Paul didn’t know what to say. Where was his mother? Was she still in the toilets? Was she hiding because she had changed as well? That was a real possibility.
“Her hair turned white and she looked really sick” said another of the girls standing at Katie’s shoulder.
“I guess I had better find her and see if she is alright. Maybe you girls could play something for a while?” Paul didn’t know what to say. These small girls had been unsupervised for 20 minutes or longer. He was worried about his Mom.
“Can we play chasey?” asked another girl
“Ah Yeah! Good idea. Why don’t you start as It?” suggested Paul
The girls screamed with delight and raced back into the studio. Paul heaved a sigh of relief. But what to do? Mr Dawson was waiting for him and the medallion but he was concerned about his Mom. He decided that checking out the ladies’ toilet was possible given his current appearance.
Tentatively Paul pushed open the door to the female toilets. No-one was in immediate sight. “Mom? Are you in here?”
There was silence. But Paul noticed one of the three cubicles was locked with the sign saying “engaged”
He knocked on that door. “Are you in there Mom?” He heard movement behind the door. Someone was in there. His mother would not recognise his current voice. He decided on a different approach. “Mrs Jones?..... Are you feeling alright?”
………..
Mary was very scared. Someone was knocking on the cubical door. That person seemed to know she was in there. She just wanted them to go away. How could she possibly reveal what had happened to her? No doubt she looked ridiculous as a male in a very tight leotard. But the person was insistent “Mrs Jones open the door. I know you are in there” Who was this girl/woman anyway?
……….
Paul peered under the cubicle door. He could see his mother’s ballet shoes on the floor. They were not currently been worn as Mary had taken them off once they became too tight. Behind the shoes were a pair of male feet. After a moments contemplation Paul guessed what had happened.
“Mrs Jones, Mom. It’s alright. I know what has happened. Open the door. Have you turned into a man? I think I know why. Believe it or not I’m your son Paul. I’ve turned into a girl”
Eventually Paul got an answer. A deep male voice answered “Paul? Is that really you? I have turned into a man”
Paul recognised Mr Dawson’s voice “Open the door Mom. It’s going to be alright. You are not alone. Mr Dawson has turned into you”
Paul heard the latch on the door being fiddled with. Eventually it partially opened. “Paul?” said the man looking through the crack.
“That’s who I was” Paul answered. The door opened fully. Before Paul was Mr Dawson’s body tightly enclosed in a black and white leotard that did nothing to hide his large penis and balls and not so trim stomach.
“You’ve turned into the girl from the Opera”
That was news to Paul. He had turned into someone but until that moment knew not who “And you have turned into Mr Dawson”
Mary hurried to the mirror and looked at her reflection. “I look grotesque. How did this happen? Why? Has everyone changed?”
“No just you me and Mr Dawson, as far as I know. The girls in your class are unchanged”
“The girls! Is someone looking after them?”
“I’ve got them playing chasey in the studio. I’ll check on them soon. We need you and Mr Dawson to change clothes”