She came in the night.

She came in the darkness.

I felt two icy hands pulling the covers from me while I pretended to sleep.

“Wake up,” she hissed.

That’s when I saw her for the first time. The wind was howling and the trees scraping and agains the side of the house and I stared into her cold dead eyes.

She pale and translucent. She was inches from my face but not touching, just hovering above me.

“Who are you?”

“You don’t know who I am?” she asked.

“No.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.”

“I’m the muse.”

“The muse?”

“The muse you keep cursing. The one you blame for your writer’s block. The one you blame every time you’re rejected.”

“I didn’t know you’re real.”

“I assure you I am.”

“Why are you here?”

“You asked for me didn’t you. Haven’t you demanding I show up for weeks now?”

“I uh..”

“But I’ve been here the who time. Shepherding ideas from the wild into the thick head of yours.”

“You were?”

“Yes. Did you think those fantastic ideas were your own? I was the one making sure they got to the right place.”

“Why are you hear now?”

“Because someone got greedy. Now I’m not moving fast enough. Not enough magnificent plots just heaped upon you.”

“I…I…didn’t know you…”

“Save it. I was handing you gold and you were turning it into lead. I couldn’t idly watch anymore.”

I hesitated to ask, as I was sure I didn’t want to know they answer, “What are you going to do?”

She smiled an evil smile and looked at the computer on my desk.

“Get up.”

“Why?”

“Because our partnership is changing.”

“It is?”

“Yes,” she said sticking an icy finger into my chest.

“Because now you work for me.”