TTW - 14:Joe (Patreon)

Thomas awoke in the night, Lydia…Esmerelda, beside him. He didn't know what had come over him earlier in the afternoon, but when she came up, he had to have her. It was a raw, primal, urge, he couldn't control.

Luckily, she'd been frisky as well. It might have gone a different direction had she not been. With her frail, elderly body, he knew he had to be careful. What had gotten into him?

He decided to take a jog. He had too much energy and was too randy just to sleep.

He put on his sweatpants and started to run down the hill.

He had only run a few blocks when he realized some…thing was chasing him. He could hear it back there, snorting and grunting. Growling at times. He could hear paws on the pavement. It was a dog…

Or something worse. Glancing up at the moon, he realized it was full.

"Well, this was a bad idea," he said, increasing his speed to a sprint.

He heard another beast, and another. They began growling, deep dark little barks, as they chased him through the streets. He thought maybe if he could make it to the bay, the water might stop them?

He wondered if they were really werewolves, and if silver might have some effect.

"Help!" he yelled, hoping someone familiar might assist. "Help!"

He ran along main street, and through the central square. He passed under the Tree of Life, just as something behind him leaped—

And he was hauled unceremoniously up into the tree.

Screaming, he thrashed, kicking and struggling against the beasts that might have got it.

"Cut it out!" came a sultry voice. "Jesus, you'll break a branch!"

He was plopped into a plush little nested tree area. It had a little carpet of leaves and what looked like a bar. along one side. On the other, there was an actual flat-screen television set. He rolled over and sat up.

Joe, the wood nymph, stood there, a light frown on her perfect face. "What the hell were you thinking going running during a full moon?"

"Ahh shit," Thomas said, rubbing his head. "I drank some of Esmerelda's Amethyst wine, and it's…well, had a few side effects."

She giggled at that, "Oh, is that so?"

Down below the tree, they could hear the werewolves barking and snarling.

"Yeah…" Thomas said, rubbing the back of his head. "I might have…"

"Fucked her brains out?"

He shrugged, feeling his face flush.

"Dude!" She plopped down next to him. "What the fuck. Really?"

"Yeah."

"Hah! Well, good for you. I'm sure she enjoyed it, too!"

"Yeah, she did."

"Dammit, you know it's kinda unfair. You're such a cool guy, and you're from the States and everything. I feel like we get along and—

As if on cue, Thomas found himself kissing her deeply. He couldn't help it; her mouth was so inviting, and it just felt like the right thing—

Branches hauled him away, pinning him to the trunk of the tree.

"Hey!" he said. "I thought."

"You thought wrong, Mister," she said, standing up. "I'm not going to have you ruin your marriage by getting drunk on Amethyst wine and making love to a wood nymph!"

"Aww, but you said—" Leaves were suddenly stuffed in his mouth.

"Shhhh," she put her fingers to his lips. "I'm doing you a favor. If you say the words, then yes, I kinda go into auto-mode, and we fuck. But I know you don't want this, so don't say it, and we won't, and come morning, or when the moon sets, you go back to your wife, who also happens to be a WITCH, and be a good boy."

"Mmmph mmphhh!"

But Joe had disappeared back into the Tree of Life.

Sighing, Thomas hung despondently.

It wasn't fair.

He relaxed, trying to let the branches to release him, and finally was able to drop back onto the Mancave in the tree.

He went to the television and found a remote. Turning the power on button, he found it had been hooked up to some network streaming device. Joe had thousands and thousands of movies that had been downloaded or recorded somehow. He clicked on one, then sat in one of the treecliners, and put his feet up.

He watched the movie or tried to, but couldn't concentrate. Damn, that stuff had been like viagra! He wondered if it was possible to die from an erection.

He thought about pleasuring himself but realized Joe was probably watching him from somewhere.

"You know it would serve you right if I got cum all over your mancave treehouse thing!"

"Don't even think about it," a soft voice said from somewhere. "There are thorns here."

"Fuck," Thomas said, shaking his head.

Somewhere, he heard someone giggling softly.

"You're NOT helping!"

A mist settled down over him, and he realized her was very sleepy.

Closing his eyes, he drifted to sleep.

***

Thomas was running from the werewolves. He could see them, in this dreamscape, slavering beasts at least twelve foot high. They had burning red eyes, and fangs that dripped hot saliva. They chased him, back through the streets of Willowbrook, and suddenly it was the streets of his childhood, and it wasn't through streets, it was through his house. The werewolves were going for his family.

"No!" he yelled. "No, take me! Take me!" He tried to intercede on his family's behalf but it was no use. Three of the werewolves savaged his little sister, his mother, and his dad. Oh, how awful they looked.

"No!" he yelled, holding up his father's lifeless body. "No!!!"

He awoke somewhere strange.

The light greets you, my daughter. You had a troubled slumber?

Confused, Thomas turned his head, looking for whoever said that. "Who said that?"

It is I, silly girl. Your tree-mother. Was the dream so bad you forgot me?

What in the bloody hell? Thomas looked down at himself.

Herself, as the case may be. She wasn't wearing any clothes. She had a faint green tinge to her skin, and her hair flowed like sunlight over her delicate shoulders. She also had heavy breasts and wide hips.

"Oh no!" she said in Joe's sultry voice. "This can't be happening!'

I believe your friend is stirring in your mancave. Best release him, I think he's had enough.

Somehow, Thomas knew how to ascend the tree to the mancave. It was intuitive, without thought.

She birthed herself from the Mother's embrace, and stood in front of the human.

Thomas, or Joe…opened his eyes. "What in the bloody hell."

"Hah." Thomas said in Joe's sultry voice. "That's what I said."

"Thomas?" Joe said. "Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me. Not sure what the fuck happened. I had a nightmare, and woke up uh…somewhere. The mother tree was speaking to me?"

"Yes, we're in nearly constant communication—" Joe stopped and closed his eyes. "Except now, apparently. Oh my God!" He burst into tears.

"Hey now, it'll be okay." Thomas said, patting Joe's shoulder. "Not sure what the hell has happened, but I'm sure it'll reverse itself shortly."

Joe looked up at her. "Do you KNOW how LONG I've been waiting for this opportunity?"

"Um, no?"

"I have been bonded to this tree for 80 years!" Joe got up and did a little dance. "Oh my God, I'm free!"

"Hah," Thomas said. "You're starting to scare me a little."

"I'm going to eat STEAK and drink BEER, and oh my God, you haven't been conscripted by Willowbrook yet! I can go back to Seattle!"

"Um, no. No, you can't. Dude, this was just a little mistake, a little mishap. We need to ride this out, let this be, and—"

"Nope!" he looked around, finding a direction. "I'm outta here. Bye Joe!"

He found a branch and started running, then dove.

Somewhere far below, he heard the splash as Joe entered the bay.

-----------------

Yes, I'm a huge fan of Jack Chalker's work, and yes, this is a bit of an homage to Joe the Wood nymph in the Dancing Gods series. It's always been a source of frustration to me that the series never concluded, so I decided to bring Joe back here. When I publish the novel, I'll change her name, but for now it stays Joe ;)