Ripe as a Plum
- After dinner, Kizzy stares at herself in the mirror and daydreams about Jack Husk, her new mega crush. While she looks at herself, she can't help but see her own resemblance to her great-aunt Mairenni. How very strange.
- Kizzy falls asleep, and when she wakes up, she immediately knows that something is off. Her bedroom has swan feathers in it, and her grandma's knife (which she was buried with) is in the room with her.
- Even though Kizzy knows that she should mention this to her parents, she doesn't because she just wants to go to school and see Jack again.
- She puts on a pair of jeans and sticks her grandma's knife in the back pocket, but at the last minute, she changes into a pretty dress. In doing so, she forgets the knife. Oops.
- When she walks past the Christmas tree farm, she finds that Jack is already outside waiting for her. He compliments her on the dress, which totally makes her get all the warm and fuzzy feelings.
- Jack is holding a picnic basket, and instead of walking toward school, he asks Kizzy if she wants to ditch and go on a picnic with him. She agrees and takes his arm, all the while wondering where the dog from yesterday has gone. He's not on the porch anymore.
- Jack asks her if there's a park nearby, and Kizzy replies that they can go to the cemetery. It's not the most romantic location, but it will do.
- As they step into the cemetery, though, the ghosts flare up and create a huge wind that blows Kizzy and Jack apart. The whole thing unnerves her. Why would the spirits want to keep her away from Jack?
- No matter. She nuzzles up to Jack even though she can hear ghosts whispering about teeth, nectar, and how she should have a knife on her.
- They walk toward a corner of the cemetery, but Kizzy recognizes a name on one of the gravestones. It's a girl who used to go to school with her.
- She developed bulimia and starved to death, just wasting away like all of those girls in the goblin stories that Kizzy's grandma used to tell.
- Jack leads Kizzy to an empty patch of grass where he spreads out the blanket and starts unpacking a fancy little picnic spread. All the while, Kizzy feels a little nervous and skeptical.
- He tells her that his one picnic rule is that she eat the chocolate first, and Kizzy complies. The chocolate and cheeses both taste unlike anything she's ever had before.
- Jack offers her a perfectly ripe peach that smells delicious. She watches him eat his but hesitates with hers. Something is wrong: It's autumn and there shouldn't be a peach this ripe and fragrant.
- Part of Kizzy knows that Jack is a goblin and that he's trying to reel her in. She glances at the knife in the cheese.
- But then she makes herself forget all of these goblin fears, even though she knows that she's in danger. She just wants to be kissed so badly.
- Instead of fighting back then, Kizzy leans in and kisses Jack. It's her first kiss (and maybe her last), but it's a total delight.