I’ve never felt so impatient to get out of work. Nearly ran over a coworker on the way out. I got home and grabbed dress Beth, not even bothering to fold her or put her in a bag.
The building was beige with white windows unevenly lining the sides. People walked quickly past each other, carrying backpacks and big tote bags.
I’m here
I text him.
I make my way up to the second floor.
What do you think he can do? Will it hurt? Will it cost something? They always say magic costs something. I really hope he can help.
Beth talked the whole way.
I looked at each door carefully, trying to remember where number 227 was.
“Hey sis.”
I turned around to see Seth through the crack of a door. He was talking to someone.
“Hey.” I said.
He stepped out, loud fighting music and sword noises came from the room. He closed the door behind him.
“Just getting some things, and got a little distracted with a game.”
He was holding a small brown book with tattered edges, and a few wands. I followed him to his room. He flicked on the light, and motioned for me to sit down. The room smelled of fast food and…
“Is something burning?”
“Oh, no. Just some experiment I was doing earlier.”
“Oh.” I sat on the edge of his unmade bed, rubbing the material of dress Beth between my fingers.
He opened the book on the edge of the cluttered desk, with a poof of dust. He scanned the pages with his finger, grabbing bottles and random objects from the mess on the desk.
“Okay, could I have the dress?”
“You mean Beth?”
“Beth, yeah.” I gently hand her to him.
He studies the dress closely, inside and out. Rubbing the fabric between his fingers, lifting it and letting it fall, smelling it, rubbing rocks and other things on it.
“Be careful.” I say gritting my teeth, watching over his shoulder.
He opens a drawer and digs through a jumble of things until he finds some broken chalk pieces. He draws a circle on the ground, discarding a piece of that breaks in his hand as he does so.
“There. We’ll do it here.”
He pushes stuff out of the way and places dress Beth in the center.
“What are you doing?”
“An undo spell, or reverse spell. Let me double check.” He says distractedly.
Checking the book again, flipping back and forth between pages. I glance at the faded handwriting and vague pictures. Was that a leaf or a feather?
“Are those two different spells?”
“Yeah, now ssshh. Not the easiest thing to read with you talking, this bad handwriting, and all these different languages mixed in.”
“Just do it right.”
“I know, I know.” he said rolling his eyes.
He opened some bottles and dumped out dried leaves into his hand. Picking out a few, he then chose a wand. He carefully placed the leaves on dress Beth.
“Now, stand back there.” he said motioning me to the door.
He grabbed a robe and wrapped it around himself. Glancing at the book again, he began to speak gibberish in rhythmic, dramatic tones. His stance wide, arms up, wand raised, head thrown back.
The room began to feel ticklish.The light started to glow stranger than a florescent light usually does. Dress Beth began to rise from the floor. Slowly spinning, the shiny fabric shimmering. Then, the air went cloudy. Not literally, at least, I don’t think so. My vision felt okay but the room shimmered, faded slightly, like a glitch, or bad connection. There was a rush of wind ,and then all was still.
Seth doesn’t move. I slowly step forward. Dress Beth is lying still, though she is now a little bit outside of the circle. I crouch down to pick her up, but a sharp gasp startles me. I whip my head around.
“Seth! Are you okay?” He’s bent over breathing hard.
“Ugh.”
My eyes dart around to see where the groan came from. I see the slightest movement from dress Beth.
“Are you okay? Did it work?” I say reaching towards her.
I jump back as she moves, sitting herself up on her elbows.
“What happened?” Beth said.
“You can talk!” I say reaching to help her up. “And move!”
“Maybe this is more complicated than I thought.” Seth said straightening up.
I help sit Beth on the bed. Seth goes back to flipping through the book.
“How do you feel?”I say.
“Strange.”Beth says. “I can feel my body… or dress? Before I felt like I was kinda floating.”
“Can you walk?”
“I don’t know. I guess I can try.”
She reaches her sleeve arm out to balance on me. Slowly, she scoots off the bed, straightening up to almost standing. She stumbles, grabbing onto me. I brace her.
“I’ve got it!”Seth says, and begins rushing around the room, opening drawers and cabinets.
I sit Beth back down on the bed.
“What have you got?”
“It needs to be a 2 parter, possibly 3 parter if this one goes a different way. Let’s see, I need a…” He grabs a different wand from before and starts laying stuff in the center of the circle.
“A different way? Is it safe?” I say.
“Sure, ofcourse. Now where did I put…Ah there!”
He redraws the circle with a different color chalk than before.
“Does the color matter to the spell?” Beth asks.
“No. Now, could you stand in the middle there?” He helps her up, and she hobbles to the circle.
“Will it work this time? Will it hurt? Will it turn me back into a dress?” Beth says, trying to balance in their newish dress body.
“No, this should all be very safe and turn you back into your human self.”
“Should?” Beth’s voice quivers.
“Seth slow down, let her breathe. She’s still recovering from the last spell.”
“But..”
“Shut it.” I lay my arm around dress Beth’s shoulders. “Now take a few deep breaths if you can. That’s it. In. Out. In…”
Beth continues for a few more breaths and then sits down in the circle.
“Are you guys ready?” Seth says.
“Seth, what did I say?”
“It’s okay. Yeah, I think I’m ready now.”Beth says.
“You can sit, just scoot over a little bit further into the circle.” Seth says.
Beth centers herself, and Seth pushes me away from the circle. I go back to the door and watch as he strikes his dramatic pose. He starts speaking gibberish again, and the lights dim.
