Tanya browsed the various curios, not sure what she should get her mom for her birthday. Her mother was into the older sort of stuff that the antique shop carried and wanting to get her something special, she approached a shelf holding jewellery boxes and other assorted smalled boxes. Examing each one, seeing one with a key tied to the one drawer, Tanya peered at the tag that said the thing was about twenty five dollars. Counting out the money she'd brought with, and finding she would have just enough, she took the box off the shelf and headed up to the front of the store, where she made her purchase, had it wrapped in brown paper, and placed in a paper bag.
Outside, after the coolness of the store, the sweltering August summer day made her pause. Feeling the sweat already starting to form on her head and other parts of her body, the sixteen-year-old girl stepped away from the shop and quickly headed down the sidewalk toward the nearest bus stop. Home, she found her fourteen-year-old brother, Chris, shooting hoops, preparing for the upcoming school year, when he'd likely make the basketball team again. Wanting to stop and play a quick pick up game with him, as basketball was still the one of the few common interests they shared, Tanya figured it could wait. Heading into the house, she made her way to the back and into her room. Kicking off her sandals and shutting her bedroom door, she set her purchase on her bed before heading for the closet, where she spent the next couple minutes looking for some wrapping paper.
After she had found it, she debated whether to wrap the gift still in the brown paper or take it out and use the brown paper for something else. Deciding to use it for something else, she took from the bag to present for her mom. Taking it out of the brown paper, she was about to start measuring the wrapping paper she paused when she heard something inside rattling.
Fearful that the jewellery box had broke at some point during the trip home, Tanya examined the outside, the took the key and unlocked the top. Opening it, she was surprised to find a faded necklace inside that looked like it might be made of copper. Certain the box had been empty, she lifted the bronze coloured necklace out. Seeing the horrible image stamped on it, she made a face, muttered, "No way I can give mom this. She'll think its pornagraphic," and flipping it over, she read the word Zulo on the other side.
"Is that like a maker's stamp or something," Tanya wondered aloud and thinking about taking it back to the store and explaining she had found it, she instead stood and headed for her desk.
There, she booted up her Mac and as she listened to the sound of a basketball being dribbled, hitting a backboard, and swishing through a net, she began to run a quick internet scan. Trying various key words searchs, she was disappointed that most of what she got back was either malarky or badly written stories. Trying again, it took her some time before she found what seemed to be possibly credible website. Clicking on the link, she was taken to a site that seemed to have been built by someone with the user name of Boucher, who talked about dreams they had once had when they were younger, and sited sources that backed up claims that the dreams might have been real. Scrolling down, she read a bit on what they had to say, including how they explained the thing was cursed. Going back up and clicking on one of the links, she quickly scanned the information, not sure she believed what she was reading, backed up, went to another site and read pretty much the same thing.
A quick, skeptical glance at the necklace and her brow still furrowed, Tanya found she had a hard time believing that the thing could change a person into another person, or an animal, could change their sex, that it had a window of twelve hours before it could be used again, and often had a habit of disappearing. Drumming her fingers on the desk, she was tempted to simply chuck the thing in the waste bin next to her desk.
"Especially if the thing is cursed, like the one person claimed," she reasoned aloud and reaching for it, she switched course when the phone on her desk began to ring.
Answering it, "Newman residence, Tanya speaking," she listened as the voice of her best friend, Nancy, began to hurridly explain, "We have a problem. Our summer league game for day is going to be cancelled, which means we'll be out of the running for the finals, which means we lose our chance at the trophy, again."
Alarmed by what she was hearing, Tanya sat up straighter and sputtered, "Wait. What?!" then squaked out, "What do you mean?"
"It's Aimee," Nancy replied despondantly. "She broke her leg yesterday. I only learned about it today. And after talking to coach Sara, if we can't find someone to replace her for the last couple games, since Aimee will be out for the rest of the season, we'll have to forfeit."
Tanya curse, "Dammit," then hissed, "And after all we had done to get this far," to which Nancy said, "Yeah, I know. This blows," and as Tanya leaned back in her deskchair, thinking, she listened as Nancy tossed out a couple ideas, then asked if she knew anybody who could sub for Aimee.
At first, she was tempted to say no. But her eyes drifting to the necklace, and recalling what she had read, Tanya began to drum her fingers on her desk again, thinking. Hearing Chris still outside in the driveway, an idea started to come to her and when she heard a pause in the conversation, Tanya explained, "Let me get back to you. I might have any idea," to which Nancy said, "I hope it's a good one. I don't want to blow our chance of winning, again."
"Neither do I," Tanay said and saying, "I call you in about an hour or so if I can come up with anything," she bid her friend goodbye and hung up.
The idea starting to unfold more and more, she wondered if it would even work. Muttering, "And then there is the question of if he'll go along with it," she stood and headed to the front of the house. Barefoot, the hot cement walkway stinging her feet, Tanya hurried toward the driveway, where she waved to get her brother's attention. When she had it, she watched him stop, tuck the basketball under his arm and as he approached, she called out, "Can I talk to you for a minute?" to which he nodded, giving her his usual, easy-going look as he did so, and then set the ball down in the grass.
Not sure what she should say, Tanya said, "Lets go inside," which Chris agreed by saying, "Sure. I was going to get something to drink anyway."
Inside, after Chris had gotten a glass of water, they sat down at the table. Figuring the best thing was to lay it all out, she began to explain her conversation with Nancy, who Tanya knew her brother had a crush on, before telling Chris her idea. Finishing, she sat back and waited to see what Chris would say, thinking as she did she could already guess just by the look on his face.