Jacine and Tamlynn were going shopping in IC downtown. The main mall wasn't too crowded and they spent a lot of time browsing. Jacine poked around in a computer stores, but spent too much time laughing at the products and Tam hustled her out of there before the store people really got annoyed. They then headed to a jewelry shop where Tam lingered and Jacine paced around, occasionally looking at a display.

The store clerk came over to help Tamlynn. He looked to be about Jacine's age, but knew his gems and had a reasonable idea of what looked good on people. Every thing was going fine until Jacine got bored and came over to see what Tam had selected.

The clerk glanced over, gave an incredulous double-take, and exclaimed, "You!!!!! I moved cities to get away from you! I took a job you'd never come near so I'd never meet you!"

He backed away, his clip-board held in front of him as a shield. He ran into the wall, but didn't notice and kept trying to back through it.

Tamlynn stared in open-mouthed shock at him, and then turned the look on Jacine. Jacine was regarding the man curiously, not at all concerned over his actions.

"Witch!!!" The man screamed in terror. People outside the shop were hurrying by, not wanting to get involved.

"Oh!" Jacine exclaimed suddenly. "Pinky!!"

Giving an incomprehensible gurgle, the clerk started inching away along the wall.

Tam finally closed her mouth and then opened it again to say something that was more coherent, "Do you know this person, Jacine?"

"Oh sure." Jacine sat down on a chair and spoke sharply to the clerk, "Calm down, Pinky!"

He made a small whimper but stopped edging away. "You're not going to... hurt me?"

A snorting sound came from Jacine's direction. "That was never my department anyhow. As I recall, you did more of that then me."

"But it was you!"

"After you beat the crap out of me all through third and fourth grade. I think a few nightmares were fair repayment."

It was Tamlynn's turn to realize something of what was going on. Michael had told them some tales of what school had been like for him and his sister, and how they'd split the revenge... "You reprogrammed his VR!"

"Umm." Jacine glanced her direction with hooded eyes.

Pinky straightened up, a slight shade of indignant surprise replacing a fraction of the terror. "Is that what you did!?"

For the first time, Jacine looked startled, "You didn't know?"

"I thought I was going crazy. My parents didn't believe me and I couldn't talk with the other kids at school... I threw away my VR. To this day I can't bear to see one."

Tamlynn coughed trying to chock back her laughter. It turned into real coughs after her windpipe spasmed and Pinky went back and got her a glass of water. He no longer looked quite so terrified and was more rational, but he still gave a wide berth around Jacine, who was regarding him with what looked to be amusement and some satisfaction.

Jacine got up and headed towards the door. "Nice to see you again, Pinky." The person cringed. "Tam, I'll be in the Bath Shope when you get done here." She left with a cheerful wave, which Pinky flinched away from.

Tamlynn was thinking Oh thanks. Leave me with the nutcase you created. But Pinky was looking a lot calmer now that Jacine had left and Tam speculated that maybe Jacine thought things out more then the Gang realized.

The clerk sighed. "My girls turned into monsters -- in the middle of things. My favorite heroes would kill me. My homework gave me the wrong answers. Sometimes I was left in complete sensory isolation and couldn't turn it off. ... And all of it was just because she reprogrammed the VR? How the hell did she get in my house!? I thought she'd cast a series of spells on me. Shit. I still can't bare the thought of a VR!"