In Boscovia the old magic runs deep and like most unwelcome ancient traditions, sticks around long past its expiration date. It's a small country, a little to the east of Germany, a little to the west of Russia. One that you could look right over if you didn't know what you were looking for. Sayra shivered as a chill breeze from the frozen section blew over her. Her light purple sweater did nothing to shield her from the cold. She pushed her cart away from the freezers and began moving again. Her grocery list was simple and most if it was already filling the cart she maneuvered around a tight corner. People flocked down the seemingly endless isles of the warehouse store she was in, huddling around the various sample givers. She cursed and tried to warm herself by rubbing her arms. She needed to get home so she'd have time to prepare for her dinner tonight. Gregory was a good man, a solid catch not the best looking but reliable and had a good job. She was thinking of bringing him to meet her parents soon. He had a daughter from another woman but the way he took care of her stirred her heart. Sayra almost felt bad about cheating on him. Almost. She brushed a blond hair out of her eyes, she was not a fan of her short hair and decided she needed to find a new hairdresser that wouldn't decide to freestyle her haircut. She took one corner then the next looking for the milk. She glanced at her phone and then started in disbelief, she was going to be late!
Sayra pushed her cart faster quickening her step muttering apologies for cutting off a few people. She found herself back in the freezer section and bared herself to the cold. This store was massive and boasted every type of cheese or butter worth having. All Sayra wanted was the milk but she had to walk past what felt like a mile of cheese to get there. The cold dragged at her, made her want to curl up under a blanket with a cup of cocoa. Her face, normally alive with a quick smile, instead wore a scowl as if it was a permanent fixture. Her nose fell to the cold first, then her cheeks. Her nipples stiffened against her sweater as the cold cut through. She never needed to wear a bra and had never felt reason to do so. Her B cups, on a good day, usually kept to themselves.
She pushed ahead, determined. She didn't care so much about making it to her date with Gregory on time, but she was concerned about missing her show right afterwards. Gregory would understand. Finally she spied the milk, she turned her cart in quickly.
"ACHI!" An old lady cursed loudly. In Sayra's haste she had accidentally run over the woman's foot. The older woman winced in pain. As Sayra looked on she felt a sense of dread. "Sorry mama," She whispered the sentiment dying on her tongue. The crone gazed out of an ancient face, her skull cavernous with skin draped like ghosts of a forgotten era. She wore the head scarf of a traveling gypsy caravan.
"Clumsy bitch, running around with your tits out. Watch where you're going." The crone yelled in the old tongue. Sayra didn't understand every word of the old tongue but understood enough to get the sentiment. She felt anger flare up within her at being late and impulsively lashed out. "Maybe you shouldn't be so old and dirty you gypsy cunt." Her brothers had taught her a few of those in the old tongue. Sayra threw open the glass case and grabbed the milk. Aghast the crone reeled. With the strength of a weightlifter and the quickness of a snake she grabbed Sayra's hand. Sayra jerked and pulled her arm to no avail. The old woman traced the lines in her hand and looked up at her saying in the old tongue. "You mistreat everyone in your life." She dropped Sayra's hand then pointed at her whispering curses under her breath. A small crowd gathered and took note. Sayra blushed and said "I am sorry mama, I shouldn't have said that." She put the milk in her cart as the ancient woman's tone changed to almost a chant. She guessed the english did not translate very well. The crone screeched loudly still pointing at Sayra. Sayra shrugged wishing this had never happened and that she could just vanish, she turned and tried to push through the crowd gathering around with her cart to no avail. The people were just not moving. The chanting in the old tongue grew louder. Sayra abandoned her cart just trying to push her way past. Hoping these were not gypsies like the crone.
From behind her in perfect english she heard the crone say.
"You wanted milk, so milk you shall have, you could not wait, so now you will do nothing but wait, you hurt everyone in your life, so now you shall do nothing but serve others until you learn your place."
Sayra felt a strong wind blow through the market, she felt as if rain and lightning were falling all around her, she fell to the ground the unnatural wind swept down the aisle. Sayra shielded her face and eyes from the power of the wind. The wind picked her up and shoved her violently into a shelving unit. Steel flowed like vines around her body, wrapping and warping around her frame, trapping here in there. She tried to scream but nothing came out, she tried to move and could not budge. The metal tore at her clothing ripping them away. She sank deeper into the shelves becoming one with them. She could do nothing but watch as the crowd and gypsy crone gathered in front of her.
She pushed and pulled against the shelves nothing budging. She kicked and screamed to no avail. From her vantage point she could see her naked body and out into the aisle looking down some forlorn row. Blank faces of a hypnotised crowd gathered around. Suddenly a warmth spread through her chest, a heat so nice against the cold enveloped her in a warm blanket. The crone chanted at her in the old tongue. Sayra tried to follow but was lost as the warmth took her. Down her torso she saw motes of fire dance and play, two centered above her nipples. She was not in pain but noted that as the chant drew to a close they left behind marks on her tan skin. The crone changed chants and larger motes of blue fire this time danced above her chest. Her torso was the only thing exposed, everything below her hips was sunk deep into the shelves. She felt the cool metal warming on her feet and thighs so they at least existed. The motes of blue fire grew, Sayra screamed and thrashed for all she was worth. The fire vanished but the chant intensified the crowd drawing closer.