I

Lily sat down on a log by the campsite. It had been so long since she’d had any senses. The rough texture of the log left imprints on her skin. The smell of wetness from the morning dew was a relief——nothing had ever smelled so wonderful. Her mouth water for some food. Any food. She desperately wanted a taste of reality again.

Lily got up and rummaged through Johnny’s backpack. Her fingers happened upon an energy bar he’d nicked from his friend's house a few days ago. She bit into it. Lily’s face lit up with delight. No meal had tasted so good in all her life, but she knew that an energy bar wasn’t going to keep her going for very long. For that she’d need some real meat.

Lily looked again in Johnny’s backpack. She found the money he’d stolen from his mother——it would be needed. She pocketed it and left the campsite as it was. By midday, she was in town. There was a mall in the center of town; Lily knew this from Johnny’s memories. In that mall, she knew she’d find several stores where she could buy new clothes. Johnny’s old ones were god-awful.

The mall was white to the point that Lily had to shield her eyes as she approached. The inside was nice. The floors were carpeted; the railings were wrought-iron masterpieces. Lily found a directory by the entrance of the mall and searched for stores that might have what she wanted. Just above her, she found a Victoria’s Secret. Nearby to that, there was a Macy’s. Both would suit her nicely.

Inside Victoria’s Secret, Lily picked out several of the sexiest things she could find. She brought them into the dressing room. Lily gazed into the mirror. She wasn’t bad looking at all. Her body had curves in all the right places. Her body looked like it had the last time she’d had a body, and that made her smile. The lingerie looked good on her as well. She would definitely be able to attract a few men with them.

Lily took the clothes with her back to the counter to pay for them. She knew it would be expensive, but she also knew that she had enough money. The lady behind the counter rang up her order.

“Any man who sees you wearing these is going to look twice.” She said while putting the clothes into a bag.

“I hope so.” Lily said with a smile.

Oh, she thought, they definitely will love me. And I will love them back.

Lily chuckled to herself. She had a young looking body——she looked like a high school senior at most——and all the men would be wanting her. Lily was definitely looking forward to the evening. It would be a lot of fun. She had a large smile on her face as she left the store.

With the undergarments secured for the time being, Lily made her way to Macy's. The store wasn’t very crowded. Probably because it was the early afternoon and in the middle of the week. Lily followed signs for the women’s department. She was keen on finding a couple of dresses for later. The dresses hung neatly on racks. She picked out any of them that might show off her figure. In the dressing room, she put on the underwear she’d bought earlier.

I look good, Lily thought to herself. I look good enough to eat in fact!

Over the top of the underwear she put the first dress. It was a bit tight, so she tried on the next one. This one fit better.

But, she thought, it doesn’t show off my curves well enough.

That one was rejected as well. The third one went on after. It was better, but Lily had a few more she wanted to try. After ten minutes of undressing and dressing again, Lily happened upon a dress that made her look lip smacking good as she put it. It accented her young body by allowing small glimpses of the lingerie below.

She took the dress off and put her regular clothes back on. Lily took that dress as well as another and paid for them at the front desk. She immediately went to the bathroom. It was time to change. It was time to get the party started. Once in the bathroom, on went the new dress. She made sure her hair looked good for all those men.

They’ll love me, she told herself, smiling. No one will be able to resist me now… I can’t even resist myself! I do need a shower though. I guess I’ll take one after I get my man tonight.

Lily took the rest of her things and stuffed them in the backpack. She didn’t have much money left, but that didn’t really matter. She’d definitely get more tonight. There was a bar near the outskirts of town that Johnny’s memories told her would be a good place to go. His mom had frequented it. His mom had brought home many men from that place. It would take an hour or two to get there.

II

Around 8 O’clock in the evening, Lily finally decided to enter the bar. The inside reeked of smoke. Barmaids scurried around serving food and beer to all of the patrons. The bar was all but filled by young men and women looking to have a good time. Some of the women were prostitutes. Some of them were underage too.

I’ll fit right in! Lily thought.

Lily sat at the bar and was asked to show I.D. She rummaged through Johnny’s backpack. With the cash, she found his mother’s license. There was no picture on it, which was a good thing considering the two women looked nothing alike. The bartender was satisfied and left Lily alone.

Lily sat at the bar and scanned the room around her. Several men were taking glances at her——that was good——but none had come up to her yet.

This could be a long night… She mused.

Lily called over the bartender and ordered a beer. The bitter but filling liquid satisfied her for now. She heard a rustling noise behind her.

“May I take this seat?” A rough voice asked her.

“S-sure.” Lily said.

“May I say that you look wonderful tonight?”

“Really? You think so?”

He put his arm around her.

“I know so. You’re one in a million.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t have to say anything my darling.”

The man called the bartender over and ordered Lily another beer. Lily tried to look as innocent as possible. What was the use in letting him get it easy? Lily sipped her beer while she talked to the man. She had to endure stories about how he was succeeding at work and how he was rising up the ladder. Lily didn’t give a damn about the man’s life. She just wanted to know how good he was in bed.

Almost an hour had passed before Lily was fed up with his stories. She interrupted him in the middle of another story.

“I’ve been sitting here listening to you for a long time,” she said. “Do you want to have a bit of fun?”

Lily struck as sexy a pose as she could. No man could resist her young body. The man opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

“You can have me all you want. I’ll be your little girl.”

The man couldn’t take it anymore. He took Lily by the hand and dragged her out of the bar. He hailed a taxi and took her back to his apartment. It was a one-bedroom flat furnished with nice looking furniture. It certainly seemed as if his stories were true, but Lily doubted it. It was just a ploy to get women to sleep with him. She didn’t care however. It had been so long since she’d had any pleasures of the flesh.

Lily followed the man into his bedroom. The bed was large enough for him and whatever girl he happened to be enjoying that night. The man pulled up the sheets and beckoned Lily to join him in bed. Lily shook her head——she had something else in mind first. Lily shook her body and stripped out of her garments. She then jumped in the man’s bed. For the next few hours, Lily pleased the man in every way imaginable. Both were tired by the time it was all over.

“Damn.” He said. “You’re good in bed. And your body, it’s amazing!”

“Thank-you” Lily said before tucking him in bed.

He fell asleep right away. Lily dressed herself and snuck into the man’s kitchen. She found a large chopping knife.

Perfect. She thought.

She picked it up. Its sharp edge shone in the light from the living room. Lily walked into the bedroom with the knife and picked up one of the pillows. In an instant, she shoved the pillow on the man’s face to muffle his screams, and stabbed him in the chest several times until he was dead.

She was tired; the bed was ruined. Lily decided that the couch in the living room would have to be for the night.

III

“Lily!” A voice said.

It came from behind her. She turned and saw that it was her mother.

“It’s late sweetie.” Her mother said. “Why don’t you go to bed soon?”

“Yeah.” Lily replied. “I was going to after I had some milk. Probably ten minutes or so.”

“Oh, that’s fine sweetie. Just don’t stay up too late, you have school tomorrow.”

Lily walked to the fridge and poured herself a glass of milk. While she was drinking it, she heard a window shatter. Lily put the glass down and made her way over to the sound.

He’s dead! She heard her mother scream.

Lily ran to her mother, and she stopped the instant she saw what had happened. Her father lay there in a pool of blood. Dead. She screamed and ran. She heard a thud as her mother’s body hit the floor.

No! She screamed in her head. This can’t be happening! Why?!

Tears rolled down her cheeks as she ran. She heard another crash a few moments later. Her younger brother screamed. She ran to him. The man with the axe had the axe raised over his head, about to strike her brother.

Not another one! She thought.

Without thinking more she leapt in front of her brother. The axe penetrated her back. The pain was incredible. Her brother screamed again.

“R-run.” She whispered.

Her brother screamed.

“R-run.” Lily said. “Run… J-Jake.”

Her brother struggled out from under her. The man swung the axe.

IV

Lily woke with a start. Dappled light fell on her face. She sat up on the couch and yawned loudly. The red digital display on the microwave in the kitchen told her it was already ten O’clock-in-the-morning.

I overslept? She wondered before her mind went back to the dream. It was so real. Did it happen?

Lily yawned again. There was a cramp in her neck and her back hurt from the couch. She was hungry but that body would take a while to cook and pack away for later.

She rummaged throughout his apartment looking for anything she might be able to use. Lily found a handgun as well as a few hundred dollars in cash. All that searching caused her to sweat profusely; and when combined with the fact that she hadn’t showered in days, Lily knew she reeked. At least this man had a shower. That would help. She took a nice warm shower to wash the grime away.

Lily dried herself well and put on the second dress she’d bought. The dirty clothes that had accumulated over the past days were thrown into the laundry, and she was finally ready to prepare herself a meal. In the kitchen, she found a serrated knife and brought it with her to the bedroom. Lily began to dismember the man’s body. The head came off as well as the arms and the legs. Any part of him that didn’t need to be cleaned out was taken into the kitchen where she skinned the parts.

Lily peeled off the meat from the bones, making sure there was nothing left. After all, she’d need this food for a while. In the many cabinets, Lily found a large pot and filled it part way with water. In went the meat as well as a few vegetables from the fridge.

She sat back once the pot was boiling away. It would be a good stew. The man had a nice TV in the living room and she flipped it on to pass the time.

V

Hours passed before the stew was finally ready. Lily tasted the broth. It was amazing! It sent her back to when she used to cook with her mother all those years ago. Lily found a bowl in one of the cabinets and filled it to the brim with the stew. A little salt and pepper for extra flavor. She indulged herself with the stew. The aromas filled her nostrils and then the rest of her senses. The warmth felt wonderful on a cold October day. It warmed Lily’s heart.

After she’d finished, Lily stood up and smiled. That man was tastier dead than alive, that was for sure. She packed away the washed clothes and the stew. It wouldn’t last all that long, but it was better than nothing. Lily did another once over of the apartment to make sure she didn’t miss something she might need later. She slung the pack over her back and slipped out of the apartment.

The red and gold foliage looked striking against the deep blue of the sky. The cold late-afternoon air stung Lily’s hands. Soon, the temperature would dip below freezing——probably tonight——for the first frost of the year. Sleeping out in such weather could be deadly, but Lily didn’t worry. She had her wits about her.

The sun was setting by the time Lily gathered enough wood for a fire and built a shelter. She had paid the cabbie almost fifteen dollars for the fare. Lily counted her money. Only sixty-eight dollars left. The man she’d slept with last night didn’t have much on him, but it would have to do for now.

The hastily thrown together shelter was made of one large log propped up on one end with a few larger branches shoved in the ground. Pine boughs were laid to form a roof with leaves piled on top and some more shoved inside as bedding. Lily climbed inside and pulled leaves in to seal up the door.

VI

A scene shimmered in front of Lily before solidifying. The room was recognizable as a kitchen. Lily stood at one end of a white round table while a woman stood at the other end. The woman was pregnant——her belly bulged out. The woman rubbed her stomach.

“John.” She said to Lily.

“Yes dear?” Lily asked in return with a deep male voice.

“I think it’s almost time.”

The scene shifted. Colors swirled around Lily before coming to a stop. She was standing at the end of the same table. This time, there was a chair on the other end with a baby in it. Next to the baby, the woman from before stood feeding him food. The baby was crying——he didn’t want to be fed——and flinging his food all over the room.

Lily moved towards the child and took the food away so it didn’t end up on the ceiling.

“Johnny.” She said in the same male voice as before. “Don’t play with your food. It’s dinner time.”

The woman peered at her.

“John, can you please clean this up? Johnny still needs to eat.”

“Alright.”

Lily went to the counter and picked up a roll of paper towels. Wetting them, she proceeded to wipe down the kitchen until it was somewhat cleaned. When she was done, Johnny had fallen asleep on his chair.

“Don’t be annoyed,” the woman said looking at Lily’s face, “he’s a good child. Let's raise him right together.”

“Yeah.”

The scene shifted once more. Before the scene even steadied itself, Lily heard a deathly scream. In front of her, the woman from before fell out of a doorway that led to the stairway adjacent to the kitchen. She was bloodied up. Behind her was a man with a knife about to stab her. Lily felt a pit in her stomach as she fumbled for a gun in one of the kitchen drawers. Her hand clasped on tight to the grip as she yanked it from its hiding place. Lily aimed the gun at the man’s heart. Bang! He fell to the ground. Dead. Lily rushed to the woman’s side. Her heart was in despair. Who could have done this? Why?

“J-John.” The woman gasped.

“D-don’t talk dear.” Lily said, shaking. “You’ll be just fine. I’ll call an ambulance.”

“You liar.” She whispered. “I-I love you, but I’m dying. I’m sorry.”

Lily grabbed the woman and wept. She loved her, but she was being taken away from her.

“P-please.” The woman said. “Please take c-care of Johnny.”

“I-I will.” Lily sobbed into the woman’s bloody clothing. “I promise. J-just don’t die. We can take care of him together. You can’t die!”

“I’m sorry John. I’m at my end. I love you.”

The woman’s head rolled to one side and she gasped. Her breathing was ragged as she spoke her last word.

“Johnny.” The woman gasped as she died.

“No!” Lily screamed. “Don’t die! I love you! I fucking love you damn it! Don’t die on me please. Don’t-don’t die. P-please.”

Mixed with the grief as the scene began to fade was another, more important feeling. Revenge. Lily would avenge that woman’s death.

VII

Lily woke up. The leaves around her had kept the cold night air at bay, but now it was time to exit this cocoon. Lily crawled out and was greeted by a dense fog. Light scattered by the fog fell all around her. It was an eerie glow. Lily stood up and relit the fire from the night before.

Within a half an hour, a bowl of stew was boiling and ready to eat. Boy was she hungry. The stew tasted better than before——good things get better with age after all. Lily took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair. She found there were leaves still stuck in her hair and took the next few minutes to pull them out. The shelter she had made did as it was designed well, but had that quite embarrassing drawback.

Lily looked around her again. The fog was starting to lift; the air was starting to warm. It was going to be a beautiful day.

What am I going to do today? Lily thought. I guess I could make this camp better. That should be worth something at least. I don’t want to have more leaves in my hair. That’s annoying.

Lily went about making a proper shelter. This one would keep her dry, safe, warm, and leaf free. Work to this end took Lily several long hours, but it was worth it. Lily also took the time to dig herself a fire pit. She could then warm flat stones for the night ahead. Lily figured it might ward off some of the bad dreams she’d been having lately.

Lily knew she needed water badly. It was starting to get late in the day, so she needed to hurry. Lily struck off into the woods to look for a water source. After about an hour of hard bushwhacking, Lily was about to give up and try again tomorrow. She could wait another day; she had enough water for that. But she found a small clearing with a brook on the opposite end. The rocky clearing provided an opening in the trees through which she could see the sky. There was not a cloud visible, and the sky was a deep blue. It was a perfect day. Lily dipped the bottle she’d brought and filled it to the brim before sealing it.

The sun was nearing the horizon by the time Lily returned to her shelter. She gathered a large pile of wood and stacked it neatly next to her shelter. She used some of it to ignite the fire in order to heat the stone, to purify the water, and to reheat another bowl of stew.

Dinner felt good in Lily’s stomach. She’d done what she needed to do that day. Tomorrow would be another day. Lily looked at her reserve of stew, thinking about how long it would take to go bad. She realized that it might be time to go hunting again in a day or two.

Lily pulled the warmed stones from the fire and laid them down inside the shelter. She threw a few of Johnny’s old clothes over them and lay down on top. It was comforting and relaxing. Sleep came quickly thereafter.

VIII

There was a strong feeling of disgust and revenge in her stomach as Lily stood at the end of a long driveway. She held an axe in her large hands. Its wooden handle felt cold to the touch. Lily knew this was a dream, but it felt so real.

She moved one foot and then the other. Each fateful step brought her closer to happiness, closer to her goals. Closer to revenge. She’d seen her family die in front of her, and she needed to make sure these people had the same happen to them as they’d done to her. Lily walked faster down the driveway. Before long, the house was in view. She walked around the house to figure out the best way to get in.

On one side of the house Lily stopped. Right in front of her stood the man responsible for all of this madness. She jumped through the window without thinking and buried the axe deep in the back of the man’s neck. She heard a woman screaming and turned to her.

Must be the wife. She thought.

Lily lunged at the woman and struck her in the chest. Another scream reached her ears, along with the sound of footsteps running away from her. Lily figured it’d be best to try another entrance.

She searched outside for another way in, and found a window with a shadow of a young boy. Lily broke the glass and climbed through. The boy screamed; Lily laughed. This was going to be well worth it. She raised the axe and swung it down hard. Lily struck a body, but it wasn’t the boys. A woman’s body was impaled by her axe. Lily rolled her eyes in disgust. Why did people always have to get in her way?

She raised the axe, aiming for the boy who had just gotten to his feet. She swung hard and missed. Instead, she cracked the woman’s skull clean in half. The boy ran off while she stood there. The picture of the woman’s face right before she’d been killed reminded her of her wife before she was murdered. Lily picked up the body and dragged it out of the house. Once the body was safely outside, Lily went back in and took a lighter from her pocket. She ignited the house.

That should hide the evidence. She thought. Now, what to do with the body?

The scene shifted. Lily was now back in the kitchen where she’d seen her wife murdered a year earlier. The pot on the stove smelled great. Her son Johnny was walking around asking her to play with him. She told him she couldn’t. Lily was cooking.

A timer rang from the countertop. The stew was ready. Lily poured a bowl each for her and Johnny. She called him for dinner, and he sat in his seat like the big boy he’d become.

“Thanks Daddy!” Johnny said, holding up his spoon.

“Wait Johnny, we still need to say our prayer.” She responded.

Lily prayed about her fallen wife and thanked God for her meal. Lily tasted a spoonful. It was amazing! The broth was accented with onion and carrot as well as a special mix of spices. She’d always heard it said that revenge was a dish best served cold. Lily disagreed. She liked hers piping hot.

Lily watched as Johnny swallowed a large spoonful while the scene faded.

IX

Lily woke up, the taste of that stew still fresh in her mouth. That had been amazing. Her stomach grumbled——she was hungry. Lily crawled out of her shelter and brought the fire back to life. She placed a large bowl of stew on top of the fire to heat it up.

Her breakfast tasted great. Even though she’d had stew for the past few meals, the dream she had made her enjoy this helping just that much more.

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Stew gets better with age. Lily joked. But I do need to get more before this stew ages too much.

Lily got up from her meal and cleaned out the pot and bowl. For a moment, Lily felt as if time skipped. She touched her head and grumbled. Her forehead was hot. She was sick. Lily put herbs in the pot along with some water in order to make some tea. Sick people needed to drink lots of fluids after all.

Lily crawled back into her shelter while the tea was being made. The chilly morning air made her feel a little bit better. She felt like she was burning up.

Boiling water signaled that the tea was ready. Lily let it steep for a few minutes before drinking a cup. The hot tea felt great on her throat. She filled her cup again and curled up inside the shelter under her covers. Lily yawned loudly. Being sick always took a lot out. She took a large gulp of tea and lay down. Lily closed her eyes and drifted off.

X

A dream solidified in Lily’s head. She was lost in a forest. It was night and there was no moonlight.

Where am I? Lily wondered.

She recognized the place. She’d been there once before, but why had she been there? Lily looked down at her body. It was in tatters. A pool of liquid was at her feet——blood. Lily had bled more than a normal person had blood, but she wouldn’t die.

How am I alive? She asked herself.

This was odd. Lily pondered her situation for a moment while more blood poured down her body in limitless amounts. Then a vision flashed before her eyes. Lily lay on the ground with a hatch buried in the back of her skull. She was definitely dead.

Was this heaven? I didn’t look like it. It was not comforting in any way, and there was no one around her. Was this hell? Again, that seemed unlikely. So where the hell was she? Lily realized she had no choice and that she should find a way to stop the bleeding before it drove her crazy.

Lily removed the hatchet from the back of her head. More blood gushed down her back. A wind blew the liquid on her back sideways, but she couldn’t feel it. She couldn’t feel anything. She had to be dead. Lily lay down in her pool of blood and tried to sleep. Sleep didn’t come, and for the rest of the night, she lay curled up in her own blood as more gushed out every second. The wounds were not healing at all.

XI

Lily gave up on sleeping and lay on her back looking up at the pitch-black sky. The sky slowly changed to purple and blue. From blue to cerise and then to gold. The light showed Lily what she was. Her white skin was bathed in her own blood. The puddle the night before had grown deep enough for her to have lain down to take a bath.

Lily got up from her puddle and wandered slowly through the forest she happened to have found herself the previous night. She looked for a clearing to better assess her situation.

What the hell is happening to me? She asked herself. I know I’m dead, but why am I walking around? What is going on?

Waves of depression and sadness rippled through her body. Her existence was pitiful, but what could she do about it? She was stuck here, so why not figure out what was going on. Maybe then she could at least go back to being dead.

Several hours of wandering brought Lily to the edge of a large clearing on the top of a hill. The rocky soil had small bushes growing out of it at odd angles. The shrubbery shrank off to nothing as the soil changed to solid rock. Lily made her way over to the rock in order to get a better view. She stood on the rock with a hundred-foot drop below her.

Her body was still leaking a lot of blood like it had since she’d arrived in this god-awful place. Lily looked up. The sky wasn’t just blue with a sun, there was some fuzzy image behind it. It was just too vague to see. This puzzled Lily a lot. Was there something else beyond this world?

She noticed that her body was as light as a feather, even though the limitless amounts of blood coming out had done nothing to change her appearance. The pool of blood beneath her feet was slick. She turned to leave the cliff, but slipped instead. Her stomach rose in her body, giving her that odd sensation. Time passed by slowly as the ground neared her body.

I’m going to die! Her mind raced. Not again!

Thud. She hit the ground hard.

XII

Lily felt no pain, but she passed out nonetheless. She lay on the ground going in and out of consciousness. The wounds she had sustained before she arrived here were still gushing, although the fall had done nothing to her body. Lily lay in a dazed state for a long time while the sky faded in and out of her vision.

While lying there, Lily felt the terror she’d felt the instant before she arrived here. It was hellish. It was unrelenting. The glint of metal as she felt herself leaving her own body scared her, even now. Then it hit her. Her suspicions of death had to be true——she had a big hole in her head. She was bleeding and it wouldn’t stop. Maybe, she thought, it would go away if she imagined she didn’t have any wounds. Mind over matter solved most dilemmas anyway.

Lily focused on her body and tried to imagine herself without any holes in her. It worked for a moment, but then her mind let the image degrade into something horrific. She imagined her body with sharp spikes stuck in her flesh. Blood was again pouring out of her. To Lily’s surprise, she looked down and observed that her thought had come true.

I’ve got to try harder. She thought. I know it can be done. I know I can fix myself. Why be so miserable?

Lily sat up and shook her head to snap out of her drowsiness. Blood flew around.

I’ve really gotta do something about that. She thought. It’s getting really annoying.

Lily closed her eyes and concentrated as hard as she could. She imagined how she’d been before she was killed. An image of herself in the mirror swam into focus in front of her. Just as she was beginning to believe her image, a flash of metal was visible in the mirror behind her. The axe sunk its teeth into the back of her skull, and she watched herself fall.

Lily opened her eyes and shook off the feeling of despair before trying once more. Again the image of her in the mirror appeared in front of her. This time, however, she was able to stabilize the image and snap it into place before the image of her death returned. Opening her eyes, Lily reached back and felt the back of her head. There was no more gash; there was no more blood. Lily smiled.

Lily stood up and made the arduous journey back to the top of the hill. There she looked at the stone and imagined a small hut with a fire outside. When she opened her eyes, she saw the hut just as she’d imagined.

Perfect. Lily thought. I figured that was going to happen. I wonder what else I can do with this power…

Lily didn’t feel hungry in the slightest. She was tired. Lily slid herself into the rocky hut. And imagined a nice warm blanket to cover herself with.

XIII

Lily woke up early the next morning before the sun was even up. She rolled out of bed and imagined a sandwich for breakfast. She didn’t know the limits of imagining, but simple things seemed to work OK. Lily decided that she would stick with that for now.

The sun rose while Lily ate, and the fuzzy image beyond was still there as it had been the day before. She wondered if she’d ever figure out what it was.

Maybe, she thought, if I imagine that the image is clear, it will be. But then again, maybe not. I’d like to try a few more basic things before I try that. At least then I’ll know if it’s possible.

Although Lily’s stomach was sated for now, she realized that she would be hungry again later if she didn’t do something about it now. Survival was all about planning. If she wanted to enjoy her food more than she had the sandwich, she would have to cook. Lily imagined a grill over her fire and a pot on top.

Lily had always loved to cook. She remembered when she used to help her mother in the kitchen. When she was alive. Tears came out of Lily’s eyes, but she pushed the pain away.

I don’t have time for this. She told herself sternly. I need to figure out what is going on here more than anything else. Pain and the past can wait a while.

Wiping the tears from her face Lily looked at her handiwork. There was a grill and a pot sitting right on top——just as she’d imagined.

Now, she thought, all I need now is something to cook.

Lily smiled for the first time since she’d arrived there. In her mind, she imagined a freshly killed animal that was already skinned on top of tinfoil to protect it from the ground. Lily picked up the chicken. It was heavy and unwieldy. She needed a way to cut it up——to make it small enough to pick up and put in the pot.

With her imagination, Lily found a shiny new hunting knife. She figured it’d be more useful in a variety of situations, not just for cutting up the chicken. Lily noticed that when she imagined these things she became hungrier and more tired. It was definitely draining. Lily figured it was probably better to find what she needed when she could, but imagine the larger things that would wear her out trying to find.

There was no water on top of the mountain, and Lily had to resort to imagining that along with a few vegetables to make it tastier. Lily stoked the fire and put the cut up pieces of chicken and the vegetables into the pot and left it sitting there, occasionally stirring with a stick she’d cleaned off.

Lily was tired from all the things she’d created and crawled back into the hut and slept for an hour or two. When she woke up, the stew was boiling away to perfection. Lily imagined herself a bowl and a spoon to eat with. She was really hungry now. Not much she could do about it until the stew was ready.

Another hour passed before Lily scooped some of the stew into her bowl. It smelled amazing. Each bite tasted like a dream. It was a simple stew but it warmed her body and made her feel great about herself. Lily felt the energy flow right back into her. She was wide awake again.

Lily looked up at the sky. The fuzzy images faded as darkness came across the sky. The deep-red sunset seemed beautiful yet strangely murderous. Lily lifted the pot off of the grill and placed it in the hut by her bed. She threw the covers on top of herself and drifted off to sleep.

XIV

Crash! Lily woke with a start. She banged her head on the ceiling of her hut.

Ouch! She exclaimed even though it didn’t hurt at all. What the hell was that sound?

Lily was on alert as she peered out of her hut. The knife she’d imagined yesterday was firmly in her hands. Whatever had made that sound was not something she wanted to take a chance with. Sniffing around the back of her hut was a mountain lion. It had been attracted by the sweet smell of the stew sitting inside. The mountain lion wasn’t all that big, but Lily knew it could kill her in an instant.

Panicking, she imagined herself as half-woman half-beast. Immediately her body lengthened and she grew taller. Her body thinned out some when her body stopped growing at about seven-feet tall. Lily’s eyes grew more narrow and she could see the whole land as if it was night. Her senses were heightened. She looked at the blade in her hand——it seemed inadequate. Lily thought that a longer and slimmer curved blade would suit her womanly figure better. The blade stretched out to the shape she imagined. It glinted white in the moonlight.

Lily had been so enraptured by the current situation she hadn’t even noticed the moon was out that night. Her new body brought her some confidence and she felt safer. Her heart slowed down and she felt calm again. Lily turned to face her adversary. The cat’s brown fur stood on end and it hissed and growled at her. She smiled as she lunged at the beast. In a flash, the fight was over. Her blade was bloodied from the quick slice, and the large cat’s head was left snarling while it rolled down the hill.

The nighttime air kept Lily wide-awake. She couldn’t go to sleep; at least not after that enjoyable fight! Lily walked down the mountain, all too aware that her new senses would ensure that she would not get lost. And even if she somehow did, she could always imagine a new home and some more food. She felt powerful!

Lily sniffed the air once, then a second time. A mysterious scent caught her attention. Following her nose, she ran through the forest faster than she ever had before. Her keen eyesight ensured she wouldn’t trip, and her new longer and more powerful legs increased her speed a lot. The cool breeze threw her hair around while she ran towards the origin of the scent.

Lily flew through the forest like a woman possessed. The source was right ahead of her; she could almost taste it. Lily slowed down as she approached. She hid herself behind a tall oak. The ridged bark pressed up against her face while she peered around it to see what had attracted her here.

In the bright-but-soft light of the full moon stood a man in his twenties. He seemed strikingly handsome to Lily and she approached cautiously. She was out in the open——no cover to hide behind, nowhere to run. A branch snapped under her foot and the man turned. He looked her up and down before his eyes remained glued to the sight of her blade, still dripping blood.

Shit! Lily thought when she realized what the man was looking at. He screamed and ran. Lily chased after him. She only wanted to have someone to talk to. She was all by herself in this place. To see another person, that was a godsend!

Lily’s long legs allowed her to catch the man within seconds. He stopped when she approached and turned around. His face was like a ghost——as pale as a sheet, and a deep look of dread. His mouth hung open as if to scream, but nothing came out. Lily walked closer to him, and opened her mouth.

“Hello,” she said.

With those words, the man fainted and disappeared. A passing cloud covered the moon. The world was cast in an ebony shroud in an instant. Lily’s excitement turned to sadness as she realized what happened. She was alone again.

Lily sniffed the air. It was full of her morose loneliness. In the smell of her self-pity, Lily picked up the scent of the trail back to the hut. She trudged back to her shelter and lay down in bed. She pulled the covers up tight and nodded off.

XV

Sun shone through the door to her hut. It’s brilliance washed over Lily’s face, waking her up. It was already late morning judging by the position of the sun in the sky. She yawned. It had been a long night. Lily left the hut and stretched herself fully out. It was cramped being as large as she was now. She liked her new form a lot. It gave her many advantages living how she was now. The only drawback was that she’d scared away that man last night.

Pushing the feelings away, Lily went about reheating the stew for breakfast. Once it was ready, she dug in. It was still just as good as it had been the day before. While eating, Lily’s thoughts meandered through her plans for today. She felt a jolt of excitement run through her body when she remembered that today was the day. She was finally going to attempt to see beyond the sky.

Lily lay down on the rough stones outside her hut and gazed up at the sky. As always, there was a fuzzy image just out of reach. In her mind, she tried to imagine what it must have looked like all cleared up. Clear images floated through her head and she opened her eyes. The wispy clouds were still floating by like pillows, and the fuzzy image was still fuzzy. Lily closed her eyes once more and imagined a pair of eyeglasses that would clear up her vision. Upon opening her eyes, Lily saw the glasses resting on a rock next to her. She put them on and gazed up at the sky. At first, she was nothing, but as the seconds wore on, her eyes adjusted and the fuzzy images began to sharpen to form one single coherent sight.

Lily felt as if she was looking through the eyes of someone else’s body——the sight seemed so real that she could almost touch it. She concentrated all her efforts to understand what was going on. Her view covered a desk and a chair behind it. The room wasn’t very big, but it was designed with very expensive ornamentation. A simple wooden door stood at the far end of the room. The handle turned and it swung open. A male figure stepped through the door and Lily jumped in an instant. Something she didn’t expect filtered down from the sky. She not only saw the man enter, she heard him enter!

“Boss,” said the man, “we’ve finished mopping up the last of the resistance. The Red Game is fully ours.”

“Good work.” A male voice said from somewhere she couldn’t see. “Let’s put our plan into action.”

“Yes sir. If you’ll excuse me.”

The man turned around and walked out the door, closing it softly. The visual in the world turned around until it was looking out a window onto a busy street. The street was narrow but still wide enough for two cars to pass abreast. Lily took off the glasses and looked up again. It didn’t seem to surprise her really when she could still see and hear everything going on. It was slightly annoying, but she dealt with it——she had no choice.

Lily walked back to her hut and imagined herself some food. With her stomach full, she retired for the night.

XVI

Crash! A loud noise woke Lily from her deep slumber. The peaceful day had turned into a chaotic night full of thunder and wind. A tree had fallen just outside her hut, and she scampered out and flew down the mountain like the wind. In the clearing where she had met the man the day before, she looked up at the storm. It was night, but the clouds were visibly emerald green and bright. The man stood at the other end of the clearing fighting with a beast she’d never seen before. It looked like another man, but larger and meaner. It was quite unlike anything she’d ever witnessed in her life.

Without thinking, Lily rushed to the man’s rescue and tackled the beast. The beast was very strong and the two of them rolled on the ground aiming to be on top. After a momentary struggle, Lily found herself on top of him. She thrust her sickle-sword into the beast’s neck, killing him. Taking a closer look at the beast, Lily realized that this thing was the stuff of nightmares. He had gruesome features that were now soaked in his blood. She pulled her blade from the beast, and shook the blood off and turned to look at the man. He looked her up and down and then his eyes bugged out when he recognized who she was. Lily put her blade away and walked over to the man.

“Hello,” she said to him. “My name is Lily, what is yours?”

The man stood there frozen in place, scared half to death. His mouth opened and then closed again. He couldn’t decide whether to speak or to run. He was too scared to do either.

“G-get away from me!” Lily heard a voice in her head say. She looked at the man’s face, but he hadn’t moved his mouth. Where could it have come from? “Get out of my head!” It said again. Lily couldn’t figure out what was happening.

“Who are you?” She asked. “I’m not doing anything wrong.”

“J-just get out of my head!” came the reply, “You don’t belong here! You’re supposed to…to be dead!”

XVII

Lily sat upright in an instant. Her thoughts raced. What had just happened? The words rang in her ears. ‘You’re…dead!” She started to realize her surroundings. Her head was killing her and her stomach ached. The roughly made shelter stank to high hell, and a cup of tea rested against her. It was cold.

How much time has passed, she asked herself, since I, well, passed out?

Lily picked up the tea and warmed it up over the fire. She reheated the stew as well, and tended to the fire. She ate a bit and drank the tea. She felt tired and crawled back into bed. The best thing for being sick was to sleep and drink lots of fluids. That she knew. Sleep was easy to get, but fluids would be a bit more difficult. For now, though, she would just rest all she could. Hopefully she’d be better in the morning——at least well enough to get into town and get some medicine.

In bed, Lily looked up and thought for a moment. What were all of these dreams she was having? Were they memories? Were they figments of her imagination brought to the fore by sickness? Lily’s brain paused for a moment and then continued with the most important question.

Who am I? I know my name is Lily, but who am I really? I’ve done all of the things I have done instinctively. They are natural, but why? Why am I who I am? What happened to me before I gained this body a few days ago? Who am I?

“Who am I?” She whispered. “Someone please, tell me…”

Sleep overcame Lily’s probing questions.

XVIII

A light touch grazed the side of her face. She turned and opened her eyes. Lily saw the man lying next to her and kissed him. Intuitively, she knew it had been over ten years since the day she saved his life. A lot had happened in that time. She had found out that she was in this man’s head, and talked to him through his thoughts. Over time, he had begun to see her as a valuable companion and he taught her everything he knew——or almost everything. He had a special surprise in store for her today. He saw her as the replacement for his wife, who had been killed in cold blood, and loved Lily as he had loved his wife. Her heart fluttered when she thought of the last bit: she was deeply in love with him too. And even though he had killed her once upon a time, those days were gone now, and he’d made it up to her many times. She was excited for the day to begin——she wanted to see what he would show her.

Lily rolled out of bed and put her slippers on. Where she lived had changed, too. Instead of a rock hut, she had painstakingly erected a beautiful house. It wasn’t too big and it wasn’t too small——just the right size for two lovers to romp in the night. Lily walked into the kitchen and imagined herself the perfectly cooked breakfast she loved to indulge herself with every morning: two eggs over easy with a stack of pancakes and a side of bacon. Butter topped off the stack to complete that heart-attack-inducing burst of flavors.

She sat down at the wooden table and dug in. Across the table, she had prepared the same meal for John——that was the man’s name——in case he wanted to join her. John entered the room and sat down at the table. He picked up a fork from thin air and began to eat.

“This is great food Lily,” he praised. “You always cook great food.”

“Thanks John.” Lily blushed. He still made her heart flutter every time they talked. “So, what’s the surprise?”

“Just you wait and see. You’ll love it.”

He winked at her and she blushed again. Breakfast was finished in a hurry. Both were excited for the day ahead. Lilly dressed up in a long dress and came back to the kitchen. John was ready and waiting for her. He was dressed in hiking gear and beckoned her to follow him. She looked down at John and kissed him again.

He had always preferred her in the form he’d seen her that first night. Even though it used to scare him, she had saved his life——she was beautiful. To Lily, John seemed like a genuinely amazing man——and he was——that she wished to be with him for the rest of her life.

She followed him out of the house and up to the top of the hill she used to live on. The barren top of the ridge afforded the two of them a great view of the landscape. Once upon a time, Lily had wondered if this was heaven or hell. She knew the answer long ago, but muttered it again to herself.

This is heaven.

John caught her attention with a wave and then pointed out into the distance. She couldn’t see what exactly he was pointing at, but she saw a speck. Whatever it was, it was too far for her vision. She looked at him, and before her eyes, a telescope on a tripod grew out of the ground in front of her. Lily peered into it. The magnification allowed her to see the object in the distance. It was quite a bit more than a speck. It was a full-blown castle! A smile found its way onto Lily’s face.

“Thank-you!” She exclaimed.

“Ah,” he said, “but that isn’t the whole surprise. When you go there, there’s an evil sorceress ravaging the land. You’re the hero today. You have to quest to kill her!”

Lily smiled even wider. It had been a while since she’d had the opportunity to do something fun like this. She loved surprises! Just before darting off, John spoke again.

“Bring the body back when you kill her,” he said, “I’ll have a special treat waiting for you.”

Lily gave him a quizzical look then dove off the cliff towards the castle. She imagined wings on her back——that was faster after all——and flew onwards toward her destination. The flight didn’t take more than half of an hour, in which time Lily had enjoyed an acrobatic flight. She loved to soar up into the sky. It was something she missed doing.

The castle loomed in front of her as she approached. Below her, people of ‘the land’ cheered her on. It didn’t matter really, it was all a game. They didn’t exist just as the enemy didn’t exist. It was all created for her pleasure. The thick castle walls stood like an army motionless on the ground. It was an imposing structure to say the least. Lily flew right over them and landed in the courtyard. She took the wings away——it wouldn’t be fair, or fun for that matter, to have all the advantages——and pulled her sickle-sword from its holster around her waist.

The castle doors were bolted shut from the inside, but Lily forced her way inside. There were guards waiting for her, just as they should be. She easily dispatched them with a few quick slices of the sword. She kind-of wished they had put up more of a fight. No sooner had those thoughts entered her mind, when the soldiers picked themselves off the floor. The places where she’d cut them through were now holes through their armor. Inside, skeleton bones formed their bodies.

Nice touch. She thought. Undead soldiers…that’s a first, so thanks John.

You’re welcome. He whispered in her head.

Lily attacked them again, but no matter how many times she knocked them to the ground, they kept getting up. Finally, she resorted to crushing each and every miserable bone in their bodies. That did the trick since the soldiers didn’t get up any more——not that they could have. They were dust in the wind.

Lily pushed her way through the hallway and up the winding staircase. The velvet carpeting felt nice on her feet with every step. At the top, great ornate doors greeted her. They were golden and inlaid with precious stones. Obviously, the creator had gone through many pains to make them as beautiful as possible. Lily pressed her weight against one of the doors and it creaked slowly open. Beyond the doors was a good-sized room with a mahogany chair. The chair had puffy pillows on it; and sitting on the pillows was the sorceress——the enemy.

“Glad you could make it.” She cackled.

Before Lily could react, a fireball was headed straight for her head. She dodged to the left and sped across the ground to her adversary. Her opponent carried a magical staff. She swung it at Lily. Lily thrust her sword into the wooden staff, splitting it in two. The sorceress shot a fireball out of her hand and lightning from the ceiling. Lily dodged the fireball, but let herself get struck by the lightning while she launched at the enemy with her sword. The lightning traveled along her sword and through the sorceress. She was run through and fried. A perfect combination. The sorceress fell at Lily’s feet. Lily picked her up and put the body on her back. The wings she had taken off were back on in an instant, and she was off towards John.

He was standing on the cliff where she had left but two hours before staring up at the sky.

“Here she is.” Lily said as she dumped the body down.

“Great!” He exclaimed. “Now it’s time for the rest of the surprise. Help me lug the body over to the fire.”

Lily hadn’t noticed the fire before, but it was there with a large pot on top. She dragged the body over and placed it in the pot when John instructed her to. Several hours passed while the body cooked. Lily was curious about it, and asked him about it.

“John,” she said. “Why are we cooking the body?”

“Because,” he said, “This is what you should do with a fallen foe. You get it’s strength to add to your own.”

If Lily had an ounce of humanity in her, it probably would have disgusted her. But, seeing as she’d been here for so long, nothing really surprised her anymore. The stew was done soon after. Lily knew it had to be stew. John knew that was her favorite thing in the world to eat.

John filled her a bowl of it and she took a bite.

“It’s amazing!” She said with her mouth full.

“See? I told you it would be a great surprise!”

“Let’s do this more often.”

“We will Lily…we will…”

His voice faded.

XIX

Lily raised her head an inch and stared out of her hut. These dreams certainly seemed so real——nostalgic in fact. Were they her memories? Bits and pieces had come to her since she’d taken over Johnny’s body, but nothing on this scale. Lily was wholly unprepared to handle it. It made her wonder.

Who am I?

Lily sat up in bed and poured some of the tea still in the pot into her cup. She was feeling a bit better now. She didn’t know how long she’d be out, though, and that troubled her. She was hungry, but not hungry enough that it would have been two or three days. It didn’t really matter anyway. She drank the tea, even though it was cold, and laid back in bed. Lily didn’t have any stew left, so she figured that she’d go get some more food when she got up again. Hopefully she’d be completely better.

XX

Lily gazed up at the sky. John couldn’t be with her tonight. He wasn’t sleeping either because the world wasn’t night yet. She watched and listened to what was going on intently. It was the same small room with ornate furnishings that Lily had seen when she first learned to see in this world, except this time, there were two men seated in front of the desk. John, through whose eyes she saw this world, was discussing something important with these two men.

“We need to get that man back.” John said. “Your job is to lead our fighters into the police station and capture the chief. Once he’s in your hands, negotiate his safety for the release of the prisoner who you are to terminate once outside of the building. Make it quick. Make it clean. No mistakes!”

“Yes sir!” Both men responded, and with that, they left.

The scene shifted for a moment and then solidified once again. The room hadn’t changed, but the time must have. The wall clock read a different time than it had before. John was standing now and the two men were reduced to one bleeding profusely.

“What happened?!” John exclaimed. “What happened to no mistakes?”

“I’m sorry sir.” The man said. “We had the chief and the entire police station under control. We had the papers ready and the chief was about to sign it when two guys entered and tore the place up! We tried to get them, but the captain died and I almost did. I’m sorry we couldn’t do the mission.”

John raised his gun at the man.

“I don’t tolerate failure!”

Bang!

XXI

The scene abruptly changed. Lily was looking up at the sky, watching John again. She could hear his thoughts; she could feel what he felt. He was agitated. He had been pacing the same piece of floor for the past hour, thinking. Someone was after him, but he didn’t know who, he didn’t know why.

Crash! The door to John’s safe house was torn down. A man’s voice told him to run, but he didn’t need any more prodding. His heart raced and he hid himself behind a brick wall and waited. Hopefully his men would be able to deal with this threat. John heard a thud as one of his men fell.

Shit. He thought. I have to go…Now.

He ran across the room, tearing his shoulder against the brick wall and jumped out of the window, bullets missing him by mere inches.

Lily. He thought so she would hear. Hide somewhere. I don’t know if I’m going to make it this time.

Lily’s heart raced as she was gripped by fear and horror.

What? She thought. John is going to die? This can’t be happening!

She held her head in her hands and cried.

Don’t cry little one. He thought. You’ll be ok.

But what about you? Lily thought. What am I to do without you?

Get revenge. We’re a team, so do what I can’t do.

Lily cried even harder. This was pain beyond all recognition. John had been hit in the arm by a bullet and had made it into the forest nearby. Maybe he had a chance. Lily wanted to believe that, but knew that he was going to die. That realization made her despair even more.

John fell in a clearing from the loss of blood and she heard the two men approaching. Lily screamed as they approached. One of them said something, but she didn’t hear it. She was going crazy instead. Why did her love have to die like this? Why?

Bang! Lily felt a tug of excruciating pain throughout her body. The world around here was evaporating, herself with it. Her body was being torn from this world; her existence was being annihilated. Lily saw the world separated from John’s body for but a brief moment. His body was covered in blood. A man stood above the body looking down. Then he looked straight ahead, towards Lily.

Lily screamed in pain. Why was it this man who had killed her love? Anger welled up within her. She wanted revenge. She didn’t care who had done it, just that they must be killed. Both of them. Her brothers.

Lily’s head shot up in bed. She was angry. She was hurt. Nothing crossed her mind but revenge. Anything and anyone that got in her way was going to have a bad day. She would have her revenge, and there was nothing that would stop her.