Written by & copyright of Foxonian

Featuring Rachel and Madame Erica

Cassie, the Rock & Roll Vixen
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org

Please read the prequil, "Rock Around The Christmas Tree," featuring Cassie, Foxonian and Cassie's road crew
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/rock_around_the_christmas_tree.txt
Please read the sequil, "The Heart Of The Matter," featuring Shiva (Cassie's cheif of security) and Yang Li (Cassie's session guitarist) at
http://www.cassietherockvixen.furtopia.org/the_heart_of_the_matter.txt

All characters created by & copyright of Earl Bacon except Laretta, who is created by
and copyright of Andre' Cotton, Alex, who is created by and copyright of Donna Fritz,
Vixina and Cloudchaser, who are created by and copyright of Cloudchaser Shaconage and
Victor & Ben, who are copyright themselves.


The Oracle
Sitting at her bank of keyboards, a furry morph doe dressed like a gothic version of a beer maid all in shades of grey played a song that was both
happy and tragic if such a thing could be understood.  It had been months since Rachel had seen her beau,a furry morph collie morph named Dominic.  As
she played, she thought about everything she had been through with her lover.  The discovery of his true nature and all that it entailed, what had
happened to her two friends Cassie the Rock Vixen and her other friend Alex, the impish young arctic fox furry morph with curly shoulder length head
hair.  All of which could be laid directly at her bringing Dominic into their lives.  Then there was her relationship with the collie morph himself.
At times he was loving and close.  At others, he seemed like he was a million miles away.  Then,there were the "others," always surrounding
Dominic wherever he went.  Even when he claimed that they weren't around, the gothic doe could sense otherwise.  It was most disturbing when they were
both "intimate" and Rachel could sense eyes watching them both make love.

As these thoughts ran through her head,her playing became faster and she began to slam her fingers down on the keyboards. "Damn it!" Rachel exclaimed
as she saw that one of her dark hoof like fingernails on her right hand paw split and broke off,leaving a small stain of blood on a key and feeling of
pain shot through her finger. Taking a band aid from a drawer in her kitchen, the gothic doe wrapped up her finger and looked at herself in the
mirror.  She was starting to look even more the part of a goth than she ever had.  Most of it was due to her lack of sleep and agreeing to go on a
fall tour with Cassie & the Band when she really didn't want to.  The other was her decision to sell her 1958 Chrysler New Yorker convertible.  She
didn't really have the time to do a lot of driving, plus the cost of keeping a vintage mechanic happy with regular maitanance just didn't make a lot
of sense.  Besides, Rachel was tired of him saying that she was ruining her "vintage investment" by letting it sit in a heated car storage for months.
At least, she got more than she paid for it when a private collector snapped the car up quick.  If she needed a car in the future,she would simply lease
a newer one.

As the gothic doe walked across the floor of her Manhattan apt in her fishnet stocking covered human-like feet, she ran her hand paws through her
very long, full and wavy brunette head hair, leaning back and closing her dark brown eyes as she did so.  She was tired of it all.  Tired of all
the problems she gave Cassie, by having Dominic and that crazy friend of his, a furry morph silver black vixen named Shiva enter her life, tired of
little Alex having the love of her life practically destroyed due to Dom's involvement in his life.  Now, she was begining to wish she had never
crossed paths with the collie morph in the first place.  As she stared out the window of her living room, Rachel could see a driving rain coming down
over the city.  It was around 8pm and all of the lights of Manhattan were blurred in the darkness.  Reaching into a drawer on the endtable near her
sofa, the gothic doe went in search of most recent vice.

Over the last year, Rachel had taken up smoking again.  She used to smoke often in her younger days before she met Cassie, but then gave it up when
she felt that her music gave her all the comfort she needed.  However, hanging around with the dragoness Yang Li who smoked quite a lot of cigarettes
with a long black holder (similar to the one that Rachel herself once used) began to make the gothic doe crave the sensation of nicotine again.  Plus,
all of the chaotic stress that her relationship with Dominic brought her recently, she felt the urge to light up growing.  Then,one day as she was
cleaning out an old trunk that had more of her "severly gothic" attire from her youth, the gothic doe stumbled across her long dark brown cigarette
holder.  Taking it, she went down her corner quickie mart and got a pack of Raliegh brand cigarettes.  After the first few puffs, she was once again
back to her pack a day habit.  Rachel was certain that Dominic was aware of her smoking again, but he never mentioned it.  At least, when she saw him
that is.

Looking in the drawer,all she could find was an empty cigarette pack. "Damn! I guess I'll have to go out in this crap" Rachel sighed as she walked over
to the closet in her bedroom and took out a pair of her back "dolfie" boots.  As she laced the boots up and did the top straps, she thought that
even though she still loved Dominic with all her heart, she couldn't go on like this.  The collie morph was going to have to make a choice.  Either her
or the vampire cult.  He could not stride both worlds any longer.  It was slowly killing the gothic doe and she wanted to live a long life, despite
her gothic tendencys.  Putting on her long dark black hooded cape, Rachel turned on her security system, locked her door and went down the stairs to
the lobby of her apt. building.  "How are ya,Ms.Rachel? Going out?" The gothic doe saw Authur, the bloodhound furry morph security guard who usually
manned the building's security desk in the lobby until 11pm.  "Yeah, Art.  Just going down to the quickie mart for a pack of smokes.  Be back in a
bit," Rachel replied as the Bloodhound morph smiled from behind his desk and wall of security monitors.

As she walked out of her apt. building and down the street, Rachel's mood matched the driving rain that came down around her.  A few blocks before
the convenience store, there was a fortune telling shop called "The Oracle."  In her younger days,the gothic doe used to have her fortune told often.
Most of it was very vague, until the day she got a reading telling her that she would meet a young woman wearing a light blue dress who would change
the direction in her life.  Later that night, while she was playing her keyboards at the CBGB nightclub, she spotted a beautiful furry morph vixen
with long black hair wearing light blue dress.  After her show,the vixen came up to the gothic doe and said how much she loved her playing.  Form that
day on, Rachel's life did change.  She went form relative obscurity to being a part of the most famous and successful furry-morph metal bands on
the planet.  Since that day, the gothic doe stopped having her future predicted.  Mostly due to the fact that she was far too busy to bother with it.

For some reason,Rachel wondered into The Oracle and asked the young human woman at the desk for a reading.  "Sorry.  I don't do any readings.  I'm
just hired to man the desk and handle the money.  Madame Erica does all of our readings since it's her shop.  Come, I'll show you do her reading room
and tell her you are here."  The young human woman then took Rachel to a living room type area that had a table with two chairs facing each other.  As
the lady motioned for Rachel to take one seat, she then disappeared into another room.  As the gothic doe sat and waited, she heard someone enter the
room.  Rachel turned to see another furry morph doe with slight amount of grey on her muzzle (indicating that she had to be at least 50 years or
older) dressed in a plain white blouse and light grey flannel dress slacks & heels.  Her head hair was the same color as the gothic does, albiet with
some slight streaks of grey in it.  Rachel noticed that Madame Erica wore it in the same kind of long ponytail braid that she used to favor.

"It's so nice to see you!  After all this time!  I am truly blessed," the older doe said as she took Rachel's hand paws in hers.  "Uh, thanks.
I guess," Rachel began, "I came for a reading.  Are you a fan of my band?"  Looking surprised, Madame Erica replied, "Band? Oh, no! You just remind me of
a lady I have seen in my visions lately.  Plus, you remind me a lot of my daughter."  Rachel looked at Madame Erica for moment, then said, "You know, you
do remind me a lot of my mother.  But, I haven't seen her since I was 10.  My father ran off with me after he and my mom split up.  I then left my dad
6 years later and have been living by my wits since."  After hearing this, Madame Erica stared for a moment then said "If it's not to much to ask, could
I see your right arm?"  "Uh, sure," The gothic doe then took off her cloak and held out her arm.  The older furry morph doe looked along her arm,
then seeing a small mark that the gothic doe had for as long as she could remember, Madame Erica asked "-Is your name Rachel Andrews?"

The gothic doe then looked into the other doe's eyes and said, "Yes, but how?" "My last name is also Andrews.  I haven't seen my daughter since she was
10 when that awful man I was married to ran off with her.  I tried for years to have the police find him, but they never seemed to care.  Rachel, I think
I am your mother.  In fact, I know it now.  See that mark on your arm? You got it when you were 5 years old.  You got your arm caught when one of
the windows in our house fell down and pinned it."  The gothic doe could not believe what she was hearing.  After all this time, her own long lost
mother was living just a few blocks away from her?  It all sounded too fantastic to be true.  And yet, something deep down inside the gothic doe
kept telling her that it was.  But, living in the world as long as she did, Rachel was very skeptical of this older doe's claim.  "Look,I would like
to believe that you are my mom, but unless it can be proven I just can't take your word for it.

Try to understand, I have folks coming out of the woodwork all the time claiming to be some distant cousin or some such because I'm somewhat famous
and they think they can cash in on it.  Sorry to say this, but for all I know you could be one of those types."  Looking like she just saw a puppy
being hit by bus, Madame Erica sighed softly and replied "You are right.  You have no reason to believe me.  Perhaps I'm just a silly old doe who has
let her dreams cloud her own judgement.  I'm glad to see you still your wits about you.  You came for a reading, well let's have at it shall we?"
Madame Erica then sat down opposite Rachel.  The older doe took a deck of tarot cards from the concealed drawer on her side of the table.  With
slow effort, Madame Erica took each card off the deck and laid them out face up in front of her.  As she looked at each card, the older doe got a
more worried look upon her face, causing Rachel to get concerned.  "Is there something wrong?" Rachel asked.

Looking up, the older doe replied, "even if you weren't my daughter, this reading is one of the most troubling I have done.  It predicts much tragedy
and hardship to those you care for in the near future.  Plus,your own life will be at risk."  "Just great!  Any good news?" an exasperated Rachel
asked.  "Well, the last cards indicate that you will meet someone from your distant past,"  Madame Erica said with the kind of motherly expression
that made Rachel shudder slightly.  "Uh, thanks.  How much do I owe you?" the gothic doe said as she stood and quickly put on her hooded cloak.
"Nothing, My Dear.  It's the least I could do for you." Madame Erica replied.  "Look.  If you want to find out for sure if we have anything in common,
I'm willing to do a blood test or something if you are.  Here's my number, just let me know," Rachel handed the older doe one of her business
cards.  "Thank you so much! I will be sure to call you when I'm ready, since I must know for certain." Madame Erica then escorted Rachel past the human
gal at the front desk then watched from the shop's door way as the hooded gothic doe walked onto the rain swept city streets.

"I told you not to tell her who you are!" came a voice from behind my Madame Erica.  "But,she's my child! All my visions and the mark confirm it!
Why can't you allow me just one bit of happiness in my life?" the older doe cried.  "You have this shop and be grateful I allow you this much.  You
forget your bargan with me and what it entales. Until I release you from my service, you are mine.Don't ever for get it." The voice proclaimed as a
tear began to run down the older doe's furry cheek.  "Come.I need your sight to predict a development that just occurred."  As the Madame Erica turned
to shut the door a golden scaled tail could be seen twitching in the doorway of the adjoining room from which the voice originated.
THE END