“How have I never experience such a wonder before?”  Vincent said dreamily.  “It’s a taste of heaven!”

Susanna smiled.  “It’s called butter.  And yes, it is quite wonderful...”

Vincent took another bite into the chunk of bread in his hands, which had been spread with a generous helping of creamy delicious butter.  It was even better than the cheese that he had consumed for the first time earlier.  All in all, he was becoming a big fan of dairy.

“Don’t hog it all, Vincent!” Rebecca said sarcastically, taking the butter platter away from him.  With a knife, she sliced off a segment as wide as his forearm, then spread it all around a gigantic hunk of French bread.  Vincent watched it enter into her mouth like a ship sailing into a harbor, only for her incisors to descend upon it, ripping into its flesh and causing a shower of crumbs to fall from its crust and onto her plate and the table.

“Well, I can see that table elegance is no longer a concern!.” Susanna responded to her sister’s unrefined approach to eating.  Rebecca had always been less mindful of etiquette and sophistication than Susanna (much to their mother’s chagrin.)  Susanna decided that despite the many years of instruction that was ingrained in her, she was going to let it slide and relax as well.  She put her elbows up on the table and sipped her wine.

Reminded of his own wine, Vincent decided that he was going to give it a try.  He hovered above his chalice and carefully lowered himself down into the cup.  The smell of the alcohol was strong and he could feel it enter through his nostrils.  The sides of the glass were very slippery and he could not set foot on it, so he resorted to levitating upside down and placing his lips directly into the pool of crimson Merlot.  It was very surprising to him.  Never before had he taken in such a beverage!  This was nothing like the water from the creek.  When he swallowed, he could feel the wine going down in a warming sensation that made his body tingle all over.

“Don’t have too much at once, now!” advised Susanna.

Rebecca giggled as she watched Vincent lapping up the wine like a dog.  “I think he likes it.”

Before long, Vincent had his fill...and was feeling the effects already.  He had chugged the equivalent of half bottle of wine!  The alcohol coursed through his tiny body quickly.  His head was already full of blood from being upside down for so long.  When he tried to right himself, the combination of the rush of blood from his head and the alcohol put him in a dizzy spell.  He lost his vision for a second, disorienting him.

Splash!  

The two girls broke out into laughter as they watched Vincent plop into the remnants of his wine.  Not much was left of it, so he was by no means in danger of drowning.  Still, he was sopping head to toe in red wine, which was certain to stain his clothing.  

“What’s so funny?” he snapped, slurring his syllables.  He didn’t think it was so hilarious.  He was wet and he had left his other sets of clothing at his tree hollow.  He tried to wring out his shirt, but he lost his balance and slipped again.

“Poor Vincent,” Rebecca said.  “Do you need help getting out?”

“I can...I can manage!” he retorted defiantly.  Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath.

The source of Vincent’s powers came from his ability to merge the domain of the dream with the realm of the real.  What others were only able to do while dreaming, Vincent was able to do while awake.  It was not always easy and it involved him entering into a “daydream” state.  While it appeared that he was focusing, he was actually doing quite the opposite.  He was entering a trance and letting his mind ease.

However, little did Vincent know that the alcohol had affected not just his balance, but also just how easy it was to enter into that trance state.  Susanna gasped as she watched Vincent take off into the air at full speed, lifting off like a rocket into the sky.

“AAeeeeeiiiiiiii!!!  Vincent exclaimed as he sped towards the ceiling at all deliberate speed.

“Vincent, watch out!  Be careful!”  Susanna shouted in fear.

Coming very close to colliding with the ceiling, Vincent quickly became aware of the danger and snapped out of his stupor.  He immediately came to a full stop.  Standing in the air just to the right of the central chandelier, he saw the sisters far below staring up at him wearing worried faces.  Slowly and steadily, he returned himself to the table.

“What in the blazes just happened?” a panicked Rebecca cried out.

“My apologies,” Vincent said, slightly embarrassed and still a little tipsy.  “Apparently I misjudged just how fast I was going.”

A worried Susanna lifted Vincent up gently but quickly and took him into an embrace.  She pressed him up to her chest.  Pressed against her warm skin, he could both hear and feel her heartbeat on the other side of her flesh.  It was racing.  His was probably beating swiftly, too, but being up against Susanna’s body was calming him down.  He had missed her and had missed being this close to her.

“Are you okay?” she asked, bringing him to her eyes, which examined him all around.

As he stood on her palm, Vincent paused for a moment and made a strange expression.  His face contorted until he let out a small, barely audible burp.  

“Just great, thanks!”

“Uh huh...” Susanna said with a tsk, though she was visibly relieved.  “Do you know what I think?  I think you’re drunk!”

“I am not drunk!” he said, pointing a finger that he had difficulty keeping straight.  “I have never been drunk!  And I don’t even know what it means to be drunk.  So...I am not drunk....yes.  I think...”

Rebecca giggled from across the table as Susanna dropped Vincent back on his plate.  He stumbled with his step after he landed, but stood upright.

“After dinner, we’ll get you cleaned up, okay?” Susanna said.  “Until then, why don’t you just sit down there and relax?”  Her tone was motherly and sympathetic.  As an older sister, she had often had to use it with Rebecca, but it voiced her loving care and comfort.

Vincent nodded in agreement.  By now, his head was starting to throb and sitting down sounded like a good idea.  

~+~+~

Susanna and Rebecca continued their conversation and wine.  It had been far too long since they had time to spend together as sisters.  Indeed, it was one of the reasons Rebecca was there that weekend.  Susanna needed help transitioning into Cairnbridge Manor, so their father had suggested that she go along, too.  

Roger also had ulterior motives for Rebecca: he had hoped that spending more time with Susanna would help her to be more level-headed and mature like Susanna.  Rebecca had always been something of a free spirit, known at times to be brash and impulsive.  She spoke and acted before thinking things through.  Roger did not blame her, as she clearly took after himself, while Susanna had taken after their mother.  

But a second reason for the recommendation was for Rebecca to experience more of Cairnbridge.  He wanted her to love it as much as he loved it, and as Susanna had come to love it.  It was a cherished place for their family for generations.  It was a place of great history.  It was an anchor to the past; a bridge that brought the past and present into unison.  Walking those halls was a step into the lives of their forefathers.  Though not a superstitious man, he did believe that there was a mystical quality to that special place.  Perhaps there was a reason why Sir Vincent of Cairnbridge had settled that land so many centuries ago...

At the dinner table, the sisters discussed Rebecca’s schooling, as well as family news.  Soon, though, the conversation turned to more “interesting” business, namely Susanna’s adventures with Vincent throughout the surrounding countryside.  She had heard all about the hidden glade and Vincent’s island in the lake.  Of course, in sharing the stories, Susanna had omitted certain “personal” details concerning Vincent: most obviously, his size and his abilities, but also of their budding relationship and increasing intimacy.  On those parts, she had been intentionally vague.  

“I cannot wait to see everything!  You will take me there, right?  To Vincent’s island?” inquired Rebecca.  Her imagination was running wild as she continued her meal, reaching for a particularly plump cherry tomato.

“I’m sure we can work that out,” she said, sipping the last of her wine.  Susanna was now very relaxed and at ease.  “There are plenty of hours in the weekend to fulfill our plans.  But you do have to help me arrange my new room tomorrow...don’t forget!”

Rebecca quickly nodded in agreement, though she was more focused on the potential adventures rather than furniture arrangement and interior design.  

Susanna had just about finished her plate and was very satisfied.  She had splurged a little, but she had just received her first stipend check from her aunt and wanted to celebrate accordingly.  Though her stomach was reaching capacity, she had saved room for dessert.  There was a particular indulgence that she had been eyeing in anticipation for the entire dinner...

“Mmmm, this one look amazing,” she said as she chose out a decadent profiterole from the dessert tray.  

Cream puffs were among Susanna’s favorite treats, but especially the ones from the nearby village.  She and Rebecca had visited the town’s baker on their way to Cairnbridge.  The baker knew them by name, for they had stopped by her shop many times when they were girls.  Young Susanna and Rebecca would always stand in front of the display case with wide eyes as they contemplated the difficult decision of whether to get a cookie, cake, or another of the delicacies the baker had poured her skill into earlier that day.

The pastry Susanna had chosen had a tan, flaky exterior but on the inside was light and fluffy.  The dough had been formed into a ball, the center hollowed out, then fried.  When it had cooled, the baker had piped in a generous amount of whipped cream.  Though profiteroles come in all shapes and sizes, this baker’s trademark was to create the semblance of a mountain with the cream emerging out of the pastry, forming the mountain’s “snowy peak.”

Though Susanna did not indulge in them too often, she had a certain method as to eating them.  Whereas Rebecca tended to shove the entire dessert in her mouth at once, Susanna would bring hers to her lips and first suck out all of the cream.  When she had thoroughly enjoyed its contents, then she would eagerly pop the rest of the puff in her mouth.  If she was going to indulge, she was going to take her time in doing so!

“Of course you would eat that your way,” Rebecca said.  “I much prefer to enjoy the entire treat together and at once!  But I know there’s no point in convincing you, is there?”

Susanna smiled and lightly shook her head.  Sticking her tongue out, she daintily tasted a small portion of the cream, licking the very tip of the peak.  It was luscious.  The sample informed her tongue that that which it was awaiting was going to rival everything it had tasted thus far.  Without further ado, Susanna placed her lips around the pastry and drew in its creamy contents with a slurp.  At once, she could feel the chilled whipped cream warming to the temperature of her mouth and melting away on her tongue.  Susanna sat motionless and enjoyed every second of it.

“How is it?” Rebecca asked intently.

“Mmmmm...” was the only response Susanna needed to give.

Watching her sister sitting there with her eyes closed and euphorically enjoying the cream was enough to convince Rebecca to try Susanna’s way.  However, she was still very hasty and did not possess her sister’s self-control.  Reaching for the closest profiterole, she quickly inhaled the cream, but was too quick.  She accidentally breathed in some of the cream and it went down the wrong pipe, causing her to choke and cough.

Knowing her sister well, Susanna could predict that this was exactly what was going to happen.  She could not help but laugh as she watched her sister’s plight, having very little sympathy as she watched Rebecca reach for the rest of her wine to chase down the cream.

Rebecca, of course, was not amused.  She started chugged her glass of wine and it did indeed clear the blockage.  Unfortunately, though, she was still fairly new to alcohol.  The sudden intake of wine was too much for her and before she could finish it, she was forced to spew out her mouthful, sending out a shower of tiny wine droplets across the table.  This just caused Susanna to burst into a full fit of laughter.  Rebecca had to admit that it was pretty humorous and started giggling as well.  There was wine everywhere!  

In the midst of the uproar, Susanna realized that Vincent had been on the table.  It must have appeared as a rainshower of wine to his eyes!  She looked for him on his plate, but he was not there.

“Oh no, poor Vincent!  He must have ducked for cover!” said Rebecca.  She tried to regain her composure a little as she searched behind bowls and plates for the missing dinner guest.  

Susanna’s mouth was wide open now, her face turning red from laughing so hard.  She wanted to assist her sister, but she couldn’t help herself right now.  (Having consumed two glasses of wine had apparently made everything much more hilarious to her than usual.)

However, she quickly paused her laughter when she saw Rebecca’s face.  It had become very serious.  She assumed that it was because Rebecca had not found Vincent yet, though Susanna thought it was likely he had taken off into the air, a possibility Rebecca probably wasn't used to considering yet.

“Susanna, stop!” Rebecca said very adamantly.

Susanna was confused by this and just sat there with her mouth agape.  A little trickle of creamy saliva streamed down out of the corner of her mouth.  She wanted to laugh some more as she considered just how undainty she must have appeared and how horrified their mother would be at her daughters’ boorishness, but Susanna could tell something was wrong.

It was then that Susanna realized a strange sensation in her mouth.  Her tipsy state must have prevented her from noticing it until now, but it was very evident that there was something else on her tongue alongside the melted whipped cream.

Rebecca emphasized and enunciated each word slowly:  “Do...not...swallow.”

Susanna’s adrenaline rushed, knowing now that there must have been something in her profiterole.  At first, she was terrified at the thought of it being an insect--or worse, a small rodent--but it became increasingly clear of what it truly was.  Or rather, who.  She immediately reached into her mouth and pulled the young man out, placing him on her napkin.

“Vincent!” she cried out.  “Vincent, are you okay?”

A little disoriented, he sat up, looked at Susanna, and smiled.  “I am doing quite well this evening.  How are you doing, my dear?”  It was clear that he was still drunk and delirious and not in his right state of mind.  He probably didn’t even realize the danger he was in.

“How did you get in my mouth?  Were you in my cream puff?” a very concerned Susanna asked.

“Your cream puff?  It was my cream puff, thank you very much!  You two were busy chatting away, so I thought I would move on to the next course.  And I thought, why not start with the cream first?  And so I did.  And I enjoyed it!  And then...and then...before I knew it, you decided that you wanted to enjoy it, too!”

“Oh dear heavens, I could have eaten you, Vincent!  You had better thank the stars above that it was me and not Rebecca that picked you up.  She would have popped you in and you would have been in her belly by now!”

Rebecca nodded unashamedly.  “Yep, I can’t deny it, that’s probably true.  Straight down my gullet with you.  Or, if it had been like what actually happened, you might have been sent flying down my windpipe...”

Vincent was starting to sober up.  He recounted the experience in his head.  He had made his way to the plate of profiteroles, then without question, he dove in head first into one.  Before long, though, he could feel his dessert being lifted.  At the moment, it was kind of fun..but not as exhilarating as it was being sucked up into Susanna’s mouth with the whipped cream!  As the cream melted around him, he found it to be something of a pleasant experience.  It was dark, warm, and there was a sweet smell in the air.  Lying down on Susanna’s tongue, he fell asleep and passed out cold.

“By the trees, you’re right...” Vincent said, all the blood draining from his face as he realized just how close he was to being consumed by the woman of his dreams.  His thoughts went back to his previous encounter in Susanna’s mouth, back in the glade.  Though she was pulling a prank on him then, she had been intentional about it.  Just now, she hadn’t even been aware of his presence and could have eaten him without even knowing it.

“Um, is he okay?” Rebecca asked, seeing the little man's head bob back and forth.

Vincent fainted.