Sitting awkwardly on the sofa given his large and thick tail, working out just how he should break the news to her. But Dave knew he needed to speak quickly since she was beginning to look at him suspiciously.
“Well?” She demanded.
“Sorry, but the day for me had been pretty crazy.” Dave apologised. “But I’ll try to explain it all.” Taking a deep steadying breath, one arm over his exposed scaled cock, he began.
“It was, it was about mid-morning when it all started. After getting a chewing for my late arrival, even if it was because the bus itself was running late, and getting a cruel prank played on me, I found this.” He reached into his leg-pouch to bring out the Pen he’d picked up when he got his drink. “And that is when things got crazy.”
“That’s expensive looking. Who’s is it?” Ashlee probed.
“Well the last owner says it’s mine now, but that’s for later. First there’s everything leading up to that.” Dave replied as best he could, a heat working its way into his face. “Before I knew what it could do, I wrote down that I’d get a promotion today, and that’s exactly what happened right after.”
“Are you seriously trying to say that that pen made it happen?” She derisively asked.
“I didn’t believe that at first, but the promotion happened right after.” Dave explained, aware of where she was coming from. “But a mini-panic caused by what I wrote next made clear that this Pen can do things like that and more.”
“So what did you do?” Ashlee asked with scepticism evident in her tone.
“I, I, made Jenny a kangaroo.” Dave almost rushed the last part out.
“What?”
“I did, when I wanted to be sure if this Pen really was responsible for the promotion.” Dave tried to explain himself. “Ended up having to use it again to stop people from being freaked out by it.”
“You, changed their minds?” Ashlee demanded to know.
“Not really, rather just perception. I think, that that’s when I went, kinda drunk off its power.”
“How?”
“Well there’s,” Dave started as he realised he needed to get his count right again. “Fifteen I used it on, sixteen if you include me.”
“Come, again?” Ashlee had her attention completely on Dave now, and he felt it.
“And if that weren’t enough, there would have been a fatal shooting. Nick snapped, tried to kill everyone.” That memory still sent a shiver down Dave, that was noticed.
“Wha, what?” Now Ashlee was worried.
“That time, I definitely panicked when I used this.” Dave raised the Pen. “And didn’t think it through before writing it down. I suppose I got lucky that I wrote the right things down to stop it and avert that crisis.” His voice shook as he told her about the event. “It wasn’t long after that that I got a clue as to this Pen’s origins. Apparently it was created a few centuries back, got stolen some 257 years ago, and ended up in my hands when the last owner left it lying around.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“I know it sounds insane, but it is the truth, and the last owner was still in the building, and we met.” Dave sought to convince Ashlee, despite just how ludicrous it all must have sounded to her. “But he explained a bit about this Pen, suspecting it’s at least partially sentient, being able to interpret the meaning of what you write instead of blindly following the exact wording.”
“So who was he? This guy?” She may not have been too believing, but she still wanted to hear Dave out.
“He likened himself to a Modern-Day Robin Hood, and he’s been living for over 300 years now. How he stretched his life out so much I didn’t really ask, only that he’s not got a whole lot of it left.” He raised his hand quickly to cut off Ashlee so he could continue. “He’s using a fake name, Prometheus. And he came to sell something altogether different, admitting that losing this Pen was an accident on his part. I think he accepted that my using it, and perhaps this Pen‘s wanting to be used is why he‘s allowed me to keep it.”
An awkward silence reign for a minute, though it felt an agonising eternity. Ashlee trying to process everything that Dave had just admitted to her, along with Dave’s own nervousness and fear at how she would take the news. Finally, she sighed.
“You have any idea how utterly insane you sound right now?” Ashlee demanded.
“Yes, but it is true, and it can be proven.” Dave replied weakly.
“Really?”
“Yes, I can use it right now and make something happen. It’s a sure fire method of proving what I said is true.”
Ashlee took a moment to think this one through, certainly if he was telling the truth, then the proof could be made in a single sentence. If not, she’d know for sure he was lying. “Prove it.” Was all she said.
“Just need one thing then.” Dave sighed and got up. “Something to write on.” As he left to get a sheet of paper from the printer, he really felt the air around his bare scaled body, touching each and every part of him. He knew it was just his own nerves, but that didn’t make the feeling any less uncomfortable for him.
He returned with the paper and a hard surface to set it on, needing something to write down to convince Ashlee of his story. “Okay. I got it.” With a shaking hand, he wrote on the blank sheet:
‘Ashlee will know of this Pen’s power, and what I’ve done with it. She will know of my meeting with Mr Prometheus, and what he wishes to do with the time he’s got left. The experience will not be painful or uncomfortable for Ashlee both physically and mentally.’