Even before the knock on the front door, twenty-three-year-old Sophie could already sense who had paid her a visit at the moment. She opened the door, and her uncle and aunt appeared. The two of them wore their usual lavish attire, Aunt Martina with her black sleeveless dress and Uncle Joaquin with his casual black coat and tie. Sophie spotted the silver-colored vase, sealed shut with its own lid, that Uncle Joaquin held in his hands.
Sophie gave a little smile. "I hope they didn't give you any trouble."
Joaquin replied, "It turned out to be a very simple task."
Sophie let her relatives enter her apartment.
Joaquin placed the vase on the coffee table. "No niece of mine should ever endure such humiliation."
Sophie nodded. "I cannot thank you enough for this."
"It is fine. After all, it is free."
Aunt Martina sat down on the sofa. "Men these days can be so unkind."
Sophie asked her, "Has anyone ever given you such unwanted treatment?"
"I remember when your uncle and I still lived in Chile many years ago. What you've been through isn't as malicious as what has happened back home."
Joaquin remarked, "Please don't exaggerate, my dear. All he ever did was flirt with you in the library."
Martina rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes. But even as I told him I was married to you, the man overlooked my little announcement and continued to ask for my phone number."
Sophie chuckled. "That's what you call a straight-up pervert."
Joaquin kept his eyes on the silver-colored vase. "You're not the only one who had a little bit of fun. I remember at least thirty years ago, when I worked for that inexcusably conceited bitch of a boss. Nobody liked her, including me. I felt tempted to give her a piece of my mind, and Saturday night had become the perfect night to do just that."
Martina shook her head. "Oh, you were such a deviant back then."
"You held the same philosophy, also. There is no room for double standards. And besides, at least she admired the experience when it ended. And we soon parted in good terms when I left the company."
"The one in the library felt the same way."
Sophie picked up the vase. "Explain to me again how the two of you used such incredible magic."
Joaquin cleared his throat. "You know we are forbidden to give such elaborate details of our enchantments. If we did, then everyone in the United States would want to share these powers of ours. It's too great a secret to be revealed."
"I guess you're right."
Sophie pressed her left ear against the vase. She could hear muffled voices from inside. She couldn't comprehend the words due to such a faint volume, but she managed to hear the word "help" amidst the screaming.
"I can hear Brent's voice. He doesn't sound very excited."
Martina crossed her legs. "He will be as soon as you eat your mint."
Joaquin pulled out a little green box from his coat pocket and handed it to her niece. "One is enough, but if you feel the need to bring things up a notch, take two more."
Martina asked, "Do you mind if I stay with Sophie? I always love to watch such a dazzling performance."
"I should remind you that-"
"Oh, not to worry, darling. I won't participate at all. I will just have a look."
Joaquin readjusted his tie. "Good. Well, I must leave. I have to go back to Los Angeles for a business meeting."
Sophie added, "I'll take Aunt Martina home when everything's finished."
"Good enough. See you tomorrow, Sophie."
"Bye, Uncle Joaquin, and thanks for everything."
When Joaquin exited the apartment, Martina followed her niece into the master bedroom. Sophie closed the curtains and turned on the lamp on the nightstand.
She closed and locked the door just before Martina took the little green box from her and opened it.
"Explain again who those two young men are."
She pointed at the vase. Sophie replied, "It's quite complicated. I know one of them. His name is Brent, and he's four years younger than me."
Martina picked up a tiny sphere-shaped mint, the color blue dyed on its entire surface, and put it in her mouth. She chewed on it while she asked, "Were you truly attracted to that young man?"
"Yes, and I seem to regret the decision to go out with him."
"Oh, don't be too hard on yourself. His leaving you for another woman is good news. Now you can entertain yourself as he and his friend become your...how should I say this...your prisoners."
Martina handed her the open green box, to which Sophie took it and placed it on the bed. She remarked, "If this doesn't go very well, then I don't know what else to do."
"Do not feel so concerned. I promise you good times once you open the lid."
"Okay, here it goes."
Sophie opened the lid. The faint echoes of two frightened men had reached her ears. She lowered the vase, situating it right above the already-made bed, and tilted it at a diagonal position, as if she was about to pour water on the blanket. Screaming, two tiny figures slid out from inside the vase and landed on the surface. Brent and Andrew had an average height for two nineteen-year-olds. Now, with the use of some exotic magic, they had been shrunken in size. They were now four inches tall.
To the best of Sophie's knowledge, Brent and Andrew had been close friends for some time. So she blamed Andrew partially for what happened between her and Brent. At the moment, the two young white men both wore brown cargo shorts and plain t-shirts. Brent had short blond hair, while Andrew was the one with the brown shoulder-length hair. They stood up and gazed at the pair of Chilean women looking down at them with their arms folded across their chests. Sophie, especially, gave them an icy stare. Brent appeared as though he tried to fake a smile.
"Nice to see you again, Sophie. Uh..."