He needed that boy. Here he was, on the day that she demanded that he bring him to her, and he didn't have the boy. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and he fought to restrain the panic that was rising up inside him.
"We demand three things." The little man had said. "The first, you will bring us the boy within one week from today."
"How do I bring him to you?"
"The mistress has a strong affinity with water. Bring him to the largest body of water you can find. Then you must persuade him to come. Once he agrees, she will do the rest."
"And how will I find him?"
"Your wife knows." The little man smiled, "And that brings us to our second demand. You say she loves you. We demand proof. Show the mistress that she should release you when she had gone to so much trouble molding you for her purposes."
"Proof? How do I prove that?"
"You humans have many rituals for this purpose do you not? And if she truly loves you, surely it will be no trouble for you to prove?"
It was then his mind had gone to marriage. She'd practically begged him to marry her for years. Surely if she agreed to marry him it would be enough?
"Agreed." He said, "And the third demand?"
"You agree that if you fail, you will return to the mistress and become her servant, as you were meant to be."
The idea sent chills down his spine. He was filled with an urge to run as fast and as far as he possibly could. His tail continued to refuse to be useful in this manner.
"And what if I refuse? What will you do then?" His voice trembled.
"You would not be the first to try to refuse the mistress. It is a very, very bad idea."
"W-Why?" He stammered. "What happened to the others?"
Suddenly the air was filled with an eerie howling. The already dark night became darker, as if something had eaten all of the light. Things seemed to be moving at the edge of his vision, but when he looked directly, they would vanish.
"Do you hear that?" The little man asked.
"What is it?"
"The mistress has been here for thousands of years. In that time she has brought many to her. When she tires of them, she releases them into the forest."
"We demand three things." The little man had said. "The first, you will bring us the boy within one week from today."
"How do I bring him to you?"
"The mistress has a strong affinity with water. Bring him to the largest body of water you can find. Then you must persuade him to come. Once he agrees, she will do the rest."
"And how will I find him?"
"Your wife knows." The little man smiled, "And that brings us to our second demand. You say she loves you. We demand proof. Show the mistress that she should release you when she had gone to so much trouble molding you for her purposes."
"Proof? How do I prove that?"
"You humans have many rituals for this purpose do you not? And if she truly loves you, surely it will be no trouble for you to prove?"
It was then his mind had gone to marriage. She'd practically begged him to marry her for years. Surely if she agreed to marry him it would be enough?
"Agreed." He said, "And the third demand?"
"You agree that if you fail, you will return to the mistress and become her servant, as you were meant to be."
The idea sent chills down his spine. He was filled with an urge to run as fast and as far as he possibly could. His tail continued to refuse to be useful in this manner.
"And what if I refuse? What will you do then?" His voice trembled.
"You would not be the first to try to refuse the mistress. It is a very, very bad idea."
"W-Why?" He stammered. "What happened to the others?"
Suddenly the air was filled with an eerie howling. The already dark night became darker, as if something had eaten all of the light. Things seemed to be moving at the edge of his vision, but when he looked directly, they would vanish.
"Do you hear that?" The little man asked.
"What is it?"
"The mistress has been here for thousands of years. In that time she has brought many to her. When she tires of them, she releases them into the forest."
