Magic Potion

Megan parks her car along the curb, walks quietly across the gravel then puts a hand on the woman's back. "I'm so, so sorry."

She turns and hugs her, tears wetting her blouse, as the arm stump rubs softly along her shoulder.

Megan pulls slightly away, still feeling the woman against her. "I guess the potions are all gone."

"I have some at home, but yeah ... gone. The DA is threatening me. The news ... so distorted. I was only trying to help people like us." She waves her arm stump a few times.

"But you 'could' make more, right?"

"I have to be careful." She looks around. "You know, she was a frequent customer for it."

"The woman that did this?"

"Bitch ... yeah, her! She's enjoying all this attention, playing the poor disfigured wife."

She walks to a car parked at the far edge of the lot and Megan follows.

"How often you to pretend?" Claudette asks as she leans against the driver's side door, her hand fondling the stump dangling past the end of the sleeve. "God, how I love to pretend. There're not many that do."

"As often as I can afford a blue bottle. It's my drug of choice." Megan laughs. "Of course, the green is a lot of fun." She snickers.

"I don't know what to do. The DA is watching my ass, last thing I want is to end up in the slammer."

"Did you have more?"

She looks around as if she might be under surveillance then wags a finger to draw Megan closer. Megan does, almost touching the woman before she stops. Claudette nods in silence.

"Wow," Megan whispers.

"I trust you and a few others. We can't talk now." She takes Megan's hand and palms a folded piece of paper then smiles, but says nothing before getting into her car. She waves after she starts the car.

-

"Are you home yet?" Gina calls as she walks through the living room and drops her purse on the dinning room table.

"In here!" Megan yells from the small den where the computer is.

Gina leans down and kisses her several times. "If there isn't going to be more of the blue bottles, I think we need to do the final injection, be done with it. You've got enough."

"What if there 'was' more of it?"

"But the shop burned down."

"I drove by to see and Claudette happened to be there. We had a nice conversation. You 'can't' tell anyone what I'm going to say, no one, not even the people at work."

"I promise."

"There 'might' be more. She wasn't willing to talk. I take it the DA has her under surveillance, maybe even considering charging her in some fashion."

"An accomplice to mayhem? After all, she sold the stuff to the husband who attacked his wife."

"She wanted to be that way. Claudette told me she was a big customer for the blue bottle. She just didn't want to be that way all the time."

"Yeah, and now the press is telling everyone how she liked to play amputee."

"What?"

"I guess they've been digging around."

"Oh, oh. I hope there're no customer lists to be found." Megan shakes her head a few times. "I know I wouldn't want to have CNN show up at a 'blue bottle' party." She groans deeply and shakes her head again.

"What do we do, leave town?"

"Nah. It'll all blow over."

Gina stares at Megan. "If she's under surveillance, they might have your license plate number. You were at her burned down shop today."

Knuckles rap loudly on the front door several times.

"Shit!" Megan shouts and grabs her chest.

The knock happens again, only louder. "Gina!" a female voice yells.

Gina opens the door slightly. "Julie, what's happening?" She opens the door more. "Come in." She does. "This is Megan." Gina points. "And this is Julie, the woman from work that I mentioned ... 'blue stuff' parties."

"Oh, yeah."

"Did you hear? That woman that burned the shop, she's a regular user...."

"Of the blue stuff. Megan was just telling me. We're both scared that all of our names will be in the papers."

"Imagine if the news trucks show up with cameras."

Julie's phone rings and she shoves it hard against her ear then listens for a moment. She clicks off and drops it back in her pocket.

"That was Tim. Seems the DA has cut a deal and there's to be no charges. I guess the thrift shop woman is leaving town."

"How long till the story loses interest?" Gina asks.

"Give it a day or two then they'll find some other sensational story. I just hope we can still buy blue stuff."

"And if we can't?" Megan asks. "We have enough for one last injection, make it permanent."

"Yeah, me too. Tim has some, but...."

"Probably won't be willing to part with it," Gina says. "I wonder if I would if I were him."

"Gotta go, just wanted to let you know." Julie hugs Gina and waves to Megan. "You both should come this weekend to the party. Could be the last one." She groans then opens the front door.

-

Megan walks towards the bedroom. Gina follows and sees her pull the blue bottle and two syringes from the nightstand.

"What are you doing?" Gina begs.

I couldn't tell you in front of her, but I think Claudette has a lot more. If she doesn't, well, we have another whole bottle and that's all we need to for the final injection."

Gina holds the bottle of green potion then rolls it between both hands. "I want to do this also."

Megan loads a syringe with enough for several hours and jams the needle into her thigh. A loud sigh drifts from her mouth like a junkie shooting up. "I need this-s," she hisses as she jerks the syringe away from her leg. "You want some?" Her eyes are wide and mouth slightly open.

"Uh-huh." Gina dabs a drop of green fluid then another on Megan. "Same place," she demands as she undresses. "So tempted to do it for good."

-

Megan pulls into a vacant parking lot on the way to work and digs her phone from her purse along with the scrap of paper Claudette gave her.

"Hello? This is Megan. You gave me this number yesterday. Can we talk?"

"Sure. It's a throwaway phone."

"I heard they are dropping the investigation."

"I heard that too. I hope it's true. I assume you're after more."

"Is that possible? I don't have much money."

"I'm sorry I was charging so much. Now that I know you and maybe three others, I think I'll sell only to you four."

"How much do you have?"

"More than you'll need." She laughs. "You can't tell anyone."

"I understand. I want to get...."

"Okay." Claudette cuts her off and offers to meet her on the outskirts of town in half an hour.

"Wonderful. I have that much money." She hangs up.

Other than Claudette's, no cars are on the street when Megan arrives. She parks half a block away and walks carefully along the deserted and broken sidewalk by rundown buildings and warehouses. She leans against the car and the window rolls down. Claudette has both arms, but no legs. Claudette has a hand on the lever for a hand control. A folded wheelchair rests behind the seat. She notices the confused expression covering Megan's face.

"I can't help it. A girl just needs to be missing something." She laughs. Megan hands her a small brown bag with cash and takes another. The glass contents rattle. "There's plenty more if you need it. Use the same phone number."

Megan scans the area finding it still as deserted, but feeling as if she is scoring illegal contraband. "Thanks." She hears the car start and drive away before she makes it back to her car. A quick check, she's still alone. "Good," she mutters under her breath. She suddenly feels flush. A huge need to inject overcomes her as she grips a bottle tightly for a moment before stuffing it back in the bag and starting the car.

She turns the corner and a police car passes going the opposite direction. She checks the mirrors and the police car is still heading away. "Shit," she mumbles as she drags her hand over her forehead. "I can't keep doing this."

In the office parking lot, she finds a place in the trunk to safely store the bag. The lid closes and she double checks it is locked before walking away, watching over her shoulder in case anyone might be following.

"Morning," the receptionist says.

Megan jerks to a stop. "What!"

"I just said hello. Is anything wrong?"

"No, nothing. I was almost in an accident and I'm just a little rattled."

Her boss rounds the corner. "Accident?"

"Yeah, asshole ran a stop sign and just missed me."

"My god, how can you be here?" he says putting his arm around her. "Go home. Take a sick day."

"Yes, yes, that's a great idea."

Megan sits in the car rolling a bottle in her hand, the remaining potion bottles still in the truck, and dials the phone. "Gina baby. Can you take the day off?"

"What happened? Did you get arrested?"

"No, nothing like that. I scored a bunch of the blue bottles from her."

"Really?"

"I was so rattled by the time I got to work.... Anyway, my boss suggested I take a sick day. I'm leaving work now, hope you can come home."

-

Megan carries the bag of bottles into the bedroom and undresses then slips on a tee shirt, the hem hanging just past her hips. "Fuck it," she mumbles as she loads two syringes with enough for three hours. Quickly she jams one in her left arm a few inches above the elbow then the other in her right and drops both syringes in the red sharps container before the arms have a chance to disappear. She lays back, arms out to the side, and waits.

Sooner than expected, the arms end in stumps. She stands and dances around the room in slow spirals until she stops in front of a tall mirror. "God, you're lovely," she says aloud as she moves the stumps.

Megan sits in one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room, a leg casually tossed over the arm when Gina gets home.

"Hey babe," Megan says, waiting for her to notice.

"Your arms."

"We have enough to experiment all we want. I was hoping you'd help me do things."

"How much did you use?"

"Three hours. It'll be fun ... just a whim."

"I always worry the limb won't return."

"That'd a hell of a mess about now." Megan laughs and flaps her arm stumps. "I used the bottle from the night we did both your legs. Now that was a nice night."

"For sure. Let me grab some crutches and I'll pop a leg off. Used to do that to my dolls." She laughs as she walks to the stack of crutches in the corner and returns with a pair then undresses.

Megan reaches out then laughs as she remembers there are no hands. "Guess you're on your on for injecting."

"I can do it ... watched you enough." She loads the syringe and injects in the thigh at the same place as before. "Have a feeling you've already dabbed a little green stuff on." She snickers as she applies a drop.

The leg disappears and she tugs at the tee shirt Megan wears. "You've got too much on," she teases as she pulls it over her head.

"I almost went higher," Megan whispers as she attempts to hold Gina close. They kiss, an arm stump brushing hair away from Gina's face in an awkward manner. Several tries later, she is successful. "There."

-

Gina's leg returns before either of Megan's arms and Megan is feeling a growing panic. "What?" she protests pacing the bedroom. "Your leg is back!" She flaps her arm stumps a few times, still pacing.

"Maybe the dosing is different for arms. They are smaller after all."

"Yeah, maybe that's it. I can't help but panic at the moment." She continues pacing. The right arm reappears and she wipes the hand over her forehead. "Wow-w," she drawls. I can live without the other, I think."

"Lets make sandwiches, I'm a little hungry after all that 'wonderful sex'." She snickers. "You just get better every time."

"Uh-huh." As Megan opens the refrigerator, the arm reappears. "About time." She laughs nervously. "I'd do it again ... at least I think I would."

"You look nice without arms ... sexy."

Megan injects her left arm closer to the shoulder and waits. Several inches of arm remain as a stump.

"Have you ever injected a stump to make it even shorter? I'm wondering how it reappears."

"I'm a little afraid to try." Megan giggles and fondles the piece of arm remaining. "I did enough for six, maybe seven hours."

"I wish we could go out, maybe have a real dinner. I hate feeling like it would be 'bad' if anyone we know saw us."

Gina leans down and suckles the soft stump of her arm as Megan moves it about over her lips.

"Hmmm, that is very-y nice," Megan whispers as she pulls Gina's face towards hers.

-

Julie rushes through the small two-bedroom one-level house with a quick hello to Dave in passing. They met a few years before at a wheelchair tennis match when they both happened to be watching the same woman missing a leg and walking around with crutches.

"I put a pizza in," he shouts.

She doesn't stop until she sits undressed in a wheelchair parked in front of what to her is a shrine, but to most people a simple desk organizer. Instead of pens, pencils, and paper clips, hers contains a blue bottle, a green one, and several new syringes standing neatly in a separate compartment.

While filling a syringe, Dave stands in the doorway. "Rough day?" he says in a tone that is half tease, the rest knowing well that it has been. His right sleeve dangles empty. He has already been through the ritual she is involved.

"Fuck yeah! I suppose you heard...." She jabs the needle into the left thigh as close to the top as possible. "That's the absolute shits if you ask me." She refills the syringe and slowly pushes the needle into the other thigh midway up from the knee. "There," she mutters under her breath and dabs a drop of the green potion on her neck.

"People were talking at work," he says.

"Yeah, same at my place. Gina, the receptionist, mentioned she and her girlfriend use the stuff."

"George pulled me into his office and mentioned his wife does too."

"What are we going to do? I mean the supply might dry up ... for good."

"I sure hope not. I heard a rumor that Claudette might have more, but will only be supplying a few people."

"Like us? We've been steady customers since the start."

Her legs now stumps, she rolls towards him and stops close. A hand roams the front of his trousers. "Damn-n baby, been using the red potion it seems." She rips at the zipper and hoists him out. "Careful, you might frighten a girl." She laughs and takes several inches in her mouth for a long moment.

His hand rubs her hair and fingers twirl stands of light brown around them. "The extra length is just enough I can do that too."

Lips fall away slightly. "Yeah, I like us sucking it together." She resumes.

-

Alice opens the front door. Tall, statuesque, with a body to drive men wild, she smiles and asks Gina and Megan in. They both wear short dresses exposing a small amount of their single missing leg.

"Tim's been holding out about how lovely both of you are," she coos as she gives each a friendly peck on the cheek.

"I've not had the pleasure," Megan says. "Gina works with him." She takes a long look at Alice in the sleeveless dress. The front plunges to the navel letting all know how perfect her breasts might be, though partially hidden by the fabric. The long stump of her left arm ends just above where the elbow used to be.

"The final injection was almost a month ago," she says as she realizes the attention her stump is receiving. "I see both of you have one leg. Any plans?"

"We're considering that," Gina says. "Dreadful about the shop and all the news."

"Yes, but it may have worked in our favor," Alice says over her shoulder as she leads them to the patio.

"John and Frank couldn't make it," she explains before introducing them to Julie, Dave, and Tim. She points at the small bar with several kinds of liquor. "Help yourself."

Julie rolls her wheelchair close and they each bend down for a friendly kiss. Dave's right sleeve is empty and he shakes with the other hand.

"Nice chair," Megan offers.

"You mentioned missing a leg the other day," Gina says.

"Uh-huh. When the stress get high, I prefer both legs." She pats the skirt to show where the stumps end. "If I had to make it permanent, I just don't know."

"I know what my vote would be," Dave chimes in.

"He really likes me 'this' way. Quite frankly, I do too." She looks at Gina for a moment. "You look lovely with one leg. You should stay that way."

"Until the other day, I had no idea it might be 'acceptable' at work." She laughs.

"You should see Mark when Alice stops by. Quite the bulge in his pants." Julie snickers. "Nothing likes Dave's." She pats the front of his trousers. "Claudette has all kinds of potions."

"Shush," Dave whispers.

"Hey, we're all friends."

Alice returns from the front door with Claudette who is missing a single leg under a knee length dress, walking with crutches.

"We owe a huge debt to this woman," Alice says loud enough all other conversation stops.

"No, no," Claudette says looking around at each person. She smiles. "It is nice to see so many enjoying my work." She giggles. "I never knew I wasn't the only one."

"Too bad Gloria went off the deep end," Tim says, his head slowly shaking side to side.

"It could work out better than expected. As some of you may know, I can still make my potions and I have a supply of them. I don't plan to sell them openly anymore, but the few here are welcome ... and at a more reasonable price."

Several people cheer, others clap, while offering thanks.

Alice steps out of the room and returns with a woman missing more of her left arm than she. "I assume you all recognize Diane Walton, the six o'clock news anchor on Channel 5."

She waves her hand and smiles. "Alice and I have talked about this for a long time. She was quite brave to leave her arm off ... I wish I had had that courage." There is a little murmuring in the room. "I spoke with the station management a few hours ago and informed them I would be this way from now on." She moves the short stump and the short sleeve of the blouse wavers. "I was surprised, but elated that they told me it would be okay."

"What will you tell the viewers?" Julie asks.

"We are producing a short feature about how some people have a need to be missing a limb. I will be the only person in the piece and I will not mention Claudette or any of you. I value everyone's friendship too much, especially Claudette's. Few know that we live together." Soft mummers fill the room. "The destruction of her shop and business saddens me. Gloria was a disturbed individual."

"How will this help us?" Tim asks.

"Well, I don't know. That depends on what each person chooses to do. In some ways, this is my chance to 'come out of the closet' and live without my arm."

"Wow-w," Gina mumbles under her breath.

"Diane and Claudette will be staying for a while," Alice says as she looks around the small group. "I hope each of you will take the opportunity to get to know them better."

-

Megan and Gina injected enough for twelve hours and their legs are still off when they return home from the party.

"Wow-w," Gina drawls as she takes Megan in her arms. Her stump rubs the inside of a thigh while the kiss continues to deepen.

Megan pulls back after a while. "That was most unexpected. Diane ... who would have guessed?"

"Yeah, and going public...."

"Since Claudette will have more, maybe there isn't a rush to make it permanent."

"I don't know." Gina walks though the room, watching her single foot gracefully swinging between the crutches with each step. "I don't know."

"What?" Megan stops behind her and pecks kisses along her neck. "What, darling?"

"I don't know if I want to continue pretending. It's not like everyone at work doesn't know about Alice ... and now the whole town will know about Diane."

"Are you suggesting...?"

Gina cuts her off. "That's exactly what I'm suggesting." She walks towards the bedroom and Megan follows.

"We've got plenty of the blue stuff," Megan protests.