Your name is Rick and you consider yourself a pretty average guy. You're thirty-six years old and you have a bit of a gut. You have brown hair and hazel eyes. You stand five foot eight and weigh one hundred eighty pounds. You haven't had a girlfriend in about seven years but you didn't mind. That was changing though. A few weeks ago you had met Megan. She's thirty-four and very sweet. Her hair was a fiery red and she had the greenest eyes you had ever seen. Most men wouldn't give her a second look though since she was a little on the heavy side and her breasts were like a small B cup. You however were attracted to her. She seemed to really like you. She also has a thirteen year old daughter who keeps saying she wants you in their lives. Sally has the same fiery red hair and green eyes as her mother. She was still slim and her breasts have just begun to grow. You know this since you've taken her shopping a few times when Megan was too busy so you know her sizes.
Neither of them talked about Sally's father. Megan said he had died in an explosion when Sally was eight. You've told Sally that if she needed to talk about anything at all that you'd listen. So far that included boys she likes and how she fears that no boy will like her since she's pretty much flat chested. Each time you assured her that she will meet a boy that will look at her as a person instead of just a body. After she would insist on going shopping.
On this fine summer day Megan had told you to come over. She lived in a more rural area just outside of town. You pulled up into the drive and sat in your car for a minute taking in the peacefulness. There were birds chirping in the woods behind the house. A couple rabbits were running about in the front yard. Three deer came out of the woods attracted by the salt lick. They gave you a little glance but otherwise didn't acknowledge you. You got out of you car and started to walk to the front door. As usual when you came over a bird flew toward you. The first few times this happened you instinctively ducked but now you just held your hand out making a perch for the bird with your finger. The bird landed on your finger as it usually did.
"Hello again," you said to the bird. "Do I have permission to continue?" It may have been a silly question but you had seen this bird drive off a few people. Megan called it her security bird. The bird nodded and took off behind the house. You sighed and said, "I'm glad that bird trusts me."
You went up to the door and rang the bell. After a moment Megan opened it and said, "I see my security bird let you through."
"When hasn't it?" you asked smiling.
"Rick," Sally said as she came running to the door and hugging you.
You hugged her back and said, "Now it hasn't been that long since I last saw you Sally. Is something wrong?"
"You're going to die," Sally said in a voice that told you she had tears in her eyes.
"Well I will someday," you said trying to calm her down. "Though hopefully that day is still a long way off."
"No you're going to die today," Sally said and then began to cry.
You looked at Megan confused and she said, "She's been having dreams where you die in an explosion."
"I see," you said nodding. "You wanted me to come over to talk about it didn't you?"
"Yes," Megan said. "Lets go to the patio and talk. I hope you can calm her down."
"I'll do my best," you said. As you walked to the patio you began to think about what you'll say. You had a good idea why she was having these dreams. The patio was screened in with a door leading to the back yard, a door leading to the living room, and a door leading to the kitchen. As the three of you sat down at you looked at Sally and asked, "Sally, have you begun to see me as a father?"
"I want you to be my dad," Sally said looking down. "You've been so kind to me and Mom. I know Mom loves you and would like to marry you."
You looked at Megan smiling and said, "I'd like to marry you too. So I'll go ahead and ask right now even though I don't have a ring for you yet. Megan, will you marry me?"
"I was going to ask you if you didn't ask me soon," Megan said smiling. "So my answer is yes. I'll marry you." With that she wrapped her arms around you and gave you a passionate kiss which you returned. After she said, "Well now that we're engaged I need to tell you something. I'm a witch." She looked a little nervous like she expected you to run screaming.
You smiled and said, "That's great."
"You don't mind?" Megan asked.
"There's no reason for me to mind," you said then kissed her again. After you said, "I have an open mind about these things. You could tell me that you're an alien from Alpha Centauri and I'd still love you."
Megan smiled but the moment was broken by Sally wailing, "You're really going to die now."
You looked at Sally and said, "Sally, it's just a dream. A dream brought on by you seeing me as your dad and your fear of losing me like you lost your dad. Do you understand?"
"I... I think so," Sally said. "You really think that's it?"
"I do," you said smiling and holding Sally's hand. "Now I know what will cheer you up. How about we go shopping?"
Sally smiled and said, "I'd like that. You know I've heard that guys hate shopping but you don't seem to mind it."
"Not all guys are the same," you said smiling. "I enjoy seeing you happy and shopping is one of those things that make you happy."
"How about some refreshments before we go?" Megan asked as she got up.
"I'll get them," you said getting up yourself.
"Don't be silly," Megan said. "Guests shouldn't get that stuff."
"Would a guest do this?" you asked then kissed Megan again.
When you were done Megan blushed and said, "I suppose not."
"I'm no longer a guest Megan," you said smiling. "I'm going to be your husband. Now I'll go get the refreshments."
"Well if you insist," Megan said smiling. "There's a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge and some cookies in the pantry. The serving tray is in the cupboard above the bread box."
You smiled and kissed Megan again then went to the kitchen patio door. As you opened it you looked back at Megan and Sally smiling. It was then that the peaceful sounds changed. The birds chirping had become agitated. Megan and Sally's moods quickly changed from happy to gloomy and Sally said, "NOOOO!"
You didn't have time to ask why their mood suddenly changed or why Sally said that. You barely had time to think of asking before you were engulfed by billowing pink, green, and purple flames. You heard the sound of an explosion as you were thrown back along the patio to where you had been sitting before. You landed with your head turned so you could see the backyard. Megan and Sally knelt down beside you and Megan began whispering something while Sally cried. You thought that you were dying and it was caused by an explosion. As you laid there you saw several large wolves come out of the woods and run across. One stopped and stood on it's hind legs. It looked right at you and seemed to shake it's head in sadness then took off again.
"Can you save him Mom?" Sally asked with a pleading quality to her voice.
"I believe so but he won't be the same," Megan said. "His body is being destroyed by the magic like your father's had been. Rick, if you can hear me I have to change you in order for you to survive. Please understand that what I'm about to do I do because I love you and don't want to lose you."
You had to wonder what Megan was talking about. You tried to ask but it seemed like your body was paralyzed. You couldn't move a muscle consciously. You could still feel but all you felt was excruciating pain. Breathing was torture for you. You wanted this to end.