Leaving that lazy Trey asleep in bed, Lori padded to the kitchen and selected a packet of Raspberry Royale. It wasn’t her favorite flavor of tea, but she thought she should give it another go. The microwave warmed the water, and she stopped the timer at three seconds so the beep would not disturb Trey. After the tea had steeped sufficiently, she took it out onto the balcony.

It was a beautifully quiet morning, the yard full of fallen leaves, the forest still, the air surprisingly warm. She took a sip of the Raspberry Royale. Maybe some honey would have made it better. Not that there was anything wrong with the flavor. She made a point of discerning it with some precision: on her tongue, in her mouth, in her throat. Then she saw it. A fox. It stood at the edge of the forest. It was the largest fox she’d ever seen. The tail was exceptionally bushy. The snout was pointed. The eyes an evil, penetrating amber. Yes, it was looking right at her. She stared at the fox, captured by its presence. A moment later, the fox took off, bounding gracefully through the forest, its bushy tail bobbing, until seconds later it was out of sight. Lori released her breath. She shivered. She took the tea inside and set it on the counter.

“Trey,” she whispered upon entering the bedroom. “Get up, Trey, I have to suck you now.”