She shoots me a quick look of exasperation as she advances on Saffron, who now crouches uncertainly - dress still thrown up around her waist and held aloft by the 2 foremost legs and little gargoylish spider head hissing and snapping agitatedly at both me and DeMonica.

The katana falls numbly from my hands, which I notice compulsively return to covering my crotch. It feels very vulnerable right now. I know I haven't mentioned it for some time because it was becoming repetitive, but yes, I'm still flying at full mast and suffering excruciating agony from it. And my treatment at Neener's hands - er make that feet - didn't help matters any. And yes - it was just as bad the entire time I was a kitten.

It's unfair that I'm in this state and surrounded by so many sexy females. It makes me too vulnerable - easy prey. Is this some kind of cruel joke? Or a crazy nightmare...

Wait - how could I not have made the connection before??!

Of course! Lucidity - if we're able to achieve lucidity now (which obviously Puffin and O are!) - then this is all a dream!!

I'm not sure what that means though - I mean, I suppose when I wake up it will be like none of it mattered, but right now I still feel the intensive need to protect myself. Thinking back, I've never had much luck with lucidity myself, and I doubt I'll be able to change that just now. But I should definitely look into it once things calm down a bit.

As for right now, things are decidedly not calm. Well, ok, DeMonica is proving me wrong - she just quite sedately pokes her rapier right through Saffron's chest. Wow - really? That was so simple! And unlike Neener, Saffron is bleeding. Rather profusely, all down her white-painted torso and flooding over the hissing spider head like a syrupy red waterfall.

Saffron's human head begins to lose the crazy smile that's been plastered in place all this time. It's a bit hard to tell because of the shapeless smear of red paint over her mouth, but I can see the tension seep from her face and the gleam fade from her amazing green eyes. She looks down, swallows once, lifts an arm and gently holds the sword blade as if it's the arm of a lover, and then begins to slump forward slowly.

The spider head goes into an insane fit of spastic side-to-side motions - I can't tell if it feels the pain through some shared nervous system or if it's just desperately trying to escape a similar fate. But then the tangle of stalklike legs trembles and collapses and saffron thumps to the floor as if kneeling - strangely held upright still by DeMonica's embedded sword. Perhaps her last thought is a final prayer to Discord.

I lift a foot and start stomping as hard as I can on that vile little spider head. I don't know exactly how many times, but somewhere I lose count and get lost in a sort of groaning scream of released terror and anger and revulsion all rolled up in one. I go a little crazy for a few seconds there and don't come out of it until DeMonica is pulling me away from the morbid sight. The only thing I remember clearly is the sickening way the head felt as it burst like a small pumpkin under my foot. God, that feeling will haunt me - that and the horrible way Saffron' face just went slack as the life seeped from her. I shudder briefly and uncontrollably once, and then DeMonica is pulling me out through the smashed door.

She had wiped off her sword on one of Saffron's sofa cushions and sheathed it while I was out of it - I sort of remember that like it was a dream - heh, a dream within a dream. In the corridor we step around ScurvySeaMutt's body. The poor guy - he saved my life and lost his in the process. I need to bury him properly when this is over and make him a fitting tombstone.

Suddenly there's a quiet *pop* and he's human - human and shirtless and sitting on the floor. There's no blood - it all disappeared when he changed.

"Saltyseedog!" I shout, stunned at his instantaneous resurrection. He seems none the worse for wear - just slightly dazed. DeMonica helps him to his feet (I would have, but my hands feel just like two balloons.. ) and he gives us an enigmatic look.

"People are a fucking crock of shit." he says and walks off. Yep - same old Salty!

DeMonica and I blink at each other for a moment and start to smile - then the same thought strikes us both in the same instant. We both spin and look back at the shattered remains of Saffron's door - er, make that Sassafrax's door... damn! The fact that I remember her now means she just changed too!! Saffron would come just before Scurvy alphabetically.

We run back into the apartment - but she's gone. No blood, no splattered white ichor where I smashed the grotesque little nightmare head (though thankfully those substances are also gone from my shoes and pants now). DeMonica bolts toward the one door that remains unsmashed and smashes it down. Must be the bathroom. I follow to find an open window with a curtain billowing out into the howling wind and roiling darkness of the tornado field where the din and clash of battle resound. I peer outside and look both ways, but she's nowhere to be seen.