“Nineteen,” Laura whispered. “I’m only nineteen now. This...this can’t be happening.” Laura looked at her reflection in the rear view mirror. The efface in the mirror was hers but one she hadn’t seen in almost 25 years. Laura’s face was smooth, unlined, and innocent, her clear blue eyes looked fearful while her chocolate brown hair cascaded down past her shoulders framing her face. Laura reached for the mirror touching it in disbelief.
“Laura,” Kaitlin croaked. A stunned Laura turned to look at Kaitlin. Kaitlin was now just a young woman of 20. Honey bling hair fell to her mid back, her clothing sagged on her body the blouse and skirt appearing several sizes too large. As she looked herself over Laura realized they didn’t look like professional women, they looked like two college kids applying for an internship.
“Kaitlin,” she said thickly. “How...how did that happen?”
Kaitlin wipe her eyes as she stared down at her youthful hands. “Those dice Laura,” she whispered. “They did this. That breeze, the box opening,those dice wanted to be rolled. Now...now we’re....we’re....”
“College kids,” Laura mumbled. Both women shivered slightly thinking of the ramifications of what occurred. Trying to continue their jobs would be difficult at this point, trying to continue their old lives would be difficult now. The clothing they possessed was made for women twice their age, for women with agult curves. What no one ever appreciates in their youth is how skinny one is when they begin college. Kaitlin and Laura were realizing this now, the blouses and skirts the women wore were loose and sagging on their narrower frames. The women’s hips had contracted meaning the skirts barely hung to their bodies at this point. Both women found they needed to hold a hand on the offending item. As the two looked down at their pantyhose the gravity of the situation was made crystal clear.
Both women noticed wrinkles and extra material in their pantyhose. Absentmindedly the two pulled at the extra material in shock. While at first mystified they began to wrap their minds around the problem. The extra weight and curves they had put on over the years had been wiped away. It was something no one would think of but at this age their legs were now lean, possessing less of the adult curves they were used to.
Laura silently started the car, driving away from the rest stop. Looking backwards she had the odd feeling of if she was leaving something behind. The two women had another hour left in their journey, they just needed to survive another hour and then hopefully this nightmare would be over. Kaitlin and Laura didn’t say a word as they drove giving Laura ample time to think. She thought back to what things were like the first time she was 19. Laura was finally away from home then and went a little wild. During that time she finally branches out, becoming a bit of a social butterfly and finally losing her virginity. She shuddered at the thought that she had regained her virginity, she wasn’t sure now out for her it was the last vestiges of adulthood that she had left.
The hour seemed to pass too quickly as Laura pulled off the highway. Laura had goggled directions to the shop discovering a small store located in a strip mall. Parking in front of the store Kaitlin slowly got out and approached. Laura watched in eager anticipation but she already knew what the answer was as Kaitlin’s shoulder slumped. Slowly Kaitlin shuffled back towards the car holding her clothing in place. “They’re closed,” she grumbled. “Store doesn’t open til 9a.m”
Laura nodded stiffly before glancing at her friend. “I think there’s a hotel nearby,” She’s said. “Want to split a room?” For the first time in more than an hour Kaitlin smirked and nodded.
Laura and Kaitlin were able to rent a room for the night without too much of an issue. The woman at the front desk gave them a room however both women could see her looking them over. At first the two were puzzled by this before they realized they looked like two college kids. Laura and Kaitlin realized their appearance meant people often would assume they were up to no good. As they entered the room both women sighed, kicking away their heels so that they now stood in their ill fitting pantyhose.
“I need a shower BAD,” Kaitlin sighed. “Same,”Laura mumbled. The two looked around the small room noticing the two beds , t.v. and dresser. Laura had thankfully done some laundry at the laundromat the previous day. Never had Laura been so thankful to have her washer breakdown as she looked through her bag. The clothing while still baggy would at least allow the two to change.
“Laura,”Kaitlin whispered. “I’m...I’m really scared now. The dice they won’t stop. The magic in them caused that last roll didn’t it.”
“I’m pretty sure,” Laura said. “They...they want us to keep rolling. We just need to stick together til we can return them Kaitlin. After that we’re going to have to figure out what to do.”
Showering and dressing in sweats and sweatshirts the two women gazed at their reflections in muted silence. The women looked so young now. They were just two colleg girl she now on a road trip, a fate neither one seemed to want to embrace. “We’re going to fix this Kaitlin I promise,” Laura stated hugging her friend. Kaitlin smiled and nodded squeezing her friend tightly. “I know Laura,” she whispered. “And I know we can do this.....let’s...let’s just get some sleep okay?”
Padding over to their respectivel beds Laura and Kaitlin climbed into their beds. They had secured the dice as best they could in the nightstand and could only hope they wouldn’t roll again. As they began to drift off to sleep they prayed that tomorrow morning this nightmare would finally come to An end.