Scene 1. Dawn

Lilly awakens, covered her usual cold sweat. Damn those lucid dreams. I might as well get up, I have a lot to do today anyway. She turns over and casts her gaze on her sleeping, handsome, husband, Roc. What did I do to deserve him? She reaches towards him, but then reflects, He needs his sleep. He has trained himself to sleep, just as effectively as the rest of his athletic training.

I could really use a hug, but I cannot start making my problems his problems.

Lilly carefully arises from the bed and completes her morning bathroom ritual. At the bathroom mirror she pauses to regard her motherly form. Look what as happened to me. Why does Roc even keep me? Her once athletic, muscular body has been softened by her pregnancy, and by her relatively immobile lifestyle since. (And pizza, Damn that pizza...)

As she is walking towards the closet to dress for the day when she hears sounds from the yard outside. She walks to the window and looks out into the still dark back yard. She can see two, identical, small, glowing-white, wraith-like figures darting about and scampering up and down the junk in the yard. The two figures pause their running periodically and jump gleefully, straight up into the air, emitting squeaks of joy and facing the shafts of light high overhead from the rising sun.

I was like this once, a minion of the 'Goddess of the Dawn'.

I so hope that my daughters do not carry 'my affliction'.

Lilly retires to the kitchen, to distract herself making breakfast for her family.

Breakfast is usually a chaotic affair, spent mostly restraining the two kids long enough for them to get sustenance necessary for their proper growth. Lilly holds one down while thinking, How did I let this happen to me? Roc is sporting a huge smile, while his daughter is hugging him tightly, leaning to the side out of her chair, smearing her breakfast everywhere. Lilly looks at him and cannot help but raise a smile too. I guess this is why he keeps me around. I have given him what he wants most. And because he cannot chase them both at the same time!

…..

The day progresses the kids are now out of the house and have resumed their active-ritual worship of the new day.

Lilly is standing, in the hallway, folding laundry, and Roc is seated on the living room couch reading the daily newspaper. Roc extracts a small card from the newspaper and regards it. He announces, still staring at the card, “Lilly, let’s go to the carnival!” “It is closing soon and we haven’t been for a long time.” Lilly looks up and stares at him but does not speak, But look what happened to us the last time we went to the carnival! That ‘carnival’ is why we have two daughters now! Roc continues, not noticing the faces Lilly is making, “Rod’s family would love an excuse to take care of the girls.” “Let’s make this a date, the two of us, just like before.” Lilly continues her wordless stare, her face pulled into a grimace. Please, not like before! No more kids! But he asks so little of me and he really seems to want to do this. How can I refuse?

…..

And so Trish drives up the residence driveway and collects the kids, with the help of her step-daughters, and drives off, leaving Roc and Lilly alone for the first time in a long time. The two look at each other, now without distractions. Lilly looks down, terribly self-conscious, “Are you sure that you want to be seen with me?” “You the fabulous sports-hero, and me the dumpy housewife?” He reaches around her form and embraces her firmly, her soft form against his solid chest, “Don’t say such things.” “Let’s go!”

Although public conveyance is available, they choose to walk across town, locked together, both smiling. The other pedestrians defer the sidewalk to them, even tipping their hats. Eventually the two approach the carnival, with all of its carnival noises, screams from the rides, cheers from the events.

Scene 2. Carnival

It is a crowded scene, with lots of yelling and running children. “We should have brought the kids.” “No, this is for us!” They stop at shooting gallery booth and Lilly picks up a pellet gun. “I can do this one.” she proudly announces. Roc looks at her and laughs, “Are you going to make me carry all of your toys?” She looks at him with a broad smile, “Yes! This carnival was your idea.”

Lilly looks at the target shelf and notices a small plushy doll on the top (hardest) shelf. It is the figure of a wolf-man, dressed in a business suit. Lilly stares at the doll through the gun sight and it is everything that she can do to keep from choking up. “I think I’ll get that one.” Roc scoffs, “You sound awfully sure of yourself.” Lilly squeezes the trigger, “When it comes to salary-men, I never miss…” "Even with this bent gun-sight."

“Click, clank.” The figure falls over and down. The booth attendant states, “Nice shot!” and turns the doll over to Lilly. Lilly, freezes, motionless, staring intently at the doll. Roc, long used to his wife’s strange behavior, announces, “Lilly, we have to move.” “Since you ‘won’, all the others want to try.”

Lilly stuffs the doll down the front of her tight blouse. The doll is held firmly in place, between her body curves, its head peaking over the low-cut front of her blouse. I hope Fendor (and the rest of me) doesn’t pop out to greet everyone! Roc glances at this somewhat revealing action of his strange wife, but he knows not to react. Lilly gets lots of stares. She then proceeds to walk, chest out, holding Fendor with pride, through the carnival crowds.

The next booth is a hot-dog-on-a-stick food vendor, featuring a variety of carry-about food items, both meat and veggie. Lilly jumps straight up into the air with glee, “Let’s get these!” Roc motions to the vendor and drops several coins on the counter. The vendor then produces two of the featured sticks. Lilly is smiling with eyes glowing as Roc passes her a stick. Without pausing Lilly snaps off the top half of the hot-dog and swallows it whole. Roc is startled, looking at her remaining hot-dog stump, I need to be careful with my ‘body appendages’ around her snapper! Lilly is still smiling at him when she takes another big bite. This time she takes a bite, then slowly and seductively she chews her bite, mouth open, for him to see.

They continue to walk around and to collect toys from the galleries. They are both very good at the games. The vendors eventually plead for them to leave something for others, which they do, once they cannot carry anything more. Eventually, the night comes and the carnival continues in the darkness.

Scene 3. Wall

One large arena booth is a sporting event. It features a tall, simulated, cliff rock face, for rock climbing demonstrations. Both Roc and Lilly are accomplished rock climbers, so they stop and ask the attendant about it. He says it is for demonstrations that are held several times during the day and night, to promote climbing and camping gear sales. Roc asks the attendant if outsiders are allowed to climb. The attendant says ‘on occasion’, but they have to be approved, accomplished, climbers. Roc then produces a photograph from his wallet, of himself and Lilly climbing a well-known cliff out in the countryside.

The attendant takes the photograph to the event shack and reappears with climbing harnesses. “The boss says to go ahead. He has seen you play ball.” Lilly thinking, I don’t look like that old picture at all anymore. I guess I can go if I am with 'Roc the hero'.

The two put on the harnesses, Lilly still with her doll installed. The attendant proceeds to explain the wall and the holds. This is unnecessary for Roc, but he pays attention, knowing that it is an insurance thing. The attendant and the two climb the ladders to the top of the structure and the attendant hooks the harnesses into the winches. Lilly then exclaims: “Let me lead! Everyone already knows that you can do it!” Roc nods and stands back. Lilly reaches forward then down over the side and proceeds to descend, down the rock face, head first, like a spider. The attendant shakes his head, “She is going head first!” Roc just nods, “She likes doing that.” Lilly is smiling, very happy to be doing something athletic besides chasing the kids.

Scene 3.1. Spotlight

Lilly quickly proceeds to climb down the rock-face, head first. The rock face is dark up high but Lilly can see well enough in the reduced light. Lilly is pleased to see that even with her increased weight, her upper body is still very strong. From the ‘kid lifts’ no doubt.

She sees a crowd gathering below, to watch them climb, and then disaster strikes.

Another attendant has pulled out a large, wheeled, electric-arc searchlight. He faces it up the simulated cliff and points it up to Lilly on the rock face. He then turns it on. A blinding flash of arc light washes over Lilly and the cliff face. Lilly stares directly into the dazzling arc-light. Her eyes reflect the bright light. Lilly looks like a demon, with shining eyes. In arc silhouette, up on the wall, behind Lilly, is the sharp, unmistakable, outline shadow of a dragon. Lilly opens her mouth and screams, a long shrill, piercing scream, “BHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” like a banshee.

No doubt heard throughout the carnival, and beyond.

Scene 3.2. Fall

Lilly releases her hold on the cliff wall and plummets, down toward the ground below.

The harness pulls tight and stops her fall. She bounces up and down a few times, looking like a rag doll. She hangs limp and still, apparently lifeless, with eyes closed and mouth open, her large pink tongue out one side. She appears as someone executed, hung.

The crowd gasps in horror at the fall and Lilly’s hanging body. Roc unfastens his harness and quickly descends the wall ladder, head first, like Lilly. The attendant at the top of the wall winches Lilly’s body down. Rock is there below her to cradle her in his grasp. Tears are streaming down his face. “Lilly, don’t you dare die!”

He carries her to the ambulance that is stationed at the carnival entrance for such emergencies.

The ambulance medic opens the back door and wheels out a gurney and asks, “What happened?” Roc, carefully placing the still lifeless body of his wife on the gurney, “I don’t know.” “We were climbing and she suddenly fell.” “She did not fall to the ground, The harness caught her.” The medic places his hand against the side of her throat. “She still has a heartbeat” He looks at her expansive chest, still holding the doll. I can’t listen there very easily. He removes a small mirror from a pocket and holds it over her open mouth. “She is still breathing.” “I can’t do anything more here without risking making her injuries worse.” “Let’s get her to a hospital. Can you come with her? Ride by her side in the back.” Roc nods and helps the attendant lift the heavy gurney. Roc then climbs into the back of the ambulance. The medic-driver carefully drives out the carnival exit and proceeds to the hospital.

Scene 4. Hospital

The emergency room doctors examine the still unconscious Lilly. They determine that she has no obvious physical internal or external injuries. The doctors agree that it is best if they wait for her to regain consciousness naturally but insist that she stay in the hospital for observation for at least one day. Lilly is then wheeled by gurney, still unconscious, to a ward room, undressed, and placed in a bed and covered. Roc takes the doll from the pile of clothes and puts it in her grasp. It is now late at night, the night nurse gives him a look and he nods. “I know, visiting hours are over.”

Roc proceeds to the front desk and asks the attendant to call him a cab. The cab takes Roc across town to Rod’s large ranch house. Roc walks from the cab slowly to the double-wide front door. We were supposed to have the kids back hours ago. I wounder what they did with them? What I will tell them about Lilly? They are all really Lilly’s friends, I am just the husband, along for the ride… And look what I have done!

…..

Lilly comes-to, alone, in the dark hospital room. She stares at the moving shadows on the ceiling. Am I finally dead, at last? Her senses gradually return and she recognizes the room as a hospital room and looks around. She carefully moves each part of her body, not really sure that she is really okay. She holds the doll figure tight against her chest. What is the last thing you remember?

She is exhausted. The period of unconsciousness gave her no rest. But at least it was dreamless. I guess I should try to sleep. Maybe the trauma of today will keep the lucid dreams away?

Lilly closes her eyes and then suddenly opens the again, with light streaming in the window. Yay! No dreams! Roc is seated across the room, reading. Roc sees Lilly stir and stands up. He quickly walks to the door and shouts to the staff, “Call the doctor, Lilly is awake!” He strides back to the bed and reaches down to embrace her. He looks at her and opens and closes his mouth, like a fish, unable to find any words. Lilly smiles, “You look like a fish!” They both nervously chuckle, relieved…

Lilly’s vitals are taken. The doctor looks in her mouth and listens to her chest with a stethoscope. He then carefully examines her eyes, looking for any sign of a stroke. “Folks don’t usually lose consciousness for no reason.” “But I can’t see anything wrong.” “I am going to ask Dr. Foxworthy to have a look at you to see if there might be a neurological issue that caused this.” "Maybe run some tests..."

Lilly suddenly looks terrified, and shouts, “A SHRINK!” “NOOOOO!” "Not the Psych-Squad!"

Lilly's fear of the 'Psych-Squad' is well-founded. A form of mental instability affects all of the intelligent beings of her world. Those strongly afflicted are diagnosed and taken away by the 'Psych-Squad, never to be seen again. Rumor is that those taken are incarcerated and eventually dissected while still alive. Researchers are desperate to find the cause, treatment, and cure, for this dreaded and progressive malady. The lives of a few of the afflicted are seen as a necessary sacrifice.

The doctor and Roc stare at the frowning, terrified, shivering, Lilly. Roc then turns to the doctor, “Maybe not today.” “When can she be released?”

The doctor shakes his head, “I usually would hold someone longer if they collapsed like she did and I could not find the cause.” “But since you say she is back to normal, I have done all that I can, I will sign her release into your care. Come back if there is a re-occurrence, or any other problems.” “Or call me.” The doctor gives Roc a business card. The nurses help Lilly, still unsteady, get dressed. Lilly is wheeled, seated in a wheelchair, down to the lobby. Trish is waiting in the lobby. Lilly exclaims, “Trish! How long have you been waiting?”

Trish reply's, “We drove over together this morning. We were going to take turns watching you until you woke up.” Trish then walks out and retrieves her car from the hospital parking structure. Roc lifts Lilly into the backseat the car. Aren't I too heavy? Please don’t strain your back! Roc and Lilly return home.

Scene 5. Home

Roc places Lilly carefully on a living room recliner. Lilly looks around, “Where are the kids?”

“I asked Trish if they wouldn’t mind keeping them for the next day or two, while you recover.” Lilly imagines the two large kids jumping onto her lap and chest, tipping the chair over backwards. “Maybe that’s a good idea.” “Now order us some pizza!” slapping her soft belly with a “Pop”. Roc stares at the rotund Lilly. “What! Now don’t give me that look!" "I am in recovery!”

Roc looks at Lilly, relieved, I am glad to see that she is feeling better now...

The two spend the rest of the day eating pizza and working on tasks, such as cleaning the yard and home-repair projects that are difficult to do with the kids around. After a fairly busy day they retire to the bedroom and prepare for bed. Lilly stops in the hallway and looks down. She sees that she is trembling slightly. It doesn’t seem to be any worse than before the carnival, that’s good. How long can I hide this from Roc?

They retire to the bedroom. Lilly undresses in the large closet and dons a sleeping gown. When she comes out she sees that Roc is already in bed, facing the wall. He appears to be asleep.

She walks slowly up to the edge of the bed, stands and stares down at the sleeping Roc.

Don’t get used to this Roc, I am exhausted tonight, but watch out for me! I’ll be back! And then you had better not be wearing anything you don’t want ripped off!

He is handsome and irresistible, but I need to be careful. He has already saddled me with two kids. And I know he wants a whole team!

Then Lilly reflects, frowning sadly, Oh Roc! I am already missing you!

She is about to get into bed when she notices a small, plushy, wolf doll, sitting on the top of the dresser. It is her prize from the carnival shooting gallery. Fendor! I am taking you with me this time! She picks up the figure and holds it tight against her chest and crawls into the bed. She carefully slides over until her back is against Roc’s. It will be harder to be alone from now on.

Lilly closes her eyes to see a familiar stream of luminescent cartoon figures, dancing and cavorting against her closed eyelids,

I won’t miss you guys though.

End of chapter 1.