The die flipped onto a 3 before the dice melted into uselessness, the scent of melted plastic filling the area.
The ethereal woman appeared again, and smiled at Laura.
“Greetings,” the woman said. “I am the spirit of die. A spirit of youth. You have rolled the die and taken possession of them. For releasing me I shall return from you that which has been lost. Three years shall be returned to you. Once you were 12, now you are 9. And now I am free. Free! Goodbye, young ones. Enjoy your new lives, such as they are!"
Laura felt herself shrinking, dwindling, as she was reduced to a girl of nine. She now stood 4 and a half feet tall. Her pants slid right down her legs, and she felt her shirt become ridiculously baggy on her slight frame.
"Well...fuck. Now what do we do?" Laura looked to her tiny friend.
"Get out of here!"
The two retrieved their clothes, as useless as those were now, and scampered out the back door of the shop, into a maintenance hallway. Noticing a ladder, the two climbed up into a loft space, just below the roof. It was dusty, and it didn't look like anyone had been here in a long while. The two girls huddled together for warmth, Kaitlin wrapped in her now gigantic shirt. They were right next to a very large ventilation shaft, and the duct was nearby- this space was obviously meant to access the shaft. The only other things up here were some old tools, and an ancient portable radio, as well as some empty beer bottles.
"Looks like there was a party up here, once." Kaitlin sighed. "I have no idea what to do now. Other than the money we have, that's it. Nobody will believe us if we try to claim we're adults. Our old lives are over. Maybe we should turn ourselves in. We'll get put in foster care, but maybe we'll be adopted?"
Laura shook her head. "You might be, you're little and cute. Me? I'm just about half grown and tall. I'd be stuck in the system for years. But...I don't have any other options."
"If we can survive until Monday, there's still the store. I mean, they had magic dice, maybe they have something...something that can cure us." Kaitlin sounded so young, and on the verge of tears, that Laura's heart melted. She hugged her friend tightly, and kissed her on the forehead.
"Maybe. But I promise you this, I'm going to be your big sister from now on. I'll protect you, and I'll never leave you. Ok?"
Kaitlin seemed reassured by this. "Thanks...Big Sis." She snuggled into Laura's arms. "Hey. This is the worst time, but I figure you should know."
Laura looked down at her adopted little sister. "Know what?"
"It's going to sound weird, but...I've always had a crush on you. Bet you didn't know that, I like girls as well as boys...but it's always been hard to hook up with a girl. So I stopped trying. And our firm wouldn't approve if it was found out."
Laura blinked. "Wait...no way. I was so much older than you!"
"Yeah, well, it's just...you had your shit together, and you were so confident at work. Sure, maybe you were a little frumpy, but that's nothing some time at the gym couldn't cure...and...well I'm just saying, I had...some fantasies."
The smaller girl paused. "Not that it matters now, we're both too young to do anything. Even if you wanted to."
Seeing her 'Little Sis' looking depressed, Laura kissed her on the forehead again. "Honestly, I'm surprised, but flattered. I never thought you felt this way. I...I never acted on it, but I had...urges. About women. Um...even about you."
Kaitlin looked at her, eyes wide. "No way!"
"You were so pretty, and sometimes...sometimes it felt like you were maybe flirting with me. I guess maybe you were, but...I never believed...never dreamed. Anyways, after that time I saw you in your underwear, you know, after the New Year's party?"
"The one I got super drunk at, and you had to drive me home from?" Kaitlin was still shocked.
"Yeah. Um. When I went home that night, well, my husband was out of town for that convention, and I felt really lonely. So I...I imagined that I stayed at your place, and...one thing led to another...and....um..." Laura blushed furiously. "I know this will sound creepy, but I touched myself. Thinking about you. Um...more than once."
"Well...fuck me. Ha! I wish. Damn it, Laura...if you'd only stayed, that would have totally happened. Or I'd have thrown up on you. But..." She sighed again. "Fuck. It doesn't matter now. Who'd want to have sex with me? Some depraved person, maybe."
Laura kissed her friend then, on the lips. "Then call me depraved."
"Oh...hell...we...really...shouldn't..." Kaitlyn trailed off.