"Let us out of here you stupid old bat, this is forced imprisonment!" Nicola yelled as she tried in vain to open the door but the handle wouldn't budge an inch. She banged on the window and tried to call for help but the people walking past seemed oblivious to her plight.
"They can't see or hear you. You are wasting your breath, dear" Meredith noted smugly as she folder her arms. This only seemed to infuriate the South Asian beauty further and, still oblivious to how much trouble she was in, Nicola picked up another glass ornament and smashed it to the ground then did the same to a china pot "Let us out now or I will smash every item in your stupid shop!"
As Nicola reached for yet another trinket to destroy Meredith waved her arms and the young woman found herself suddenly frozen in place.
"What the fuck!" Nicola exclaimed, finally beginning to feel afraid of Meredith's power. She was still able to talk but couldn't move a muscle from the neck down. It was like her body was made of lead.
"I did it for your own good" the shop owner "With the damage you have already caused you will both be working for me for at least a year to pay it off as it is"
"I'm not working in a bloody magic shop!" the still frozen Nicola complained, despite her predicament.
"A year does seem excessive" James attempted to reason "I didn't even break anything!"
"It is for me to decide what is fair and a year seems fair compensation for the damage that has been caused since you both entered my establishment" Meredith answered "Especially as I will need to provide bed and board while you are here. And you won't so much be working for the shop as directly for me"
"I don't need bed and board. I have a flat!" Nicola answered "And can you please unfreeze me!"
"Neither of you will be leaving the shop until you have repaid your debt. But don't worry, it is far bigger than it looks from the outside" Meredith snapped her fingers and Nicola found she was able to move again."
"What kind of work did you have in mind?" James asked.
"An excellent question" Meredith answered "With a simple answer. You will become what I want you to be when I wish for you to be it!"
"That makes no sense" Nicola replied snarkily "How about some examples of how that might work?"
"Well, let's say the floor needs cleaning. I might turn James into a cleaning maid and you into a mop. Or if we have a problem with mice I might turn you both into a cats. It is totally situation dependent."
"You are fucking insane!" Nicola shouted, but the older woman remained calm, a vague smile playing on her lips as she replied.
"You will see soon enough that I am not"