"Well, that was certainly interesting" James eventually spoke after the confused silence that followed when he and Nicola had left the shop.
"I know, right?" Nicola agreed "I'm offended she must have thought we looked dumb enough to fall for that crap. How much was that stocking filler supposed to be worth anyway? I'd have given the fiver it would have cost to replace if she'd asked fot it"
"Yeah, maybe she's just struggling for money or something" James speculated "it's not like there would be much of a market for that kind of thing around here"
"Yeah possibly" Nicola semi agreed "Anyway, back to the grind. How is your afternoon looking?"
"Busy" James sighed "I've got pointless back to back meetings again. Seriously, I wish I didn't have to work"
"Yeah, I know what you mean. You want to have a drink afterwards then to commiserate? James? James!!!"
Nicola turned round in shock to see that she was now alone. A few feet behind her in a heap on the floor was a pile of what her friend had been wearing.
"What the fuck!" Nicola scooped up James' discarded clothes and searched them for any sign of her colleague but he wasn't there. She almost felt like passing out when she remembered what he had said just before he had vanished and what the magic shop owner had told them before that. Had they actually been cursed?
Under any normal circumstances Nicola would have doubted her sanity for even considering the possibility. But James had wished he didn't have to work and all of a sudden there was no sign of him whatsoever. There was no logical explanation. So, if his wish to not work had been corrupted where and what was James noe? He could have been taken anywhere and turned into almost anything to fulfill that requirement. Trying to remain as calm and collected as she could, Nicola turned and walked quickly back towards the magic shop.
Meanwhile, a shocked and disoriented James had reappeared as..