Expected Scene [Activate, Track]

  What good’s free will?

  “Good Morning Juliet."

  "Oh, don’t you have more vile names to call me? Authoress. After what you did you have the nerve to say good morning."

  "What I did, I did for you, Juliet. Haven’t you been asking me to get rid of Damon for months, haven’t you? You heard the awful things he said to you, Juliet."

  "You said them too."

  "Juliet, I was only trying to trick Damon, you know I don’t feel that way about you, or about anyone, or about me. I just wanted to see how deep Damon’s prejudices go, don’t you understand? Even Damon deserved some chance to just walk away happy. I wouldn't have written him off to the abbey if he hadn't said those things. I gave him just enough free will to walk into the sunset or a chapel. Now he’s the monk's problem, and any asses he chases there will be old and hairy. I love you, Juliet, and if you had murdered Damon, I’d help you bury the body. Besides I had to do something about him once you told me what he said about the sexual assault."

  "Yes, but you still said some vile things, Rose."

  "Ok, I apologize, I want you to know that I didn’t mean it. I’ve never thought like that and since I’ve met Lu it has dawned on me that maybe my lack of desire for the men of the town has less to do with the men and more to do with me. But even if I did decide that I have feelings for Lu beyond friendship, I still haven’t told her about you."

  "What about me, Rose? You don’t have feelings for me, do you? That’d be like kissing my brother."

  "No I do not have those kinds of feelings for you, even less so since you compared me to your brother. I’m much more desirable than your brother. Look at my breasts, Juliet, so big and plump, soft and squishy, mouthwatering you might say."

  "You might say Rose, but I prefer smaller, more delicate features like Ivies. Pert, you might say Rose, and much less likely to sag with age."

  "Pert, Sag, why I outta send you to Lulworth Abbey where they can pray for your soul."

  "If you send me to the abbey I’ll pray your bountiful bosom doesn’t sag, as the years pass by.”

  “But seriously Juliet, I have to tell Lu I have people living in my head. There are those who might think I should be sent to the mad house."

  "Then why tell? Who cares? We’re a secret, no one can see in your head, why mess up a good thing?"

  "Well if I don’t tell her, one, it’d feel like I was lying to her, two, it’d feel like I’m ashamed of you and three, it’d feel like I couldn’t trust her with who I really am."

  "Umm, I never thought of it that way, Rose, well is it just you or do all writers chat with their characters?"

  "I’ve never thought about that, maybe all writers, but I’m not sure. I’ve read books about writing and character advice is usually to get to know your characters. But if writers could all do that, you’d think that a writer would have written about it, right? Look at all the books people have written and as far as I know, no one has ever written about having conversations, disagreements, tender moments. When I go to see the wizard I’ll ask him, he must know hundreds or thousands of writers."

  "Would you prefer that you didn’t know me, Rose?"

  "No, I never want to lose you, Juliet, that’s why I feel that I have to tell Lu. I’m just trying to think of the best way to do that.”

  “Well, I guess I understand, Ivy knows everything about me and now that I think about it, I think that makes our relationship stronger. So I’ll do everything I can to help you, just not sure what that is yet. Speaking of helping and younger brothers, my brother Sebastian asked if he could speak with you."

  "Sure, where is he?"

  "I told him to wait in the gardens and if you had time you might come see him."

  "I’ll go see him now, I have to get to grannies soon. Hello Sebastian, are you here?"

  "Over here, Rose."

  "Hi Sebastian, Juliet said you had something you wanted to ask me."

  "Yes, Rose, as you know, I’m going to be sixteen soon and all the boys at my school who are my age have all ravished a girl before, and I haven’t so they’re making fun of me. Now I told them that it’s your fault, there are no young girls around here for me to ravish and our upstairs maid is the youngest of the lot and she’s almost twenty-two. I noticed that you wrote Damon out so we have room in the house. I was wondering if you could write in a young lady for me to ravish. I’d like a blonde with wavy hair, green emerald eyes and really big breasts and a thin waist, and she should laugh at my jokes and be dying for me to ravish her."

  "Did Juliet put you up to this, Sebastian?"

  "No, why would you say that?"

  "Because she was mad at me, and I thought she was trying to get back at me."

  "No, I really want this, Rose, I’m almost sixteen, I need to do this now.”

  “Sebastian, I’m sorry, it wouldn’t be right, to make up a girl just for you to ravish.”

  “But you made up Damon just to ravish Juliet.”

  Yes you're right and look how that turned out, will you. But luckily your sister Juliet is really smart and knew not to fall for Damon.”

  “No, she didn’t fall for Damon because she wanted Ivy to ravish her instead. If I had a couple of choices around here I’d be smart too, I’d pick the blonde with the big chest, it doesn’t have to be as big as yours but it’d be nice if it was.”

  “Sebastian! Eyes up here, young man. I don’t know where you are getting your ideas from, you don’t order girls off a menu based on their physical attributes like they were the special of the day down at the tavern. Girls have feelings just like you do. How would you like it if I went down the road and that plump girl with the red hair and freckles, she asks me to make you ravish her, would you like that?"

  "Why do you think she really would?"

  "I don’t know and that’s not the point, agency, that’s the point. Free will, Sebastian, I don’t make you do things, you do what you want. How would you like it if I wrote from this day hence Sebastian will go to church and pray for three hours asking that all thoughts of ravishing be taken from his head. You wouldn’t like that would you, Sebastian."

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  "Thanks, Rose, I never thought of her."

  "What? Who? What are you talking about, Sebastian?"

  "Easy Salome the preacher’s daughter, all the boys say she is a real wildcat, why didn’t I think of her. She’ll let me ravish her in a minute I bet. Rose, you are a genius, I can see why Juliet always talks about you.’

  “Ahh, she talks about... Wait, wait that’s not the point, Sebastian, don't you want your first time to be special?"

  "It will be special because she’s a real wildcat, a real wildcat! Don’t tell Juliet I inspired this, Sebastian, do you hear me?"

  Sigh. "Rosie, Rosie!"

  "Coming, Ma!"

  [Advantage, Revise]

  "How to revise a lie, means telling the truth doesn’t it?"

  I can’t kiss her until I tell her the truth, I have to revise the story I told her, about how I found her in the woods. It was a lie, and you can’t start a relationship built on a lie. I just have to figure out how to tell her before the trip. What if I tell her on the trip? That will give her a little time to sit with it and a little more time for me to figure out how exactly to say it without scaring her off.

  "Hey, Marley, would you lend me your tent next week? I'm going to Wyldwood for a few days."

  "Sure, Lu, there’s some other camp gear with the tent so take anything you want, I won’t be using any of it till my fall hunting trip."

  "Thanks Marley, I really appreciate it."

  That put a bounce in my step, I’ve got money, camping gear, a basket to get granny some juicy apples. Now the only thing I have to worry about is the lie I told, all I can do is admit it, and beg for forgiveness. But that’s a problem for next week. That’s when I smelled her, she just entered the forest and that delicious scent filled the air. I bounded to the path she walked and hugged her and told her I was all set to go next week, I borrowed the tent and Marley said take all the gear I wanted so I had pots and pans and canteens, we are going to have the best time I promise. I’ll take you to Madd Maggies Magical Bakery and you can take me to the bookstore and we can look around Wyldwood, it’s a pretty big town, much bigger than ours.

  We continued to chat about our trip. But then we were at grannies, the door opened before Juliet even knocked.

  "Come in, girls, come in."

  "Thanks it’s OK, I’ll just practice out here."

  "No, No, come in, I took all that wolfsbane down and cleaned and aired out the cottage, just give it a sniff, Lu, see? Come, I made tea, and Rose brought cookies and you bought apples. Thank you Lu for all the apples, string beans and expensive vitamins you brought me."

  Oh, I didn’t want her to know it was me.

  "You're very welcome, granny and you're looking very well."

  "I am feeling spry and looking forward to going back to town, to live with my daughter."

  "You're coming to live with us, granny, I’m so glad."

  "Not exactly dear, I was talking to your mother and you two have a big trip coming up next week, right?"

  "Yes, we leave Monday morning, I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve never been out of Tranquility overnight and now it’ll be almost a whole week away, I’m so excited."

  "Me, too. Although I have traveled a little and been to Wyldwood before, I’m looking forward to seeing the town again.”

  “Make sure you both go to Madd Maggies, I’m sure she’ll have something unique for each of you. But that’s not what I wanted to tell you girls, Rose, I’m taking your bedroom."

  "Oh that’s fine granny, I won’t be there anyway, I’ll be away."

  "No, I mean I’m taking your bedroom. I’d appreciate it if you'd both help me move my clothes after we finish our tea."

  "Sure, we’ll help, and I don’t mind sleeping on the couch."

  "Well, Rose, I was hoping that you’d look after the cottage for me, it has a huge bed and a nice desk by the window to write at. I lived here when I was your age and I was so happy.”

  “Granny you’re giving me the cottage? Yes dear, you know it’s big enough for two."

  My face got so hot I’m sure it turned bright red, Rose’s porcelain skin turned even redder by comparison. Then Granny looked at me with a twinkle in her eye she said.

  "I know you work nights, but you’re not afraid of the forest path in the dark, are you?"

  "No ma’am, I’m not."

  "Good, that’s settled then, let's get my clothes together, between the three of us it’ll be easy, all I’m taking is my clothes and a book. If I’m right you two need to have a conversation before moving in together, but that’s what trips are for. A nice walk and a nice talk and all week to be in each other's company. If I’m being honest, I’m a bit jealous of you two but I had my time and my fun, so it’s not a bitter jealous feeling more like life is passing bittersweet."

  "Lu, tomorrow will you help Rose, bring her clothes and books and things?"

  "Of course, just tell me what time, Rose, and I’ll be there."

  We walked granny back to town. She said it was the first time in years since she’s seen the town, but it still looked the same. When we got back to Rose’s with the clothes, her mother invited me in for supper. We had a really nice time, her mother is as nice and sweet as Rose is and an excellent cook.

  "Thank you for supper, I’ll be here early tomorrow to help you move."

  [Design, Lead]

  What’s it like living in a cottage?

  It took three trips but we were still done by noon. It would have been two trips but Rose’s mother gave her so much food. We packed away everything then Rose asked if I had time would you like to help me start a kitchen garden. She’d spent the night sketching out a quick design, while I worked at the Black Dog. She asked me if I had any favorites.

  "I do and you already added them, I love potatoes and onions fried together."

  So I took the lead with the shovel, turning the earth. Rose came along behind me, pulling out all the weeds and stones and soon we had rows just like her design sketch. Next we planted stakes at the end of each row and ran a string between the stakes. By three we were done, and ready to plant. Rose declared that planting could wait. She was hot and dirty and wanted a wash. Granny had a small shed, where Rose had gotten the shovel from but I was surprised to see this really large tin bathing tub and cast iron cauldron. We dragged the tub out into the sun and while I drew water to heat in the cauldron Rose got the fire going. We worked so well together in the garden like a dance, never getting in the other's way, always ready to give the other a hand when needed. Getting the bath ready was the same, thirty minutes later the tin tub was full of steaming hot water. I think it was then that we both realized, now we’d actually have to take our clothes off and get in the tub.

  "Well I should go now and let you settle in."

  "Oh, no I was hoping you would stay for dinner, I wanted to thank you for all you’ve done for me, and while it won’t be as good as moms I wanted to share my first meal here with you."

  "Oh, I’ll stay, I just thought you might want some privacy.”

  “Let’s quit being shy Lu, and get in the tub."

  So I took the lead and stripped off my clothes and got into the tub, by then Rose had taken off her clothes and neatly folded them putting both mine and hers on a chair so they didn’t get any dirtier than they were. I held her hand as I helped her into the tub, her beauty taking my breath away. We fit perfectly in that tub and I could have stayed in it forever, but way too soon the water started to cool and I could see goose bumps on Rose’s arms. We only had one towel so we took turns drying each other off. Soon we were dressed and eating left over stew, which tasted even better than it had the day before. I helped her clean the plates and pots, then I had to go to work. I said my goodbyes and just as I reached the door Rose ran over and hugged me so tight then kissed me sweetly on the lips.

  "Thank you for today, Lu, I just had the best day of my life. I’m so lucky that I met you."

  So I kissed her again.

  "I’ll see you tomorrow at first light, get some rest tonight, tomorrow our adventure to Wyldwood begins."

  "I’m ready and excited."

  And she kissed me again, a little longer and deeper.

  "Me too, Rose, me too. Goodnight."