Why were you so surprised / That you never saw the stranger / Did you ever let your lover see / The stranger in yourself?
Great perils have this beauty about them, that they bring to light the fraternity of strangers.
Hugo, Victor. (1862). Les Misιrables. A. Lacroix, Verboeckhoven & Cie.
__________
What th--?! shrieked Emily in surprise when she finally swiveled about and saw the new Jacob. Oh
excuse me. I
where's Jay? I was just talking to my friend and
Emily, Jacob said in a smooth, feminine contralto. It's me. I'm
uh
I'm Jacob.
Emily gaped in stunned amazement at the shy, twenty-five year old woman standing before her, nervously shifting her weight from one foot to the other while staring at her expensive, designer boots like some awkward teenage boy.
Is this some joke? Emily finally said. Because I just don't get it. Did Jay put you up to this? Who are you really? How did he disappear so quickly?
I'm really me, Jacob insisted, a bit surprised as the silky, velvet timbre of his new voice. I mean, I'm really Jacob Smith. Emily, it's me. Th- Th- That stupid magic bracelet of your sister's must have done this.
Jacob looked down glumly at the tarnished ring of bronze still gripped lightly between his long, slender fingers with their dainty, red, carefully manicured nails.
It was this hunk of junk! he said, holding up the bizarre artifact.
Oh my god, you're not joking around, are you? gasped Emily, the full weight of the situation finally sinking in. You're
I mean
really
you're really
um
Jay, you're a woman!
I know, he replied, shrugging his narrow shoulders and again starring long and hard at the round, swollen breasts protruding from beneath his pinkish red cambric blouse. These alone seemed to proudly testify to the veracity of Emily's dumbfounded words.
Wish yourself back to normal! she hissed.
I wish I were back to normal, Jacob said with another shrug.
Nothing happened.
I didn't really wish for this in the first place, he tried to say. I just
well
I don't know
I don't even really remember what I was thinking about when this happened. But I know I didn't wish to change into a grown-up woman. This thing somehow just changed me against my will.
Try again. Wish yourself into being a guy. Please, try, Jay! said Emily frantically.
Okay, Jacob answered agreeably. I wish I were me again. I wish I were a guy again. I wish to transform back into Jacob Smith. Please, magic metal doughnut: morph me back into being male. I wish I were a teenage guy named Jacob
it
it's just not working, Emily.
Jacob struggled to hold back tears, making the whole scene a tragic farce: an adult woman blubbering tearfully to a teenage girl about she wished she were an adolescent boy.
Don't, whispered Emily gently. Don't cry, Jay. You're wearing mascara it's going to run and make a mess. Take a deep breathe and calm down. We'll figure out some way of undoing this. Kaitlyn said she'd been having dreams about this magic metal ring. We should have paid closer attention to her. She's likely to know a lot more about this thing, where it came from, and how it works.
Jacob sniffled and choked back his tears.
I'm sorry, Emily, he sputtered.
It's okay, she smiled warmly. I believe you, and I'm going to do anything I can to help you. But I think the first step is having a conversation with my precocious little eccentric of a sister, and
oh!
my, uh, ride's here. Um
my date, remember? It's, uh, Michael!
At the mention of Michael's name, Emily blushed, fluttered her eyelids briefly, and ran her fingers along the side of hair.
I'm so sorry, Jay, she said. But, I really have to go. Uh
can you just find someplace to hang out for awhile, and then I promise I'll text you once I'm back home, and we can
I don't know
I'll talk to Kaitlyn then, and we'll make everything better.
It's not like I really have a choice here! grumbled Jacob.
I owe you a big one, Jay! Emily said with a wink. I promise, promise, promise I will text you as soon as I'm home. Then we'll meet up, and
fix stuff. Kay?
Buh-bye for now!
And with that, Jacob watched numbly as Emily hopped into her boyfriend's car and gave him a sweet peck on the cheek.
Again, Jacob had to blink back the hot, salty tears beginning to well up behind his eyes.
Who's that lady? asked Emily's date.
Uh
that's just my Aunt Jamie! improved Emily. She's
erm
visiting for a few days.