For a moment you are stunned. Then your brain begins to function again, and the writer in you surfaces -- with questions.
"I... don't know if I can do that," you say. "I mean, I don't even know how I'm going to get back! How did my grandfather do it? You said he was travelling for many years, searching for a way back home?"
She looks at you, her face impassive, then shakes her head. "I'm not telling you. Not until you promise."
Suddenly the reality of your situation starts to sink in. At first it had seemed amazing, to be thrust into this fantasy world of adventure, so much more lively than your previous dull life. And to have such a gorgeous, willing woman as your companion -- it had seemed too good to be true...
And now you realise it is. You are trapped here, trapped in a world of monsters and darkness. As much as you once longed for adventure, you now long for the comfort and security of your old life, dull as it was. Still, it appears you have no choice. Lita is the one person who has the skill and information you need, you know you can't survive without her.
"What will you do back in... in my world? Why do you even want to go?"
She arches an eyebrow. That expression is becoming familiar: you get the impression she is evaluating you and finding that you fall short of some kind of standard. Perhaps she is comparing you to your grandfather...
"Gerald... your grandfather and I were close. Very close. He told me many things about his world. This..." she makes an expansive gesture with her hands. "This is all I know. I was made for this world, trapped in it, trapped in an endless cycle. I want to get out. Wouldn't you? Tell me you didn't feel a thrill when you realised where you were, when you realised you were in another world."
She has a point. And you don't have a choice. "All right," you say. "All right, you have a deal. Tell me how to get out, and I'll take you with me."
Her full luscious lips curve upward into a smile. "Good. And now... we have to seal the deal."
Seal the deal? What does she mean? You offer her your hand.
She bats it away, turns on all fours and crawls slowly toward you. "Oh, I can think of a much better way to seal the deal." Her voice is low and husky; when she reaches you she bends forward to whisper in your ear. "And I do believe you owe me a favour..." |