Episode 3

The bald Asian man returned with two chairs, placing them at the table before departing the room.

“Now you may sit,” the elderly women said.

John walked toward the chair that was obviously his, as it had a special resting place for his tail carved out of the back of the chair. The blonde woman followed suit and sat in the chair adjacent to him.

“Jennifer, we were not expecting you, excuse our manners.” The salt white haired woman placed her hand under the table and pressed a green button, which told the Asian butler to answer his Bluetooth earpiece.

“One more chalice mixed the same as the other three.”

The older gentleman who escorted John into the building chuckled and took his fisherman hat off of his head, placing it on the table. He took a quick look at Jennifer, the blonde, before staring John dead in the eyes.

“So, John… do you know why you’re here yet?”

“Am I supposed to?” John retorted.

“Heh, well you did ask about those –“

“SILENCE!”

The elderly woman stood up, kicking the chair behind her.

“Charles,” she said, gesturing to the man who seemed to be her equal in age, “you don’t get to treat guests of our estate in this fashion! Leave me be, just me and them. Take your drink and I will see you in an hour or two. Plug in my electric blanket.”

Charles walked off, goblet in hand; walking through the hand carved mahogany doors. The Asian butler saw him out, shutting the doors behind him.

“Thank you, Suzuki.”

She slightly lowered her head to him, and he did the same back. As she lifted her decorated cup to her lips, she eyed them both, hoping for them to do the same.

“What’s the matter? Is it not good enough for you? I’ll have you know that this is from my personal collection, you see? My great ancestors have been involved in the fine wine industry for generations, and I take this as a blatant display of disrespect. Be careful how you respond.”

John pulled up his chair, still naked, still with his tail hanging out of the back of the chair.

“What is this for? Why am I – why are we here? What do you want with us, Mrs…?”

“Margot,” she said, “Mrs. Margot. Charles is my husband and we’ve been helping people like you realize their true potential for the past two hundred years.”

John was taking a sip of wine as she said this, and almost spit it out when she threw the year figure out there.

“Okay, you people are fucked,” John remarked. Jennifer smiled and laughed under her breath. “No, I’m fucking serious. I’m supposed to believe that you guys have been… I don’t even know… helping… freaks? Fucking stop it.”

Mrs. Margot reached into her housecoat and pulled out a pack of Newport Red 100’s, and a brown lighter. As she lit the cigarette, she began speaking as soon as she let out her first cloud of smoke. Kicking her chair back, she placed her legs on top of the table.

“You have three wishes, think of me as a genie,” she said, “you each get one question each, and one to split. I will give you thirty seconds to decide it is what you want to know.”

John and Jennifer huddled up and began to discuss their options.

“Okay, well I’m definitely asking why I have a fucking tail,” John said.

“Well, I’m definitely asking why the fuck I’m here, ‘cause I’ve never met you in my life, but feel obligated to you.”

“TIME IS UP!”

“Fuck, what’s the joint question gonna be?”

John looked back at Jennifer and shrugged his shoulders. They stepped back into the room in unison, and faced her as one.

“Why do I have a tail?”

The elderly woman, Mrs. Margot, looked John right in the face.

“Child, you’ve always had a deeper purpose, more meaning to your life than you could have ever dreamed. You are helping us reach that potential and we are forever grateful.”

“And you?”

Jennifer looked at the silver tiled floor, then back up at Mrs. Margot.

“Why am I here, and why do I feel fucking obligated to him?”

“Child, you’ve always had a deeper purpose, more meaning to your life than you could have ever dreamed. You are helping us reach that potential and we are forever grateful.”

Mrs. Margot approached them both with their goblets, and they both took a sip, while smiling at each other.

“So, for your joint question?”

Mere seconds after they downed their drink, Jennifer began convulsing on the floor. John held her in his arms, screaming at Mrs. Margot.

“What the fuck did you do?!”