Alternate beginning: Helen doesn't get the book

"I saw that first," Helen said firmly. She stared daggers at the black haired woman that held the book she wanted for herself. Helen had spotted the large and intricately decorated book at the back of the bizarre antique store, and had made her way to examine it immediately. Somehow this woman had slipped in front of her and grabbed it before she could.

"Sorry Helen, but the book is mine," the woman answered, turning to face her.

"Aga!" Helen gasped. The woman had more hair than sense (though Helen was certain it was a wig) and probably couldn't read the front cover let alone a page of the book. Aga was a friend of Helen's boyfriend, Adam. Helen, however, couldn't stand the woman. "What do you want with an old book like that?" Helen reached to take the book from Aga, but only managed to graze its cover before it was pulled away from her.

"I could ask you the same thing?" Aga retorted, almost snarling.

"I have an interest in the occult!" Helen said trying not to lose her temper. "And I suppose you do too?"

"Absolutely! I come from a long line of witches after all."

"Whatever," Helen scoffed.

"Anyway. I'm going to buy this book and leave you to browse. Tell Adam I said hello." Aga walked away from Helen with a smug grin across her face. Helen wanted to slap the smile off of the woman's face but thought better of it. She didn't want to cause a scene or get the woman's thick makeup on her hand.

Helen quietly stewed with anger on the spot before resigning herself to failure. The book was the only thing in the shop she was interested in. She would have to go home empty handed.

________________________________________

"You didn't buy anything this time then," Adam asked as he returned inside from the garden. Helen had come home from her failed shopping trip half an hour ago. Rather than go outside to find Adam, she had sat at the breakfast bar in the kitchen and sulked.

"No," Helen replied sullenly. "Aga stole what I wanted to buy."

"You saw Aga in town?" Adam said with a hint of a smile. "What do you mean she stole what you wanted?"

"It was this beautiful big book!" Helen spread her hands widely to emphasise the book's size. "It looked like a spellbook of some kind. Could have been real..."

"Real? Come off it Helen."

"I didn't think you'd take it seriously." Helen said meekly. "How did you get on in the garden?"

"Oh fine, thanks. Managed to-" Adam abruptly stopped mid-sentence with a frown. "Did you just feel that chill in the room or is it just me?"

Helen shuddered and nodded, acknowledging that she too felt the sudden change in temperature. She made to speak when...