IV

Shadows

The two girls walked into the bookstore, Merma wearing her new trenchcoat. They found Gilligan, ironically, watching Gilligan's Island. Merma modeled the trenchcoat.

"Beautiful," he said, "but... eccentric. It's summer, Merma."

Merma gave him a condescending smile. "Is it? I hadn't noticed!"

Piper scoffed. "We have to go. We're supposed to meet Fay and Merlin at the cafe at twelve."

"Merlin? His name is Merlin?" Gilligan laughed.

"Yes," Merma said frustratedly, "It is, Gilligan"

Gilligan realized his hypocrisy and shrugged.

"It's eleven fifty," Piper said. "We HAVE to go."

"Okay!" Gilligan said, "We're coming."

They left the bookstore and went to the cafe to meet Merma's friends. Fay and Merlin were already there. Piper, Merma, and Gilligan sat at the table with them. "Hey Merma," Fay said happily.

"Hey!" Merma said, and then introduced them to Piper and Gilligan. They sat and talked until it was time for Gilligan to go back to work at the bookstore. Merma had to go to university in a quarter hour, so she and Piper had to leave too. They left and Piper went home and Merma began the ten-minute walk to her college.

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When Piper got back to her apartment, she was horrified to realize that the door had been left open, and that somebody had taken advantage of the opportunity and broken in. The apartment was trashed, as if a strong wind had gone through it. Everything had fallen off of the shelves, and the porcelain cups that had been in the glass case were destroyed (along with the case). It didn't look like anything had been stolen, but she called the police anyway. 

She sat on the floor (as the chairs were all broken) and called Merma.

"Hello?" Merma said irritatedly, "You know, I was in the middle of class. What do you need?"

"Somebody broke in."

"What?!"

"Somebody. Broke. In. To. Our. Apartment."

"I heard you, I just... Did they take anything?"

"I don't think so, but everything's destroyed. It's..." Piper couldn't finish her sentence. She saw something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to see what it was, and as she did, a forceful wind came from that direction, sending her flying across the room. She hit the wall, and was held up by an invisible force for a second before being dropped to the ground. She hit it hard, and when she did, the watch in her pocket was cracked open.