Startled by the human, female voice that suddenly rose from the previously loyal steed, Melvin pulled it to a halt and cried "Woah, Thunderclap! Calm down you stupid horse! Geez-o-pete! Get ahold of yourself!"
The horse stopped bucking for a momnet before saying in a desturbingly familliar voice "Geez-o-pete? Melvin Unger, is that you?"
Melvin stopped pulling on the reigns and asked "Sandy...? Shit...what are you...welll...I mean..."
Sandy tried her best to look back at the rider. What she saw looked a lot like the hero Sir Dragonthwapper from the dust jacket of the book she'd been reading. Big and handsome...but not to bright looking. Kind of like a blond, blue-eyed Jethro in shining plate.
Wait a minute...if he's Sir Dragonthwapper...then I must be...Thunderclap the Wonder Stallion! Stallon? Oh no!
After a brief and confused discussion it was confirmed that he was Melvin Unger, the spotty little geek who'd tried to date her in high school, and she was Sandy Parks, the same blond cheerleader who he'd had a crush on! They'd both been reading this book, the latest in the Faryverse Saga ("Kind of a mix between the Myth books and Xanth, right?"), marked their place with a bookmark they'd found...and poof!
After some discussion Sandy allowed Melvin to remount her, under the strictest provisions that he never use those spurs. He offered to remove the bit and bridle, but after a moments thought she suprised him by saying "No...I...I kind of like it."
Melvin remounted Sandy and they started to trot to the cottage of the witch Hogatha. Then he could rescue Princess Jewel (who hopefuly wouldn't be a transported guy), slay the evil witch and her hench-vulture, Igor, then they could all go home.
Or not. He felt a little sorry for Sandy, but he wasn't to eager to go back to being wimpy, little Melvin Unger.
Meanwhile, back in the cottage, Carl and Judy, now Hogatha and Jewel, were looking for any sign of the hourglass bookmark. Finaly, after almost an hours search Carl had to sit down. The fat little witch he'd becom was terribly out of shape, even for a woman of 500 years. As he sat several of what were aparently his cats once again milled about him and this time her let two of them mount his belly. Judy came over and petted the cats as well...and was supried that Carl knew their names even though they hadn't been named in the book?
Carl frowned and adjusted his spectacles at the end of his nose. "I...I dont know how I know them, dearie. I guess I just do. This is Basil. And this is Astaroth and Dagon. This brown one is Azrael. And this one is Cthulhu..."
As she listed the names of her cats, Judy noticed that her voice slid into a more...witchy tone. She began to cackle at the antics of Dagon as he played with the buckles of her shoes and Judy felt she had to ask "Are...are you ok?"
The fat old woman turned to her and smiled. "I be fine, yer princessness. I just be tellin' ye th' names o' me cats is all."
Judy watched as Hogatha rose and waddled over to a closet, bringing out a old broom and saying "Nowthen, my fine pretty, What say we be gettin' ye back to yer castle. I dont know why I decided to let ye go, but I did an' a witches word is her bond."
Judy, feeling scared, asked "What...whats you name?"
The witch smiled, revealing her dentures and sayind "Sure an' ye know I be Witch Hogatha. Atleast I be thinkin' I be..."
The witch shook her head and removed her hat, releasing a flurry of bats again. She reached up and felt her face, then her body. She turned confused and worried eyes upon Judy and asked "I...I think I be havin' a problem with me memory. Is...is I witch Hogatha? Or is I...I..."
"My name Carl!" she suddenly cried in triumph! Then, returning to the same witch voice she'd been affecting, she said with a wink and a grin "Sure an thats a relief, don'cha know! I be worried for a mo' that this be affectin' me in some way. But I know I be Carl...something or other. I be workin' at the book shop in some mall or other another an' then I be here. It's as simple as pie, lass."
"Carl? You were a guy?"
She smiled and winked again "Mums the word on that score, my girl. I'd rather not let word get around about that. Now, why dont I get some food into yer guts before we get goin'. It'll only take a mo' dont'ch know? Then We can get'cha back to yer dad an' I can get back to me witchin' work!"
Judy watched in shock as the witch waddled about her kitchen and tossed some powder and bats wings into a pot. With a wave of her hand and a magic word she whipped-up a pot of stew and ladled her out a large bowl. She hustled her over to a chair and urged "Eat, ye poor skinny thing. It'll put beef on yer bones!
"Carl! Stop acting like that!" she begged.
Carl blinked, rubbed her eyes and said. "I'''I'm sorry. It just...I know this isn't me...but it's so easy to...to become Hogatha. She's not realy evil, you know. She's more like comic relief. I think she's actualy suposed to have kidnapped you because she's your real mother or something. I dont remember. I read a review about the book that gave away a lot of spoilers. And...and..."
Suddenly Carl seemed more like Hogatha again "An' sure an you know you be my daughter, child. It's just not in me to cause you harm...but I'm so used to not having guest that I suck you in the cage 'cause I couldn't think o' another place to put'cha. I dont want to be hurtin' my girl...I jus' want to see ye again."
With that said Cral/Hogatha started to cry. Judy felt awful for both the poor, lonely witch and the man who was trapped inside her. Feeling bad, she wrapped her arms about her large frame and helped her to a seat. Then she rocked her and soothed her, saying "Please dont cry, Carl...I mean Hogatha...I understand you dont want to hurt me. But...can I talk to Carl again?"
She sniffed, wiped a tear from the end of her nose, and said "I be both of us now. I think as th' time flies I be becomin' more an' more o' Hogatha an' less an' less o' me! I cant seem to stop it...but atleast I know ye'll be alright. She dont wan' ta hurt'ch, darlin'."
Judy nodded and cuddled the fat old witch. Carl felt a strange melting sensation in his mind...and it was done. She knew that she was both Carl the book store clerk and Hogatha the witch. It was an odd but not un pleasant feeling. He felt both Carls sense of friendship with the woman that she knew both as Judy and as Princess Jewel...and a warm feeling of parental concern. This was her daughter, after all.
She stood-up and set her hands on her hidhips, saying "Now's the time to be gettin' ye back to yer father. I be missin' ye somethin' terrible, but doncha' know that it may be the only way ta get'cha out of this story an back ta the real world! The tale ends with ye returned ta yer dad, doncha'know?"
Judy almost lept at the chance to go home...but stopped when she realized that Carl sounded like he ment to stay. "Aren't you comming...Carl?"
The witch shook her head and sighed "I think I be stuck here. Me an' Hogatha seem ta be one an' the same now. I cant say I'm all busted-up 'bout it, though. I got no ties ta the world 'ceot fer the job anyways. But...got ta be honest...I think I'll miss you bunches, honeypot."
Judy met the little womans gaze and saw that she was right. Carl and Hogatha seemed to be joined somehow. She wanted to cry for him, but it was obvious that he had no real regrets.
"So...what say we mount up on ol' bessy and hit the skyways?" she asked as she twirled her broom.
