"So ladies," Susan grinned. "Care to grab a drink?" Laura and Christine glanced at one another before a small grin spread across their faces. A drink definitely sounded good, their was just one problem. "What do we do with her," Christine asked.
"I suppose we could put her down for a nap," Susan shrugged. The two young women nodded, it made the most sense. Still, Laura did have a concern. "What about the dice," she asked. "They're still connected to you. What happens if they accidentally roll while we're at the bar. You could quickly end up much younger than you wanted."
Susan paused, Laura had a point. Being 31 was one thing but what would happen if the dice kept rolling? Would she end up 21? Perhaps 13? What if she ended up 3 or even younger than Julia? Susan shuddered at the thought. "What happens if we give the dice away?"
"Then someone else would have to deal with it and they would be in the same boat we are," Laura stated. Susan frowned, while that was the easiest answer, she did not want to force this onto another unsuspecting victim. Slowly, an idea began to form in her head. Quickly scanning the room over, Susan smiled as she spotted a heavy looking fire extinguisher attached to the wall.
Grabbing the fire extinguisher Susan now quickly made her way to the dice. "What are you doing," Laura exclaimed, Susan not giving an answer as she now forcefully brought the extinguisher down upon the dice.
A loud crunch now rang out throughout the cabin. Laura and Christine wincing as.Susan now slowly lifted the extinguisher. All three women now staring the the crushed remains of the dice.
"That takes care of that," Susan said softly. "And now we don't have to worry about those things rolling any of us back into infancy."
Laura was stunned, her mind racing as she stared wide eyed at the shattered dice. Yes, destroying them would prevent any more accidental rolls but at what cost? She was over a decade younger and Julia was still an infant. Would one of them have to raise Julia as their own? Before she could ask, the trio was now blinded by a brilliant golden light that now illuminated the cabin. Laura shielded her eyes, her vision slowly coming back into focus. As it did she now gasped at what she saw.
A beautiful, ethereal, golden figure now stood before the women. The golden woman sporting a serene smile as she gazed at the three of them. "You freed me," she said, her voice melodic yet otherworldly.
The women were too stunned to answer, gaping at the ghostly figure that now floated through the room. The spirit taking a moment to examine each of them. "You each have used the lots but choose to not return your youthful innocence," she said. "Your selflessness to remain old has saved ne from my curse. I thank you."
Laura frowned, she would hardly call herself old at this point. "Who are you," she now asked.
"I am the Spirit of Youth," the spirit stated. "I have been trapped with those accursed objects for a millennium. You have set me free from my earthly bonds." The spirit now floated towards Julia, the serene smile remaining as she caressed the wide eyed infants head. "I see one of you was able to regain their youthful innocence though."
A sound like a sigh now escaped from the spirit, Laura couldn't be sure but it was almost like it felt a certain sadness for each of them. "It seems unfair that this one should regain her youth while you three should remain old."
Before Laura or anyone else could offer a response, the spirit now rose above them, the same contented smile plastered across her angelic face.
"You have given me my freedom," it stated. "For that I shall now reward you with the gift of youth."
"What wait," the three women exclaimed but to no avail as the spirit now spoke, bathing the three of them in a golden light.
"I return to each of you what has been taken," it said. "Slowly now you shall regain what you have lost. By noon tomorrow each of you shall have the innocence of youth returned." As the spirit now vanished, Laura, Christine, and Susan could only stare at the empty space where the Spirit of Youth had been.
"What just happened," Christine asked. Laura turned to answer, only to shudder as she noticed golden orbs of light float off her body. Glancing at Susan and Christine she could see that theybtoo now stared in horror as the orbs floated off of them.
"Oh shit," Laura whispered. "We got younger. I'm only 27 now!"
"I'm, I'm 26," Christine stammered gazing at her youthful hands.
"I'm 28," Susan said softly, the woman now studying her trim and youthful figure. The three women now gaping at one another before looking to Julia. The infant appeared to be thw only one unaffected by this latest return of youth. Slowly it now dawned on the three of them what was happening.
"We have to figure out where the dice came from," Laura said softly, her voice tinged with fear. "Because by noon tomorrow..."
"We'll be the same age as Julia," Susan and Christine finished. The three young women now paled slightly, realizing that time, and there age, was running out.