Egnhcyot! part 4
The dice scattered across the table, well not that far considering Aisha was now only a foot high. Moving her piece the designated five spaces she came to a blue square. “Not good.” she muttered as a card sprang out of the slot.
“Do you need some help?” Jenifer asked, smiling, as the diminutive Aisha walked over to the card dispenser.
“No, I can get it myself.” Aisha replied feeling miffed that she was so small while the others were all taller then her. Even Phoebe stood a few inches over her head. The normally small playing card was now the size of a sign you’d expect to see a fan waving at a football game, the letters now nearly half the size of her hand. At just under ten inches tall reading the card while holding it was nearly impossible. Putting the card on the group she read aloud. “You’re almost complete, why don’t you have a little fun and unwind?”
Phoebe stiffened a giggle, “Well we know it has something to do with your key, Hey, you need to start giving better hints, these are getting old!” she yelled to the game as she gave it a playful lick with one of her pointed shoes. Aisha was about to rebuke Phoebe, but found that it was suddenly becoming hard to move. Slowly she turned her head and held her arms out to see them gaining a dull sheen, her skin smoothing out as birthmarks and the different shades of her skin melted into a solid color, looking almost like a rich, dark, chocolate. Lined formed on her skin and soon began imprinting themselves deeper and deeper into her skin.
A wave of panic hit her, she had been shrunk, her hair changed, to yarn, even a key placed on her back, but she had never felt them happen, they just simply appeared. This time she could feel her new joints forming, pins and gears inside her turning, and all the wile she couldn’t do anything but watch. She realized she had stopped breathing, she no longer needed to. Her nose now nothing more then an ornament on her face which was now pulling back into a smile. She tried to bring her hand up to her face, but it only responded in short, jerky movements. The changes continued over her body, she could feel the wings which had only been attached to her new dress now pull themselves in and join with her body, gears inside her reaching up to meet them. Her legs felt the same, becoming lighter, hollow, their movements slowing just as her arms had.
And then it was done. She felt the changes stop, and all was still, actually she didn’t have much of a choice. She tried to lower her arm, but found it stuck in position a few inches in front of her face. She also felt dangerously off balance, but was unable to right herself. Once more the feeling of panic flowed through her, is this what Jenifer had gone through when she had been transformed into a bird? June as a dummy? Had they been aware of it? What if there was no way to reverse the changes and she was stuck like this for the rest of her life? Of course as a toy she couldn’t age, and thus would be stuck this way forever. Her thoughts raced faster and faster as she imagined herself sitting in a landfill for all time.
Back at normal human airspace things were noticeably calmer. “Is she alright?” June asked looking down at the prone form of her friend. “What should we do?”
“I don’t know,” Jenifer replied, scratching her straw hat. Half wondering what was going on, and the other half wondering if she could use this turn of events to get out of the game sooner. “Do you think if we wound her up and had her toss the dice we could . . .”
“NO!” June and Phoebe yelled in unison. “Hello, remember last time you tried cheating?” June asked waving a hand over her wooden face.
“Wait, you tried cheating on a magical board game?” Jason asked letting out a burst of laughter. “I don’t think anyone’s tried that, and for good reason I see.”
“In my defense it would have worked if the game hadn’t been self aware.” she said jabbing a finger at June. While the boy, scarecrow, and dummy talked over head Phoebe had been examining her newly dollified friend. Reaching out behind her she grabbed hold of the key and gave a small twist.