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Adelaide’s Magic Sunglasses
Phoebe von Satis , author
Adelaide, a twenty-something Californian, lounges on the beach with 3 friends. Unable to look at her friends because of the brightness of the midday sun, she vows to get the perfect pair of sunglasses. The next day she goes shopping, going into several stores but not finding anything she likes. She is about to give up when she stops in a peculiar store called Fate’s Spectacles. Greeted by Fate, the enigmatic owner of the store, Adelaide is encouraged to try on a pair of sunglasses. Adelaide hesitates, but then, due to Fate’s encouragement, she buys the sunglasses.
Adelaide goes hiking with her three friends from the beach: Hanna, and Belle. The sun appears from behind the clouds and Adelaide puts on her new sunglasses. Instantly, she disappears. Her friends are shocked and confused. Adelaide reappears, having taken off the glasses. Slowly the four realize her sunglasses have the power to make whoever’s wearing them invisible.
The four sit at an outdoor restaurant. Adelaide doesn’t wear her sunglasses but keeps them clipped to her collar. Her friends stare at the sunglasses with envy. Belle focuses on a bank across the street, realizing that with the sunglasses she could easily rob it. Later, the four sit in a nightclub. Sibyl offers Adelaide a check for $12 million in exchange for the sunglasses. Adelaide declines. That night, Adelaide is woken by the sound of a burglar breaking into her house with a crowbar. When the burglar reaches Adelaide’s bedroom Adelaide is nowhere to be seen.
Suddenly, the crowbar is jerked out of the burglar’s hand and smashes the burglar in the head. Adelaide appears, taking the sunglasses off. Taking off the burglar’s mask, she is shocked to find it is her friend, Belle. Adelaide drags Belle to the landing, but is attacked by Hanna, who snatches the sunglasses and pushes Adelaide down the stairs. Adelaide breaks her neck in the fall and dies. Hanna smiles at Belle and puts on the glasses. Only she doesn’t disappear. Belle snatches the glasses from Hanna and puts them on. She also doesn’t disappear. Confused, Belle looks down at Adelaide’s body, trying to make sense of what’s happening. Hanna joins her. It becomes clear that the power of the sunglasses is tied to Adelaide, and now that she’s been killed, the sunglasses are just ordinary sunglasses.