Sleeping in her hospital bed after breast feeding her newborn twins, Joshua and Dawn; Melissa dreamed what some would suspect a pleasant dream. A dream of the future, a prophecy dream; yet it was merely a piece of fantasy conjured up by the mysterious stranger. Wanting to give the woman a sense of hope and a possibility to grasp onto; Melissa dreams of her oldest daughter Julie Stovall helping her mother care for her younger siblings.
Swimming in the ocean; laughing and frolicking as they are proudly in their stage three transformation. Exploring a sunken ship that most forgot about in the previous world war. For Melissa it was a joyous moment as she watched along with Martin their children play. Sadly it was only a dream; currently Julie was currently in a secret prison for weres serving a one hundred fifty year sentence for two counts of Statue 1A. Crimes she committed in an attempt to turn Eric Anderson into a wer-mer. Julie is not expected to see her younger brother and sister until she gets out and they have children and grand-children of their own.
The mysterious stranger sighs as he hopes that one day Julie will realize that the anger and hatred she has with the world will only keep her back from finding her possible love and purpose in life. Looking back at the comforting dream he gave Melissa; the draconic man leaves to the next person he wants to check up on.
*******
At Lance and Lila Knights small house, the mysterious stranger observes as Lila, roughly three months pregnant is being spooned and kept warm by her husband Lance Knight. Lance a were-panther with black fur had his paws wrapped around his were-tigress mate; his paws cradling the baby bump Lila is displaying, both purring contently. While they slept peacefully after having a festive evening with Lila’s brother and his family; Rick and Ester Carpenter along with their cubs Cindy, Jasper and Yogi.
Yet the mysterious Stranger can sense worry upon Lance’s mind. The looming press conference that is to take place during the Labor Day picnic; Ella Alyn ambush questions towards Jack Crawford and his wife Kenya, weigh heavily on his mind. Knowing that those questions and the expose for Tuesday’s edition of the Gazette will undoubtedly kill Kenya’s chance at being elected as mayor; it is Jack Crawford’s reaction to the blindside that Lance is worried about.
Wanting to tell the were-panther that everything will be alright; the mysterious stranger knows such soothing words are a lie at best. So instead he whispers; “focus on keeping your wife and unborn child safe. Jack Crawford is someone your brother is dealing with. He will quickly shift his focus back towards your older brother in short order.”
Wanting to stick around longer; the mysterious stranger knew time was short and he had several others in need of guidance or in some cases a swift kick. His next visit was the latter.
*******
Julie Stovall was sleeping in her cell. Her dreams were not peaceful, nor were they well. Reliving the day the elder council sentenced her as well as the moment Alyssa Cooper was killed by the Luna Brother Hood. Julie woke up panting and shaking in the middle of the night; the dream was different this time. Instead of Alyssa having her throat ripped out, it was hers. Futilely fighting of the werewolf pack tasked with capturing her; Julie was caught as usual but this time killed instead of being terrorized with the usual celebratory howling.
Getting up off her cold metal bed and heading to her combination toilet and sink; Julie tries to splash water on her face, yet turning the faucet doesn’t produce water.
“Sorry there,” the strange man speaking behind Julie; causing her to wheel around scared. “Your still dreaming.”
“Why can’t you leave me alone,” Julie glaring at the man; “it’s not enough I’m stuck in this cell. Now you have to torment me every night?”
“I don’t visit you every night,” the strange man looking at Julie; “but you are a frequent were that I do check up on.”
“Then stop giving me these nightmares,” Julie barking; “every time I close my eyes, I see the Elder Council passing judgement and Alyssa getting killed.”
“That is not my doing,” the strange man looking at Julie; “it’s your sub conscious trying to tell you something.”
“What is it trying to tell me,” Julie sitting on her bed; “that what I did was wrong? Like I give a shit,” Julie scoffing.
“Why do you have to be so difficult,” The strange man getting up; “of all that I have visited you are the only one that has resisted my advice, refused my help. Hell you have even gone so far as to try and run away from your fate.”
“Because it’s not what I want,” Julie snapping back.
“What is it you want,” the Strange Man looking exasperated; knowing that he doesn’t have the power to grant such a request.
“Revenge,” Julie glaring at the strange man; “revenge against those that crossed me. Dared to defy me and deny me my satisfaction.”
“You still don’t get little minnow,” the strange man glaring; his draconic form starting to show; “what you demand is why you are lock in this cell in the first place. Until you clue in,” the strange man now a dragon of smoke and mist; “you are going to be alone and haunted by your dreams for a very long time.”
Julie now wide eyed as she sees the man in a menacing form that truly scares her. Unable to form words as the dragon rapidly approaches; his draconic muzzle a mere inch from her face.
“I came here to check up on you,” the draconic man snarling; “to see if you have heeded my advice in getting you high school equivalency and possibly a college degree.”
“You expected me to have that done in the past few days,” Julie meekly answering.
“No,” the draconic man pausing to think; “but I did expect you to seriously give it some thought.”
“Access to computers for me are extremely limited and monitored,” Julie speaking; “an hour a week is not enough time to do some of the courses and tests needed.”
“That’s all you’re given,” the strange man’s form reshaping to that of an immaculately dressed person.
“Apparently,” Julie grousing; “I have been labelled an extreme risk with computers. As such my access to few made available to us inmates has been restricted. You know I’m only given a hour a week in the rec yard,” Julie speaking; “they have a pool here and they won’t give me access to it.”
The pool is chlorinated,” The strange man looking sympathetic; “as a wer-mer, you know how sensitive chlorine is to you.”
“That doesn’t help that the other were’s are permitted to shift into their fursona,” Julie huffing; “and I can’t.”
“Not everyone is in solitary like you are,” the strange man getting up; “I can’t change your situation, but I can influence those to loosening your computer restrictions. But,” the strange man looking at Julie with an air of seriousness; “only for educational purposes.”
Julie watched as the draconic man fades away leaving her alone in her cell as she sat on her bed.
“Now what do I do,” Julie mumbles to herself as she dreamt the whole incident; sleeping on her metal bed in the small cell she was locked in.