Jennyo was stunned. Baxter was okay, an old cat, standoffish on occasion, liked his food. She had never seen him so wound up. Sandra pursed her lips and kept knitting. She was knitting a long scarf in shades of rose, carmine and indigo. Freda was peering out the window – and her leg hairs stood on end… She was sure she could see a dark shape, very still, behind the Japanese maple.

Magenta looked up, smiling. "What do you think, girls?"

Sandra paused, "Well, why don't you tell us, Magenta, what's in it for you with this vampire stuff? "

Magenta smiled. The mythology of Lamia is that of the survivor, saying "I'm not going to be oppressed. I think every woman should revolt. That's part of growing up, right? You have to revolt, branch out, and move things forward.

"This is new, for you Magenta", said Jennyo, "you're usually so accepting"

Magenta laughed. " I'm sick of being a doormat, she said. I think life should be initiating. You know, we join these groups and go through these theatrical performances about what initiation is, but it should be related to the everyday world and that should be the real adventure and initiation, not to isolate yourself in the Mudcat chat room or whatever. Real initiation takes place in the outside world. These experiences we put ourselves through should be a catalyst to initiation.

"And why Lamia" said Freda.
"Lamia is a symbol" said Magenta. " She has shown me that there's another way.. I don't want to be passive. I don't want to be a victim. I don't want life to be a choice between one night stands with Casanovas, and washing Simon's socks. Lamia has shown me that we see things as they are and not as, our egos would like to see things…. I've realised that either men use me or I use them, you have to be either a victim or a persecutor. And I'm not going to be a victim any more…

And I'm so sick of being good all the time. Good and evil are two sides of a coin, light and darkness. Both exist in nature, and the world is suffering because we're all trying to be so good, yet letting ourselves be walked over by evil. It's TIME TO RISE UP AND AVENGE THE OPPRESSION OF OUR WILL, TO GAIN OUR PERSONAL POWER! "
Sandra, Jennyo, and Freda nodded. It all made sense. Magenta looked more alive than they'd seen her for ages. Maybe this was a good thing?