Nate had just returned from Christmas Eve dinner with his folks and his brother when he noticed the present under his Christmas Tree. He kicked off his sneakers onto the mat by the door and hung his jacket up on the coat hook. He lived alone and didn't have any houseguests. He knew he had locked the door when he left. There was no logical way the present could have gotten there and he knows he didn't receive it.
It was a simple square box trapped in gold wrapping paper with a simple red bow on top. Nate walked over to it with some trepidation, unsure of what to expect. As he inspected the box, there wasn't so much as a tag to identify who it was from. He turned the box over on his hand as he walked over to the couch and sat down. He carefully tore away the wrapper revealing a plain white cardboard box. He pulled open the top and found a carefully folded note and underneath it a curious orb about the size of the palm of his hand. Inside the orb were swirling liquids of different colors that radiated a dim glow.
He placed the orb back into the box for safe keeping and unfolded the letter. It was written on a very nice piece of tan paper with careful and neat script printing. He couldn't believe what he was reading. The orb in the box had the ability to transform him in any way he wished. His mind raced with the possibilities. He had so many transformation fantasies over the years, ever since he was a little boy. But now he had to pick one and he wasn't sure which one to do.
His earliest transformation fantasy had come about when he saw The Shaggy Dog and The Shaggy D.A as a kid. The main character, Wilby, always acted horrified when he started transforming but even at that young age, Nate thought it would be thrilling. This also extended to the original Teen Wolf, fueling even more transformation fantasies. The werewolf transformation fantasies only intensified when he saw The Howling and An American Werewolf in London on late night cable. Each film had a transformation so visceral he couldn't help but want to experience it for himself.
But then he was also drawn to certain mythological creatures, such as the Satyr or maybe a Merman. The thought of being a creature like that was incredibly enticing. Especially if he could turn back to his human form when he wanted. If he could, then even a centaur or minotaur or even a dragon would be cool.
But, he was also a fan of comic books and the thought of him being a spandex clad superhero, flying all over the world helping people was an enticing prospect as well. Although he wasn't sure what to expect when it came to the realities of being a real life superhero. It gave him a lot to ponder. And that was all based on this orb actually being real magic and not just some elaborate prank.
After deliberating it over in his mind, he came to a decision. He reached down and picked up the orb from the box. The swirling liquid, constantly changing colors was mesmerizing, almost like a lava lamp. He took a deep breath, knowing he was going to feel foolish if this didn't work.
Holding the orb to his chest he uttered the words as instructed. “All I want for Christmas is to transform into…”