Part 2

"I promised Wendy I'd get her something...different...but I have no idea where to even start looking. And the party is tonight. So I figured you were the best person to help me," Ben pleaded. Ben Hammerson was notorious for leaving things to the last minute. He just couldn't seem to organise anything.

Jill Byers found it kind of cute. Unfortunately, Ben was Wendy's boyfriend and therefore forbidden territory. She watched him where he was lounging in her desk chair. His lanky body was leaning forward, almost to the point of toppling the thing over as he tugged nervously at his mop of messy curly black hair.

Jill shrugged, "What'd you want me to do? I didn't know Wendy knew enough people for a party." Ben had come knocking on her door, banging frantically almost like he was running from a certain death. Jill had almost panicked herself at her friend's desperate knocking and let him in immediately, only to discover he'd forgotten to get Wendy a birthday present.

Actually, Jill didn't really know Wendy as well as Ben did. They were in a few classes together, shared a study group and talked sometimes. Jill liked her okay, but felt Wendy was kind of a private person. She had just passed it off as shyness.

Ben shrugged. "Help me find something. Anything. Come on, I'm desperate here," he said, smiling sheepishly.

Jill wound a strand of ginger hair around her finger. "Well...."

"I will *beg* if I have to."

Jill giggled at the image of Ben on his knees in front of her, begging her to help him find a birthday present. "O*kay*," she said, pulling on a pink leather jacket. "I suppose I can spare *some* time."

As Ben stood up his blue eyes were twinkling. "Great. If I wasn't spoken for, I'd kiss you." He winked at her as he headed for her door.

~You could kiss me anyway~ Jill thought wistfully.

Once outside Jill's dorm building she and Ben found the Californian morning was typically bright and sunny, despite the early hour. It was only nine-fifteen, but students were everywhere, several of them waving at Jill and Ben as they walked across the large grassy area in front of the dorm building.

"Hey, that's new." Ben pointed at a new thrift shop next to the cafeteria. Jill had never noticed any shop next to the cafeteria building, which was weird, since she went there all the time. Her friend Dawn adored thrift shops - she hadn't mentioned this one.

"Might as well start there," she suggested.

"You really think we can find something in that place?" Ben asked doubtfully.

Jill shrugged. "Why not?"

As they went into the shop Jill was almost amazed to find it was the weirdest place she had ever been in. Clothes, books, knickknacks, furniture, antiques and even toys were tossed around in the most unorganised way she'd ever seen.

"Okay, this place isn't so bad," Ben said with a grin.

"Yeah, cause it's as weird and disorganised and like you," Jill snorted.

"Can I help you two find something?"

The voice held an accent Jill couldn't quite place. Maybe it was Swiss. Jill really had no idea and was just guessing. Jill turned to see who was speaking.

The girl the most bizarre person Jill had ever seen. Her hair was long, reaching past her waist, a shade somewhere between pink and rose. Her skin was icy pale and flawless, looking smooth enough to skate on. Her lips were the palest of pinks. The shimmery long lavender dress she wore seemed to enhance her other worldly beauty. Small and ginger haired, thin and ordinary in a white top, blue jeans and pink leather jacket Jill felt indescribably dull compared to this amazing creature.

"Yeah, we're looking for a birthday present for our friend Wendy," Ben said. He just looked at the girl, seeming completely unfazed by her beauty. Did this stunning girl really have *no* effect on him? He couldn't be *that* in love with *Wendy*, could he?

"Anything special in special in mind? " The girl moved to a table, stroking a pile of brightly coloured clothes, head tilted to one side, almost as if she were listening to them.

"Nope, not really. "Ben picked a gold bracelet off the counter and held it out to Jill.

Jill shook her head. "Too mundane."

"How about this?" The girl was holding what looked like a model of a door. It sat on a white base surrounded by six golden keys.

Ben's eyebrows rose quizzically as he poked at the door. "What's it do?"

"The keys open the door. A different room for each key. Then you need to find the key to get out again."

Jill shrugged helplessly. It made no sense to her. Wendy would probably love it. "Sure, he'll take it."

"I will?" Ben asked. He eyed Jill with that cute look of puppy-dog doubtfulness as he had before when he didn't know if the store would be the right place to look for a present.

"Yeah." Jill realised her tone might sound curt , but she found herself wanting to get out of the store as fast as possible. It wasn't the girl who set her on edge, it was - it was...

She couldn't even finish the sentence. Maybe she was just being paranoid. The girl went behind the counter and put the door and key model in a gold box.

The girl flashed them a smile. "That'll be five dollars, then."

Ben fished in his pocket and pulled out a crumbled bill and handed it over. "Dawn would love this shop, wouldn't she?"

"Guess so," Jill mumbled. "Can we go now?"

"See you guys tonight."

Jill gave the girl a sharp look about to ask what she meant. The girl just gave her another friendly smile and waved.

Ben took her arm and propelled her out the shop. "Well that was easier than I thought. Thanks."

"Don't mention it," Jill said, though she wasn't really sure what she had done.

"See you at the party later. It's going to be in Paul's dorm." Ben waved and jogged off, taking the gold box with him.

Jill shuddered and looked back at the thrift shop. It was *gone*.

She stared in utter disbelief. How was that possible? She and Ben had just been there. She marched back to the place. There was nothing there. No sign that the shop had ever existed.

Jill shook her head in confusion. ~What the hell?~ she thought.

"You look like you've just seen a ghost."

A tap on Jill's shoulder made her jump. She turned around to see her friend Dawn. Dawn was looking at her kind of oddly. Jill glanced back at where the shop had been again. "There was - " Jill broke off. There was absolutely no way she could have imagined the store. Ben had been there with her. He had *bought* something. He was her witness.

"What?" Dawn asked.

Jill shook her head. "Nothing."

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