Aliens, Critters, and Dinosaurs

Stretch

A teen tells about when he first discovered that he could shape change.


Writer's Cramp Prompt: Write a story or poem using the following things.

car x
playground x
soap dish x
window x
a shiny piece of glass x

Please bold these things in your entry, so the judges can find them easy. Also, remember to put the word count in your entry so it will qualify.

Stretch

I haven’t always been able to change. I think when I was younger that all the energy was going into growing. In fact then, my legs were so gawky they didn’t even seem to belong to me. One day I took a misstep and fell through my neighbor’s window. But that was just being a normal kid.

Falling through a window is nothing compared to what happened to my body soon after. Wouldn’t you know it, of all the places to do so, naturally, it occurred in sixth grade out on the playground, right in front of everyone.

I always irrationally blamed Joey for what happened. He’d brought a shiny piece of glass to school, the kind from the bottom of a Seven-Up bottle. Everyone was gathered around trying to see if it was true that you could start a fire with it. Each kid had attempted, dropping the glass when it got too hot. Sammy made a puff of smoke, and the small pile of leaves we’d gathered looked like they were just itching to burn. I reached out to take that glass so I could have my turn when my legs bent funny and my arms stretched out – way out, and I unsolidified.

The whole thing took only an instant. I caught myself before anyone else saw. Then I dropped the glass, and high-tailed it to the bathroom.

Everyone was laughing at me. I thought they’d seen my body change, but I found out later, they just thought I’d acted funny. No one saw – not really.

But I didn’t know that at the time, and I was shaking pretty badly. There wasn't any mirror in the boy’s bathroom, and I couldn’t see well through the paper towel dispenser. It was mounted up too high. I grabbed at the soap dish, a fairly new aluminum flat plate and the only thing shiny enough to act like a mirror in that stinky- white chamber. I used it to examine if my body looked weird or anything. It didn’t, but I felt funny.

When I figured that I looked okay, I didn’t take any chances. I sneaked out of the bathroom, looking both ways to make sure no one was coming and then scooted as quickly as possible to the nurse’s room where I told Mrs. Baly that I was sick. We were in the middle of a flu epidemic. She didn’t question me. She just gave me a quick glance, told me to sit down, and then called my mom.

I watched for her through the sickroom window. What a relief when I saw the car drive up outside! Forgetting for the moment that I was supposed to be sick, I ran outside, slid into the passenger seat, and sagged down, mumbling something about feeling nauseated.

Mom was pretty trusting back then. She simply took me home, watched me insert the key into the front door, and then took off, back to work at Steven’s Dry Cleaning Plant.

I locked the door, turned on the light, and sighed heavily. I felt like a kid who’s just galloped through all the bases and slid into home, never having dared to check where the ball landed.

In other words, something was really wrong with me, and I had no idea what it was, but for the moment, at least, I was safe.

My hands were shifting, my legs were quaking, and my stomach muscles were cramping and jiggling around like I was dancing. I almost felt like I did have the flu, but it wasn’t like any flu anyone in my town had ever gotten – my body parts were moving!

Oh, laugh if you will. I know it sounds fantastic, implausible, and maybe even downright like a lie. But I’ve been a Boy Scout for nine years (Okay, two of those years I was only a Cub Scout,) but that should count for something on an honesty gauge. Anyway, I promise, Scout’s Honor, that what was happening to me that morning was NOT normal.

I spent most of the day in front of the bathroom mirror, watching what my body was doing. My face jelled and unjelled, then sagged downward. My nose grew and ungrew. My lips expanded and contracted. This was going on all over me. It felt weird, and it looked even worse.

I’d told my mother I was nauseated. Believe me, that was no lie. After a couple of hours, my body calmed down a bit. I went into my bedroom and collapsed on the bed. I guess I fell asleep because when I opened my eyes, my mother was home and holding her hand over my forehead.

“How you feeling?” she asked.

Having had no food all afternoon, I was pretty hungry – ravenous, to tell the truth, but even though that sick, empty stomach feeling was attacking me, worry was gnawing at me worse.

“Do I look funny to you?” I cried out, startling my mother so severely she jumped.

“A little pale, Teddy, but not any worse than I expected. Do you want something to drink?” she asked, as she stood and headed for the door.

~~~~~~~~~~

That evening I surprised the whole family by coming in for dinner. I ate, too -- everything. I felt like someone had drained my body of all its blood and I was empty clear down to my toes.

Years have passed since that day. I’m accustomed to shape changing now, and it doesn’t happen, except when I want it to. I can’t grow fur or extra legs -- or fly or climb trees while hanging by a tail, but I can reformat my face and the size of my limbs. That’s kind of cool, really, only I try not to do it too often.

I’ve never talked about this ability or showed anyone what I can do. But now you know. You won't tell, will you?

Promise?

984 words