The next morning when Kevin woke up their dad was already out, as it was around nine already. After a quick shower he got himself something to eat, wondering why Luke wasn´t there already. Normally he was awake before him. So, after he had finished his small breakfast, he got his remote and headed for Luke´s room. Just his luck to hit the “Sleep” button again, he thought after grabbing it. He knocked at the door of Luke´s room, only to hear a crashing sound, which resulted in him barging in.
A minute earlier Luke had just woken up from his deep, dreamless sleep. It took him a couple of seconds to realize he still had paws as he rubbed his eyes. Just as he started to get up, already a small bit of panic raising in him, he heard someone knock on his door. As a result of getting startled he crashed from his bed to the floor, and before he could even say something his brother Kevin barged in.
Kevin´s question stopped the second he saw his brother on the floor. He could guess what the crash was. But what made him stop was the sight of his brothers naked body, or better yet, his limbs. Instead of bare arms and legs he had them covered in grey fur, his legs looked like they were bend wrong, and instead of hands and feet he had four paws.
It was silent between them for a minute while Luke tried to cover himself before Kevin asked: “What happened to you, Luke?”
“I don´t know, Kevin. I got these weird latex slippers and gloves from uncle John, and after I had tried them on the latex suddenly receded from my paws, and then traveled up my fore- and hind-legs. And I still can´t name them right, damn it.” Luke answered frustrated over his inability of calling them arms and legs.
Kevin thought about it before replying: “So, it’s like a real looking costume then? It looks so realistic.”
“For some reason they are real, Kevin. I can feel with them like with my bare fore-paws.” Luke explained, still frustrated. “Why did you come in here?”
Kevin remembered the remote he still held and showed it to his brother. “I got this from uncle John, with only a sheet that named the buttons on it. I thought maybe you have an idea, what it could be for. And when I heard that crash, I came in to look what it was.”
Luke looked at the remote, then at the sheet, but had no idea what it could be for. “Have you tried any of the buttons?”
“A bit. When I unpacked it, I accidentally hit the buttons called “Exchange” and “Speech”. I tested the “Forward” button, but only saw the percentage raising. After a bit I hit “Stop” and decided to ask you in the morning. When I put it away and as I got it a few minutes ago I accidentally hit the “Sleep” button each time.” Kevin explained.
“Hmm… I fell asleep rather fast last night after my legs had finished changing, and only woke up a minute before you knocked the door.” Luke mused, slowly getting what that could mean.
Kevin was faster to connect the dots. “You think that remote is connected to you, or the latex things you got yesterday? If so, maybe there is something explaining it in your box?”
Before Luke could really answer, Kevin saw the box standing on Luke´s desk and moved to look in. “Hey, there are two more folded parts in there, Luke. A tail on a rubber band and the top half of a wolf-mask.” He said removing them to show his brother.
“So, the paws weren´t all of it? I don´t think I want to wear them now.” Luke said, eyeing them critically.
“Are you sure?” Kevin asked, a bit sad not seeing the whole thing on Luke. When he looked back into the box, he saw a folded letter had been under the mask. He took and read it while Luke looked away, thinking about the other costume parts. It was a short explanation of Luke´s present, and mentioned the remote he had gotten as a control to it. “Okay, this letter says my remote can control your costume, but nothing how they work together.”