[Possession, Physical]

  Once we got to the tower I quickly threw my costume on then went into the library to get Doug and Daisy. When I ran into Giulia/Gigi. Crap, I’d completely forgotten Gigi and Cece were visiting.

  “Gigi, please, please forgive me, I was trapped in a drawing and then when I got out, early this morning I was focused on getting everyone their costume I completely forgot you two were staying here. Where’s Cece?”

  “Cece had to go home, you know how focused she is on the eternal youth pill. She thought of a possible solution to her problem with the appearance versus real age problem.”

  “Oh, well good for her I guess. But I wonder if eternal youth is really a good thing. It’s been in the back of my mind. Anyway, tonight's Samhain we’re putting on a play at the Library and then having a cast party here in the library.”

  “Oh, I’ll make myself scarce, I ‘ll just stay in my bedroom and read.”

  “No, no, I’d like to properly introduce you to my girlfriend Lu and invite you to the play and cast party. We’re putting on a Christmas Carol by Dickens. Do you know it?”

  “Sure, there was always one of the many versions broadcast between Thanksgiving and Christmas, I’d watch it every year.”

  “Good, will you come to see the play? We never got to rehearse since Opal and I were stuck in a drawing. We might be inadvertently funny.”

  “It sounds like a good time, is what I’m wearing all right. I don’t have anything else.”

  “What you are wearing is nice, if you’d rather wear something else just ask the room, or I’d be happy to help. We need to leave in about fifteen minutes. What’s Thanksgiving?”

  “Thanksgiving is a holiday. I’ll be right back, I need a LBD.”

  LBD? Is that a food or a drink I wonder. I’m so glad she wasn’t angry at being forgotten. Tomorrow I’ll have to contact Cece and apologize.

  “Doug, are you and Daisy ready to go?”

  “Yep, we’re all ready to go. Shame we didn’t get in a rehearsal but this will be fun. OOoo La La Baby.”

  Gigi came back into the room, and suddenly I understood what LBD meant. In this case emphasis on the little. Gigi wore an exquisite black mini dress with high heels and a leather jacket.

  “Thank you Doug, is this alright Rose?”

  “It’s dazzling, wow I had no idea what LBD meant but now I get the picture.”

  Lu came into the library, she was obviously having trouble with her tie.

  “Rose I can’t get this tie, tied correctly. Do you know how it’s supposed to …”

  “Lu, I’d like to introduce you to Gigi, she’s a new friend of mine and she’s been staying here for the past few days while I was trapped. Gigi, this is my girlfriend Lu.”

  ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you Lu, I’d be happy to help you with the tie. I’ve had to do it in most of the pulp fiction stories I’ve appeared in.”

  “It it it’s nice to meet you, Gigi. If you wouldn’t mind helping with the tie I’d appreciate it.”

  Gigi in her high heels approached Lu and was almost at eye level with my statuesque werewolf. I felt a pang of jealousy. Will I be jealous of every attractive female that approaches Lu for the rest of my life? First Paula, now Gigi, how do I get over these feelings? I know, trust and love Lu, I wonder where do feelings like this come from?

  Gigi’s hands moved swiftly and confidently on the tie and swiftly had it knotted perfectly. Lu looked particularly breathtaking in her new tailored suit and top hat. Gigi took a step back from Lu, turned to me and said “What do you think, Rose?”

  “I think that suit looks perfect on her and I can’t get enough of the top hat. But we have to go, we can’t be late.”

  ***

  Lu, was blushing from the compliment but took out the portal muffin called the little blue demon and we walked through the portal right out in front of the library. There was a crowd of people already standing by the library door waiting to get in even though the door wasn’t due to open for another half hour. A minute of two later the door opened and Eldara poked her head out.

  “Folks it’s about twenty minutes till the doors open and thirty before the show begins but please let some of the actors through, Come in Rose.”

  The crowd looked at us like we were acting royalty mainly due to Gigi’s LBD and Lu in her suit and hat. I was afraid that soon enough that’d see us for the amateurs that we are. We made our way through the crowd into the library.

  “Wow you guys look terrific, go right back to the stage most everyone is here. I’m just keeping an eye out for stragglers.” Eldara said.

  “Well you certainly look terrifying, as a zombie, is that from a Funny Looking Muffin?” I asked.

  “Yes, I was hoping for an animal of some kind. Last year it turned my head into an ostrich’s head and the kids thought it was hilarious when I spoke the beak went opened and closed. This year I’m afraid I will just frighten the smallest of them. I have another muffin, I might eat it just before opening the doors. I’ll talk to you all at the cast party. Glad you could make it Gigi.”

  “Thanks Eldara, I’m glad too.”

  We walked into the back towards the stage. McCracken was standing in the center in a matching suit and top hat. Clipboard in hand.

  “Great, you're here, now the only person we’re missing is Julia.”

  Just as he finished saying that Juliet and Ivy popped onto the stage.”

  “God, I’ll never get used to people popping into a room. Heart failure from being startled must be the leading cause of death in Wyldwood.”

  “Man up, McCracken, we saw you face worse danger than that in your novel any time you annoyed Paula. We thought she’d put you down.”

  McCracken laughed. “Juliet your mark is red, Lu yours is green, Rose yours is blue. Before you go onstage, Nim will hand you a prop. You take the prop and place it on the table right next to your mark. Don’t forget to remove the prop when the scene ends and you exit the stage. Gigi, would you please help out with the lighting. All actors should go in behind the blanket.” He yells. “Eldara let them in, we're ready to begin.” “Ivy, grab a front row seat while you can before the crowd, file in. Lottie, that's Ivy, please introduce yourselves.”

  We hurried behind the blanket everyone whispered, hellos to each other, Henry and Martha were also back there. I peeked out and saw Talbert grab a chair close to Burgomaster Valen and Ilina, I recognized Mike from the gate and Nora McGowan sitting out in the large crowd. I wished I’d thought to bring Ma and Granny but vowed to remember next time.

  “Folks my name is Nathan McCracken, I’m the director and will also be playing Scrooge tonight. I’m a professional actor and two other cast members playing the Portly Gentlemen are also professional actors. All the rest of the cast are members of your community or have very close ties to your community. Due to circumstances beyond our control we never got to rehearse the play, so if any mistakes are made it’s my fault as the director. Please don’t judge the amateur actors too severely. Any mistakes they make are due to my poor direction. With all that said, I hope you enjoy the show.”

  The stage went dark, gasps were heard from the crowd, who weren’t expecting the lights to just go out. Juliet went out to the stage Salome stood next to the blanket Henry and Martha right behind her. I couldn’t see but I heard Scrooge grumbling about the cold and the waste of coal. Salome wishes Scrooge a merry Christmas. Scrooge responds with his famous line, "Bah! Humbug!". Salome invites Scrooge to her Christmas dinner, but Scrooge refuses. Salome came backstage. Martha and Henry from a charity organization enter, asking for a donation to help the poor. Scrooge dismisses them, saying that the poor should go to prisons or workhouses.

  Lu went out and did her scenes as Jacob Marley, followed by Lily as Christmas Past then Ruby as Christmas Present with Paula as Mrs Cratchit and Opal as Tiny Tim and then it was my turn as Christmas Yet to Come. I was handed a grave stone by Nim, reminded to place it on the floor not a table. I carefully made my way through the dark to the stage. But the lights came up before I had a chance to put down the gravestone. I heard a few titters from the kids. Then I felt Daisy lift me into the air and slowly spin me around slowly putting me back down again. I could hear the kids exclaim wonder. I was so glad I didn’t have any lines to screw up. Finally we get to the end of my scene and Scrooge's big speech. “I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach!"

  Then the big Finale with Scrooge, Juliet, and Salome who close out the play with a redeemed Scrooge and the Library goes black again. There’s a huge sound of clapping, whistles and cheers. McCracken appears behind the curtain, ushering everyone, cast and crew out onto the stage. The lights come up and we get a standing ovation.

  The Burgomaster came rushing up onto the stage, pumping McCracken's hand up and down. Saying how much he enjoyed it, wanting to know when the next performance would be. McCracken took it all in stride. Invited the Burgomaster and his daughter who was in his arms to the cast party. I went down and invited Talbert, Nora and Mike to the cast party. Mike couldn't, he had to report for a shift in a short while. Nora and Talbert readily agreed.

  ***

  I gathered up Daisy and Doug, praising both for the wonderful job they did on visual and sound effects along with the music McCracken had chosen for the play. I grabbed Lu and we portaled home, where we quickly put out snacks and a table with both bottles of wine and wine glasses. Lu had a mini keg made by Nim tapped and had poured herself a tankard of beer.

  I had a nice glass of wine in hand when the first of the guests arrived, Paula, Eldara, Talbert and Gigi. They all wanted wine so I led them over to the wine table. Where we talked excitedly over how unexpectedly well the play went.

  Nim, her husband and Ilina arrived at the same time Opal and Ruby got home. Soon the two girls ran off together, bored with adult talk and food and went to Opal’s room for more kid friendly snacks that appeared for the asking from the sideboard. Nim poured beers for her and Arthur.

  Eldara broke off from the wine table and had a word with Doug who produced a first edition copy of The Professional Chef. She walked over to talk to Nim by the beer.

  “I tried your beer Nim and while I’m still a wine girl, your beer was the best beer I’ve ever tasted. That book The Professional Chef is still out so I asked Doug to make you a copy, here you go. It’s in much better condition than the library edition and with the added bonus no need to return it.”

  Lottie, Lily and Salome arrived next with a large box of baked goods they put on the snack table. McCracken, Henry and Martha came in next. I went over to talk to the Burgomaster who was standing alone. Henry and Martha went to get a glass of wine and McCracken went for a beer but soon came over to where the Burgomaster and I were standing.

  “Rose you simply must stop calling me Burgomaster, please call me Arthur or Art. All my friends do and I hope that we’re friends.”

  “Fine if you’re sure Arthur.”

  “Of course I am, now Nathan that was a tremendous play you put together, will you please consider doing another.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Well tonight’s not the time for business but would you possibly have thirty minutes you could spare for Rose, Henry and myself sometime tomorrow.”

  “Absolutely, how about ten in the morning, is that too early?”

  “Not for myself or Henry, what about you Rose can you make a ten o'clock meeting tomorrow?”

  “Sure ten is fine by me. Excuse me, Nora just walked in.”

  I walked over and welcomed Nora and showed her the wine and beer options and when she learned it was home made dwarven beer headed right for the keg, where Lu was pouring out mugs for Nim, Paula now Nora and herself.

  I was only standing alone for a moment before Henry and Martha joined me.

  “Dear we haven’t been properly introduced but my name is Martha, we’ve been wanting to meet you. Paula and Nat can’t sing your praises high enough and now you’ve made your debut on the stage you are part of our tribe.”

  Then she hugged me.

  “Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you in person.”

  Juliet arrived and barged right into the conversation, with Ivy in her wake.

  “Hi, I’m Juliet, I’m a friend of Rose’s and also in her book club. Your book was the first book we visited and I loved your scene in Central Park. I can only hope that Ivy and I keep our relationship as spicy and lively as you two.”

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Juliet and a wonderful performance as Mrs Cratchit, just wonderful. I’m Henry by the way.”

  “Henry, do you have any idea why McCracken has a ten O’clock meeting with you, me and the Burgomaster?”

  “No idea, but Nat always plays his cards close to the chest. He’ll let us know when he needs to. Speaking of, did he ask your permission for us to stay in his room? He says he has an extra bed.”

  Juliet spoke up. “You don’t have to stay in McCracken's room, Rose has tons of rooms don’t you Rose.”

  “Yes we do, and we’ll put it in the room right next to Nat.”

  “Oh, you really are a dear, Talbert says the same things about you as Nat does.”

  “Juliet, can I get you or Ivy a drink?”

  “No, we can get them ourselves thanks.”

  “Ivy we have homemade dwarven beer home made by Nim, Lu’s pouring tankards if you’d like a glass.”

  Suddenly Lottie was flying around the room, laughing like a mad woman. In between bursts of maniacal laughter, Lottie shouted. “What is happening?”

  I yelled to Doug. “Is Daisy doing this?” But Doug wasn’t where I put him.

  Salome over by the wine table with Lily started laughing and said. “Daisy isn’t doing it, I did it. I brought a slice of Beginner Ghost Pie and put it with the snacks. Lottie just tried a bite, she’ll be possessed for the next hour. I also bought the antidote in case whoever ate it wasn’t enjoying it.”

  Lottie’s laughter slowed to a more human sounding laugh. When asked if she wanted the antidote she refused, claiming now that she knew why she was flying she was enjoying it. At first she thought I’d turned her into a bird or a bug, that’s why she freaked out.

  Then Henry was flying through the room, laughing, clearly enjoying himself.

  “Martha said to me, I’ll bet this reminds him of the time he played Peter Pan on Broadway as a boy.”

  “Wow, I loved that story as a kid. I was firmly in Peter’s camp, why would anyone possibly want to grow up? Being a kid forever is such a great dream.”

  Henry flew out the door into the forest.

  Martha said. “I just love your tower, when Nathan told me that the inside was bigger then the outside I thought he was just teasing me because I used to date one of the actors who played Doctor Who and I got quite caught up in the show. I still watch every new episode as they come out. Oh and don’t worry dear, Henry and I won’t do anything untoward. I saw the young girls you have running about.”

  “Thank you for saying that, I didn’t want to be rude but I was going to mention that when I showed you to your room.”

  “Nat is really fond of Tiny Tim, I think Opals her name”

  “Yes it’s Opal.”

  Lottie eventually landed, and seemed a little unsteady on her feet, Lily led her to a couch and handed her a glass of wine sitting beside her.

  Henry walked in, walked over to Martha and me and said. “I bloody love this place. I felt just like Peter Pan again, and that was more than sixty years ago.”

  “See I told you dear, Peter, I think it’s time you took Wendy to bed if you have a meeting in the morning, we better get a little sleep.”

  “Certainly Martha, certainly.”

  “I’ll show you to your room.”

  “Thank you dear.”

  We went into the bare room and I soon had it furnished with everything they’d need. I told them how to work the sideboard, the dresser, tub and privy.

  “If you need anything, McCracken is right next door and Lu and my bedroom is just past the library.”

  “Thank you dear.”

  “Rose, thank you, it’s been great meeting you. This is by far the best party I’ve ever been to. I really mean that.”

  He kissed me on my cheek.

  Henry and Martha weren’t party poopers when I got back to the library; others were getting ready to leave. Juliet and Ivy came to me first. “Rose we have to get going, morning comes very early on a farm.”

  “Thank you for having me ma’ errr Rose.”

  “You're welcome Ivy, it's always lovely to see you.”

  “Juliet, how did you make out with your father and the farm?”

  “Good, I’ll tell you the whole story next time we talk but good.”

  They jumped home.

  Nim and Arthur were ready to leave. I walked them to Opal’s room to get Ilina.

  So this was where Doug was. Salome was in bed on top of the covers eating a bowl of popcorn, Doug was showing a movie, Opal and Ilina were both under the covers and asleep.

  Salome whispered. “They fell asleep about an hour ago.”

  Nim was going to wake Ilina.

  “Wait Nim, I’m coming to town hall tomorrow at ten, let Ilina sleep over and I’ll bring her with me.”

  “Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”

  Then I heard McCracken coming from Doug. “What are you watching?” I whispered.

  "The play, Talbert and Lottie recorded it and Doug blue toothed bit it.” Salome whispered back.

  We went back out in the corridor. “Well next book club we need to watch that, I was behind the blanket most of the time, Nim you were behind it the whole time. I want to see what I missed.”

  Arthur said. “You have a truly marvelous home Rose.”

  “Thank You.”

  “Well we better go, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Good night, see you at book club Nim.”

  When I got back to the annex Lily, Lottie, Paula, and Eldara were getting ready to leave. I put my arm around Lu’s waist and said come to all of them. McCracken said goodnight.”

  “McCracken we need to have a talk, before I go to town hall you realize that right.”

  “Yep I was planning to, I’ll make you breakfast and we can talk over that, alright?”

  “Alright.”

  Talbert was the last person in the room. “Rose, could we talk for just a minute before I leave?”

  Lu said “I’ll see you in the bedroom, bye Paula it was nice seeing you.”

  Lu left.

  “Rose, I just wanted to talk to you about McCracken. He asked me if I’d mind if you wrote him into a story.”

  “Paula, I already told him no.”

  “That’s what he said. But he asked me to ask you anyway and I promised him I would. If you said no to spare my feelings, please go ahead and use him in a story.”

  “But my feelings would be hurt if Juliet wanted to do a story with another author after turning me down for a sequel.”

  “But I never asked McCracken to be in the sequel. I asked Paula and she turned me down. If you remember we talked about a possible sequel it was you and Salome pushing for McCracken. I was going to bring in a new character for Paula. So anyway please feel free to write a story with him, if you’d like. At least consider it, if you come up with a story for a charming male lead, he fits the bill.”

  “Thanks Paula, next book club we’re watching the play, so look forward to that.”

  “Uooo that little thief, he stole my video.”

  “I’ll make him give it back. I'm sorry I didn’t realize he stole it. Salome said something tooth bited it.”

  “He made a copy of it, that's all, I didn’t know he could do that.”

  “Neither did I.”

  “I’ve got to go, but when McCracken asked me to talk to you about a story it hit me that I’d love to co-write a story with you sometime. But not with McCracken in it, something new that we come up with together, all new characters. Mull it over Okay?”

  “Sure that could be interesting, I’ve never even thought about doing something like that. I know that it’s not terribly uncommon to co author, but we’d both have to work on the full manuscript, right? Otherwise it’d be obvious that the book was written by two different people.”

  “Two ways I know of to make it work. The first is to have one author write a passage then the other author goes over it. Then the 2nd author writes a passage, a scene, a chapter. The second method I’ve heard of is that one author always writes the dialogue while the other writes the exposition, plot. Then after the novel is done the two go over it together deciding if they need to make changes. We wouldn’t have to do a novel, we could do a short story or novella.

  “That sounds a lot more manageable, I’d have to get approval from Sparky, but he might think it’d be a great idea learning from another author's style. Let’s think about it. Then if we decide to go ahead then I’ll talk to Sparky about it.”

  “Sounds like a plan, I’m going to jump, see you at book club and thanks for having me to the party. I knew it’d be crazy but I didn’t expect people to be flying. Especially an eighty year old man, claiming to be Peter Pan.”