Mary couldn't believe she had actually met another person who had encountered the cursed yard sale. It had been a year since anyone in her group chat with other item holders had found anyone. She quickly texted everyone to let them know as she continued to run down the block. Eventually she rounded a few corners and found herself back home.
She walked inside, undid her bun and let her curly hair fall past her shoulders. After she pulled off her shoes, she stood back up to find herself meeting with her husband's face.
"Surprise!" He laughed before giving her a kiss.
"Hi baby." She laughed, leaning in for another quick kiss.
If someone had told her four years ago that the muscular 20 year old he was would become a mother of two and a wife to a man she, or rather he at the time, would have laughed in their face or told them to go screw themselves. Yet, here she was, in love with this man. At first she had been apprehensive when she had just lost the watch, but his kindness and charm soon broke her, especially after their first child was born.
"So, how was your run?" He asked as he went back to the kitchen for his food.
"Oh it was great actually. I really broke a sweat, but I also stopped and talked with a lovely girl." Mary replied while she walked towards the staircase.
"That's nice." He said back. "Oh, are you still going to pick up Lucy from Kindergarten or do you need me to?" He asked.
"Don't worry Greg I got it!" She yelled from the first room up the staircase. She quickly changed into a nice blouse and jeans before running back out the door. She always loved picking Lucy up from Kindergarten. Not just because Lucy loved to see her but she also loved seeing all the adorable friends with her daughter. She checked to make sure John was still napping in his crib before she went out.
A half an hour drive down the road later and arrived at the school. Before she could even climb out, she heard a knock at her window and looked down to see Lucy on the other side, gleaming and holding her little back pack. Mary was so proud of how independent she was for a 3 year old.
"Hi Mommy, I made a new friend today!" Lucy beamed. "Can she come over to play?"
Mary looked over to see her coworker Mel's kid, Hannah. Hannah looked just like her mother. Straight brown hair, but wrapped in a ponytail, pretty pick dress, adorable dimples... she was a girly cutie. Mary could just eat her up!
"Why hello Hannah honey, does your mommy know you're coming over with us?" Mary asked sweetly.
Mel nodded then turned to point at Mel who exchanged a wave with Mary.
"Alright then sweetie, let me get you an extra car seat and we'll be on our way." Mary laughed as she went to help Hannah. Mary began to wonder if Hannah was alright, as she seemed to say nothing much except when Lucy spoke to her. "She must be shy." Mary thought before driving off towards home.
Mary opened the door and nearly fell on her plump ass as the two toddlers ran past her legs. She managed to catch herself and let off a chuckle before placing the two backpacks in one hand on the kitchen counter.
"Well who's this now?" Greg chuckled while he burped John.
"This is Hannah, she's the daughter of Mel from work, you remember Mel right?" Mary asked.
"Yeah but it's been a while... Lucy and Hannah are friends now?" Greg asked in a whisper.
"Oh you know little kids, they can make best friends in an instant." Mary chuckled.
She was about to tell Greg how the drive went when she felt a tug on her pants. She looked down to se eHannah staring up at her with a blank expression.
"I need help to go potty." She said flatly.
"Oh of course honey." Mary said sweetly. "Greg I'll be right back." She said walking Hannah to the bathroom.
Mary closed the door and turned to ask Hannah how good she was getting with learning to use the toilet like a big girl but was confronted with a toddler who looked like she was going to scream at the top of her lungs.
"What the hell did you do to me?" She asked in a silent rage.
"E-excuse me?" MAry responded, completely shocked.
"What. Did. You. DO?!" She said more passionately.
"I-I didn't... wait.... have you been transformed?" She asked shocked.
"Don't play dumb, this is obviously your doing right?! Some kind of punishment for stealing from you?!" She asked angrily.
"Stealin- wait. Oh my god. You're that punk boy!?" Mary replied shocked. "You're that teenaged brat who took my only way to turn back and ran!" She growled.
"Wh- oh, so it was that watch?!" Hannah angrily slapped her head.
"Yes it was the watch!" Mary snapped back. "Listen, cause I'm only going to explain this once. That watch was a magical cursed item I accidentally bought. It's power was the ability to scan your surroundings, and then transform you to match the people or place you were in. I accidentally transformed into this, which I'm ok with now, but when you ran off you didn't leave me with much of a choice." Mary sternly explained.
Hannah leaned back against the cabinet, and then slid to the ground.
"Shit." She said in an adorably cute tone. "I don't suppose you have any other way to change do you?" She asked.
"Nope, I can't help you without that watch, so what'd you do to it?" She asked.
Hannah sighed. "After I stole it from you, I ran as fast as I could away from that spot. I already pickpocketed a ton of shit that day, so I decided to hide nearby. I went outside Smith hospital, and I started going over my grabs. Most of it was junk, but I thought that junk was pretty cool, so I put it on..." She explained.
"And?" Mary questioned further.
"And..." Hannah continued. "Some cops were cruising by, probably looking for me, so I went into the hospital. I walked around for a bit before I spotted a security guard walking towards me. I hid behind a wall next to the nursery...." Hannah continued before Mary started to chuckle.
"And you accidentally transformed yourself into a newborn baby girl." She laughed.
"Hey this isn't funny lady! Do you have any idea what it was like to grow up again, but as a freaking girl?!" She growled. "I had to relearn to walk, relearn to pee with no parts, and I had to endure the constant baby talk and girly dress of my new parents! Do you realize just how frustrating it is to have you only stimulation be baby shows? I just want my life back!"
"Don't snap at me LITTLE GIRL." Mary emphasized with sass. "Listen, I was a fit 20 year old guy with dreams of marrying a cute blonde and owning my own gym! Now after you left me stuck like this, I really struggled for months. I eventually came to terms with it, but you are not just getting away scot free for what you did to me." She grumbled.
"Yes sir." She meekly responded, suddenly realizing how reliant she would need to be towards this woman to ever get out of Kindergarten.
"That's yes ma'am to you missy." She retorted. "I accepted myself a long time ago. But, I do still need that watch."
"So you'll help me get it back?" Hannah asked hopefully.
"Look, maybe it's because I'm a mother now, but I do feel for you. Regardless, you stole from me, ruined my life for a while and got yourself into this situation to begin with!"
"B-but, if you're so mad..." Hannah started to ask. Her child emotions were beginning to override her frustration with the situation.
"Because, there was another mode on the watch... I let you change the people or place around you to match yourself, or another target of your choice. I changed a lot of friends and family for fun, thinking I could just change them back later... but, they were stuck, and only I was aware. If you really know the last place this watch could be, and there's a chance I could get the watch again... well, it'd help me sleep better." She explained sadly.
They were both stunned by a knock on the door.
"Hey, you two ok in there?" Greg asked.
"Yes Greg thank you honey, just finishing up!" Mary replied.
"Alright, Lucy's getting antsy." He laughed as he walked away.
The two just stared at one another once more.
"What about me?" Hannah asked rudely.
"Well, how about we start by me not making your current life hell, and maybe if I'm feeling kind I'll at least get your ut of Kindergarten. Deal?" Mary asked passive aggressively.
Hannah just glared at her for a moment. "Fine. But only because my only other choice is... this." She said tugging on her dress. "I managed to hold onto the watch with my little baby hand, not letting anyone see that I had it, but I eventually dropped it..."