a little confused. Her scent was very strong, very intriguing. He got up and walked over to her. As he got closer, the aroma was even more powerful. "What...Ms. Tan, *what* is that perfume? I've never smelt anything so strong."
She lightly yanked on his red tie and laughed. "Oh, that's just a fragrance I bought from the Far East. Do you like it?"
"Actually, yes. I do. It's..it's.."
"Alluring? Beautiful?" She took a step closer. They were several inches from physical contact. "Does it..*excite* you..Donald?"
He felt a little woozy. "Uhh...yeah. I..uh, what was it you wanted again?"
She held her palm in front of his face. There was a certain glow to it. She spread her fingers. "Desire. Pretense. Submission. Now, Donald Klavis, that is all you are to be. Your chi is diluted..in my power. You will do as I say."
He felt her left hand glide across his chest and to his shoulder, moving under his brown coat now. He slowly nodded, as if in a trance. "Yes..yes, Xia. What is your wish?"
"You will give me Stanley Cunningham's job. He, in turn, will replace you. You will resign. Quit. Leave the school. You will go to your home and stay there, until the day you die. You may go through your daily routines, but you will *never* have the desire to return here."
"Yes. I'll do it. I'll make a phone call to the School Board. Then, Stan will be my successor tomorrow."
She smiled. "Good. When I leave, you will do as you've said. You will not remember this encounter, you will only do as I've told you."
She put her hand on the back of his neck, then came closer, opening her mouth..but instead of kissing him, she simply breathed into his mouth and then pulled herself away. Xia felt it was better to tease her victims instead of entirely committing to the seduction. She quickly walked out of the room.
Klavis blinked. He felt goosebumps along his neck, as well as the electricity. He recognized this as the feelings that come with an intimate encounter. The strange thing was, he couldn't remember having a 'session' with a lady. He looked around the room, feeling as if he had suddenly awoke from a dream. "How did I get over here? I don't remember walking out of my chair." He shook his head. "Oh, well. Time for me to quit." He walked to his desk and looked in the Rolodex for the Board's number. He found it. He picked up his phone and dialed the number.
********
1:30pm
Lynn Sear just entered Stanley's classroom. She said to the teacher, "Mr. Cunningham, can I talk to my son for a minute?"
Stanley looked at her. "Your son?"
She nodded. "Yes, Cole."
"Of course. A mother must have communication with their child.. you may see him. He's in the back."
She walked to the back of the room. She saw him sitting in the corner, arms crossed. She also noticed that there was a pair of scissors stuck in the wall. She knelt beside him. "Cole, why are these scissors-"
He said, "The teacher threw them at me."
She was shocked. "What? He threw them..*at* you?"
He replied, "Yes. As a warning."
"But how could he do it? This is Stanley."
"I know. But remember what I said before? He's not himself. I think someone else is controlling him. Someone bad."
"Who do you think it is?"
"It might be that evil ghost I told you about. Tan."
"Tan? Tan...that name sounds familiar."
"He was a crime-lord in Chinatown before he died."
"Oh."
"I haven't seen him lately. But Mr. Cunningham is acting just like him..I don't understand why. Oh, did you get any package?"
"No, sorry. I haven't even been home yet, I just got off work. I was worried about you."
"Why? Did something happen?"
"Yes, at J.C.Penny. I'll tell you all about it later. Are you sure you're alright? Would you like a ride home?"
He shook his head. "No. I'm okay, as long as I don't say anything. Don't worry, I'll be home."
She smiled. "Okay. Then..I'll go up to Mr. Cunningham to have a parent-to-teacher talk. NO ONE throws a weapon at my child." She rose
to her feet and walked to the front of the room. She said to Mr. Cunningham as she walked to his desk, "Excuse me, sir." She bent over, facing the teacher. "*What* is the big idea of throwing a sharp object at my son?!"
He smiled. "What? I didn't throw them at him. I threw them at the wall."
She demanded, "What do you mean?"
"You can rest assured that if I had wanted to hurt your son, I would have done so a lot sooner."
"You can't do that. I'll tell you something, I'm going to the Dean. He will know of this misconduct. If you don't apologize with a good reason, I'll personally see to it that you're fired. I don't know what's gotten into you, Stanley. I really thought you were nice. But this ends *now*..."
Stanley took his glasses off and walked around his desk, facing her. He raised his palm to her face. He whispered, "Stop. You will do nothing..look into my eyes, into the darkness of my soul."
She decided to play along with his little charade. "Okay." She gazed into his pupils.
He focused his chi to her. "You will do nothing, Lynn Sear. I did *not* threaten your son, nothing happened."
She squinted in confusion. "Uhh...no. Nothing happened." She chuckled to herself. "Of course, why would you threaten a child? You're a teacher."
He nodded in satisfaction. "Yes..that's right. You will leave to your home now. You won't go to the Dean, because he won't be here tomorrow. *I* will. You will leave Cole here..he can walk home, as he always does. Is that understood?"
"Y-yes..yes. I'll go now."
Mr. Cunningham dropped his hand and looked away, breaking the connection. Then he looked back.
Lynn blinked. "Stanley..did I say something important? I can't remember."
He shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure that whatever it was, it'll come back to you at some point."
"Well, I guess you're right. Goodbye." She turned around and left the room, feeling very confused.