I woke up yesterday morning in the same single bed, looking up at the same white ceiling, and anticipating the boredom of yet another day doing an office job I hate. Slinging my legs over the side of the bed and feeling the same worn old carpet beneath my feet, I sighed and wandered sleepily to the bathroom. As I took my usual shower, washing my hair in the same old shampoo, and drying myself on that faithfully fluffy towel, something snapped.

"Sod it!" I exclaimed at the top of my voice as I ran down stairs to the phone in the hall, my wet body wrapped in the towel and my hair dripping all over the carpet as I quickly dialed the number.

"Hello? Oh, hi! It's me. Mr. Hurst, I'm sorry, but I'm not going to be able to make it in to work today. I've just been really sick. Yeah, I think something has disagreed with me. I feel awful, really awful. I'll ring you later and let you know how I'm doing. I have to go, Mr Hurst. I'm gonna ... I'm gonna..." And with that I slammed the phone down and twirled right out of my towel in delight!

An hour later I locked my front door behind me and walked out into the hazy sunshine of an early spring day. The air was fresh and sharp with the smells of plants and flowers renewing and the sounds of the animal life returning to my little predictable house in the suburbs.

"I'm going to go and explore today!" I said out loud to myself as I walked with a slight skip in my step towards the nearest bus stop.

I wondered if people knew I was playing hooky. I felt so deliciously naughty and alive for the first time in what seemed like forever. How the hell had I gotten trapped in my life? When I was young I dreamt of being a traveler, an explorer. I wanted to see the world; I wanted to be someone. Thank God no one told me back then that I'd end up in a dead end office job with no family, not even a boyfriend, and debts the same size as a small third world country's.

I jumped on the first bus that stopped, bought a saver ticket, and ran to the back of the bus. Taking a seat by the window, I watched the world go by, keeping an eye out for someplace interesting where I could hop off again. Soon we came to a group of shops I had never seen before. A crowd of people were getting off so I joined them, enjoying the thrill of putting my sensible shoes down on new un-trodden (by myself, at least) tarmac.

The shopping centre itself was nothing special, just the usual assortment of high street names and little family run businesses. What made it extraordinary to me was the way it was new; fresh and forbidden. I should be staring deep into the mind numbing gaze of my VDU right now, not trying on clothes in some strange part of town!

As I continued to mooch around, I found this curious little shop. You know the type: all dark and musty, smelling of incense and wood and other enticingly exotic things. I walked in and took in the surroundings. I was in a small pokey room, which seemed to be crammed from ceiling to floor with shelves full of the strangest array of pots and statues, beads and crystals, ornaments and candles. It nigh on took my breath away. I was in a browser's paradise, and soon I was lost in my own little world, investigating anything that caught my gaze.

"It's good stuff, is that," a rough growling voice said from behind me. I gasped and spun round.

"Ah, I'm sorry, lass. I didn't mean to scare thee. I'm only the shopkeeper here, my lamb. No need to fret."

I looked into the sparkling eyes of an old man whose wrinkles had overtaken every millimetre of his face. Crevices had turned into crevasses and yet his eyes twinkled with the light and life of a child. Giggling, I apologized for my reaction, explaining how I'd just gotten so lost in his shop that I had forgotten where I was.

"Aye, this place has a bit of magic about it. Doesn't it, my pet?" he replied, nodding his shaggy head up and down as if agreeing with himself. "I've worked in here all my life, and I swear it's this place that keeps me going."

I couldn't leave the shop without buying something. But what? I looked at the tub in my hand "Invisibility rub. Makes your skin feel so soft you'll swear it isn't there!" I decided I needed a bit of pampering, so why not get some moisturizing cream, even if it was a tad expensive. I handed it over to the shopkeeper.

"It's real good stuff this, petal. Make sure you apply it all over to get the best effect."

I nodded politely and watched as he put the tub in a brown paper bag, then handed it to me with my change.

Boarding the bus home my heart was light and joyful, my mind already going over my excuse for not going in to work again tomorrow. I was going to start enjoying life from this moment on, and if that meant dumping my dead end job then so be it. But what else could I do?

I was concentrating so hard I didn't look where I was going, and next I knew, my leg hit something solid and tripped me to the ground. As I raised myself to my knees, I came eye to crotch with a pair of faded jeans, I blushed bright red as a masculine hand reached down to help me up.

"I am so sorry!" A deep sensuous voice exclaimed. "Are you all right?"

I grabbed hold of the hand and pulled myself to my feet. When I was once again standing, I looked into the stranger's eyes, noting their mellow brown hue, and stammered, "I'm ... I'm Ok. Thanks."

He smiled at me and my heart wobbled. "I am glad you're all right. Here, you dropped this."

He bent over to pick up my brown bag and the tub of rub that had escaped its confines. I sneaked a peek at his bottom.

"Wonderfully pert buttocks," I thought to myself. "I could get my teeth into that all right!"

"Invisibility rub, huh?" The stranger's voice interrupted my train of thought.