John stood in the dark listening to Lucy cry. He sighed. He didn't trust her and didn't like the way she had treated him, but he just couldn't leave her like that. Suffering and alone. If he had entered the enchanted path before her, he might have ended up the same way. He liked to think that he would have acted better, but he honestly didn't know what he would have done if he were trapped there in her place, alone and transformed into some hybrid animal. He decided to help Lucy. It was the humane thing to do.
He found Lucy sitting on her doorstep, crying with her head in her hands.
"What do you want? Come back to gloat?" she asked angrily.
She looked at John's sad forlorn face.
"Oh, did you give up already? That's okay. I forgive you. Come inside, and I will take care of you. We can have a little breakfast ... or we can finish what we started," said Lucy seductively. She tried her best sexy pose in the doorway.
"No, " said John sadly. "I am still going."
Lucy dropped her hands down and pouted. "Then what do you want?"
"I came here to make a deal. An offer to let you escape with me," said John.
Lucy scoffed. "You just want me to go because you're lost. You have no idea where to go or anything else about this place really. And of course you want my muscle," said Lucy.
John nodded. "I'll admit that your help would be nice. But that's not why I asked. You seemed so lonely, I felt a little bad about leaving you here."
"Oh, you care about me? How sweet, " said Lucy sarcastically.
John scowled. "It's not that. It just seems like the right thing to do. Leaving you alone seems ... wrong. Of course, I do want to escape and go home. I know you do, too. And two heads are better than one," said John.
"And what do I do about this?" said Lucy, running her hands along her transformed body.
John shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe it wears off when you leave. Or maybe we will find someone along the way that has some way to reverse it. The only way you'll find out is if you try. I know one thing for sure - if you stay here nothing will change."
Lucy plopped her butt on the ground and pouted. John waited a while, but she said nothing. He decided she had made up her mind, and he started to walk away.
"I'll go, " mumbled Lucy.
"What was that? I didn't quite catch it," said John.
Lucy stood up. "I said I'll go with you, okay, " said Lucy angrily. "Let's not make a big deal out of it."
"Sounds good. But this is a deal, you know. I do have one demand that must be met before I accept your service, " said John.
Lucy rolled her eyes. "I know. No sex. I got it, " said Lucy in a huff.
"Well, that too. But I also want you to take me to Celia's house, " said John.
"What?! Why on earth would you want to go there? Don't tell me you want to become a stinky skunk like her, " said Lucy.
"No, " said John slowly. "But I want to offer her the same deal as you. A chance for all of us to escape and get out of here. If she is as lonely as you say she is, I have a feeling she'll accept my offer."
Lucy glared at John, with her arms crossed and tapping her clawed foot impatiently.
"Look, that's the deal. Either you show me where she lives, or I try to find it on my own. I am going to look for her regardless. The question is whether you want to help me or stay here on your own. Maybe you'll get lucky and another male will drop by. But if you are coming with me you need to make up your mind and leave now, " said John.
"Fine. I'll show you. Just let me grab a few things. Honestly, I don't know why you want her. What good is a stinky skunk anyway," said Lucy.
"It's not about how useful someone is. It's about doing the right thing. Now hurry up. It's almost dawn and I want to get started," said John.
Lucy went into her cabin, grumbling the whole time. John could hear things crashing and smashing inside. She exited the building still nude, but with a small fur sack tied around a stick. It looked something a hobo might use in one of those old movies, and John couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's so funny?" said Lucy angrily.
"It's nothing. Lead on, Lucy," said John.
Lucy smiled, happy to be useful and in charge again. She led John around the lake, and deep into the forest.