The Mermaid Lure free porn video

THE MERMAID LURE - A SRU Tale - by Bek D Corbin, Edited by Steve Zink It was a little embarrassing, but the first thing that he noticed about her was the silly mermaid charm on her bracelet. Not that the rest of her wasn't worth noticing, mind you. She was tallish, about 5' 9", and slender in a fit way. She had too many curves to be one of those borderline anorexics that they use for models these days. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate, which complemented the gold of the charm bracelet. Her hair was long and curly, and pulled back with a bow. Her face was oval, with a leonine nose, and a wide, expressive mouth with very full lips. Her eyes were large and almost golden over high, strong cheekbones. Her body was full, and almost looked like a prisoner in the 'uniform' office suit. His second impression of her was that she was magnificent. The third was that she was out of his league. But something still drew his attention to her. She was standing at the far end of the bookstore, idly leafing through something, when she seemed to sense his attention. She looked up, and looked him straight in the eye. From across the room, there was an almost electric connection, a sense of recognition. It was as if he had just spotted a dear old friend that he hadn't seen since grade school. But he couldn't remember any black girls that he'd been particularly close with. Still, that sense of deja vu would drive him crazy if he didn't follow up on it. Her lion-gold eyes followed him as he crossed the store, and looked straight into his gray ones as he walked up. "Excuse me, I know that this sounds crazy, but where did you go to grade school?" "Sojourner Truth, in Wilmington. Why do you ask?" "Please, believe me, I know how lame this sounds, but when our eyes met just then I got the weirdest sense that I've met you. But for the life of me, I can't remember where. Did we go to high school together, or something?" She muffled a laugh. "I don't think so. But I know what you mean- I got the weirdest sense of deja vu. I'm Veronica Leonard, I do market analysis. Call me Ronnie. And you?" "My name's Ben. Ben Caulder. I do PR, over at Quentin & Collins Publicity. In other words, I'm a spin doctor. To prove it, I'll come up with a much better pick-up line than 'Do I Know You?'. How about, 'Does Your Job Suck Worse Than Mine?' " "Why don't we get a cup of coffee, and try to sort it out?" ***** The cup of coffee stretched into dinner. They laughed easily together. There was little of the usual, 'I'm sitting here with a perfect stranger' tension. When the evening wound down, Ben asked plaintively, "Is there any chance of a repeat of tonight? How do I get in touch with you?" Ronnie barely managed to quell a smile. "Well, I don't know. I don't usually date white guys. Why don't we see how things shape up the next time we run into each other?" Ben shrugged, clearly not satisfied with the arrangement, but willing to put up with it, if he had to. "Okay, but I'll be keeping an eye out for you. And your mermaid charm." Ronnie waved her fingers and walked away, her shapely rear end holding Ben's attention until it left the restaurant. ***** Ronnie walked out of the restaurant and quickly trotted to the nearest place of concealment. Well, that went well, she thought to herself. If the rest goes that easily, I should have him reduced to a quivering blob of jelly in no time! She reached into her purse and pulled out a small jewelry box. She unsnapped the charm bracelet, and put the trinket in the box. Once the box was closed, her body began to waver. Her suit changed from a trim woman's executive uniform to a natty Armani men's suit. Her pumps became a pair of loafers. Her generous bosom shrank, as did her plump backside. Her painted nails and make-up disappeared. Her long hair receded into a close-cropped haircut. Her entire body grew taller and thicker. A mustache grew on her- no his lip. Within the space of a minute, Veronica 'Ronnie' Leonard had metamorphosed into Roger 'Raj' Lawrence, Ben Caulder's arch-rival at Quentin & Collins. Raj tossed the jewelry box up and caught it again in a gesture of triumph. Yes, little 'Ronnie' was doing a good job, and was going to have a good time doing it! Looking at the box, Raj noted again the label: MERMAID LURE USE WITH CAUTION Directions: Focus directly on target and place bracelet on left wrist. You will immediately become your target's perfect mate, within the limitations of the least physical alteration neccessary, and cause an irrestible attraction. To reverse the change, simply remove the bracelet. Bracelet will not work again if the change is witnessed. WARNING: Do NOT use as an attack. WARNING: Do NOT use this charm more than 12 times. A Spells 'R' Us product. Well, Raj thought, I have no intention of attacking ol' Ben. I'm gonna let the boy tear himself apart! Getting the job done in less than 12 uses is going to be a challenge, though. ***** The next day Raj watched Caulder go on and on about the girl he'd run into yesterday. "And, y'know, the best thing was it that it was kinda like when Bogart first meets Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not, y'know? You could feel the attraction- no stupid sixth grade 'oh-does- she-like-me-do-I-dare-tell-her-that-I-like-her' Bee Ess. Just stand-up, adult honesty. I didn't have to put on an act, or anything, I was able to just be myself." Even the women in the office were impressed by it. Not so much by his description of her beauty, but by a straightforward rapport he described. Oh, yes, Raj old son, he thought to himself, if there's anything you know how to do, it's hit a man where it hurts. He got up and joined in the conversation. He'd meant to just stick Ben with a few zingers, but he surprised himself at the level of acrimony that the barbs got to. ***** Timing was the crucial thing. Raj had to catch Ben at just the right time. He had to be just about ready to do something that he really likes, and then run into 'Ronnie' and have to choose between that thing and seeing 'Ronnie'. If he chose what he was about to do, then he'd beat himself up for being an idiot (helped along by a few choice comments from 'Raj'); if he chose 'Ronnie', then she would be that much more precious for the cost. Ronnie caught him just as he was about to head into the Squash courts for a game; Ronnie was coming out, and looking fabulous in her Racketball whites. Ben never noticed that she didn't have a dab of sweat on her, despite the fact that she claimed to have just gotten off the court after getting shellacked by someone in her office. Ben told his partner that he'd have to beg off, and to reschedule with Raj for another time. As they walked off to the juice bar, Ronnie silently exulted in the fact that Ben had just defaulted, and Raj automatically went to the semi-finals in the Squash competition. ***** The next time they met, Ben had tickets to the big pro Basketball game, and stiffed his friend Theo to let Ronnie in with him. They cheered on the home team together, and Ronnie bounced in her seat with complete abandon. When the power forward rocketed toward the net and slam-dunked the ball, she couldn't restrain herself- she reached over and gave Ben a big kiss. Though a spontaneous, thoughtless act, that kiss was electric, and caught both of them off guard. They were knocked completely out of their absorption in the game, and sat there looking only at each other. Like two magnets held apart too long, they came together in a passionate embrace. They were both rather embarrassed when the guy behind them gave them a shove and told them to get a room. Throughout the game, their attention was split between the players and each other. When the game was over, Ronnie stood close to Ben, holding the silly green foam rubber 'We're #1!' giant finger between them. She looked up into his eyes, saying nothing, simultaneously dreading and longing for what she knew would happen next. Ben pulled her close to him, crushing the foam rubber finger, and kissed her deeply. They kissed without noting any passage of time. Then, finally, they reluctantly broke the kiss. Ronnie rather shame-facedly gave Ben the phone number that Raj had set up for just this development. As Ronnie walked silently to Raj's car, it took an act of will to remove the bracelet. Once the bracelet was safely in it's box, Raj shook his head to clear it. Then he noticed the souvenir foam rubber novelty, which he forcefully crammed into the first trash receptacle he found. * * * * Both Ben's and Raj's work suffered, largely because Raj couldn't resist the urge to needle Ben at every opportunity. Their verbal fencing often escalated into flat-out bickering, which didn't help either of them with the brass. ***** When he got to his apartment after work, Raj saw the message light on his answering machine. No, not his answering machine, the one that he had set up for 'Ronnie'. There may or may not be messages for him on his machine, but there was sure as sunrise going to be a message on Ronnie's machine, and it would be from Ben. He didn't listen to it, but he didn't erase it, either. He tried to do the work he'd brought home, but the light on that damn machine just kept nagging at him! Finally, he gave in and listened to the message. Sure enough, it was Ben, asking in the most relaxed of terms if maybe they could get together for a while sometime. Raj tried to get back to work, but would occasionally re-wind the machine and listen to the message again. At last, he gave in and snapped the charm bracelet on his wrist. Raj went through the usual physical contortions, and shook her head to readjust her perceptions to being Ronnie. She took a deep breath, and then looked down at herself. When the transformation took hold, it transformed Raj's clothing into it's feminine version. She wore the same sweatshirt, but her jeans were soft, close-fitting designer ones, and his sneakers were now designer cross-trainers. There was no way that she could go out with Ben dressed like this! But Raj's wallet had changed into a purse. She checked her closet. All the clothes were still men's clothes. Whatever was transformed must have to be in Raj's immediate proximity to be changed. Well, she couldn't waste a use of the charm... She re-played his message and got his number. She settled down on the sofa and began dialling. She got his machine. Damn! Oh, well... "Hello? Ben? Are you there? If so, pick up! This is Ronnie. I was-" The phone on the other side picked up, and hurriedly, if the scrambling with the reciever was any indication. "Ronnie? Hi! Oh, good, I thought I'd missed you!" She heard him catch his breath and start more steadily. "So, what's up?" She smiled into the phone, even though Ben couldn't see it. "Oh, nothing much. I was just finishing up some work I'd brought home, and was wondering what you were doing." "Oh, me? Not much. Flying to Monte, having dinner with Stephanie and Rainier, planning to break the bank- you know, the usual." "Oh, you have plans- I was hoping that you'd like to come over, hang out, watch the tube, maybe order out for some pizza. But, you have fun in Monaco." Her smile widened into a mischievious grin. "Oh, That? I can do that anytime. Besides, Steff is getting way too possessive. What's your address?" She gave Ben her address, and hung up feeling good. Then her eyes widened, as she realized with horror that she had less than a half an hour to change the name labels on her mailbox and door, and get all the obviously guy-stuff out of sight! ***** Ronnie was stuffing most of the guy-mess under her bed when Ben rang the doorbell. Ronnie let him in with a deliberately brief kiss- no sense in getting in over your head, Raj. Ben was dressed just as casually as Ronnie. Standing by the door, Ronnie asked, "I forgot to ask one crucial question, which must be answered before we go any further- where do you stand on one vital issue: Are you Pro- or Anti- Anchovy on pizza?" "Anti! Polluting honest pizza with those things is a crime against mozzarella!" "Oh, thank God! The thought of kissing a man whose mouth has been full with those hairy little fish!" She grimaced and shivvered dramatically. They spent the rest of the evening huddled together on the couch, eating pizza and playfully fighting over the remote. When 11 rolled around, Ben regretfully took his leave. Ronnie walked him to the door. Ben turned and gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. Again, there was that electricity. Ronnie melted into his arms, and the kiss grew passionate. At last, they parted- it was late and it was a work night. Even more regretfully, Ben managed to pull himself out the door. When the door shut, Ronnie leaned against the wall and numbly slid to the floor with a thump. She sat there unmoving for a moment, and then silently pulled the charm off her wrist. Still sitting there, Raj said to no one in particular, "This is getting way too weird." ***** On their next date, Ben sprang for tickets to a revival of Noel Coward's Private Lives. Ronnie managed to aquire a suitable dress for the occasion by dressing up as Raj in his best tux, just after having an all-out haircut and shave, before putting on the bracelet. The magic was a sport, and not only turned the tuxedo into a darling strapless evening gown, but did up Ronnie's hair in a sophisticated 'do with matching makeup, and even provided appropriate jewelry, which actually matched the charm bracelet. After the post-theater dinner and dancing, Ben and Ronnie returned to his place feeling Cowardeanly refined and elegant, tossing off bon mots like sparks. As Ben brought her a night-cap, Ronnie checked out his apartment. Not bad, but it was nice to see that Ben wasn't getting paid more than Raj was. The man had taste, but the place still needed a woman's touch. Whoa! Where did that come from? Ben brought her a white wine, and sat down next to her. They were comfortably relaxed and open, which is why she was so unprepared when his hand brushed hers. He had touched her often, even kissed her, but she was mostly expecting it. This time, it slipped past all her defenses. She shivered with the electricity that his touch brought her. She became aware of the stiffening of her nipples, and a wetness in her crotch and knew on some level that she was just ready. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at him next to her. So close. She could feel his body heat increasing with hers. He put his arm around her shoulders, as he had that night. But this time there was none of that warm security, just animal heat. She snuggled in close to him and smelled his maleness through his masking cologne. He closed, and she let him. He kissed her as he did the last time; gently at first, then with greater passion as she responded. It was if he knew that a woman's body is like a British car- it needs time to warm up, to build momentum, to get every part moving. Then, the only problem is handling it with a sure hand and a deft touch. As they kissed, his hands caressed her arms and bare shoulders. She stopped being so passive, and began running her hands over his chest. Her breasts ached to be touched, and the wetness in her panties was growing wetter. Then she felt, more than heard, the zipper on the back of her gown being opened. Her strapless gown hung loose, and her hands flew to her chest to keep from flopping out. Ben hesitated for a moment, and gave her a look that said, 'Am I going too far, too fast?'. She gave him a wordless smile and dropped her hands, letting the drooping front expose her breasts in their sheer bra-cups. He smiled and pulled her close again, crushing her almost-bare tits to his chest. He ran his hands down her bare back. The hormones sang through her blood, which rang in her ears, and her eyes felt too big for their sockets. She pulled away from him. "Enough of that", she said calmly. She stood up, and reached behind her, unzipping the dress all the way. The dress fell into a puddle around her feet, which she stepped out of. Half naked, she held out her hand to her man, and smiled. Ben stood and swept her up into his arms. She laughed. It was such a silly cliche, but it was so much fun! As she giggled, he carried her into his bedroom, and deposited her on his bed. She sat up on the bed, and half-helped, half hindered him undress, as she stroked his chest, ran her lips along his neck, and nibbled on his earlobe. When he was undressed, Ben climbed on the bed with Ronnie, and they just laid there for several minutes, holding each other. Ronnie could feel his raging erection against her, and she could almost hear his blood thundering in his veins, But he just held her. Then he kissed her again. He started on her lips, and left a trail of kisses down her throat, and over her chest. He nudged the lacy brassiere away from her breast and begain to kiss and lick it. Then he did the same to the other breast. Ronnie caressed every part of Ben's body that she could find. She ran her hands over his chest, down his flank and brushed against his throbbing hard-on. Ben nuzzled at her breasts, and rubbed a fleeting hand between her legs. Her labial lips were puffy and moist with excitement. Finally they reached a point where anything else would just be an evasion of what they really wanted. Ben tore himself away from her embrace to reach into his night-stand and rummage around for a box of condoms. He fumbled one packet open, but Ronnie took it away from him, and rolled it over his rigid member. Then they laid on their sides, and Ronnie threw a leg over his thigh, giving him free access to her. He entered her with just the head. Deep inside Ronnie's head, Raj was screaming No! No! You can't DO this! Ronnie silently said back Shaddap! You're distracting me! Ben penetrated her slowly but forcefully. Ronnie felt a sharp pain, and realized that, dear god, she was a virgin! It had been so long ago for Raj, that the possibility never occurred to her! She kept the pain to herself, refusing to let it, and the embarrassing facts behind it, intrude on this blessed moment. Then the hymen broke. She gasped, first with the pain, then with the unprecedented pleasure. He continued to enter her, until he was fully seated, and he held in there for a long moment. There was an exalted sense of complete union. Then he began to withdraw. Ronnie wrapped her legs around him, as if afraid to lose him. They built up a rhythm, as simple as the pounding of the surf, as primal as a heartbeat. Ronnie rose to one orgasm after another, but never lost her sense of her partner as an important part of it. When he stiffened inside her, she squeezed with everything she had to make the experience as intense for Ben as she could. And he stopped. There are many theories as to why some women fear sex. Some say it is a fear of the intrusion of penetration. Others opine that it is an instinctive urge to keep the uterine canal clean of contamination. Others see only the dominance issues in the act. But for most women, it is a deep rooted fear of that moment, just after climax, when post- coital chill sets in. The fear that when the heat is over, the warmth will also leave. That when all the lust, social pressures and biological imperatives were gone, that they will be trapped, naked, compromised and alone with a total stranger. Ronnie felt a stab of that fear- would Ben, with a new notch on his bedpost, suddenly become distant and uninterested? Ben sat on the side of the bed. Then, with the condom off, he rolled back next to Ronnie and wrapped his arms around her. He gently kissed her face, and, exhausted, began to doze. Ronnie said nothing, but sighed and snuggled into the arms that kept her safe and warm. In the morning, Ronnie woke up before Ben did. Raj shouted at her to get out, but why should she? She was safe and warm, and she was lying next to a man who clearly adored her. But, eventually, her bladder overruled them both. She was already over, and was brushing her hair before it ocurred to her that she had never gone to the toilet as a woman before. She did it causually and naturally. Hmmm... Interesting. Her evening gown was clearly not the thing to wear the morning after. She rummaged around Ben's closet, and found an absolutely enormous college sweatshirt. She pulled it on. She was not a small woman, but she was still almost lost in it. It came down to mid-thigh, like a really baggy dress. Well, it was better than nothing, and it did have a certain funky charm. She slipped into a pair of Ben's slippers, and slipped into the kitchen. It was not a cold cereal morning. After last night, her man wanted something hot and filling! Ronnie heard the familiar sound of a thin stream of running water in the bathroom. Ben stumbled out in boxers, a t-shirt and his robe. He saw her in the kitchen, wearing the sweat-shirt. He came over and gave her a big hug. She kissed him good morning. "Good morning, Sunshine!" "And a good morning to you, too! Man, this floor is cold!" "Well, then, why don't you wear a pair of slippers?" "Because you're wearing them!" She flashed a wide, 'oops!' grin at him. "Where did you find the sweatshirt?" "In your closet. Where did you get this thing? Did you room with a linebacker or something?" "Nope, it's mine. Let's just say that my nickname during my freshman and sophomore years was 'blimp'. I keep it around to remind me to keep going to the gym. Looks better on you, though." He gave her another hug from behind. "But why didn't you do the pajama top schtick?" "Oh, please! How Doris Day can you get? Do I look like Doris Day?" "Not on her best day would ol' Doris look half as good as you do." He scrambled the eggs and fried the bacon, while she did the hash browns and made toast. She would have done it all, but he kept insisting that it was his kitchen, he could help make breakfast it he wanted to. Plates full of breakfast, they flopped down on the couch, and regressed to childhood with a schedule of Saturday Morning Cartoons. They both agreed, that except for the old Warner Brothers' re-runs, the cartoons that they had grown up with sucked, and kids today don't know how good they have it. Past that, they argued about each different show. Heck, that was half the fun! Once the last anvil landed on a head, they turned off the tube and partook of small talk. But the day was bright and clear. "Y'wanna go out, maybe go to a park or something?" "In this?" She held out the sweatshirt. "Or that evening gown? Okay, but if I pop out and give everybody a show when I try to catch a frisbee..." "So? Go home, and change. I'll go out and buy the makings of a picnic, and we'll make a day of it." "Make a day of it? You don't ask much, do you?" "Hey, you're in market analysis, I'm in PR; we both have busy work lives. We owe it to ourselves to make the most of the off-time that we can." She shrugged. "Sure! Carpe Diem! I'll go home and Carpe some clothes, while you Carpe some cold cuts." Ronnie made herself semi-presentable by borrowing a baggy pair of shorts and a couple of flip-flops before she left. Actually, Ronnie didn't have any clothes at Raj's apartment. She just stashed the evening gown there, and bought some designer jeans and cross-trainers with the credit card in her name that was strangely completely paid up. She also bought a pink t-shirt that said, in sparkling letters, 'GODDESS! Worship me, mortal!' They met another young couple in the park and made a foursome of it. It was one of those lovely days made up of a thousand silly inconsequential moments. As darkness fell, they bid Ted and Lisa good- bye and went home again. They never ran into Ted and Lisa again, but that's the nature of such things. The minute that they were back at Ben's place, he gave her a Harpo Marx look, and chased her giggling into the bedroom. Toward the middle of Sunday afternoon, Ronnie cried the neccessity of a work day the next day. "Benny, Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest, and spending the rest of it with you would be fun, but it wouldn't be restful." When she got home, Ronnie absently began to take off the charm bracelet. But then it struck her, why? It occurred to her that she really didn't have any idea of what it was like to be Ronnie. Raj pretty much kept her in a bottle, until he uncorked her to use against poor Benny. And when she was with Ben, she was so distracted. It was the sweetest distraction you could name, but it still didn't give her any idea of who she was without Ben. Of course, she really was Raj- sort of. She wondered why Raj had such a problem with Ben. She kicked back on the sofa. Raj had a nice place. She had never noticed the way that Raj kind of just wasted this space. He never really did anything with it- he was always too busy either working for that little extra edge at work, or hanging out with those goon friends of his, trying to impress them. It wasn't as if he really liked his friends. It was like he needed them to admit that he was some kind of dude, or badass or something. There is something different here, she thought to herself. She went to the fridge and got a beer. It wasn't the obvious thing of being a woman. There was something else. She took a slug of beer and felt it slide down her throat into her stomach. That was it! She didn't have that knot of tension in her stomach! She didn't have that clenched numbness in her middle, which stretched out and stiffened every part of Raj's body. She was relaxed and more or less at peace with herself. It couldn't have been the sex, it had to be something else. Then it clicked. She just didn't feel that constant sense of suppressed rage and suspicion that Raj did. She didn't feel the need to watch her back, or get the drop on everybody that was so much a part of Raj's personality. She wasn't Raj Lite, she was Raj Advanced! She laughed. Poor Raj. He had a good life, but he was just pissing it away. It was a crying shame that she couldn't just stay this way, and let Raj be the one stuck in the bottle. And why not? All she had to do was not take off the charm bracelet. Or maybe she could find that Spells 'R' Us store, and ask the Wizard to make the change permanent! It would probably amuse the Wizard- he hadn't been too pleased when Raj had argued him into a guarantee that the change would not last. There had been a knock-down, drag-out horse- trading session, which ended in the Wizard red in the face and muttering dark things about Azure striped slime beasts. She was figuring out how to find out if Veronica Leonard actually had a job the way that she had a credit card and a driver's license, when the part of her that was still Raj came raging out of its corner of their mind, and willed her hand to tear the charm bracelet off. Raj raged as he took over control of the body. Fucking treacherous bitch! You don't really exist! Who are you to pass judgment on me my life, or my friends? You're just a figment of Ben Caulder's stupid imagination! And I'm gonna use you to tear his life apart! You exist only to serve my agenda! I'm gonna use you to see to it that Benny-boy doesn't get Senator Mayhew's campaign. I'm gonna let you come back into existence just long enough to know that he loves you, and then I'll throw this damn bracelet in an incinerator! Your precious Ben will be so torn up that his dream-girl just upped and left him, that I'll be the one that Mayhew will have to rely on to manage his PR. I am going to be walking down the corridors of power, Caulder's gonna be puking up his guts on Skid Row, and you, you back-stabbing slut, are not going to exist AT ALL! Putting the bracelet in the jewelry box as if it were toxic waste, Raj again noted the warning. It struck him that the box didn't say that there were only 12 uses of the damn thing, it said not to use it more than 12 times. That could mean a lot of things! Given the way that Veronica was acting up, it might mean that after 13 uses, he may not be able to put the imaginary bitch in her place. Maybe she was getting stronger and stronger with each use. Or, maybe it was a matter of how long she was allowed to exist. This time, she'd been allowed to exist for over a day! Maybe the length of her 'stay' had something to do with her resistance to changing back. Or maybe it was because she'd had sex with Caulder. Maybe she was gaining context, becoming more of a person in her own right. If he remembered what she'd been thinking before he jammed her back in the bottle, she'd been thinking about things like her 'life' and 'what she was really like'. Then a horrible thought hit him- maybe what the warning meant was that with the 13th use, the change was permanent! It would be just like that damn wizard to try and pull that kind of thing on him! You could tell that he was the kind of asshole who hated coming in second in any deal. This changed everything! Before, Veronica had 12 lives, and when those 12 uses of the bracelet were over, she was gone. Now, instead of each use being one life down the toilet, it meant one step closer to being the permanent inhabitant of his body. He counted off the uses of the bracelet: the bookstore, the raquetball club, the basetball game, the goof-off night, and this last long date. Raj shook his head to get the memory of sex with Caulder out of his head. Five uses. That meant that he had seven uses of the bracelet that were safe. There were six weeks left before the Mayhew account was decided. Yes, that worked out nicely. Caulder could see Veronica once a week, and then *poof!* she'd disappear the week before Brauer made his decision. Caulder would go to pieces, and the bracelet would go into the incinerator. Both the pains in his ass would be out of his life. He would chuck the bracelet right now, but that would give ol' Benny too much time to recover. He had to time it so that the double blow of losing both Veronica and the Mayhew account would competely destroy him. ***** Raj was in control enough that he managed to keep Veronica away from those long weekend stays for the next three dates. He started a rumor that Veronica didn't really exist, that Caulder was just making her up to look good. The rest of the office was getting tired of Lawrence and Caulder's bickering. They were kept at opposite sides of meeting tables, like two kids who had to be separated. At the end of one particularly hard week, Raj decided to get away from it all. He called and made reservations for two at an upscale resort. He decided to call in 'sick' Friday to make a really long weekend of it. He had his honey lined up, and ready to hear from him. At about 10 in the morning, he was packed, dressed and ready to go. Then at the last minute, he forgot where he put his watch! He sat on his bags and checked his pockets. There it was! He carelessly snapped it around his wrist. Then he snapped his eyes toward his arm in horror. Somehow, he had managed to put the charm bracelet on his wrist instead of his watch! It must be that bitch Veronica! She set him up! He- -was no longer he. Ronnie stood up and checked herself out. "Ha! Now who doesn't exist, asshole!", she yelled into the charm bracelet. It had taken a while to manipulate that nerd Raj into getting this all set up and to get him to 'forget' that he had the charm bracelet in his pocket. But it looked like it was going to be worth it! The magic had not only transformed Raj's clothes into a nice traveling ensemble, but it had changed Raj's single bag and sports tote into three bags of clothes, a make-up kit, a hat box, a much better sports tote, and a general all-purpose purse. She reached into the pocket where Raj had stored his watch and produced a much smaller, more stylish ladies' watch. She checked the tickets in her coat. Not only had the magic put her name on the reservation, it had upgraded the room from the cheapo double that Raj had booked to a full deluxe suite! It was plain to see who's side the magic was on. Ronnie thought about letting Raj's bimbo stay hanging, but decided that it wasn't her fault that she had no taste in men. She called the tramp, posing as a Quentin & Collins secretary, and told her that Mr. Lawrence had been called to Washington on last minute business. Then she called her own honey at Q&C. "Hey, Benny! Guess what?" "Is it animal, mineral, or vegetable?" None of the above! It's opportunity! Y'know how I haven't been that available for the last few weeks?" "Unavailable? I wouldn't say that... uhm, exactly who did you say you were?" She wrinkled her nose at him through the phone. "What can I say? It's hell being indispensible! But it can pay off! My bosses were so happy with my work that they sprang for a long weekend getaway at this really ritzy resort! Thing is, the reservations for two- so, do you have any really cute guy friends who are available for the weekend?" "Just one. There's this poor guy in the office who has it bad for this really cool market analyst, but can't see her more than once a week. And then she calls him up at the last minute, and asks him to drop all his plans and go running off to some resort! Does that sound like the kind of loser you'd take with you?" "Sounds perfect! Have the loser pick me up at my place at 4." "Getting an early start on the weekend?" "Hey, if he's up to it, he can sneak out of work at Noon, get over here and we can get a real early start on everything!", she purred. ***** Ben had rented a sports car for the weekend, but hadn't counted on Ronnie bringing along as much luggage as she did. In the street in front of her apartment building, he looked at the pile and the motorized skate board. He looked at his lady-love. She gave him a sweet, hopeful smile. He sighed resignedly and started seriously overloading the car. ***** They pulled in just as sunset was starting. Ben let the bellhops take the luggage up to the room, and tipped them double for their efforts. Ronnie remembered something she had seen in a movie once- the joke was that the first thing in a hotel room that mistresses check is the bed; the first thing that a wife checks is the bathroom. She checked the bathroom, and wondered what she was supposed to looking for. The second the bellhops were out the suite door, Ronnie leapt pantherishly on top of Ben, knocking him down onto the bed. Nose to nose, she purred, "You know, this is an outrage! The most expensive suite in the place, and the mattress is lumpy! Now what are we gonna do about that?" Ben grinned up at her. "Well, we could always try to flatten out the lumps..." "Ooohhh... Good idea!" ***** Despite their start, Ben and Ronnie didn't spend their entire week-end making blissful love. Indeed, they spent most of the time as normal vacationers- relaxing, playing sports, socializing, dancing, even having a little alone time. The best parts were where they did nothing, just kicking back in companionable silence. Those wonderful stretches where nothing is exchanged except for the occasional glance, reassuring yourself that the other is still there. Ben came back to the suite after a hard game of tennis, and found nobody there. He decided to clean up, and then go find his wandering lover. He came out of the shower, a towel wrapped around his middle, and noticed the cans of whipped cream on the floor. He looked up on the bed. Ronnie was kneeling there, looking very fetching with her hair up, wearing a white 'merry widow' corset that set off her complexion nicely, and matching garter and choker. With a wide-eyed ingenuous expression on her face, Ronnie slowly dipped a finger in the corset's 'frill' and scooped out a bit of the whiteness. She placed the dab into her mouth and cleaned the smudge off her lips with a slow tongue. The 'merry widow' was just a covering of whipped cream. Ben come over, bent over her and kissed her, being careful not to smudge the minor work of art, then he proceeded to 'undress' her with his tongue. ***** As the car was on the last leg of the trip back, Ronnie said, "I still don't understand why you made such a big thing about the strawberries." Ben copped a fruity faux-British accent. "My dear, when One eats strawberry preserves out of one's lady-love's labia, One simply does Not settle for cheap supermarket jelly. It simply ISN'T done." She giggled. "But you didn't have any such reservations when I poured Hershey's chocolate syrup over your cock and licked it clean, did you?" "Please, dear! Not while I'm driving!" ***** Raj got back at them by setting up Ronnie into starting an argument with Ben. It was a real knock-down-drag-out, no-hold-barred, hammer- and-tongs blow-out, with no surrender and no survivors. Ronnie flounced out, convinced that Ben was responsible, and Ben punched a hole in his wall, convinced that Ronnie was to blame. At first, Raj was delighted- the bimbo had the air knocked out of her and would be too busy crying into her teddy bear to stab him in the back again, while Caulder was stumbling around like a man half-dead. But after a week or so, the victory grew hollow. Telling himself that he was setting his bomb off too soon, Raj followed Caulder out of the building after work, and snapped the bracelet around his wrist. Surprised that she had been let out of the bottle, Veronica looked around. There was Ben! Ben paused, as if sensing something. He turned around, and saw Ronnie. Their eyes met. Ronnie said nothing, letting the pain in her eyes say everything. Wordlessly, they walked toward each other and clinched. Ronnie cried, and Ben kissed her tears away. They liberally traded apologies, forgiveness and kisses, wisely discarding irrelevancies such who was at fault. ***** The period before Ben and Ronnie's next date was very tense for Raj. He had to figure out how to get Ben to make that big commitment, the one that would set Caulder up for the big fall, without giving Veronica the power to just shut him out completely. And the worst thing was that he couldn't just sit down and thrash it out, because the enemy was living inside his head. Any plan that he might come up with, Veronica would know every detail of, and would try to sabotage. It would be best to keep it simple- let them have their stupid date, and just hope for the best. The important thing was that the Mayhew decision was just over a week away, and he had to pull the rug out from under Caulder soon. Then he saw the perfect bait. He bought the sappiest greeting card he could find, signed Veronica's name to it in her finicky handwriting, and mailed it to Caulder. Then he went home and waited for the inevitable phone call. It came. The minute that Caulder said those magic words, "I love you too," Raj snapped the bracelet on. Veronica, predictably overcome by emotion, rushed to the phone before Ben could hang up and started gushing over the line. She invited herself over to his place. She wanted to do as much as she could with Ben- it would either be the last time she could ever BE, let alone be with him, or it might make her strong enough to make Raj put on the bracelet for the fateful 13th time. It was either the last day of her life, or the doorway to a real life, uninterrupted by that idiot Raj's evil agenda. When Ben met her at the door, Ronnie greeted him with a big kiss. Since it was the last minute, they had chinese take-out, and talked on the couch. "So, when are you going to show me your-" she paused mischieviously, "- office?" "Ahhh, I don't think that that's such a good idea." She pulled away. "What? Are you ashamed of me?" He pulled her closer. "Of course not! Half of them think I'm bullshitting when I tell them how beautiful you are! I would love to show you off! But there's this one guy in my office, named Raj..." "Oh? A real asshole, hunh? Doesn't like black chicks dating white hunks, hmmm?" "Ahhh, no. It's kind of embarrassing." Both Raj and Ronnie were taken completely flat-footed by this. "How so?" They both wanted to know. "Weeelll... Y'see, it's kinda like this- did you ever know a kid in school, one you just couldn't get along with, no matter how hard you tried?" "Ah, yeah! I knew somebody like that." Actually, it was Raj, who had a history in school, of getting into one feud after another. It occurred to Ronnie that it seemed that Raj needed somebody to be fighting with, even more than he needed friends or a girl. How sad. "Well, it's like that; we get together, and we start sniping- and then we start bickering- and then we start name-calling. And then it gets nasty. I can't stop it and to be honest, I don't think that he can stop it either! Well, if he met you, three would get you ten that he would find some way of dragging you into the middle somehow. He'd call you a race-traitor or something, he'd accuse me of playing 'Massah' with a 'fancy girl', or something like that. OR he could try to woo you away from me, playing on every fear and insecurity you've got." "But he could never take me away from you!" Ben reached over and kissed her. "I know. But that wouldn't stop him from trying, and hurting you in the process. And all that is if he doesn't decide to just go after you as a way of getting to me. I couldn't stand it if he hurt you, because of me. And he could; we're Spin Doctors, and this is the kind of thing we handle, both on offense and defense." "But what does he have against you, Ben? What did you ever do to him?" "Well, not that he needs an excuse, but he and I are both up for this job handling PR for State Senator Mayhew, as he goes for a seat in Congress. I think Raj sees me as his only real competition, and he's right. It's big time, honey- the one who gets the Mayhew contract could ride his coat-tails to position, power and money." "So, what are you going to do about this?" Raj asked through Veronica's lips. "Me? Nothing. I don't want the Mayhew contract." "WHAT?!" Raj and Ronnie asked as one. "Sure! Mayhew is as political as you can get, and I don't like handling political accounts. I prefer doing corporate PR- simpler, less voliatile, better money, and your job isn't on the line every time the political winds change. Let Raj have it- he eats and breathes that political stuff anyway." "You're just going to hand this asshole this major job?" "Well, like I was saying before, he isn't really that big an asshole. From what I hear around the office, he's actually a pretty right guy, when we're not going at it like Kilkenney cats." This completely blew Raj away. So much of his life lately had been focused around hating Caulder, and refusing to let Caulder get ahead of him. To find out that not only didn't Caulder want the Mayhew account, but didn't spend the same amount of time hating him in return! He felt his grip starting to fade, as he asked through Veronica's lips, "So, why don't you just tell him that you don't want this account, and get him off your back?" "Tell Raj Lawrence that I don't want to fight? Please! He'd just start making 'greeks bearing gifts' noises, start looking for poison pills, and screw up the account. And if that happens, he'll be absolutely sure that I, Evil Mastermind that I am, set him up for a fall." Besides, _Let_ him think that he won the account over my battered and bleeding body! It's the only terms that he'd accept, anyway! Let him have the Mayhew account! I have enough work to keep me busy, the Mayhew account would keep him too busy to give me grief, and- best of All!- _I_ have _you_, m'dear." He gave her a peck on the lips. "Senator Mayhew isn't even in the running, in that contest." And lastly, I don't really dislike him that much. At least when he's not pushing my buttons!" Raj felt his reality crumble under his feet. His sureties of the moment faded, and he couldn't help but question the certainties that he had built his entire life on. Veronica felt total victory fall into her lap. All she had to do was be alive and prove her validity, and Raj would just slip into non-existence, betrayed by the hollowness of his preconceptions. Raj lived to rage against the world, and needed one opponent after another. She, on the other hand, was brought into the world to Love. Even if Love failed, she was real and sound enough to build a life that would suffice until Love returned. She jumped in the saddle. "Oh, so he pushes your buttons- like this?" She started jabbing him in the stomach with her forefingers, giggling. He naturally starting 'pushing her buttons' right back, until she collapsed laughing. He stretched over her, and the evening proceded as you might expect. ***** Raj woke up in his own bed. Veronica must have somehow had the stamina to get home and crash here. Then he felt something sharp between him and the mattress. He felt around and fished it out from under him. It was the charm bracelet. It must have fallen off of her wrist as she was sleeping. Careless, Veronica, very careless. Or maybe not. Veronica knew that she had won, and that whether she or Raj woke up in the morning, the bracelet wasn't going in an incinerator or down the toilet. Raj couldn't hide from the fact that he'd been a 14-carat dick from the word Go on this. He'd been wrong, and Veronica had been right. Veronica loved Caulder. No, don't fudge it, at least go out with a touch of class! Raj loved Ben. Veronica was really just a part of him, one that dealt with the feelings that he wasn't comfortable with. Well, let her. He was tired of being angry, and being macho and cool, and being an asshole. Time to let a little love into your life. Don't hide behind the mask of Veronica to do what you know has to be done. Because you love Ben, and neither of you is really cut out for a homosexual relationship, even if you could somehow sell Ben on it. He held up the Mermaid Lure. He vaguely wondered how a segmented metal doo-job could elicit such sensual loss and sweet sorrow. It was a lure indeed, only it was the fisherman who got caught. Well he was well and truly hooked. He'd fought, like any hooked fish. Now he was tired, and it was time to be reeled in. He might as well jump into the boat. He fastened the charm bracelet around his wrist for the 13th time. ***** Nothing happened. ***** Raj looked stunned at the bit of costume jewelry. He took it off and tried again. Nothing. Jesus Christ! He'd outsmarted himself again! The stupid thing really had had only 12 uses. He'd paranoided himself into thinking that any more would do strange things. Oh, GOD, what had he _done_? Ben would react _exactly_ has he had planned when Veronica just vanished off the face of the Earth! He'd be devastated! And he wouldn't just sit around and mope- he'd move heaven and Earth to try to find someone who didn't exist! He'd undoubtedly investigate, and the first thing he'd discover was that Veronica Leonard, not only didn't have any job or documentary history, but she had 'lived' in an apartment leased out to Roger Lawrence. Ben would have to be simpleminded _Not_ to suspect him! Again, he'd been so fucking busy being ruthless and clever, that he hadn't bothered to think the damn thing _through_! And no matter what he said yesterday, if Ben thought that Raj had had _Anything_ to do with Veronica's disappearance, he wouldn't just go Postal, he wouldn't even go Ballistic, he'd go totally _Thermo- Nuclear_! Raj found the jewelry box in a jacket pocket, and frantically tried to find a loophole. Damn! Nothing! If only the damn warning hadn't been so damn vague! You'd think a fucking Wizard would... The Wizard. He sold the thing, he must have made it, or at least have more like it! And he'd been so stubborn about trying to dance around Raj's attempt to get a guarantee that he wouldn't be permanently turned into a woman. There were stories- weird stories, but still. Maybe the Wizard had a thing about changing men into women. It was pretty thin, but it beat sitting around waiting for Ben to show up with a chainsaw! Raj dressed hurriedly, crammed the charm bracelet into his pocket and ran out the door. All during the taxi ride, he frantically tried to remember _exactly_ where the damn shop had been. When he got out at the address he gave the cabbie, the store was still there! He sent up a prayer of thanks to all Providential Spirits and Ministers of Grace, regardless of credo. Charm bracelet in his left hand, Raj pounded on the door, and slammed the flat of his hands against the diamond panes of glass on the window. ***** Inside the shop, Dannie looked out the window at the man who looked like he was about to break in the window. "Master, I think he's ready. Don't you think we should let him in, before the cops show up and cart him off?" The Wizard calmly pulled his pipe out of his mouth. "First things first, Dannie. We have this business to settle. Let him stew for a while. He deserves it for putting me through that stupid bit of haggling. And after all that horse-trading, he settles on the Mermaid Lure! Like everyone doesn't know the sad tale of the mermaid. The Merfolk chose to use Love as their weapon against the Men of the Land. But Love is a web which entangles both spider and fly. So, the Sea lost as many daughters to the Land as the Land lost sons to the Sea, and the Merfolk died out, as their daughters left, one by one. You cannot cause Love, without falling in love. He forgot that as she became Ben's perfect mate, Ben became her perfect mate." The Wizard looked at the harried man desperately pounding at the glass. "But I think he's figured that out." #################################### Hold on now, none-too-gentle reader! You aren't going to just get away with simply observing this situation and walking away with clean hands, as you so often do! No, this time, I am going to force you to either accept responsibility for what happens here, or go away not knowing how it ends. Either you make it happen, or it doesn't happen, and it remains forever in the formless realm of unresolved possibility. It is time to admit your guilt in an unspoken conspiracy of evil with Authors. In all Creation, is there a being more evil than an Author? For there to be drama, there must be conflict. And for there to be conflict, there must be a villian, who must be created for the sole purpose of evil. Shakespeare is ultimately responsible for the depredations of Iago, Shylock and Macbeth, because who brought them forth in the first place? Agatha Christie killed hundreds of people in her books, just to show how clever her favorites -Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple- were. Not only did she kill them, she gave these poor, wretched murder victims life in the first place, just so they could die! Let's not even mention that poor ass in The Mouse Trap, who's been killed, over and over, six times a week (not counting matinees) for over sixty years! George Lucas created the entire world of Tantooine, with it's entire population and culture, just to exist on-screen for 15 seconds before being blown up by the Death Star! How Evil is that? And then there are those ruthless incompetents, who will recklessly thrust a character Past the Vale, then bring them back, only to kill them again in a different way. Then they resurrect them again, only to kill them over and over while they try to make up what passes for their mind. A word- processor in the hands of an amateur is more dangerous than a nuclear device in the hands of an 11 year old. Yes, Authors are Evil. But you are their eager accomplice. Authors only make these atrocities possible- you who read these stories make them real. By observing them, you remove them from the abstract, and give them a reality, however fleeting. And you remember, putting shackles on the fleeting. Who am I to accuse you? I am the Man who belled Schroedigger's Cat, who loaded the dice that God plays with, who put a toll-booth on Frost's Road Not Taken, and knows how far it is to Avalon, in miles, yards, inches and feet, whether by candle-light or by bus. I am He who folds the planes of reality like paper into origami (and not those penny-ante swans, either!), and plucks the strings of Fate like a harp. Oh, I'm losing you. Okay, I'm the Spells 'R' Us Wizard. By the Higher Powers, how I hate that title! It makes it sound like I should offer a side order of meta- physical fries with every logic sandwich. Yes, I see you, all of you, out there with your eyes shining in the dark haze of probability, like animals in the jungle. I have always known you were there. How? Well, if you don't know, go back and read the stories again. I'll be waiting right here. So, to resume. You have read this story, and all together we have come to an important point, where what I decide could send the people involved in three very different directions. _NO_. Not THIS time. This time, the blood (so to speak. don't worry, it won't be messy) will be on _your_ hands. We will travel down each of the three paths, and _you_ will on some level accept one of them as True, and the others as Untrue. YOU will make it real, not me. And you will have to be responsible for what you make real. ################################ FIRST AND FOREMOST- The shop door opened, and an Azure-striped slime beast oozed out. Raj couldn't help but wonder what that had asked for. He hurried to the counter, and dropped the charm bracelet in front of the sweet young brunette who had been so sympathetic the last time. As he opened his mouth to speak, the Wizard pushed his apprentice to the side, took her place and leaned over, resting his elbows on the counter, with a wide snarky grin around the odd high dome-lidded pipe clenched in his teeth. "Good Morning, Mister Lawrence- or Miss Leonard- or, whatever. What will it be? A recharge? The Higher Powers know it couldn't be a permanent change, after all! Not after you making perfectly clear, time after time, ad nauseum, that you didn't wan't any possibility of a permanent change, maybe a Veronica Leonard blow-up doll that you could use as a decoy? A signed death certificate saying that Veronica Leonard was hit by an interstate bus and carried across state lines? A letter from Veronica stating that she was a novice nun in a really strict order, and that while she'll always treasure her time with him, she must return to the convent, or else?" Raj willed himself to be calm. In the most level, controlled voice he could muster, he said, "I'm sorry. You were right, and I was wrong. I was presumptuous and insulting of your obvious wisdom. I apologize. I will pay whatever you think appropriate, if you change me permanently into Veronica Leonard, so that I can be with the man that I love." The Old Man beamed vindictively over the counter at his customer. "As J. R. R. Tolkien said, 'Do not trifle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle, and quick to anger'. Still, kid, I gotta admit that was a first rate grovel- abject, to the point, and hit all the issues right on the head, without getting slobbery. When most people grovel, they get slobbery- I hate that." The Wizard took a deep puff from his pipe and blew a silvery stream of smoke at Raj, that coalesced into a female shape that caressed the younger man's cheek before fading into vapors. "Ah, wotthehell-" The Wizard picked up the charm bracelet and wrapped it around Raj's left wrist. Then, making a circle with his thumb and middle finger, he gave the Mermaid Lure a powerful flick of his finger. The Lure chimed like a bell, emitting a soft, silvery tone, that started out sensual, but somehow faded to a bittersweet sorrow. Raj felt the now familiar shifting of body, face, hair and clothes. When his form felt stable, he looked down at himself- or herself, should I say. Her body was once again the curvaceous form of Veronica Leonard. She was dressed for shopping, and she had her purse by her side. She ran her hands over her hips, her breasts and then her face and hair. It was all as it was supposed to be. She gave a loud 'YES!' of joy. She was Veronica again, now and forever! "Aaahhh, not quite." The Wizard's expression became more business- like. "A few things that you're going to have to understand. Listen up, 'cause I'm not gonna repeat myself." First- this is the end of the line for the magic gravy train. When you leave here, you will be Veronica Leonard, and several changes in the world will have been made to accommodate that change. Your records have changed to show that you have always been Veronica. You now have a background in market analysis, instead of public relations, and you've never worked at Quentin & Collins. The clothing and accessories in your apartment-which is now in Veronica's name- have been changed into their feminine counter-parts. You had a family, who died in a plane crash that happened about seven years ago." Roger Lawrence, on the other hand, has just upped and disappeared. No alterations to erase him were made; his friends and family will think that something has happened to him, and they will _not_ believe you if you say that you were him once upon a time." Past that- nothing. No more being able to hide behind Roger. No more having Roger pay the bills. No more having the magic dress you and make you up. No more having the magic upgrade your reservations- which by the way are being charged to your credit cards, which have Roger's old balance. From now on, you are thoroughly mundane." "Will Ben still remember me?" "Of course! His recollections won't be changed a jot! He still adores you, and seriously thinks of making some kind of formal commitment. Of course, he- like everyone else- will wonder what happened to his old sparring partner." Second- From now on, you are FEMALE! You will experience all the cramps, PMS, backaches, swelling, and personal, social and business inconveniences of being a female. There is a good chance that if you have unprotected sex, you may catch a sexually transmitted disease, or get pregnant. Also, while you will age gracefully if you take care of yourself and get regular exercise, if you keep pigging out like you did at that resort, you will get FAT!" Third, and most important- This is _Not_ permanent. This is a one-shot recharge of the Mermaid Lure. If you take off that charm bracelet, all the magic will be undone, and can never be re-done." He stuck his pipe in his mouth and a look of mercantile calculation slid over his face. "Of course, I _could_ be persuaded to part with this-" He held up a bracelet charm made of iridescent glass, in the form of a butterfly. "- which will make the change permanent." He held the charm high, and let it spin before her entranced features. "What am I bid?" Veronica leaned over, looked him square in the eye, and said in a voice that brooked no nonsense, "If you say _anything_ about a first-born child, I will reach down your throat, rip out your tongue, and hang you from the rafters with it." The Wizard threw back his head and roared with laughter. "By the Powers! Newly minted woman or not, you're one of the good ones! I wish more of my clients turned out like you. Unfortunately, the simper factor is pretty high. *sigh* Okay, let's see what we have here..." He looked over her face, then her chest (no, not there! Okay, but just for a moment!), and followed a line down her left arm to her hand. No, to her wrist! He turned the charm bracelet. "Oh, here we have something!" On the chain was a new charm. This new charm took the form of a snarling golden snake's head, with red crystals for eyes. "Ahhhh... This I can make you an offer for! It's the manifestation of your rage. I'm impressed! By the size of it, your rage must have been a major facet of your personality. Yet you've separated it from yourself, and stored it here. But, if I take it, then I might completely remove that wonderful fire of yours, and leave you a sniveling wimp. Wait-" His thumb moved the snakeshead charm aside, revealing another, much smaller one. "-not to worry. By the Powers, you were one permanently pissed off person! If I leave this smaller charm, you should have enough fire to keep you sassy, while taking the larger one should stop the flames shooting out of your mouth." He stuck out a hand. "Is it a deal? A straight swap, this charm-" He held up the butterfly, "-for that one?" He pointed to the larger snakeshead. She grabbed his hand, and with a businesswoman's smile, pumped it vigorously three times. "Done and done!" The assistant came from the back room, wearing a welder's apron and mask, and carrying thick gloves, a pair of blacksmith's tongs, and a thick metal jar. She set the jar on the counter and pulled on the gloves. She lowered the mask and carefully picked up the tongs. Using the tongs, she gingerly pulled the large snakeshead charm from the bracelet, and dropped it in the jar. As the charm entered the jar, it gave a sharp sound that was somewhere between a jaguar screaming and a stream of molten lava hitting cold water. The assistant carried the jar to the back room, muttering something about a thicker jar. "A deal is a deal." The Wizard dropped the charm into her anxiously waiting hand. Half-way between his hand and hers, the butterfly charm turned into a real butterfly with polychromatic wings, which fluttered towards the open door. "RUN, Miss Leonard!" The Old Man shouted, "You can catch it if you really try!" Veronica charged purposefully after the fluttering lynch-pin of her future. She was out the door, and gaining ground on it, when she ran into someone. She hit hard, and was thrown to the ground. Almost immediately, she was on her feet, and looking around for the butterfly. But it was nowhere to be seen. She turned to the person she ran into and said, "The Butterfly! Did you see where it went?" "Ronnie, what are you talking about?" She snapped out of her hunting mode to recognize Ben. "The Butterfly- I have to..." She looked around again, but there was absolutely no clue. She'd lost it. Her chance at happiness had disappeared with it. She began to weep softly. "Oh, never mind- I could never explain..." Ben turned as red as his ginger hair. "Jeez, Ronnie! I'm sorry! Was it that important?" Ronnie just shook her head sadly. He could never understand. "MAN! I feel silly, but the thing is I just bought you a butterfly. I know it's not the same thing, but I hope it makes you feel a little better-" He held out the very same butterfly charm. "WHERE did you get this?" she goggled. "Oh, in this weird little store right over there- hey, I thought it was right over there..." She looked at the precious charm. "For me?" She looked up into his eyes hopefully. "Of course. That silly mermaid charm was the first thing I noticed about you, and I thought it was strange that you were always wearing it, but only with that one charm- oh, you got another one!" "Well, I only got this bracelet recently, and that was the only charm I found that I wanted to be carrying around. Until now. This snake is... meaningful, and that-" looking intently at the butterfly charm, and then meltingly at him, "-is special." "May I?" "Of course!" He slipped the charm onto the bracelet. Was it only a trick of the morning sunlight that made the iridecent butterfly shine like a reflection of the First Morning of Creation? No, Veronica felt that subtle change that she knew was the magic making her V