Sundries and Elixirs

            A phone call woke me early in the morning on Leisure Day. My first thoughts were of the witch taunting me. Instead, the familiar voice of Dr. Allison greeted me. She asked for me to meet her at the city hall immediately. Perhaps she simply wanted me to work on the holiday. I would not have minded, since I needed extra simoleons for a proper chair.

            My boss hadn’t wanted me to work. She had wanted to be present while I received an award from some government desk jockey. Apparently capturing fifteen spirits was enough to illicit an oversized trophy.

            When my award stared back at me in my two-walled shack, I tried to muster up some kind of pride. I’d won many more prestigious acclimations though. I suppose it was better than nothing, but I would have preferred a love-struck idiot to shut the witch up.

            Since I still had the day off, I decided to investigate a shop. I’d overheard of it from a chattering trophy wife while ridding her house of a spirit infestation. She had called it a potion store, and from the internet I learned it was named Aleister's Elixirs and Sundries. I hoped to be able to find something to take care of my horrid curse in there.

            The store was just as gaudy and bizarre as I imagined it would be.

            “You look like you could use my help. What can I do ya for?” the clerk called at me. I wanted to be out of my monstrous body, so I quickly told her my story, not caring if she thought I was crazy or lying.

            A look of concern came over her face. “I don’t think any of my wares will do ya any good. Sounds like you got yourself in mighty deep with a real witch.”

“What?” I screeched. “Don’t you have some kind of curse-breaking potion?”

“Nothing can put an end to a custom created deal except the desired outcome or the creator. I’d point you to a beauty elixir, but I doubt it’d work. They put a whole lot of love and time into curses to make sure they can’t be cheated.”

“Well what am I supposed to do?”

“Whatever they want you to. Or you could try appealing to them, but, looking at your face, I doubt you’re on friendly enough terms.”

I bit my lip to hold in irritated tears, ready to turn around and storm out. The clerk took this as an opportunity to pedal more of her stupid potions and other junk. She rattled off her inventory, naming skill boosters and herbs.

“I’ve got in a few jars of potent friendship too. That’s always a good seller.”

            That last one caught my attention. I could use it to aid in my fruitless quest to land a man. She told me the price, a hundred and twenty simoleons more than I had, and I scratched my head. There was one way I could quickly get the difference.

            It needed to be done. I didn’t want to waste months on trying to win over some man. I gathered up most of my comforting spirits and whisked down to Dr. Allison.

            The clerk did not seem surprised when I returned later in the day to purchase one of the instant friendship potions.