Ms. Johnson saw the small, ordinary looking stone and paused for a moment before picking it up. It certainly looked like nothing special. Just a plain piece of common...
"Please throw it away, Ms. Johnson."
She spun, and saw that she HAD been followed after all. Standing in the door was the hulking mass of fat called Ethel. She could smell her sweaty oder from where she was, and she wrinkled her nose up at it.
"Go back to the field, Ethel! I'll deal with you later!"
Ethel waddled towards her Gym teacher, with her hands held up in a calming gesture. She whispered "Calm down, Ms. Johnson. There's no reason to get upset. I've seen what the stone can do before, and it's not pretty. It'a a corrupting influence on the human psyche, and if you start wishing...you might destry someone, Or perhaps even yourself. You see, my boyfriend..."
And thus did Ethel - formerly Karyn - tell Ms. Johnson everything. About the power...the changes in the students...her own transformation...Jon and Sarah...
"Why...that's incredible, Ethel...I mean, Karyn."
"I prefer being Ethel." The huge girl corrected. "But now you understand why it must be hidden away. Destroyed, if possible. But first...I've got to fix Jon. And perhaps Sarah as well."
Ms. Johnson looked at the stone. Ethel held out her hand patiently.
Ms. Johnson said "I...I somewhat believe you, Ethel. But...I need to make a wish to prove it to myself."
Ethel said "NO!"< but Ms. Johnson was already making her wish. It had to be spectacular and impossible to really prove anything to the practical Ms. Johnson, and Ethel was horrorified when she heard her say...
