Here is a new universe that I challenge everybody to write in. I don't think 
anybody has quite had an idea like this before. A person can live a book, 
movie, TV show, etc., and THEN have to go further once it reaches the end 
of the known storyline. Interesting! I dare you all to try!

Raven

"The Muses"
by Raven

Jack was causally strolling through the wide indoor avenues of the mall when 
he noticed a new store. It struck him as rather curious because he was in the 
mall on a weekly, if not daily, basis. He'd neither seen this store, nor any 
type of signage that a new store was on the way.

The name of the store was "The Muses."

Jack drew closer to the wide glass window, so that he could peer inside the 
store. However, even from his vantage point, the 19 year old could tell that it 
was a bookstore of some fashion.

The sophomore in college nodded to himself. It was about time! This mall 
needed a good bookstore after B. Dalton and Brentano's closed their doors. 
Jack decided that a little browsing was definitely in order.

When Jack walked into the store, a pretty young girl looked up from behind 
the counter. Her ethereal pale blue eyes looked at him as if they were looking 
through him. He felt a shiver go up and down the length of his spine.

"Can I help thee, Sir?"

What an interesting manner of speech, mused Jack. It was so archaic. He 
noticed other physical details about the girl behind the counter.

She was tall, perhaps about 5'10" or 5'11", and her penetrating light eyes 
contrasted starkly with her dark brunette hair. She was stunning, in a 
European sort of way. The girl even had a trace of an accent to her voice. She 
seemed almost unnaturally slender . . . almost sylph-like. That dense, thick 
hair hung all the way to her narrow waist.

The only thing that was disappointing about her, frowned Jack, was her 
smallish breasts.

"Oh, I'm just looking around. Is this store new?" Jack asked the obvious 
query.

"Thee are most observant. Tis' true, we opened just this very morn." Her 
voice had almost a musical quality about. Her words were, for want of a 
better term, poetic. The only thing missing was a rhyme.

The attended took care of that deficit with her very next words.

" . . . and nary a better shoppe ere was born."

Jack squinted as he gazed at the girl's name tag. It said, "Erato." It certainly 
sounded like a European name, but there was something more. He should 
know that name from . . . somewhere. He just couldn't think of it at this very 
second.

Instead, he asked the lovely woman another question.

"Do you own this store, Miss?"

"Erato call me you may. The store is for me and my sisters. I am here today."

Jack shook his head. Her poetic style of speech took some getting used to. 
No wonder there weren't any customers in the store, he noted as he scanned 
the interior of the store.

He looked back to Erato. "Can you talk to me without rhyming? It's not easy 
to understand what you are saying."

"Certainly Jack, if that is thy wish. It is less colorful, and less interesting, but 
it is my wish to please my customer. Ask me what you will, and I shall be 
most pleased to resolve any mystery for you."

That's a little better, though Jack, then a mystery did indeed occur to him.

"Hey! How did you know my name?"

Erato giggled, "My sisters and I share a gift. We are able to look into the 
heart, mind, and soul of a person just by peering into their eyes. It really is 
true that the eyes are the very window of thee soul."

That explained much, it explained her penetrating gaze, and the shiver that 
Jack felt pass through him.

Jack gestured with a sweeping gesture of his hand toward the interior of the 
establishment.

"So? This is a bookstore?"

"That and more Jack. Any book rare or popular, any book every printed, may 
be found within these four walls. Aye, more than that, ye can find a 
recording of any music every composed . . . any song ever sang. Here the 
inquiring soul can find any play, poem, script or prose ever written. Thee can 
find on video tape any movie or television show ever filmed. Whatever thee 
want in the arts may be found here."

"Wow!" exclaimed Jack. "H-how can you do that?"

"Thee would not believe me if I told thee!"

"Try me," challenged the youth.

"My sisters and I declared that the first who would enter these enchanted 
walls would know the truth of it. Thus Jack, I grant thy wish. Know this, 
once the arcane knowledge be yours, you can never repeat it. All efforts to so 
will fail."

"Okay," muttered Jack, not comprehending what she was talking about.

"My sisters and I are the Muses of myth and legend. In this modern age, 
nobody heeds our inspirational call . . . people have forgotten the arts. In 
doing so they have forgotten the very thing that makes them the most special 
creation in the universe. We Muses have decided to open this store to inspire 
people again. We know that it will take something unique to do so. Therefore 
all of the books and items within these walls be enchanted. When one reads a 
book, they become one of the characters therein. The live the story rather than 
read it. The same is true of the poems, films, videotapes, music, or whatever 
can be found here."

"Yeah . . . right!" scoffed an unbelieving Jack.

"Tis true. This I swear," avowed Erato.

"Then what happens after the story, song or tape is over?" chuckled Jack, in 
an effort to poke a little fun at Erato.

"That is up to the person. After the storyline is through, they must continue it 
by using their own imagination and creativity. It will be like living life in 
reality, but will continue to unfold within the setting of the story or film that 
they choose. What is it that you mortals say about art imitating life?"

"This is crap," declared Jack, as he turned to head for the door.

"Not so fast, mortal."

Suddenly, Jack was frozen in place. He could not move a muscle or even 
blink.

The boys mouth would not work to scream in anger or protest.

"As the bearer of this sacred knowledge, it is the wish of me and my sisters 
that you watch over this store in our stead. The Muses have many other tasks 
to perform, so they can not manage the day-to-day details of this temple. That 
task falls now to thee. Know that we will be watching over thee to guide 
thee. Should this temple prove to be successful, others will follow."

Jack wanted to protest, but could not. He didn't want to be an attendant in a 
book store, for he had a college career to attend to.

"All the knowledge of the workings of this place are now yours," Erato 
waved her hand.

Jack felt slightly dizzy, and then a slight rush from his knowledge instantly 
expanding. Indeed, he knew ever book, item, or thing within the store. More 
than that . . . he knew how they worked.

"It is our way that no male child may serve as an avatar of the Muses. Thus, I 
bend your shape into a more pleasing form that is more suited to your task. 
To fulfill your tasks to the Sisters you are also given the gift of prescience to 
divine the heart and soul of your customers. Be happy that you are the 
chosen."

In another wave of Erato's hand, Jack felt his body start to pull and twist. It 
didn't hurt at all. It felt . . . well . . . odd! There was pushing here and 
pulling there, all done with a pleasant tingle. He, now she, felt parts of her 
grow and swell while other parts receded. In the last, Jack stood there as an 
exact duplicate of Erato.

Then Erato started to blur and shift herself until she became a shorter, 
prettier, more well endowed blonde woman.

"My true form," explained Erato.

Jack ran her hands over her new feminine body in disbelief. Unfortunately, it 
was all too real.

"I-I'm a girl."

"Yes. You are," observed Erato. "A very pretty one at that. Henceforth your 
name shall be Cassandra, after the seer of legend. I have arranged for you the 
life of Cassandra Jackson. Fare thee well Cassandra. Serve the Muses well, 
and thee shall be rewarded. A great gift has been granted you this day."

With that declaration, Erato faded from view. In that same instant, a name tag 
materialized on the blouse that Jack now wore that said, "Cassandra."

There was nothing that Jack . . . now Cassandra . . . could do but take her 
place behind the counter. Her new body felt so strange as she moved in it for 
the first time. Once behind the counter, Cassandra drew the long hair out of 
her eyes, locating a purse. Inside the purse was everything that marked her as 
her new identity of Cassandra Jackson.

A man's voice at the counter made Cassandra look up.

"Excuse me, Miss. I'm looking for a book by Jack L. Chalker entitled "The 
Identity Matrix." Do you have it."

The knowledge rushed to the front of Cassandra's mind. She instantly knew 
the location, plotline, and nature of the book. She smiled. At least she 
wouldn't be the only one to loose her manhood this day!"

"Right this way sir. We have EVERYTHING in this store," directed 
Cassandra, hearing her womanly voice in her ears for the first time.

This may be fun after all! From somewhere . . . there was an urge to make a 
ryhme.

A beginning . . . . . . . . .?