Joel met his mother again and he later stuffed the jar of ointment he'd stolen in his suitcase and forgot about it completely. He went back home, started school again and the jar laid forgotten in the depths of his suitcase, gathering dusk. But as Joel was returning from school after a long day, as per usual he opened the fridge and grabbed a soda, intent on relaxing before he started his homework. After all, no one was in the house and he could plonk on the couch and watch some television.
"Hello."
Hearing the voice, Joel did a double-take, jumping and letting go of the can which hit the floor and allowed the fizzy drink to splatter and spill. But this was the least of his worries. A man was sitting calmly in a chair. He would have sworn that no one was there before! And this man was... Yes, the Chinese man he had met during his break! What was going on? How come he had entered his house?
"What are you doing here?!?!" Joel exclaimed.
"Why, I've come to retrieve this, which I believe belongs to me," the man said, retrieving from his pocket the jar that Joel had stolen.
How was this possible? How could the man know it was hidden away and where?
"And I've come to punish you. You did steal, young man, and you should know stealing is wrong."
"You broke into my house! I'll call the cops on you!" shouted a very frightened Joel.
"Good. I will explain what you did. I do think they will be interested as well."
This was true and not good for the teen. He decided to let it drop for now.
"How did you find me?"
"Magic. How else?"
Joel would have scoffed at the idea in normal circumstances but the fact that the man was there made him doubt seriously.
"All right, I stole from you. I'm sorry. You got your stupid jar back. Why don't you go now?"
"You are still in need of a punishment, young man. I sincerely doubt you've learned a lesson here. You will start again. I can tell. And you are hardly a decent individual."
"What do you know?" said Joel rudely. "You want your fifty bucks for your stupid jar? I don't have them, okay? You happy?"
"I thought as much. So I'll repay myself with you," smiled the man.
Before Joel could do anything, the man snapped his fingers. Ropes appeared out of nowhere and bound the teen tightly. He fell on his butt upon the carpet. He screamed his fright and anger but with another snap, he was gagged. The man then picked him up and hoisted him upon his shoulder as if he didn't weigh anything anymore and with a circle-like motion of his fingers, opened a passageway that was a window to his shop. A window he stepped through easily, closed and then placed a squirming Joel in the back of his shop. The only trace left of Joel was a spilled soda can in his home.
"Tonight, I will auction you off to magical creatures and wizards. I do hope they will be impressed with you enough, for some obscure reason I cannot fathom, to pay more than fifty dollars for you. So you can at least pay me back, in a fashion," he smiled. "My kind, magical people and creatures, like humans to transform. I've told them about you so I am sure whatever your fate, it will be more than deserved."
He left the teen to his misery. He had to make delicious tea and cakes for those interested in the auction as they came to visit and inspect their potential new acquisition.