He watched her swimming and then saw her come over to the ladder and climb up, holding onto the rungs. She dried off with the towel, although her swimmers were still wet, and then took him inside and set him down on a cupboard top, while she went to change into dry clothes. Soon she returned and set him down on one side of the lounge room. She went to the other side, and got down on all fours.

“The rules are simple. You can run in any direction, Try to hide under any piece of furniture, go anywhere you like, until I catch you. Are you all ready to start?”

“I guess so,” he said.

“Ready, set…go!” she called.

He darted to the right at an angle, making for an armchair, in the hopes of getting under it. It was much closer to him than to her. He made it under the armchair, and saw her crawling towards it. She lay down on her side and peeked in at him. Then she reached under the chair with her hand. He darted away, out the other side, and took off, only to see her crawling around the chair towards him again.

“I’ll never be able to outrun her!”

She drew closer, before he could think of anywhere else to go, and stopped right in front of him, laughing.

“You gave me a good run,” she said, “We both knew how the game would end, aside from directional variations, but I enjoyed playing.”

“I sort of did too,” he said.

“Now it’s off to the oven for you.”

She seized him and got up and walked gracefully into the kitchen, put him into a baking dish and set it down in the oven. Phillippa Bell sat down in front of the oven, licked her lips in front of him several times, and put out her tongue at him. He recalled his first view of her tongue, as her mouth had opened in surprise when she’d first looked through the dolls house window. This was quite a comparison. Soon she took him from the oven to the dining table and sat down.

“I’ve enjoyed the last few weeks just as much as you have,” she said, “I didn’t know I would, but I know I’ll enjoy this a whole lot more.”

“And you’ll get to enjoy a whole lot more after that,” he said.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“How can you do this to me?”

“I’ll show you,” she said, and picked him up.

She slid her tongue around his face and arms and shoulders, moving it in various directions, touching him first with the top and then with the sides.

“I must admit I enjoyed that too,” he said.

“I appreciate the sentiment.”

“Well I guess this is it.”

“I think it is. Goodbye little darling,” she said, “Have a smooth and comfortable ride down.”

She opened her mouth wide and slid him into it, feet first. He looked out at her withdrawing hand, and the sight of her lower lip from within her mouth. Then she closed her mouth and moved her tongue up and down a little, until she finally drew him into her throat. She gulped happily and carried him down to her stomach.