The Button
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"Oh, Darryl, that's wonderful! An invitation to the Larraby's ball? How
did you manage to swing that?"

Darryl smiled enigmatically at his fiancée. "Ancient family secret."

"But what did it cost?" she asked.

"I was told 'a touch of karma'. But that's not important now. The limo
will be here in less than an hour. We have to get ready!"

Her face fell. "It's tonight?" she asked, tremulously. "But what will I
wear? None of my clothes are good enough..."

Darryl held something in his hand, presenting it to her with a
flourish.

Yana looked at the simple blue button, skeptically. "It won't cover
much."

"Ah, but you're wrong. It's a magic button. If you visualize what you
want, and touch it to... anything, I guess, it will make you a dress."
He proceeded to put words into action, touching the button to a pillow
on the bed.

Yana watched in amazement as the pillow melted into the form of a cute
white halter-top with three little white buttons. "How long will it
stay like that?" she asked, in an awed voice. "I don't want to re-enact
Cinderella..."

"Not to worry." Darryl plucked one of the buttons free. "Removing the
transformed button is the only way to break the spell." In moments, the
button in his hand was again a plain blue button, and the top was again
a pillow.

He handed the button to Yana, then started removing his shirt, walking
toward the closet and the rental tuxedo within. "Have fun!"

She ran over to him and hugged him tight. "Oh, I can't wait! This will
be so wonderful," she gushed. As she held him close, the button
clutched in her hand, she imagined the dress she'd wear...

Her eyes closed as she felt him melt against her, then snapped open
again in alarm as his weight dropped to nothing. She stumbled forward,
and looked down at the puddle of black silk where Darryl had been.

"Oh no... This will take forever! Forgive me, Darryl..."

Yana was the belle of the ball in her sequin-encrusted evening gown.