It was light for a good few hours before I heard Abbey come back down stairs. I couldn't drift off to sleep, not with these hose stuffed inside me, so I was bored to the point of indolence, almost looking forward to being worn. At least it was a bit better than doing absolutely nothing. I was still dreading the payback Abbey promised me, but when she came over to me, she seemed... fine.

She picked me up and took the hose out of me

"Good night?" She asked

"I didn't get any sleep"

"Oh well, at least you can't get tired"

"Woo hoo" I sarcastically hollered. She chuckled at that. If she was laughing with me, maybe she'd gotten over last night. I mean, it was such a minor incident. She carried me across the room and placed me on the floor next to the other shoe. Restless and a bit embarrassed, I almost wanted her to put me on, but she turned and walked out of the room.

"Aren't you going to put me on?" I asked, reluctantly. I noticed earlier that she was still barefoot, but I decided it was better than staring at a ceiling all day

"hmm? Maybe later. Got chores to do first" and with that she left me alone. Was this her payback? Did she know how boring it was for me, without her wearing me. Well of course she knew, I was a shoe and all a shoe is good for is being worn. If it's not doing that, then it has nothing. A few tedious hours dragged by, with Abbey only briefly gracing me with her presence every now and then, mostly ignoring me. The only time she spoke to me was to tell me the time. After a while though the doorbell rang. Abbey answered it and I heard the unmistakeable voice of Lucie, Abbey's younger sister. Lucie was a waitress at a diner across town and a big old flirt. She too was a witch, notably more liberal with her abilities. I bet Abbey got the idea of what to do to me from her, with me hearing horror stories about her underwear drawer being full of ex-lovers.

When she came in, she was all but dressed for work, wearing her white shirt, black skirt and blue apron with her nametag on. Her shoes seemed inappropriate though. A pair of five inch black sling backs with an open toe. I wasn't sure if I'd rather be one of those. There'd be less dangling, but I'd certainly get worn less, and I imagine the pressure wouldn't be as balanced. Either way the shoes didn't seem appropriate for waitressing. However I soon found out, Lucie had no intention on wearing the heels to work.

"So where are these amazing shoes you want me to borrow?" She asked. My heart sank, she was giving me to Lucie? If Abbey was bad with shoes, Lucie was worse. She seemed to torture them. I can remember a Christmas where she went through 3 pairs due to breaking the heel or getting them covered in something disgusting.

"Right there, by the coffee table" Abbey said gesturing at me. Lucie came and towered over me, looking intently at me and the other shoe. I couldn't say a word. This wasn't payback! This was torture.

"What made you throw out the old ones? You loved them." Lucie asked suspiciously.

"Massive hole through the sole. They were starting to disintegrate" She lied. "besides, these are just so cute"

"Well they are adorable. And I can't exactly wear Bert to work"

"Bert?"

"Oh he's some jackass who was hitting on me earlier on the week. Started saying how beautiful I was and how perfect my feet were. Guy was a real creep and was getting way too grabby, so I turned him into these shoes. Didn't he turn out great" I looked horrified at Lucie's shoe. That was a guy too? Was this a common practice among witches? Was I the first guy Abbey changed, or was I just another in a long line? I always did wonder why Abbey was so attached to those old mangy shoes. Lucie picked me up, squeezing me in her giant hand.

"Do you want to borrow him, while I wear these?" I heard Lucie ask

"umm..." Abbey stammered

"Oh that's right, you have a thing against wearing people, don't you?" She laughed. I glared at Abbey, as if she'd notice. Something just occurred to her "Hey, where's James?"

"Conference. All week" Abbey said quickly

"You should have mentioned it, we could have done something!"

"We could do something tonight?" Abbey suggested

"Can't. Hot date. Sweet guy, he might even avoid the drawer" she laughed

"Erm... if you could just bring those shoes back tomorrow. I kind of need them for work"

"No problem sis, if that's all, I have to be running to work. Ciao" With that Abbey threw me and the partner shoe into her handbag and carried me out to god knows where. I was terrified to speak. If Abbey could hear me, then why couldn't Lucie. And if Lucie found out I was really a guy, who knows what would happen. She climbed in her car and took me and the other shoe out of her bag. She then reached down and took off Bert. She held him up to her face

"Sorry Bert, you'll just have to wait for more of my sweet foot later. It's work time, not play time." With that she threw Bert and what I assumed was just a non-living shoe into the back seat. At least I hoped it was just another non-living shoe. I'd hate to think he was both shoes, his mind somehow in two places at once. Being a shoe was already enough mental strain without that adding to the equation. My train of thought was interrupted by a giant hand picking me up. She gently placed me on her right foot, adjusting my body, so I fit right. Her foot tasted slightly differently to Abbey's. I wasn't sure exactly how differently, I wasn't exactly a connoisseur, I only knew the taste of one foot, and that was already too many. Her toe ring was the biggest issue. It was studded and was scraping my sole a little bit. Again, it wasn't painful, but it wasn't pleasant. After a bit of driving and become very acquainted with the bottom of Lucie's foot, we arrived and she got out of the car.

I soon realised why Lucie got through so many shoes. Her feet were so active. She walked everywhere, but when she was stationary, her toes were always wiggling, she'd shake me from time to time and bend me round her foot. I was exhausted, but again felt whole. I was starting to get worried. Was I returning to the mindset that I had a few days ago when Abbey messed with my thoughts or was I naturally adjusting like Abbey said I would. I still hated being here, and felt very uncomfortable. I started to miss Abbey's feet. They were smooth and gentle, not coarse and busy like Lucie's.

During Lucie's break I discovered that dangling shoes ran in the family. She sat on the sofa in the break room with her feet up, popping her heel enough, so I could see the outside world a bit. She was thumbing through a magazine when I heard a very faint voice. It was coming from... me? No, inside me. But the only thing inside me, was Lucie's foot. No, the toe ring! Was that another guy as well. I listened closer

"Oh god, please! I'm sorry!" It mumbled. Lucie seemed to hear because she took me off and raised her foot to her face

"What now?" She asked curtly

"Please mistress, it's been a week. Can you not turn me back?" The toe ring weakly asked

"You were turned into that because you stole from me. I think you'll find thieves tend to get a longer sentence than one week" She said, an air of malevolence in her voice

"But it was just a car park space!" The ring protested

"Hush now, or I'll make it so you'll never speak again" She commanded and the toe ring went silent. She then picked me up and put me on. I was now absolutely terrified of this woman. I wished I was back home with Abbey. Why had she set me up with this bitch. If she found out what I am, she might try and keep me like this forever, or give me to a dog or something wicked like that.

My worries stayed with me for the rest of Lucie's shift. After another few hours of walking around, toe scrunching and the like, Lucie got back into her car and set off for home. When she got in, she took me off and put me and my partner shoe carefully down by the door, holding Bert and walking away barefoot. At least she was treating me with a bit of respect. Probably because I was Abbey's property or more likely because she didn't know I was really a person. After a few hours of boredom, which at least was cut up a little because I was looking up at a different ceiling. After a while, Lucie came into the hallway and started thinking aloud, or so I thought

"Y'know two things have bugged me today. One, why would Abbey throw out her old flats, when she could just fix them with her magic, like she usually does and two, since when does James go on conferences, especially over weekends" She then looked down at me and grinned

"Hello James"