Jake sneezed as he pulled himself up the last rung of the ladder into the attic. The place was dusty, and musty, and smelled weird. He wrinkled his nose as he looked around, one pitiful electric light and a dust covered window allowing in enough light to see by. Boxes took up most of the space, as well as a bunch of old mostly broken furniture, and some old chests and trunks, and even a set of luggage that looked like something had been chewing at it.
"You grandmother says it's in a box by the window!" His mother's voice shouted from the bottom of the ladder. Jake just rolled his eyes. At 12 he was beginning to get annoyed with having his parents around. Not that he had much choice at the moment. A family vacation to his mother's parents house had left him stranded not only with his parents, but his grandparents and his two siblings. Now he had been sent up here to look for some old ratty photo album because his mother and grandmother wanted to coo over some old pictures.
Jake took another look around, and headed towards the window. This place might not be a bad place to hide if he decided he wanted to get away from the family for an hour or two. He could bring his video games up here and hide in a corner. The smell wasn't that bad really.
"Did you find it?!"
Jake sighed and shouted back towards the ladder. "I haven't even opened a box, yet, mom!" He tromped over to the boxes by the window and opened one, the puff of dust that escaped caused another sneezing fit. Inside was a bunch of clothing that looked older than even his parents.
"Well, bring it down when you find it, hon!"
Jake sighed and pushed the box aside to open another one. "I wish she wouldn't treat me like a kid." He muttered as he popped this one open. Full of books but nothing that looked like a photo album. Why couldn't they just put all their photos into the computer like normal people?
"Are you sure?"
Jake looked up at the voice, head whipping around as he looked about the attic. "Who's there? Dad?"
"I asked if you're sure that's what you wish for." The voice said again. To his ears it sounded just above a whisper. Something about the voice seemed eerily familiar though.
Jake stood up and turned around, looking for where someone might be hiding. "Ben?" Maybe his younger brother was lurking up here somewhere.
"Over here." The voice whispered from behind him. Jake turned around to see something tall and narrow covered in a sheet. "Well, come on." He reached out and pulled down the sheet, letting it flop to the floor, coming face to face with himself. The mirror was propped up against a stack of boxes. He looked at his own reflection, short for his age, pale skin with a mop of dark hair and bright blue eyes, with a blue t-shirt and jeans. He hated how he still looked like a kid. Some of the guys in school were starting to grow up, he still felt like he was ten instead of twelve.
"So do you really wish she would stop treating you like a kid?" His reflection asked, looking at him as it crossed its arms in front of it, asking in Jake's own voice.
He took a step back, which his reflection did not. "You.. what.. how?"
"Magic mirror." The reflection said with a smile, reaching out to knock on the glass with a dink-dink-dink. "Now, it's been a while, so I'm kind of hoping you'll agree. There's a cost of course, but I can grant your wish."
"Cost?" Jake was still kind of dazed, wondering if he had hit his head on something. Maybe there was some weird fungus up here making him hallucinate. He remembered some guys at school talking about mushrooms that could do that.
"Yes, you get to pick something about your life to change, and I get to pick something." His reflection looked amused.
"What are you going to do if I say yes?" Jake asked. He couldn't believe he was taking this seriously, but he was talking to his own reflection.
"Give you what you asked for." The reflection shrugged.
"No, I mean, for cost." Jake stepped closer, prodding the glass. It was completely solid.
"You'll have to figure that out. But it is a cost, so you might not like it, but it's what you have to pay to get what you want." The reflection grinned, far too wide and showing far too many teeth. Something deep down in Jake wanted to run but something else told his this was his chance to finally get what he wanted. "So do you agree? Your mother will no longer treat you like a child, but you'll pay my price?"
Jake looked around as if expecting someone to come to his support. "Can I go back later?"
"You can undo any of your own wishes, but once a price is paid, it's paid, you cannot wish it away. And every wish costs." Reflection-Jake crossed its arms and tapped its foot, getting impatient, "C'mon, it'll be fun."
Jake nodded. "Okay, I agree."
"Yes!" The reflection-Jake pumped its arm in excitement and then light flashed from the mirror washing over Jake. It felt like it punched into him and he doubled over, gripping his gut. The reflection was back to normal, showing him and his own movements. He met his own eyes and groaned as he felt something twisting inside of him. His shirt and pants felt too tight all of the sudden, a seam on his jeans popped with a snapping noise.
He straightened out, revealing a few inches of bare stomach between his too tight t-shirt and the straining waist band of his jeans. He stared wide eyes and reached down to pop his fly with a sigh of relief, though the denim was tearing apart along the seems along his thickening legs. Legs that itched. The few inches of shin visible below his too short pants showed black hairs growing in. Jake grinned at his reflection, he was finally looking like a teenager, a couple of dark hairs sprouting on his upper lip and chin. He looked maybe.. fifteen or sixteen.
What was he going to do about clothing? Would his parents notice he was suddenly older? Now, this seemed like a bad plan.