"Well...," you start, trying to sort out your feelings. "I really hadn't planed on losing, you know, all of my adult knowledge and stuff-- especially my name and where I lived."
"Well, you aren't that person any more, so how could you know all of that stuff?" she asks, sounding as if it should be obvious. "Its one of the basic rules of magic."
"Well, why don't I remember a new name and stuff?" you persist, looking at her. "If I am somebody else, why don't I know the things he knows."
"It was only supposed to be a temporary lesson, so that kind of thing wasn't needed," she answers, shrugging. "I didn't expect that you would want to stay this way."
"Well, it would have been nice if you had given me a family or something."
"It looks like you have found the 'or something', actually," Red points out.
"The orphanage is okay, I guess," you mumble, not with much, if any, enthusiasm. "But they are overcrowded, and most people want a baby to adopt, not a nine year old."
Red studies you for a moment.
"I did pretty much base you off what a younger brother of mine would be like," she reveals thoughtfully. "So I guess that means you do have a family, sort of."
"Does that mean you might adopt me?" you ask hopefully.
"Not ME, obviously!" Red replies, laughing. "It would have to be my grandmother!"
"Well, would she?" you persist. Getting a real home is too good an opportunity to pass up...
"I don't know," Red answers, sounding very serious. "She doesn't have much use for men-folk. Back in Russia she kind of has a reputation that way."
"Well, if she won't, do I have other options? I mean, other than staying in the orphanage. You know, like being an adult again?"
"I really wouldn't recommend going back to adulthood," she answers. "When I made the spell permanent, all you old information got lost-- so you'd be an adult version of your current self, and still only have the knowledge you've got at this age. Magic isn't always fair like that."
The last part was hastily added, as she saw the look on your face.
"I can talk to Grandma, though," the strange little girl continues. "She might feel different about relatives, which you pretty much are, or at least have some ideas of where you can go. Plus I really do need to ask her about the possibility of side effects."
"SIDE EFFECTS?!?" you exclaim. That doesn't sound good...!
"Well, I did base you off of me," Red replies primly. "And I really don't age like most people-- I seem to age roughly one year for every 100 or so. You might have the same situation-- or not. You could age normally for a human, or not at all. I didn't direct that aspect of the spell, and when you said you wanted to 'stay like this', magic might have taken you at your word, and made you permanently a nine year old third grader. You might be stuck that way in all aspects."
You stand there, stunned for what seems to be a very long moment. It takes your nine year old brain a while to process the information. Like this, forever? It somehow doesn't seem possible... Would it be really cool? Or really, well, suck? Some parts of you shout "AWESOME!" others "NO!"
But Red is speaking again.
"About all I can do is take it up with Grandma," she continues. "I should really wait until she is in one of her better moods. How about I meet you here at about this time in two weeks?"
'Two weeks'-- it sounds like forever, even though you know it really isn't that long... and it is definitely better than nothing.
"Okay, that sounds good," you answer. "Thanks for trying to help me."
Red grins.
"If you keep being polite, Grandma definitely will like you!"
A scruffy looking boy wearing torn and filthy jeans, and no shirt or shoes stops and looks at the two of you when Red makes the comment.
"Yeah, she really, REALLY hates rudeness!" he announces with a half-laugh. He walks closer, yellowish eyes narrowed, his black, leaf strewn hair hanging over his brow. "So, who's this? Your baby brother?"
"He may be my YOUNGER brother, not that it is any of YOUR business!" she informs the new kid frostily.
The new kid snorts.
"He smells like you," he states, idly scratching himself.
"Well, don't you do anything to him-- he's under my protection at this time!" Red warns the newcomer.
"Eh, don't worry," replies the dark haired boy lazily. "He's too skinny to be worth the effort, anyway."
"Just keep that in mind," she states before turning to you. "So, I will see you in two weeks, then?"
You nod.
"Yeah, and let me know what your Grandmother says, please?" you ask, figuring being polite can't hurt. "And thanks for asking her about taking me in."
The black haired boy looks surprised at your words, and sort of snorts or laughs again.
"You are very welcome," Red says in a formal fashion. "And fare thee well until then!"
"Uh, farewell to you, too," you add, not entirely certain you got it right.
You watch Red walk off, then prepare to re-join your game of basketball. The black haired boy stops you.
"Hey, you got business with her grandmother, uh?" he asks, grinning, but not with real humor.
"Yeah, kinda," you answer nervously, uncertain of his intentions.
"Yeah, well, good luck, you're gonna need it, kid!" he states, shaking his head, sending his tangled dark locks flying. "Didja know her 'grandmother' is a really famous, powerful witch?"
"I kind of figured that," you answer slowly. "Why?"
"Well, did you know she's the Russian witch Baba Yaga?!" he adds with a predatory grin.
You stop and stare for a moment, your mind seemingly trying to decide if that name is one you know or not. The answer slowly creeps into your mind, with a feeling akin to ice water slowly dripping down your back.
Wasn't Baba Yaga that witch from Russian mythology? The one who ate people and used skulls as lanterns around her hut? The witch who seemed to hate men, and often acted as an obstacle in many stories. She was portrayed as erratic, unpredictable, and often mean, wasn't she?
The boy watches your face, as your expression grows progressively more worried, his grin growing broader.
"Heh, if you're into that reading and researching stuff, maybe you ought to look her up some before you meet with little Red again!" he suggests, then walks off, toward the woods, laughing.
Your body returns to the game, although your mind is elsewhere...
Two weeks later: