She tried to act like she was older then she was. She believed that, because she had had her period twice now, had started developing her boobs almost two years ago, it made her more than a girl transitioning to womanhood. Yet, as she stared at the odd amulet she'd found on in the neighbour's backyard, a part of her that was still very much a little girl couldn't help but think it might have been pretty if not for the disturbing image on one side, and all the ways she could pair it with some doll clothes.
Yet, even as she considered this, Kathy told herself, "You're too old to play with dolls," as she thought about how her mom insisted on keeping all of the dolls Kathy had outgrown on display in her study.
Somewhere a phone rang and sure it wasn't Brianna or Tabby, who were planning to come over later this evening, Kathy ignored it, figuring her mom would answer it. Continuing to study the necklace, she flipped it over and tried to figure out how to pronounce the word on the other side, but found she had no idea as she whispered, "Zuh low," but decided that didn't sound right as she turned it over and peered at the grotesque image of someone being turned into an animal.
A soft knocking on her bedroom door distracted her and as Kathy huffed in mock agitation she stood, dropped the amulet on her vanity, and headed for the door. Unlocking and opening it, she found herself looking at her mother, who told her, "That was Jason. He says his computer has crashed. He'll have to come over to continue with your tutoring, and will be here tomorrow around one."
She didn't want to go on with the tutoring the next door boy was offering, but, at the same time, she knew her choices were that, summer school, or that she'd have to repeat the previous grade. Not wanting to go over the same argument again with her mom, Kathy huffed, "Fine," and about to go back to studying the necklace, she stopped when her mom said, "Don't take that attitude with me young lady," before she began to once again rehash about the money she'd spent, which Kathy knew her mom had plenty of, how lucky Kathy was that she found a tutor so near, which Kathy didn't really care about this, and all the same things she had said previously.
A, "Yes ma'am," and an, "Uh huh," here and there, and Kathy thought it would smooth things over. But to her displeasure, her mother then made her come downstairs and do her chores.
The necklace forgotten, Kathy found herself busy with other things, as she emptied and filled Rune's litter box with fresh kitty litter, helped her mom clean a couple rooms downstairs, went over her lessons before they were sent back to the school, hung out with her friends, had dinner, and then went to bed. When she woke up the next morning, the amulet lay forgotten on her vanity until after lunch, when she spotted it when she came upstairs to look for something before Jason came over.
Not sure what to do with it, she decided that she didn't want it after all. Picking it up, she considered what she should do with it as, from downstairs, her mom called, "Kathy. Jason's here."
A huff of mock agitation and she called, "Okay," as she considered maybe putting it back where she'd found it.
Downstairs, she didn't see her mom anywhere and knowing Jason was probably waiting in the study, Kathy absently swung the amulet about by its chain. Inside the study, she saw that Jason had already laid out the books and was busy pulling up the websites that she was to work from. A glance at the dolls and an idea came to her. Ignoring the twenty-year-old boy, she reached up and tried to take down one of the china dolls. From where it had gotten tangled around her wrist, the necklace swung back and forth until, frustrated by it, Kathy tried to stop its movement as she stood of tiptoes, reached for the doll, and managed to pinch between two fingers the hem of a its dress.
Unable to stop the amulet from swinging about, she stumbled a couple steps forward when she felt the doll slip from the shelf. From behind her, Jason said, "You want to stop fooling about? I have things I need to do, and if you aren't going to take this seriously, I'll tell your mom and go home."
Fearful that the doll would drop to the hard wood floor and break, Kathy ignored the young man as she tried to get a better purchase on it. The necklace still swung about, and finally able to catch it and the doll, she gasped when the cool metal touched the soft fabric of the doll's dress, and a shock of static electricity went up her arm. The feeling suddenly going out of her fingers, Kathy lost her hold on the necklace as she looked down at her hand, which was now china white and hardening whilst her fingers merged together into one solid, but detailed piece. Scared, she turned to Jason, stumbled as she lost the ability to feel her legs and barely making it to the office chair, she gasped out, "Something, is, wrong," as a coldness went up her arm, which had started to look like her hand.
"This isn't funny," Jason snapped as he looked at the girl and thinking something was off when he saw her arm, which, if he didn't know any better, he would have sworn looked like it was made out of the same material as the doll.
Not sure what to do, he watched Kathy opened her mouth in attempt to say something. Hearing nothing, Jason stared in horror as the china white colouring creeped up her neck and into her face as her lips turned bright red and her mouth closed permanently. Reaching out to shake her, he thought he should go get her mom as he listened to the doll she held dropped to the floor, and his fingers brushed against the amulet wrapped around her wrist and the soft fabric of her tank top.
A shock, like as if he'd touch something metal in winter whipped through his fingers and Jason stumbled backward. Unaware of how his hair had started to lighten from its usual dark brown to a honey blonde and grow out, he stared at the girl, who now looked more like the doll on the floor. And as his own change started to pick up speed as his face started to take on a more feminine appearance, his weight and height dropped, Jason hesitantly reached out and shook the thing that had been Kathy moments ago, calling out, "Kathy? Come on. This isn't funny. What are you doing?"
Suddenly aware how different his voice sounded, Jason stood up straight, asked aloud, "What's wrong with my voice?!" and hearing Kathy's, he squeaked out, "Why do I sound like the Kathy?" and looking at the doll on the chair, he demanded, "What did you do to me?!"
The doll didn't answer and as he watched its eyes turn china blue harden, and the spark of life went out of them, Jason groaned as a series of discomforts flashed through his groin, abdomen and chest. Certain he was about to be sick, he thought about running home, looked at the doll, knew he couldn't leave Kathy laying where she was and that he should go find her mom, and instead scooped up the doll, Kathy's clothes, turned and stumbled out of the study.
Not sure where it was he wanted to go, Jason almost doubled over as a pain went up into his groin, and continued until it reached his chest, which felt oddly sensitive. Managing to find his way upstairs, though he wasn't sure why he felt the need to go to the second story, he fumbled about until he found Kathy's room. A thought crossed his mind that it was inappropriate for him to be in the girl's room crossed his mind, and then he pushed open the door and stepped in. Dropping the doll still wrapped in Kathy's clothes on the bed, missing as the necklace slid to the floor, Jason stopped in front a mirror that had been hung on the back of the closet door and stared in surprise, wonder and horror at not his usual reflection, but a girl wearing his clothes. Turning away, his long hair whipping over his shoulder and into his face as he did, Jason whispered, "What the fuck?! How did I become Kathy? I can't be Kathy."
Slowly, he drifted over to the bed, his pants and underwear slipping off his smaller body as he did. And sitting down, he leapt up the instant he felt the soft fabric come in contact with his private parts. Looking at the doll, he told it, "I cannot be you. If you can hear me, you need to take this back," but didn't get a response, which didn't surprise him and not sure what he should do, Jason hugged himself, and grimaced when he felt his shirt press into his A cup size breasts.