Not Narrator Doug here, I’m Rose’s librarian but you might also say that I’m a reflection of the author. Still plodding on I see.

  Expected Scene [Inspect, Cooperation]

  Is Rose outing Juliet?

  “Good morning, Juliet, did you keep your promise?”

  “What promise?”

  "That you wouldn’t allow your fella to ravish you off-page, that promise. Did you keep it?"

  "I can honestly say that no man has ever touched me."

  "Great, when do I meet the guy that you like better than Damon?"

  "Well, here’s the thing, Rose."

  "Oh no, Juliet, you promised this morning you’d tell me."

  "I did promise, and I will. I just don’t want you to get too excited. I have a feeling you’re going to be disappointed, and I’d hate disappointing you."

  "I won’t be disappointed. I promise you, whoever you pick is fine with me."

  "Do you really mean that, Rose? Whoever I pick, you’ll really be all right with it?"

  "Oh, now you’re scaring me, Juliet. You didn’t pick that pig farmer, the one who smells of pigs? I don’t know how you’d even stand being in a house with him. Eventually, the whole house would smell like pigs."

  "No, I most certainly did not pick the pig farmer. I’d let Damon ravish me before I’d ever let that pig farmer on our property, let alone touch me."

  "Well, it is one of the barn hands."

  "Oh my god, Juliet, not Old MacDonald? He’s gotta be near 80, he could be your great-grandfather, the damn pervert. I’m speaking to him right now."

  "See, Rose just a second ago, you said whoever I pick is fine with me."

  "Yes, that’s true, but I didn’t think you’d be picking a sexual predator. I’m just trying to protect you. You could have picked anyone else and I would have been fine with it."

  "Do you really mean that?"

  "Of course I do, Juliet. You are the sister I never had. I love you and I want you to be happy, but trust me, he’s not the guy for you and he won’t be working at your farm much longer. I’ve already outlined his heart attack scene."

  "Oh no, Rose, it was never him. You just jumped to conclusions."

  "You said he worked in the barn and Old MacDonald is the only man who works in the barn."

  "Rose, it’s Ivolethe but she goes by Ivy."

  "Ivy, ahh yes, Ivy. Yes, she works in the barn as a milkmaid, I believe. Yes, yes, very pretty, very pretty indeed. I’m... yes, she’s very pretty.”

  “You’re shocked aren’t you, Rose? Just say it, you’re shocked and appalled and want nothing to do with me anymore. I’ve shocked and appalled my author, I’m sorry, Rose."

  "No, no, no, you did not shock me, you surprised me. I’m just glad it is not that pervert Old MacDonald."

  "Rose, he’s not a pervert. He has never acted unprofessionally toward anyone, let alone me."

  "Oh, right, I’ll have to cancel the heart attack scene."

  "Yes, thank you, Rose."

  "Maybe I’ll just give him a little indigestion for frightening me."

  "No, Rose."

  "Ok, the not-pervert gets off scot-free, but when do I get to meet Ivy? You’re not going to do anything terrible to her, are you?"

  "Of course not, Juliet. You love her, right?"

  "Yes, I very much think so, Rose."

  "And there's been some kissing and hugging?"

  "Yes, Rose, but we’ve not ravished each other yet."

  "Ok, well let me meet her. OK? Ivy, please come out."

  "Hello Miss Authoress, ma’am, thank you for dreaming me up. I really am having the most wonderful time here. And I just want to say, ma’am, I love Juliet very much and I’ll do everything I can to make her happy. Can I ask just a small favor, ma’am? When Juliet and I ravish each other for you, can I keep my slip on? I get embarrassed easily, ma’am, and I am a little bit shy. Juliet said she’d go full nude for you if you want, 'cuz she knows how shy I am around people, and she’s so kindhearted."

  "Don’t you worry, Ivy, I’ll take care of everything. I never considered how Juliet might react to me watching her get ravished. I’m sorry and I’ll speak to her about it."

  "Oh, I think she's excited about it, ma’am. You should have seen how hot and bothered she got this afternoon when that great giant of a girl hugged you. I thought she’d ravish me on the spot, but I reminded her of her promise to you, no ravishing off-page."

  "Well, wait, wait, you could see me in the forest today?"

  "Yes, ma’am, you’re the Authoress, we can always see you."

  "And you saw Lu hug me?"

  "Yes, ma’am, we often watch in the afternoon. It’s so pleasant to walk through the forest. It can get a little close here in the bedroom. But let me say, ma’am, you can really pick 'em. That Lu, besides being giant-like, is a real beauty, well done, ma’am, and such a sweet voice."

  "Ivy, could you please do me a favor and get Juliet? I’d really like to talk to her for a few minutes alone. It was lovely to meet you, Ivy, and I’ll never ask you to do anything that makes you uncomfortable or without your consent."

  "Oh, thank you very much, ma’am, I’ll get Juliet for you right now."

  "Well, what did you think, Rose? Did you like her? She really is sweet, come on, Rose, tell me what you think."

  "Well, let’s see, what do I think? I agree she may well be the nicest person I’ve ever met and the most honest as well. She said that you’d go full nude but she’s shy so she’d like to keep on her slip. When I mentioned that it wouldn’t be necessary to go 'full nude' as she called it, she said 'oh no, I think Juliet’s excited about it'."

  "Well, it did make me kinda warm to think about getting ravished while you wrote it down for the whole world to see."

  Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

  "I see, yes, I see. Well, that won’t be a problem then. And did you get all warm like that when the giantess hugged me in the forest this afternoon? Ivy seemed worried that you were going to ravish her for the first time off-page."

  "But we didn’t, Rose. I promised and I kept my promise, and wait, you know we watch?"

  "Yes, I know now, thanks to Ivy. Juliet, why have you never told me?"

  "I was afraid that it’d make you self-conscious."

  "Hell yeah, it makes me self-conscious. The heart attack is back on for that old pervert. I bet he’s been watching when I take a bath."

  "No, he hasn't. He's in bed by seven. The butler and footmen tried to watch once, but I told them if they did I’d lie and say they sexually assaulted me, and you’d see them hanged. My father’s just not interested in ravishing or being ravished. The only man I couldn’t prevent was Damon. When I threatened him, he laughed and said it wasn't the first time he’d been accused of sexual assault, and it wouldn’t be the last."

  "He did, did he?"

  "Yeah, he did."

  "Ok, well I have a scene in mind for him."

  "Rosie, Rosie!"

  "Coming, ma!"

  "We'll talk about this tomorrow, Juliet, but I did think Ivy was lovely."

  "Thanks, Rose."

  [Invade, Power]

  "Is it that time of the month again already?" I’ll have time to walk Rose to her grandmother's, but depending on how late she stays, I might not be able to walk her home. I left some apples on grannie's doorstep earlier today.

  "Are you alright, Rose? You're very quiet today."

  "No, I’m fine and sorry. I’m just a bit distracted. I was working on my novel this morning and it’s still kind of filling up my head."

  "I’m fine walking in silence or I can play the lute while you think."

  "No, I want to hear, how did the tavern like your new song?"

  "They loved it, it was one of the best nights for me tip-wise in forever, but it just made me feel like a real bard."

  "Well, you're a real bard to me, and a real hero as well."

  "I have something on tonight that I can’t be late for, so I might not be able to walk you home."

  "That’s alright. I don’t want you to feel obligated to walk me to and home from grannies every day. You have a job obligations, but I do like spending time together."

  "I like spending time with you, Rose, and I’d happily walk you to and fro. It’s just one night a month I have an obligation I can’t get out of."

  "Do you mean it, Lu?"

  "Oh yes, I love spending time with you. Ever since I met you, I have been the happiest I’ve been in a long, long time."

  "Do you think you could take a week off from the tavern and take a walk with me to Wyldwood? There’s a wizard, Thistlewick Brightspark, that owns a bookshop. I’d like to bring him my novel and ask him if he’d publish it."

  "I’d love to go, it’s a date. When is the date?"

  "Well, I’m still working on the novel, but I seem to have had a minor breakthrough over the past few days, well, ever since I met you really, but I’m hoping to finish in the next few weeks, so two, three, four at the latest, but I’d really be shooting for two. Would that be OK with you?"

  "Sure, take as long as you need, whenever you want to go, I’ll be ready."

  With that, we arrived at the cottage.

  "Would you like to come in? I'm sure granny would love to meet you."

  "I’m sorry, I can't. I'm allergic to wolfsbane, but I’ll wait as long as I can. If I don’t see you later, have a good night and I’ll see you tomorrow, OK?"

  "Thanks for walking me. See you later."

  I sat down and played the lute, going over the new song till I thought it sounded as near perfect as I’d ever get. The shadows were starting to lengthen when Rose emerged from the cottage. I still had time before sunset, but not a lot. The shadows in the forest always lengthen quicker than in town. We chatted on the way back, about granny, her novel, my new song, everything but nothing about what was happening to me, but it was starting. I still had time, the flush of heat in my body always started 40 to 60 minutes before the actual change. I was really listening so Rose had to repeat herself.

  "Are you all right, Lu?"

  "Oh yes, just a little bit heated. I guess I should really get to my appointment."

  I gave her a quick hug and darted off into the woods. I could hear her say to herself, "How odd? Is her appointment in the forest and she was so hot? I hope she’s OK."

  [Delay, Expectation]

  "What’s happening in the forest tonight?"

  I can’t let her run off into the forest on her own, when she may be really sick. She has to have a fever, to feel that hot to the touch. Well, she saved me, so maybe it’s time to repay the favor. I may not have her skills in the forest, but I have been coming here for a long time and that has to count for something. I was almost back to grannies and it was starting to get dark when I realized I needed help.

  "Juliet, I’m sorry to bother you but I need help."

  "Yes, I’m here."

  "Juliet, there’s straw in your hair and your bodice is unlaced and quite a bit of decolletage is showing, is that a nipple? Wait, don't answer that, I need help. Can you get the forester, it’s almost dark and I’m searching for Lu. I’m afraid she might be sick. Please get him quick, I am really worried."

  "He’s here just look around carefully. Is there any sign of another path?"

  "Yes ma’am, I’m the forester. Jareth is my name, ma’am. I do see a faint trail there to your left, it’s probably a game trail but it’s possible your lover used it. I do see a boot print, about a foot in."

  "She’s not my lover, Jareth, she's my friend."

  "Anything you say ma’am, makes no difference to me, but if you don’t mind me saying ma’am, I wouldn’t be searching a dark forest for just a friend, ma’am. She’d have to be a lover or a wife to get me out of bed into a wolf-infested forest, ma’am."

  "Yes, thank you, Jareth. Am I still on the path?"

  "Ye’am, just keep going. I’ll steer you if you want me to, ma’am."

  "You can do that, Jareth?"

  "Yes, if you want me to."

  "Yes, that would be helpful."

  Wow, wow. Jareth took over and we started moving twice as fast and I had no sense of balance, nor control over speed when suddenly we stopped. Suddenly, I felt my sense of balance return.

  "Jareth, why did you stop?"

  "Take a look into the clearing, ma’am, it’s the largest wolf I’ve ever seen and it’s chained to that tree there in the clearing. Do you see it?"

  "Yes, I see it, I think it’s time we head back to..."

  That’s when I heard the first wolf pack howl, quickly answered by another to my left and right. I was trapped. I had nowhere to go. I picked up the sturdiest stick I could find. I wasn’t going down without a fight. As soon as I was in the clearing, I could hear a low guttural growling from the monstrous wolf. Who could ever have captured that wolf and chained it to the tree? It’s possible that if someone is keeping it, it might be tame or a little tamer than the wolf pack that is approaching my position. I hear the closest pack, they’ll be in the clearing in seconds.

  Jareth speaks up. "Try and hit the biggest wolf in the pack, they are almost always the alpha. If you can hurt the alpha, the whole pack may run away."

  "Do you think it’ll work, Jareth?"

  "Probably not, ma’am, but you gotta try. We’re all depending on you and rooting for you."

  "Do you think the one chained up is a little tame?"

  "O, ma’am, I wouldn’t count on that. Wolves don’t really tame very well, ma’am."

  I have to say that I did get in one very good hit as a wolf leapt for my throat, I heard it whimper. Before it hit me square in the chest and I was flat on my back looking at far too many yellow teeth, smelling the vilest breath. It pulled its head back to strike my throat, but it never had a chance. The giant chained wolf had charged it and now stood above me. I had a set of huge paws on my left and a matching pair to my right.

  "Ma’am, just play dead, don’t move, slow quiet breaths, ma’am."

  The alpha of the pack charged the wolf straddling me, but he was caught by the giant wolf, who had the alpha’s neck between massive jaws. It shook those jaws back and forth maybe two or three times before the alpha's throat ripped open, gushing blood and flesh all over me. That’s when I fainted.