But for the record, it takes place sometime after Book III, after Sophie has (presumably) safely returned from her fantastic odyssey, and things are more or less calm, both for her and for Stacia.

The entire piece is done in dialogue, not to be gimmicky but just because that’s the way it fell outta me. It was the only What If? idea that was exciting enough to prompt me to pick up a pen, and in fact I got the idea, appropriately enough, from a dream. (I am dreaming of a comic book character: I am officially a Geek.)

And the source of the dream was no doubt the exciting news my wife and I received a few days ago. But I don’t need to explain any further. Just read on...

P.S. Two further disclaimers:

ONE) I just read on your site that Book IV is out. So I’ll naturally buy it ASAP, but the above disclaimer re: continuity still stands, as I am currently broke and thus won’t manage to buy Book IV until after the deadline has passed.

TWO) I hadn’t read the rules in a long time, and it was only after finishing this piece that I went back to your site for the first time in weeks and was reminded that all entries must be at least 1,000 words long. Alas, mine is merely half that. And I have no intentions of padding it just to meet the requirement, sensible though said requirement might be. So I guess I’m out of the running. Pity. Oh well, I am going to send it anyway, ‘cause here I’ve written it and if I don’t share it with you then who the hell can I share it with? It’s kind of an obscure, in-jokey lil’ yarn, after all. Hope you like it, in spite of its failure to meet the requirements.

Now then, the story:

****

"Wow."
"I know."
"Just... wow."
"Yeah. Tell me about it."
"This is so... so big! Oh god, look at me! I’m crying... oh, I’m so happy for you... wait. Are- are you happy for you?"
"Heh, yeah... I guess. But I’m scared, too. You know?"
"Well, sure. Of course. But wait... I’m confused... I didn’t think this could happen to a lesbian."
"Bitch!"
"Skank! You know... you’re not really showing yet."
"No."
"So when did you find out?"
"Um. Three days ago."
"And you didn’t tell me sooner?"
"Well, I had to figure some stuff out first."
"Well, yeah. After all, Daddy could be anyone within a hundred mile radius."
"Shut up!"
"Seriously, though, is it... Jack?"
"Yep."
"Eew. So you’re gonna have, like, a creepy little hippie kid? Should I buy you some hemp diapers or something? Hey, wait. What about that ‘towtruck’ stuff to ‘prevent climax’?"
"Tantric, dumbass, not towtruck... and I don’t know. I don’t know if he lied and did it on purpose, or...? That’s one of three things I haven’t figured out yet."
"Are you going to... you know?"
"Keep it? Well, that’s one of the other things I haven’t figured out yet. I mean, yeah, I want to, but then... well, I want to find something out first."
"What?"
"Well, obviously I have to find Jack and talk to him. That should take care of one of the mysteries. And the second mystery is, should I keep it? I mean, look at what my life has become. How dangerous it is? What are the odds that I wouldn’t lose it, you know?"
"But what’s the third mystery? What do you have to find out before you decide if you’re gonna keep it?"
"Well, I haven’t... you know... changed. Not since I found out."
"Oh. Ohhhh! Oh man."
"Yeah."
"Do you think she-?"
"I don’t know! I mean, probably. After all, I was her when I was with Jack. If anything, I’d figure it could happen to her and not to me, so since it has happened to me, chances are... But there’s a hundred other things to consider, too. Will it be born here, or in her world? Or both, maybe? And will she be... you know? Like me?"
"Wait. ‘She’? You already know?!"
"No. Something just tells me... I mean, I kind of assume that it would be a girl. You know, it would just make sense."
"But that’s only if Promethea is also..."
"Yeah."
"So. When are you going to find out?"
"Today. Right now."
"Aw... you waited for me!"
"Well, I knew you’d bitch me out for not telling you sooner. I thought this might shut you up."
"Slut."
"Bitch... listen, I’ll go to Jack after. But I really have to know this before I deal with him or... or with anything else."
"Sure. Hey, is there anything I can do?"
"Two things."
"Name ‘em."
"Give me a hug. And give me my pen."
****