Tim’s Fifth Trade

“What the hell, Junior,” Justice was sitting at the nearest table with a glass of what looked like scotch. The expression on her face was pure disappointment.

Standing with her back to the bar was Destiny, the fancy red gown looking mismatched on her plump teenage body, laughing hysterically.

“Behold!” Destiny said as the laughter began to subside, “The mortal desires to return to his rightful fate. Like a moth to the flame, his life is drawn to the life lain for him by his superiors.”

“Are you done?” Justice said in a tone that showed she was unimpressed by her sister. She was answered only by a huff and crossed arms.

“Good,” the old woman said before turning back to Tim, “She’s not lying, you know.all the trades you made, all the considerable power I spent, and you go and skip the needle back to the groove that bitch made for you.”

“Skip the…” Tim was lost.

“Does the eagle not hunt or the rabbit hide? Blame not the mortal for returning to his proper place. You cannot suffer the low creatures for following the natural order,” Destiny was grinning as she spoke, taking much pleasure in whatever was happening.

“I don’t get it,” Tim said, “What’s the big deal? I was just questioning why she would go out with me.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” Justice slammed her now empty glass down, “and don’t treat me like one either. You were doing much more. You were showing her,” she indicated the frozen Vanessa, “that you’re not the man she thought you were, not the man that she wants. Already all of your futures have changed. All the work we’ve done is being unraveled. No more Nancy, no more sexy professor, and you can say goodbye to this hottie too. You’re giving yourself back to my sister on a platter.”

“And his taste will be even more divine,” Destiny said, “seasoned with the knowledge of what could have been, his despair will be delicious.”

“Come on!” Tim said, standing up from the table and straightening his dress, “maybe I’m not good at this dating stuff. I’m very new to it, you know.”

“See that man?” Justice pointed toward an older man with salt and pepper hair, frozen in his approach of a younger woman at the bar, “That man knows what he wants and goes for it. Yes, I’m sure he’s going to be shut down by his target, but he doesn’t have what you have.”

“And what do I have?”

Without seeming to move a muscle, suddenly Justice was by Tim’s side, slapping him behind the head.

“You have everything you need!” She shouted, “You’re attractive, you’ve got so much authority you could probably order a woman to give you her number and it would be a struggle not to comply, you’re a snappy dresser, smart as a whip, and a flirt!” Suddenly she was in front of Tim, staring him in the eye, “Why the hell aren’t you using your flirting right now? That would have saved your butt!”

“I don’t know,” Tim suddenly felt very small, and not just because of his magically traded smaller body, “I just felt self-conscious. Like, she’s such an incredible woman, and who am I to go out with her? Plus she’s my girlfriend’s mom!”

“Why does that matter?”

“I’m self-conscious, alright?” He snapped.

“The mortal cannot escape his pathetic nature,” Destiny was strolling across the room to Tim. He could feel her approach in his very core, a pulling, like another form of gravity, but stronger, and instead of pulling his body, it was pulling his soul, “Leave this to me. I shall put him to proper use.”

“Maybe I should,” Justice said, turning away from Tim, “I’m feeling more than a little unappreciated.”

“Give me what he has!” Tim blurted in a panic, “You’ve got to help me! I’m sorry!”

“Easily done,” Justice had turned back, mischief in her eye. She began to wave her hands in front of her, weighing the options for the trade.

“What?!” Destiny screeched, scrambling forward, “You would deny me my due again?”

Just as Destiny reached out for Tim, the pull on his soul becoming unbearable, Justice punched a fist forward, which briefly smoked, waved both hands over her head, then announced, "It is done! The trade is complete."

Destiny screamed and was thrown back. The pull on Tim immediately stopped.

“Now you and I, cow, need to have a talk,” Justice turned to her sister, who was sprawled on the floor. A metallic smell filled the air, and both immortals vanished. Time started up again, and Tim was left standing in the bar hoping that whatever had been traded was worth it.