Katie paused as she examined the group. She hadn't expected Mika to join Mary Elise's side in wanting to be young again. Katie saw this as good fortune. Maybe the others would change their mind as the weekend wore on. Glancing at Claudia, Samantha, and Trica she had her doubts.
Samantha and Trica both had sour looks on their faces as they looked at Mika and Mary Elise. Claudia looked bewildered at the possibility what was happening. She wasn't used to being the peace maker in the group and judging by expression she wasn't enjoying the role. Katie sighed, trying to convince the rest of them to relive their youth would be futile. Slowly Katie raised her ring hand as she began to make her wish.
"What's that," Claudia asked. Katie looked at the ring on her finger. "This is what allows me to make people younger or older," she said. "I'm a girl of my word. I'm going to wish for you to become your old age at the end of the weekend."
Claudia, Samantha and Tricia stared in awe of the ring. "Wow," Samantha exclaimed. "Can I try it." Katie slowly lowered her hand, she didn't like the way things were shaping up. "I don't think that's such a good idea." "Come on Katie let us try," Tricia said as she reached for the ring. Katie screamed as Mika and Mary Elise tried to stop Tricia but it was to late. As Tricia's hand touched the ring a light exploded from the ring knocking all the girls backwards, slowly the girls began to regain their footing.
"Well that was dumb," Mika said as she raised herself up on her knees. "Is everyone okay?" Slowly Claudia began to get her feet underneath her. "I think so," she grunted. "Katie what just happened....." Claudia paused as she stared at the other girls. "Something's wrong."
Claudia now found herself looking up at Mika glancing at the others she noticed that Tricia and Samantha also seemed different. "Oh no," she squeaked. "What's happening to us."
Samantha and Tricia stood up and looked at the others before examine themselves. Their nightgowns, which had been knee length now rested mid calf. The two girls ran to the mirror and began examining themselves. "Oh no," Tricia exclaimed. "We're shrinking." Samantha had a look of horror on her face as she turned to face Tricia. "No," she stammered. "We're getting younger."
Mary Elise and Mika looked on in horror as they watched their friends go from nine to eight. While happy that they seemed unaffected they felt powerless watching their friends regress with no signs of stopping. "Please Katie," Mary Elise implored. "You have to do something."
Katie shook her head sadly as she watched the girls become younger. The ring told her that those who looked at the ring enviously wre a threat. As a result the ring was going to eliminate them by regressing them to unbirth. Katie wanted to object but the ring told her that once they became unborn they would wake up in their homes and have no knowledge of ever meeting Katie. The rest of their memories would be left intact. As an added bonus the ring would eliminate this incident from everyone's memory except Katie. Katie didn't want this and employed the ring to stop. The ring gave her a definitive no but there was a way to save one. Katie now turned to Mary Elise with a mournful look on her face.
"I can't stop this Mary I'm sorry," Katie said. Mary Elise looked on the verge of tears as her friends became seven. Katie grasped Mary Elise by the shoulder. "You can save one of them Mary and only one you have to choose but choose quickly before there all gone."
Mary Elise began to cry as she looked at Samantha, Claudia and Tricia. She had to decide who to save and judging by the look of things she didn't have much time.