“I want the divorce, Robert. I can’t live like this anymore.” Sarah moaned painfully. They had been married for 25 years. It was her hardest decision ever, but after realising the old Robert wouldn’t come back, Sarah had no choice. “It’s ok, Sarah, I’ll sign all the papers. I won’t make a fuss.” Robert said, his eyes glued to the computer screen. Sarah’s heart ached further as tears filled up her eyes and her chin slightly dropped. How could he accept it so light-heartedly, without even looking at her? Miserable as she felt, his reaction only strengthened her resolution. ------- 5 years before “This story isn’t coming out right!” Robert complained, throwing another sheet of paper to the bin. He took his hands to his face and rubbed his tired eyes. His deadline with the publisher was close and he couldn’t come up with interesting ideas. They had been clear: after Robert’s last two books had been a failure, if he didn’t come up with anything worthwhile, their contract would end. “Don’t worry so much, Rob.” Sarah said embracing him from behind. “We will be ok with or without a story.” Robert kissed his wife’s hand. No matter what, Sarah was always there for him, believing in him more than he even believed himself. Her words reassured him but he still didn’t want to fail her. He had to come up with a story. That night he had a weird dream. His main character, Ellis, had sat next to him by his desk and whispered what she wanted to happen in the book. “I must not die. No matter what, keep me alive.” Robert woke up with a dreadful feeling. The dream had been very real. He wondered… Ellis must not die. “Right, I will not kill you, Ellis.” he thought. A week later, Robert dreamed of Ellis again. “Make me kill another character.” Her full, red lips whispered softly at his ear. “But I must never die.” Robert did so. When Ellis told him to finish the story and take it to another publisher, Robert did so too. He had never heard of it, but when he googled “Lucy-Anne Ferry Publishers” it indeed was there. How come something he had dreamed was actually real? Well, Ellis was guiding him, so he’d give it a try. “It’s a brilliant story, Rob.” Lucy-Anne said a week after Robert met her and given her the manuscript. Her resemblance to Ellis in his dreams was startling. The same red lips, soft, blond hair falling down her shoulders in graceful curls. Her blue diamond eyes were hypnotizing. “End your contract with your publisher and work only for me. I’ll take care of everything, just don’t kill Ellis. Ellis must never die.” Robert did so once again. Sarah wasn’t very happy about his sudden decision though. “You should at least let them read your story.” Robert shrugged his shoulders, thinking of Lucy-Anne. He didn’t exactly desire her but she had her ways of making him surrender. _____ 4 years before Robert couldn’t believe how his life had improved so much. His most recent novel was a worldwide success and his life was now a whirlwind of interviews, workshops and autograph sessions. He hardly spent any time at home. At the beginning, Sarah would accompany him, but then she gave up. She missed their quiet life. Now they even had crazed fans knocking on their door at 2am asking for autographs. She didn’t like Lucy-Anne. It wasn’t her looks, it was more her commanding ways and how Robert did all she wanted like a well-trained dog. In fact, she seemed to exert that power with everybody around. Everybody did what she wanted, no questions asked. “She’s a money-making machine, of course everybody does what she wants.” Robert said typing loudly the only time Sarah raised her concerns about the persuasive woman. He wasn’t dreaming of Ellis anymore, but it didn’t matter because Lucy-Anne was telling him what to do. _____ Now Robert let Sarah go. He still loved her, but he blamed her for not understanding how success was important for him. He kept writing for Lucy-Anne, his Ellis saga books went on. Eventually, Robert fell exhausted. His fans wouldn’t let him sleep. He was constantly writing and when he wasn’t he was flying all over the world. Until he noticed Lucy-Anne becoming the life of the party. Suddenly it was all about her, not him anymore. But she still demanded a lot from him. In fact, more than ever, arrogantly and treating him like a slave. “I feel like I have the world at my feet. Never stop writing, Rob.” She had indeed enslaved him. Robert was now angry. He was slowly being forgotten and she was harvesting all the fame. He once called Sarah but she didn’t answer. He was alone, left with nothing. One day he had an idea. What would happen if he actually killed Ellis? Everything ends, after all. He turned on his laptop and started writing. Just as he was about to have Ellis killed, Lucy-Anne showed behind him, her diamond eyes glowing cruelly. “I told you never to kill Ellis.” she hissed at him. “How did you come in?” Robert jumped from his chair, puzzled. But she knocked him down. When Robert woke up he didn’t understand where he was. Definitely not at home. Nothing looked real and yet… He saw Ellis approaching. She looked amused as she pointed upward. Robert looked up. Lucy-Anne’s huge face was staring at him, her eyes shining wickedly. Her blood-red lips smiled. “You are in your own book, you fool. Ellis will make sure you write what I want. You should have suspected my name.” Ellis laughed and her laughter fused with Lucy-Anne’s. Lucy-Anne Ferry… If he swapped the names… Lucy Ferry Anne. He had sold his soul to the devil without even realising.