“My goodness. That was a deep dream cast.” Angela said with a flick of her wrist standing her daughter up on her feet. Tina blinked her eyes a couple of times and saw the four faced clock of Grand Central Station. She lowered her head and noticed that everything in the station was stopped, people looked to be in mid conversation and her mother was looking at her like a science experiment.

“Mother, what the hell did you do?”

“Do not under any circumstances evoke that tone with me Christina. Ever again.” she said with her thick and manicured brow raised stressing her point.

“Why am I here?” Tina said with obvious derision and disdain in her throat.

Angela straightened her jacket and swung her crisp white gloves into her other hand as she approached Tina, “I need you here to testify on my behalf.”

“Testify?” Tina said looking at her mother in disbelief.

“Yes, testify. I’m being considered for a promotion. And since it involves the government so heavily I need everyone apart of my immediate family to sit down with the review board all week.”

“Are you serious?!” Tina yelled. Before she could say another word her lips had vanished from her face.

“I will not tolerate that tone of voice from my own child. You would do well to remember that I can make those lips disappear before they ever touch that little witch in this reality.” and another flick of her wrist Tina felt another smack to her lips and she could feel the sensation coming back to them. “Now,” she said and all of the hustle and noise came to life in the Station. “Your father thinks that I’ve just picked you up from here and we wanted a little alone time before you saw him. Play nice and this can be as pain free as possible.”

“He’s my stepfather, mother. And I would rather be home with my friends…”

“Tina there’s no way I’m letting you ruin this for me. It’s one week out of your life. I think you can survive without your little playmates until then.”

Tina huffed there was no way she was going to win this argument. She stood there with her hands on her hips and looked down at her feet where her luggage sat waiting for her. She grabbed them with a huff and headed for the exit with her smirking mother in tow.