Kirk placed Fred’s hand on the jagged edge of the wood and Fred flinched away. He realised that the tree was in fact a real person and what he had seen as twigs, branches and foliage, was now the garments and skin of a beautiful woman – no, a girl. He tried to back away, but Kirk was stronger than him and the girl offered herself, revealing her pure, cream coloured back to him. She peered over her shoulder and smiled enticingly. Her eyes shone the purest blue but Fred could sense that her heart was not so.

With an electric jolt, Fred broke free of the shackles of Kirk’s hands and untangled himself from a thousand fingers, wrapped around him in bondage. The girl sank back inside the tree and looked away: rejected and forlorn. But not before Fred noticed a single basic tattoo on her flesh. It was so tiny that it could have passed for a group of freckles, moles or spots. But it wasn’t any of those. It was the symbol of the Moon Goddess with the three moons: waxing, waning and full, and it was near her neck. As quickly as she had come, the girl disappeared and her long hair hid the vision. The tree became petrified and Kirk disappeared, along with his daughter, but not before Fred had witnessed her eyes pleading with him to set her free. The image stayed with him and his heart pounded in his chest until he opened his eyes.

Fred looked around the room: he was back home, in the sitting room, in front of the fire with Sandra. Her needles click-clicked and Bertha watched him from her bed. The fire crackled and he realised that a fresh log was required.

He shivered, despite the room being stiflingly hot. Bertha sauntered over to him and rested her muzzle on his lap.

‘It’s all right, girl. There, there.’ The dog’s eyes grew less droopy and the corners of her mouth turned up. Fred knew that the presence had gone.

For now.

Chapter 10