Not Another Medallion
by Nomdreserv

This is a work of fiction intended for mature readers. 18 and over please.

All rights reserved by author.


Part 6

Bob arrived to a surprisingly empty house. Karen almost always got home before him,
and tonight he’d expected both Karen and Lisa to be waiting, given Karen’s intention to
invite Lisa to move in with them. Last he had heard, they were going to celebrate tonight.

He shrugged off his jacket and dropped it carelessly on the table (an advantage to being
home alone), deciding Karen and Lisa might have stopped to do a little early celebrating
on their own. He began to look through the mail, but then noticed the answering machine
blinking, and thought he’d better check the messages before continuing.

The first two were standard, boring solicitations, but the third was puzzling. It consisted
solely of a sort of squeak and chirping that rapidly faded to nothing before the call was
disconnected. Curious, he played it twice more at higher volume. The squeak almost
sounded like a word - in fact his name, but he thought he might be reading too much into
it. There was just too much background hiss on their much-used tape to make anything
out of the fading chirps. Vaguely dissatisfied, he dismissed the call as electronic noise,
possibly an attempt by a fax machine to interface with their home phone. Still, as he
pulled off his tie and started upstairs, he felt some continuing disquiet at the odd noise.

Understandable perhaps, since his life had changed so dramatically the last few weeks. In
fact, he had taken to humming “Strange Things” as a sort of personal theme song. Given
their recent magical misadventures, he was reluctant to dismiss any unusual occurrence as
entirely innocent. Just in case, he checked his appearance in the mirror as he entered the
bedroom. He had no idea if spells could be transmitted by phone, but wouldn’t have put
it past Karen or Lisa to surprise him with one if they could.

His late twenty-something features gazed back reassuringly, and his clothes fit fine, so all
seemed normal. He knew that wouldn’t last long, however. Between shrinking and age
changing, he’d spent most of the last few weekends transformed in some fashion, to the
point he sometimes lost track of what was “normal.” He’d even considered writing his
age, height and weight on a card to carry in his wallet for emergencies (“If under four feet
tall, please call this toll free number immediately...”).

Still, Karen and Lisa were obviously delighted with their magical metamorphoses, despite
the occasional mishaps, and, truth to tell, he found them tremendously exciting as well.
He just wished they didn’t seem to be always flirting with disaster or wrestling with
another crisis due to out of control or wayward spells. Almost losing Karen to a second
childhood had been especially difficult.

And then there was Lisa. He had always liked her, even beyond her being Karen’s best
friend, and had sensed a reciprocal friendship back, but there had also been an
undercurrent of something else - something unstated that gave an extra spark to Lisa’s
intense gaze, or caused her to wear a shy half smile when she watched him. Gregor’s
suspicions as to Lisa’s real feelings may have been well grounded. Of course, all that
was superfluous after the love potion. Whatever feelings may or may not have been
present, the reality they faced now involved them in full force. Bob wouldn’t have
believed his emotions could be so drastically affected by a potion. Despite the obvious
potency Lisa’s magic had proved in physical changes, he would have insisted that his
mind and feelings were immune. Or would have, until he found himself making wild,
unrestrained love with an equally passionate Lisa while a regressed Karen watched TV,
almost forgotten. He still winced every time he thought of it, and saw the shame and
regret in Lisa’s eyes when they exchanged still fervent glances. Despite their attempts at
reversal, the passion remained, both physical and emotional.

It was odd - his new feelings for Lisa did nothing to displace his old ones for Karen. He
was used to thinking of Karen as his sort of alter ego. Since they had been in love, every
plan for life included her as his natural and required partner, and now he found himself
thinking of Lisa the same way. He viewed both women with the mix of passion,
friendship, and natural ease that went along with an established true love, and he couldn’t
think of home or life without automatically including both as though they had always
been. It made him shudder to think of the potential of such magic in evil hands.

Anyway, now it seemed they were a real threesome, in just about any sense. Thank
goodness Karen had been so understanding. Of course, he knew her own feelings and
attraction to Lisa helped her accept the idea more easily, and it had been Karen who had
suggested the initial menage a trois, but he knew it must still be difficult to come to terms
with Lisa as another long-time partner. The potential for jealousy despite best efforts had
already become apparent on several occasions, and Bob knew there were considerable
risks in addition to the obvious benefits of their experiment.

His reverie was interrupted by the phone ringing, and he hurried to pick it up, expecting
to hear Karen’s voice. Instead, a slightly accented, familiar tenor greeted him.

“Bob? Gregor. Good to hear your voice again, at least your adult voice, eh? Ha! How
are you? Full size? Splendid. Not for long, eh? Only kidding. Maybe. Now where was
I? Oh yes. Looking for Lisa. Guessed she might be there. You rogue, eh? Wink, wink,
say no more.”

Gregor finally paused for breath, allowing Bob to at last get a response in. He smiled,
having formed an immediate liking to the eccentric sorcerer on their first meeting.

“Haven’t seen her yet, Gregor. Or Karen for that matter.”

“Really?” Gregor sounded surprised. “I was sure Lisa wouldn’t be able to wait to try…
Oops. Wait. Not supposed to say anything. Forget I mentioned it.”

“Not likely!” Bob shot back, his suspicions about something being afoot reawakened.
“Mentioned what? Try what? Come on, Gregor, don’t leave me hanging.”

“Can’t. Promised. At least I think I promised. Never much at remembering things like
that. I recollect the time I inadvertently told about Sally’s birthmark. Really made an ass
of myself. Oh, wait, no - Sally made me an ass. Rather interesting time in the stable. Got
better.”

“Gregor!”

“What? Oh, yes. Hmm. Let’s just say,” he paused portentously. “There is another.”

“Another? Another what?” Bob was becoming more exasperated. “Another
Skywalker?” Silence on the other end except for a short laugh. “Another woman?” Bob
wasn’t sure he’d be up to that, so to speak. (And, in typical male logic, he dismissed the
thought of another man as unthinkable.) “Another spell?” Final pause. “Not another
medallion?”

Gregor reacted quickly to the last, as though to change the subject.

“Speaking of medallions, how are you getting on with your training with the age
medallion?”

“Um, well …” Bob paused guiltily. He hadn’t taken to magic as naturally as Karen had,
and his attempts had proved considerably more strained and awkward. His reluctance to
appear foolish may have been reinforced by his awareness of his limited potential. Unlike
Karen, he had shown no inherent magical power, and was completely dependent on the
medallion for spellcasting.

“Thought so,” Gregor confirmed. “Bob, you have to practice.”

“It’s hard to get it to work right,” Bob complained. “And I look bad next to Karen or
Lisa.”

“Precisely why you need to apply yourself more assiduously. Lisa’s had years of training,
and Karen’s a natural. There’s no telling what the two of them will be capable of soon,
and I want you to be there with them. As much fun as you can have being the target of a
spell, every now and then you want to be the caster. Surprise for them, and very
satisfying for you. You do want to try those other talismans and artifacts I mentioned,
right?”

If Gregor had been there, the tent forming in Bob’s pants would have answered the
question for him. “Um, yeah,” Bob admitted more discreetly on the phone.

“There you go. Lots of fun at parties.”

Bob was troubled.

“Gregor, not to sound presumptuous, but it seems most of the magic I’ve seen is devoted
to unusual sexual interests, and sometimes an awful lot of frivolous applications?”

“Frivolous? Good heavens no! No, no, not at … Well, yes, I suppose now that you
mention it. Not surprising really. You work at what interests you, and for most of us, sex
is a primary driving force. Sex, power, really good tea - you know, the basics. As for
frivolous, well, that’s in the eye of the beholder. We have many very serious magical
researchers in the Institute, and they do excellent work. Positive philanthropists. And, on
the whole, they are the most stuffy and boring lot you’ll ever meet. Still, they do good
basic research, and help to balance the more … artistically inclined, such as myself. It
takes all kinds, in magic and in life. You have to ask yourself if you want to study
transdimensional astral projection, or inflate women’s breasts? My own decision was
quite easy. I might add, I get invited to many more parties than most Council members.
I’d love to take the three of you along next time, but …”

Bob understood the temptation of magic for personal gratification. The changes they
could effect were straight out of his fantasies (and apparently many others). He also
knew the difference between being interested in his work and fulfilling an unpleasant
assignment. And it wasn’t really a chore - even his brief and awkward attempts at magic
had been highly intoxicating as well as frustrating. If he could become adept …

“All right, all right. I’ll hold to that practice regimen you prescribed,” he agreed
decisively.

“Splendid. Promise me you’ll work with the medallion as soon as I ring off. Practice on
yourself until the ladies arrive - nobody to be embarrassed around. Then see if you can
slip a spell in on them unawares. Homework.”

“Right. Will we see you this weekend?”

“Not if Callista … never mind. Wishful thinking.” He sighed. “I’ll probably be in and
out. Call if Lisa has any problems with … you know.”

Suspicion again. “No, I don’t. Problems with what? Gregor, should I be worried about
them?”

“Not at all,” the sorcerer assured him. “They’re big girls. What possible trouble could
they get into?”

………………………………………………………………………………………….


Karen was feeling frantic and claustrophobic in her leather prison. The air was stuffy, hot
and musty, and she was continually being jostled by manhole-sized coins as Kelly’s steps
jarred her purse. Luckily, she had managed to stay mostly on top of the coins, or she
might have ended up with worse than the leg bruises she now sported. At least she had
room to move around. Poor Lisa must be suffering miserably in her cramped lipstick
tube.

The wait in pitch blackness seemed interminable. There had been a short walk, a ride
(generally smoother, but the occasional bumps were much more disruptive, causing the
coins to fly about her), and more walking. Light had shown once on the outside of the
leather wall at one point, indicating Kelly had opened her purse, but any hopes of
imminent freedom had been immediately dashed. Apparently, Kelly had stopped to buy
something, evidenced by muffled conversation and the beeping of a cash register.
Afterwards, darkness and the rhythmic jostling had returned.

Karen had tried shouting a few times to see if Lisa could hear her, but her loudest screams
had resulted in nothing more than a warning shake of the purse by their giantess captor,
and she could only hope Lisa was okay. Fear and desperate curiosity about what Kelly
had in store for them gnawed at her as she waited.

After another drive and short walk, vague light showed the purse had opened again, and
Karen was jostled more severely as the change purse was shoved aside. She heard the
jangling of keys and then the click of a lock. Then came a disorienting vertigo as her
prison was lifted clear of the purse and set down somewhere. She listened carefully at the
sound of a box opening, followed by some clicks, snaps, and finally a rustling.

Her eyes were dazzled a few seconds later as the change purse was unsnapped. Shielding
her eyes, she just made out the giant hand rushing down to pluck her out. A rush through
the air, and then she was falling, landing in a pile of thick, red bark chips, like mulch. As
her eyes adjusted to the light, she found she was viewing the world through clear yellow
and red, neon-tinted plastic walls.

“Welcome to your new home, Karen,” Kelly smiled, her immense face appearing slightly
distorted through the front wall.

Karen looked around more carefully. The mulch she was sitting on extended across the
entire floor and gave off an almost overpowering cedar smell. A square frame in a side
wall seemed to mark a closed door, but there were also strange round doors evident in the
roof, almost like the openings for tunnels or tubes. And a large plastic water container
was attached to the side, with a metal tube leading in a smaller hole, a half-formed drop
of water suspended at its lip.

“A hamster cage?!” Karen squealed in recognition. “You’re putting us in a goddamned
hamster cage?”

“You’re cute when you’re mad,” Kelly laughed. “That redhead temper finally showing
through? Besides, it’s a “small animal habitat” - says so right on the box, and you
certainly qualify as a small animal, don’t you? Just be glad I didn’t buy a hamster to
share it with you. But, of course, I don’t want you to be lonely.”

With that Kelly disappeared briefly to return with her lipstick tube. Karen could just
make things out through the plastic distortion, and she held her breath as Kelly opened the
cap. To her immense relief, she immediately saw Lisa thrashing in a renewed attempt to
get free now that she could move again, her movements frantic and accompanied by an
uncharacteristic yelling. With another laugh, Kelly reached down to gently but firmly
grasp her exposed body, feeling the slight indentation from Lisa’s small but firm breasts,
and the toothpick like ribs beneath, as she rocked the screaming woman back and forth,
before finally pulling her free with a slight “pop.” An instant later, the door snapped
open, and Lisa tumbled into the cage next to Karen. She was panting, and looked around
wildly and desperately, not seeming to see her friend. Her body was heavily stained by
the lipstick residue which clung like tar to her skin and disheveled hair, and her hands and
fingernails were caked with the stuff, testifying to the ferocity with which she had fought
to escape. She jumped when Karen touched her to help her up, staggering a few steps
before recognizing her, and then collapsing weak-kneed into her arms, sobbing. Shocked
at her apparent anguish, Karen tried to soothe her, rubbing her sticky back, heedless as
her own hands and front smeared red, then glared up at Kelly through the open door.

“Monster!”

“I’ll let you girls catch up,” Kelly replied carelessly, before closing the door. “Be back
in a few.”

The two tiny women hugged wordlessly until Lisa’s sobs finally subsided.

“S…sorry,” she stammered, pulling back a bit, revealing still wild eyes in a tear-stained
face. “I … I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t move. My body was stuck … like cement …
and the walls … the walls … OH GOD!” Sobs returned. “I screamed and I screamed,
and nobody could hear me. Karen, it was like being in a coffin.” Her voice faded to a
whisper. “I thought I ... we were gonna die.”

Karen pulled her friend close again.

“It’s OK. You’re all right now,” she reassured her. “I won’t let her put us back in those
things. You’ll see. We’ll get out of this.” She stiffened as she noticed a crack of light
showing around the door frame, not visible before. “In fact …”

She pulled free, Lisa collecting herself as she sensed her friend’s excitement. Following
Karen’s gaze, she also saw the slight gap at the door. Their hearts raced as they realized
it wasn’t quite snapped shut.

“Do you think …?” Lisa began hopefully.

“We gotta try, Lees. Hurry.”

Karen ran to the cage side, only to realize with mortification that even a hamster cage
door was placed high for her. She could reach it by stretching, but couldn’t apply any real
pressure.

“Here,” Lisa offered, coming up to the wall and crouching on all fours. “Try using me.”

With only a moment’s hesitation, Karen climbed onto her friend’s back, bringing her to
shoulder level with the door. Now she could push more effectively, and she began
throwing her weight against it.

It was a flash of black through the plastic distortion that first caught Lisa’s eye.

“Uh, Karen …”

“Just a second. I’ve almost got it.” An especially hard slam shot pain through her
shoulder, but also sprang the door, causing her to cry out on both counts.

“All right!” she squeaked proudly. “Come on, Lees, we …”

The flicker returned, but this time resolved as the dark figure shot into the air towards
them.

“Karen! Watch out!” Lisa screamed, as she rolled over onto her side, toppling the
surprised redhead into an awkward sprawl on the floor.

A hissing monster the size of an elephant yowled in anger, its huge paw swiping the air
where Karen had been standing, one claw scratching her back as she fell. Both women
shrieked and scrambled to the far corners of the cage, cowering and covering their heads
as the paw darted in and out several times, wickedly flashing claws the size of daggers in
a futile attempt to snare them. Finally, the paw withdrew, the panting silence broken only
by a low, threatening rumble.

Karen looked up from her defensive cringe to see a black cat, four times the size of a lion,
crouched outside the cage, yellow luminescent eyes fixed on her, ears flattened
threateningly. It now sat motionless except for the twitching of its tail, as though waiting
for them to move back into range. Its deep-throated purr made Karen shiver.

“Are you OK?” Lisa called, gasping.

Karen nodded weakly, still trying to catch her breath. A red line on her back showed how
close the paw had come. “Oh my God - another second, and I …”

Lisa nodded assent, watching the titanic feline warily. Slowly, she stood and tried to edge
her way across to Karen.

Wrong move, literally. The motion infuriated the cat, producing another flurry of paw
swipes, which raked the cedar shavings and just missed her, causing her to drop again
with a cry to the floor. Not to be denied this time, the cat began rattling the cage by
clawing at the door and batting the walls keeping it from its prey. The cage shook and
shuddered, the violent motions also causing Karen and Lisa to begin sliding around
helplessly on the loose shavings.

Both women screamed again as the cage shook, scrabbling at the smooth plastic that
offered no hand holds, and fighting desperately to stay in the corners, but drifting
inexorably towards the slashing claws that came ever closer.




END PART 6


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