Chapter 2: The Magic Store, Six Days Ago

Two teenage girls were shopping in a magic shop on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. One girl was of Japanese descent and she stood about five foot five and had a very modest figure. Her name was Ai, but most Americans pronounced her name as Aye instead of ah-ee. Properly said, her name was about a sylable and a half. Her friend was a blond who stood about five foot one and had no figure whatsoever. Her name was Tabitha, but her 28-28-28 measurements resulted in her acquiring the unfortunate nickname Tubeitha. During their freshman year of high school, the two had become friends because of the shared bond of being called something other than what they wanted to be called. It was perhaps a silly thing to base a friendship on, but it was originally what brought the two girls together.

“I was really hoping I might fill out a bit over the summer.” Tabitha said holding her hands out in front of her chest. “I’d even settle for this!” She added while holding her hands besides her hips.

“Maybe this would help.” Ai said giggling. She held up a crude wooden statuette of a female form. It was about ten inches tall, but the figurine’s bust line easily projected two inches from its torso.

“To scale, that would give me a set of knockers people would have to pay attention to!” Looking at the price tag, she added, “It can’t hurt, can it?”

Before Ai could answer, they heard a phone ring, then the pixie-like proprietor answered.

“It’s not fair!” Tabitha complained. “She’s shorter than I am and she has killer curves.”

“I’d kill for her waistline,” Ai said dryly. “Do you think she wears a corset?”

Not answering, Tabitha said bitterly, “At least you have a waistline.”

“Wait, wait, slow down. She did what to her brother? I thought I told you to keep that grimoire under a magical lock,” came the proprietor’s voice from the other aisle. “That’s why you use magical locks for magical items ... Your husband is a moron for doing that, but it’s no excuse for not taking the proper safeguards ... No, no, I don’t care what she says, under no circumstances are either of you to try to reverse the spell until I get there ... I don’t care if he starts hunting mice! Failure is not the concern, success is! Yes it’s dangerous! That’s why I want you to wait until I get there ... No turning him into some other animal is not the worst that could happen; his heart could stop beating from system shock. Yes seriously! Why do you think I’m yelling at you to W-A-I-T wait?”

“She sounds pissed!” Ai observed.

“She sounds like she thinks this stuff really works,” Tabitha replied.

“Back to her waistline, do you think Derek Preston could fit his hands all the way around her waist?”

“Derek Preston!” Tabitha sighed. Derek Preston was only a sophomore, like they were, but he was the starting quarterback of the football team where Tabitha and Ai when to school. Even the girls who didn’t have a huge crush on him admitted he was safely into the mighty fine category.

Ai sighed right back. “Oh shit! I shouldn’t have even mentioned that name. I just drew a blank when I tried to think of guys with big hands. Seriously though, Tabitha, you have got to stop doing his homework for him! All he does is laugh at you behind your back.”

“But he’s so cute!”

Ai shook her head; her opinion was that Derek was a perfect example of the saying: beauty is only skin deep. Then both girls heard the proprietor speaking again. “I’ve got an emergency to take care of! Don’t sell anything to anybody while I’m gone.”

“A girl turning her brother into a cat is hardly an emergency.”

“Her mother would beg to differ, and I don’t want to risk him dying of shock on the return transformation.”

“He’s young; it’s highly likely that he could survive multiple transformations.”

“But not certain?”

“Well, it’s not something I would worry about.”

“There are lots of things you don’t worry about. Remember, no selling, no matter what!” The owner disappeared into the back of the shop after her final instructions to the cashier.

“No one really got turned into a cat,” Ai said in disbelief.

“Still, both the person running the place and the one behind the register seem to think this stuff is real,” Tabitha said hopefully. “It can’t hurt to buy this with my leftover babysitting money.”

“But you just heard the owner telling the woman working the register not to sell anything,” Ai protested.

Tabitha reasoned, “We can always wait for the owner lady to get back if the cashier won’t sell it to us.”

Sighing, the worker behind the desk said, “That object will not lead to what you desire.”