Kimberly set the ornate chest down on the coffee table and sat on the couch.
"This box" she said, "is magical. It will give us random artifacts that will transform us in some way. Physically, mentally, whatever you could imagine."
The other girls sat there silently for a moment. Jessica merely looked confused at this explanation. Sarah (as Kim had expected) was staring with newfound awe at the box, those few words already enough to sell her on its capabilities. Skye's face was filled with disbelief.
"Magic?" she said, a note of derision in her voice, "I didn't think my wine was that strong."
"No really!" Kimberly said earnestly, "I stumbled across this strange store at the mall. It was full of all sorts of strange relics. It's owner was an actual Wizard....I'm serious!" she continued as Skye started to giggle.
"Look" said the party girl, "If you couldn't find something for the trip that's fine, but you could have thought up a better trick to pull on us than this. I mean magic? Let's see some proof!"
Sarah and Jessica pulled their eyes off of the polished gold and intricate carvings to stare at her expectantly.
Kimberly thought for a moment. She could have the box summon an item for herself, but the changes might take some time before the girls noticed. She needed something now...
With a realization that made her want to smack her forehead, she remembered her other magical items. Kimberly unlaced her shoes, freeing her socked feet and propping them up on the ottoman. She had changed them back to simple black socks at this point.
"Focus on these." she said, wiggling her toes.
"Uh what?" said Jessica, looking a little wary of Kim now.
Sarah said nothing, she was carefully eyeing Kimmy's feet.
"Guys I think she's lost it." Skye said, concern working into her voice, "Or she's got some good stuff stashed away that she hasn't been shar...whoa!?"
Kimberly hadn't been listening to them. Instead she had been focusing on the socks. In the middle of Skye's words, the socks abruptly changed to a bright neon pink.
Sarah clapped her hands together excitedly. Jessica's mouth merely dropped open.
"What the fuck!?" said Skye, turning to the others, "Tell me you guys saw that too?"
Sarah and Jessica merely nodded.
Jessica spoke up, "How did you do that Kimmy?"
Kimberly merely smirked and said, "Magic, just like I told you. The wizard gave me these as a gift." As she said this she focused back on the socks. They started to hug her feet more tightly, wrapping snugly around each toe, becoming toe socks right before the other girls' astounded eyes. She wiggled them again in triumph.
"See?" she said, throwing a pointed look at Skye, "Not so crazy now hhmm?"
The usually talkative girl was now silent, her eyes flicking between Kim's feet and the chest on the table.
Jessica was smirking now, she was beginning to wrap her mind around the idea of real magic.
Sarah was beaming at her, "This is awesome! I can't wait to start!"
Kimberly smiled back, she knew Sarah would want to dive right in.
"Alright hold on." Jessica said, looking her in the eyes. "Start over from the beginning."
"Yeah" said Skye, "I'd like to hear it."
Kimberly then told them of yesterday's strange events. Her desperate search for a fun activity, the strange store, the mind sucking orb, the store's owner, the magic box and then finally the headband.
"So wait..." said Jessica, "...you spent most of last night as a sexed up Alice in Wonderland? All because of a headband?"
"So that's why you sounded weird last night!" said Sarah exictedly, "I knew it wasn't allergies!"
"And you said it felt good?" said Skye, "How good exactly?"
Kimberly blushed and looked away before mumbling, "You can't even imagine...but I can't be sure every change will be like that. The relics this box can conjure up are random, or so the wizard said. Some changes could feel good, some strange and others maybe painful."
The others pondered this for a moment.
"I don't care" said Sarah, eyes alight with curiosity, "I'm not gonna pass up the chance to try actual magic." she turned to Skye and Jessica, "You guys in?"
"I sure as hell am." said Jessica giggling madly, "Let's get weird with it!"
Kimberly turned to Skye. "And how about you miss "down to party"? You in?"
Skye didn't look at her immediately. Kimberly followed her gaze and noticed that her eyes were roving over Kimberly's sock clad feet. For some reason, Kimberly felt her stomach not unpleasantly when she saw this. Finally Skye turned her head up to face her.
"Calling me out?" she said, mischievously. She turned to the other two. sticking her tongue out at them briefly, "I bet I could handle it better than these two nerds."
Sarah and Jessica rolled their eyes simultaneously.
"I guess that's that then." said Kimberly, "Let's get this show going."
She briefly explained the rules of the box to the other girls. How the red summoning and green banishing buttons worked, how the item and changes were random, how you might not even know what the item's changes would be before using it and...
"...to never mix our items together...ever." finished Kimberly ominously, "Otherwise, weird shit could happen. Dangerous even."
Skye pursed her lips, "Weirder than pin-up Alice in Wonderland? C,mon let's summon our items."
With that, Skye leaned forward and pressed the square, ruby button. As she did so, a low hum seemed to emanate from the box. The ruby glowed red, it's light spreading out into the runes and patterns carved into the chest. With a small crackle of energy, the lights coalesced back around the button. The light and humming slowly faded and latches holding the chest closed popped open.
Skye looked around towards the other girls for a second before cautiously opening the lid and reaching inside. A small of confusion passed over her face as she pulled out a pair of small starfish earrings.
"What do these do?" she asked aloud.
"Was there a note in there with them?" said Jessica.
Skye reached in again for a second, "Nope, looks like I'll just have to figure it out myself. Looks ocean themed though." With that, she took out her diamond studs and replaced them with the new earrings.
Just as she pinned the second one in, the latches on the chest snapped shut of their own accord. The chest was ready for the next user.
"I guess I'll go next." said Jessica. She pressed the ruby button. The chest hummed and glowed once again before the latches sprung open. Jess reached in and pulled out what looked to be a simple leather armband emblazoned with an iron Celtic Knot. A small note was tied to it. Jessica read it aloud. "Who so ever wears this band, shall find themselves more in tune with the natural world." She looked at Kimberly, nonplussed, "If it's gonna bother with a note, the chest could be a little less cryptic." She slide the band up her right arm, it fit her perfectly. The chest's latches snapped shut.
"My turn!" said Sarah, her excitement outweighing her polite desire to let everyone else go first. She pressed the button and the box summoned another relic. Sarah reached in and pulled out...a flask of liquor? Sarah peered at the label. "Pleasure Island Brew: Let your Wild Side out!" her confused face looked up at the other girls. "Not quite what I was expecting." Sarah said. Then her face lit up with renewed fervor, "But I'll give it a shot! If a simple headband did all that stuff to you yesterday I'm sure this'll be cool too!" She set the flask down on the table and the latches on the box swung shut again.
That just left Kimberly get her item. She quickly pressed the button and the box did its usual song and dance. Kimberly pulled out a note and a leather cord necklace that had what looked to be a yellow crystal shaped to look like a banana hanging from it. She read the note to herself: 'While wearing this necklace, the more monkey-like shall you become. Beware of fruit, for it might intensify the effects."
Kimberly smirked to herself as she read it. This should be fun, she thought to herself.
"What's it do?" said Jess.
"Oh I'm sure you guys will see soon enough." said Kimberly with a wink. She tossed the note back into the chest and then put the necklace on. She felt a small tingle of pleasure ripple through her and heard the latches on the chest snap shut for a final time.
"Well..." said Skye, "What do we do now?"
"Now," replied Kimberly, "We relax here like we planned to do and enjoy the changes as they come." She looked at a clock on the wall. "It's getting pretty late and I'm still tired from the drive so I'm gonna head to bed."
"Me too." said Sarah, "Though I hope these changes aren't too distracting for us to play my board games!"
"Right..." said Skye, "That's the priority haha." She yawned and stretched, "I'm gonna shower first, I feel kinda dried out. I'll see you guys tomorrow."
They all got up and started heading for their respective rooms. Kimberly played around with the necklace as she changed into some shorts and a tank top. She eyed her socks and decided to keep them on. She slid under the sheets of her bed and stretched herself out. It had been a long day, and she was ready for a new round of transformations. She rubbed her socked feet together, familiar tingles ran through her soles along with a strange tightness. Her feet felt quite snug. She curled her toes and heard a dull crack and suddenly the pressure was released along with a small wave of tingles.
"Ahhh..." she said, as her hand snuck down beneath her shorts and began rubbing slowly. "This is gonna be fun..."
Slowly, Kimberly drifted off to sleep, mind alight with ideas on what the new day would bring.