As Mina placed her money on the counter, the shop tender smiled at Kelly. "All right then little one, what will it be? You can change your age or the age of your friend. Nothing is out of the question. All you need to do is step inside and the booth will do the rest."
Kelly nodded, jumping up and down still. "Come on Mina, let's go inside."
Mina rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe her cousin was so naive or that she had to babysit her, but she played along. The two stepped into the booth. Inside it was lit only by a single light at the top. There was a large mirror in front of them. As they stood in front of it, Mina noticed their reflections looked strange in the glass. A voice inside the booth spoke. "You who wishes the change, speak your heart's desire of age and circumstance."
Kelly looked back at her older cousin but Mina gestured to her. "You're the one who wanted to do it."
"Ok, I wish Mina was the ten year old and I was the sixteen year old so she could see what its like to be bossed around" As Mina said the words, suddenly the whole booth went dark.
"Great," Kelly said. "Damn thing's busted, just like I thought, what a waste of money." She didn't notice that her voice sounded weird. A moment later the light came back on.
"Well maybe it just..." Mina turned and gasped, her hands coming to her mouth. "Kelly ... you...you changed."
Kelly rolled her eyes, still not noticing that her feet no longer touched the bottom of the booth from the seat she'd rested in. "Nice try shrimp."
Mina shook her head. "No, really look!" She grabbed Kelly and pulled her up to the mirror. Kelly squirmed, not sure what had overcome her cousin and then she stopped and stared. A little girl stared back at her, a face she hadn't seen in almost 6 years. The gap in the front teeth, the disheveled hair, the freckles....it was all hers. Gone was any sign of puberty, of the beauty she'd just gained, replaced by a gangly and coltish preteen's body. Even her clothes had changed. Her nice fashionable outfit had changed to a girl's jeans and t-shirt, her leather boots to cruddy old sneakers.
"It's gotta be some sorta drug," Kelly said. "Im going to call the police." She reached for her phone but it was gone. Her purse had changed to a backpack with normal things a kid would pack for a day at the faire.
"Kelly, the booth changed you, its real," Mina said.
Kelly shut her eyes, and then the booth shook and the light turned off again. When it came back on, she stepped back. "Mina....!"
Mina wasn't sure what was wrong until she realized she was looking down at her formerly tall cousin.