Andrew tossed the candy on his nightstand and sat down on his bed. He fired up his console and started playing a game in his room. The door slowly opened and his younger sister entered the room.
"Hey, Andrew. What are you doing?" asked Jill.
"What does it look like? I am playing a video game!" said Andrew, perturbed that his little sister was bugging him.
"Come play with me. We can shoot hoops if you like?" asked Jill hopefully.
Andrew scoffed.
"That's no fun. It is too easy to beat you," said Andrew snidely.
Jill said nothing. She just sat on the bed beside him and watched Andrew play the game. Jill sighed, getting a little bored, and started looking around the room. She spied the strange candy on his nightstand.
"What's this?" she asked holding up the candy.
"It's just some candy I got at the arcade. Some kind of gag prize or something, " said Andrew, still focused on his game, not bothering to turn around.
"Can I have it?" asked Jill.
"Sure, sure. Just eat it quietly. I am trying to win over here and you keep distracting me," said Andrew.
Jill unwrapped the candy and popped it in her mouth. The candy had a consistency like taffy or gum, but it had no taste. She chewed it slowly, working it around her mouth.
"I can see why you didn't want this. It's terrible candy. It has no flavor," said Jill.
"Then spit it out. And get out of my room!" said Andrew.
"Whoa....whoa!" said Jill with excitement.
Andrew's character died on the screen. He threw down the controller in disgust and turned to berate Jill.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" said Andrew.
"I think I just had a growth spurt. Look, I am bigger," said Jill.
"Growth spurts don't work that way," said Andrew, rolling his eyes.
"But look!" said Jill, standing up. The edge of the shirt hung high, revealing her bare abdomen.
"Your shirt must have just shrunk or something, " said Andrew.
Andrew examined his little sister skeptically. He thought she might look a little bigger. But then again it could have just been his mind playing tricks on him. He didn't believe it was possible for his sister to grow that quickly.
"But my shoes don't fit anymore, either. And they can't shrink, " said Jill.
Jill had slipped her feet out of her sandals. She wiggled her toes, which now reached well past the tip of her sandals.
That's impossible, thought Andrew. People can't grow that quickly. It's not natural. Unless....
Andrew spotted the wrapper on his nightstand, then saw the candy moving around in Jill's mouth as she continued to noisily chew on it.
"Give me that candy. Right....now!" said Andrew, holding out his hand and waiting for Jill to spit it out.
Jill backed away from him, slowly inching towards the bedroom door.
"No! You gave it to me. It's mine!" said Jill.
"Well, I want it back. I won it, so it is mine. Give it to me, you little brat!" said Andrew angrily.
Andrew lunged forward and tried to grab his little sister. Jill ducked under him and ran out of the room, still chomping on the candy.
"No take-backs! " yelled Jill as she ran down the hallway. "Mom!"
Andrew loudly cursed as his sister fled to their mother's protection. Andrew was short for his age, measuring a measly 5'4". He hated being the shortest one in his class, probably the shortest one in his school. Only at home did he feel normal, being taller than his 5'2" mother and towering over his little sister who was under 5 feet. But here he had the solution to all his problems. And he had given it away like a fool. He had to get it back. He ran out of his room, hoping to find his mother and plead his case for the candy's return.