Phony Potions

Chapter 28

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

Maybe I'd gotten turned around. On the other side sat a young woman, studious and thin, at a small desk. A writing quill in one hand, holding down the edges of a scroll with the other. The soft scratching noises of her writing were the only other sound in the room besides my breathing. I looked at the other two walls. One had several sofas in front of it, and the other, large pieces of parchment with looping handwriting on it. However, there were no doors anywhere.

I sat up as my shaking subsided.

"Where... where am I?" I asked.

The woman lifted her monocle, placing it on one eye and studying me.

"You're at the Contractor's Office. Did you enter by mistake?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"But... there's no door," I said.

"Yes, there needn't be one right now. If you would like, you may take a seat..." She gestured at the soft, immaculate sofa. "Or you may study the terms of agreement on that wall over there." She pointed at the parchment. "The Contract Maker will be available to see you shortly."

I studied the flowered wall. I walked up to it, touching the flowers delicately. The petals were soft and real against my hand, and I slipped my fingers around the bottom and snapped off one of the blooms. I held it, rotating it in my hand.

"How do they grow without sunlight?" I asked.

"Magic," the woman said.

"Of course." I pocketed it, visible in my vest. She didn't mind that I had picked one. The flowers were not precious to them. I walked over to the large parchment on the wall. I had never entered one of these places before, though they had always been on my periphery in big cities. I studied the terms and conditions on the wall.

Common Questions for Potential Contracted to Ask

What does it mean to sign into a Contract?

When you sign into a contract, you are agreeing to become the possession of the Contractor. You are then considered 'Contracted.' You will be magically bound to obey his/her will indefinitely.

What will be expected of me as a Contracted?

The Contractor will sell magical ownership of you to a Client, hereafter known as Client. You will serve the Client for the duration of exactly one great task or duty, as determined by the Contractor and the Client at the time of signing. You have no input on the terms of this great task or duty. You are the possession of that Client until the great task or duty is fulfilled, regardless of chronological duration.

What if I do not perform the great task or duty?

The magical bindings you willingly entered into when the Contract was made will tighten as you resist. If resistance continues, you will die.

What if the Client makes unreasonable demands of me?

You're only bound to the task or duty. If the Client threatens your body, livelihood, or dignity in orders not related to the great task or duty, you may refuse to obey them. If the Client threatens you with magical or bodily harm unrelated to the great task or duty, you may defend yourself.

Are there any ways of getting out of a Contract?

You are released from your contract under any of the following conditions: If the Contractor fails to uphold their side of the Contact and your wish becomes irrelevant or obsolete. If the Client verbally releases you from your Contract. If the Contractor dies without transferring your Contract to a Client. Most Contracts end when the great task or duty for the Client is completed.