Jackalopes

The Smiling Moon

"Wait!" Ostara shouted faintly behind her.

"The ritual is almost complete! Austin will take you to his chambers tonight! You have no idea what he will do to you!!"

Jane immediately found herself in the ballroom, which looked very different. For one it was completely empty except for Austin. She once again felt the same drowsy and sleepy sensation overtake her.

"It was a close call, but I see that you chose me in the end..." he whispered.

"I did not choose any of you creeps!" Jane shouted.

"Let me out this instant!!!"

Jane tried to punch Austin who effortlessly caught and bent her arms backward, breaking it. Jane yelped with the sudden pain.

"You think this is about sex?" Austin whispered in her ear, standing behind her, still holding her hand.

"I will take you to my chambers now, and then the ritual shall be complete..."

Jane gulped, realizing she was powerless against the caninins and their strange and horrible games.

"I thiiink I will begin by plucking your fingers off one by oooooone" Austin sang as he began to drag Jane up to his chambers in the tallest tower.

With this a great fear came over Jane and the spell on her mind was destroyed. With icy clarity she could see Austin transform into some kind of evil beast. His teeth elongated painfully, stretching his mouth wide. His eyes sunk into his skull, leaving pus-filled fire in the empty sockets. His limbs contorted, turning into long and hollow ropes. With her final strength Jane managed to escape Austin's grip and head for the castle doors, however she knew she would not be able to get out that way. Behind her she could hear footsteps as if a thousand tiny ants were chasing her.

In the corner of her eyes Jane could see a door opening. Having nothing to lose Jane ducked inside. This must be Ostara's quarters. It was strangely large and luxurious for a simple shoe shiner, looking almost exactly like the room Jane had been sleeping in these past two days. The pictures were much more clearer here, showing caninis playing in the nightly mist and kings riding through the woods. Ostara was sleeping in the bed and Jane crept up to him and shook him awake.

"Help me" she whispered.

"Sleep here until dawn; I will keep him away" Ostara said gently.

"I will help you"

With a wave of his hands Ostara healed Jane's broken arm. Jane fell asleep to Austin's pacing just outside, tens of thousands of itchy steps at the time. But Ostara guarded the door, and it could not be opened.

Ostara had indeed helped Urminora and Jessica out of the castle. They were staying in a nearby village called Thistlerose with a kindly washerwoman. She was a human and married to a canini guard (Tithe-With-Tamlin) of the castle. However, they were soon wanted and had to leave.

"I will not report you" the canini guard said.

"Buy you are ruining our playtime and must leave us"

From then on out Urminora and Jessica hung out in the woods near the castle and waited for Jane to escape.

The following morning Ostara woke Jane.

"I will help you a final time" he said.

"But only if you promise to not lie to mother when you next meet her"

"I promise" Jane said.

"Thank you for everything"

With this Ostara smiled and pulled out one of his whiskers, which turned into a large rope. Jane threw it out of the window and reunited with Urminora and Jessica, who had been looking for a way in (the castle had nothing but thick walls around it, with no entrance of any kind). Swiftly running away from the castle and through the forest they managed to find the road and the pylons with no further mishaps.