Ryan was strolling through the mall when he spotted the new Spells ‘R’ Us store, located near the side entrance which led straight to the back parking lot. It was summer vacation, school was out, and Ryan was bored.
Like most 14 year-old teenage boys, he enjoyed spending his summer days wandering around the large shopping mall. He was just wearing a t-shirt and a pair of shorts along with his sneakers. His parents were divorced and he was living with his mom. She would give him twenty dollars before dropping him off at the mall; she would go to her office, which was right down the street. He would have his cell phone with him, just in case he needed to call her at work.
Ryan was only 5 foot 4 inches tall, and he had short black hair, which was spiked on top. He was skinny and scrawny, and he was definitely no jock. Normally, he would hang out around the electronics stores, the sporting goods stores, or the video game stores, but this particular store had aroused his curiosity with the strange items which were placed on the display in the large, glass window.
As soon as Ryan walked in, he was greeted by a tall, skinny man, who looked like he was from an Oriental background. The man was friendly and he even bowed as he addressed the teen from behind the large, glass counter.
“Good afternoon! How can I help you, my young friend?” the man said.
“Hi…” Ryan stammered. “I just wanted to see what you got…”
The man examined Ryan from head to toe and noticed that he had a bandage on his right finger and a cut on his left hand.
“Ooh, I see. Looks like you hurt yourself, recently?” the man wondered, as he stared right at the cut on the boy’s hand.
“No…” Ryan lied. “Well, yeah… I got in a little fight in school… But it was on the last day of school… One of the other guys was picking on me…”
“Oooh… “the man grinned. “Then I got something for you, my young friend!”
Ryan became curious and leaned closer to the counter where the man was standing as he bent down and grabbed something from the bottom shelf of the glass counter.
“Here you go! This will make you strong!” the man said with a smile, as he plopped a small, deflated red balloon on the glass counter top.
“A balloon?” Ryan replied sarcastically. “You’re gonna make me stronger with a balloon? You’ve got to be kidding!”
“It’s not the balloon…” the man explained. “But what the balloon will do to you!”
Ryan stared at him in disbelief.
“It’s magic…” the man whispered.
“Look, Mister… I don’t believe in magic. I mean, it all sounds really nice and all, but…”
“Fine! I will demonstrate! But if it works, then you will have to buy the balloon!” the man said to the boy. “It only works on you and I can’t sell it to anyone else anymore!”
“How much?”
“Only five Dollars. Life-time guarantee!”
“Oh, come on! What if the balloon pops? There goes the stupid guarantee!” Ryan laughed.
“If the balloon pops, then the magic will travel and find another balloon and make it your muscle balloon. There will always be a muscle balloon which will only work for you and nobody else!” the man explained.
Ryan sighed as he pulled the twenty Dollar bill out of his pocket.
“Well, this had better work, or else I want my money back!” he said, as he handed the man the money.
The man rang up the sale, and gave the boy the change. Then, he grabbed a black marker, and asked the boy for his full name.
“My name is Ryan Holt.” He said.
The man wrote in black letters on the side of the small, deflated balloon: “Ryan Holt’s Muscles”.
“There. Now, Ryan, make a fist and flex your muscle on your right arm for me…” the man instructed.
“Sure, but there isn’t much there…” Ryan said, as he pulled back his shirt sleeved, made a fist, and allowed a small bicep to rise up on his arm.
As soon as Ryan had made his muscle, the man had pressed the balloon up against the boy’s bicep and he spoke a few words. It was part of some magic verse or something, because Ryan couldn’t understand it. The man then asked Ryan to repeat it for the left arm as well.
“So, now what? I still don’t feel any stronger…” Ryan said, as he started to become impatient.
“Just relax. When I blow air into the balloon, I will blow up Ryan Holt’s Muscles…” the man said, as he pointed to the words that were written on the balloon.
The man placed the spout of the balloon between his lips and exhaled, forcing air to enter and inflate the balloon.
FFOOOOOOOOOFFFFF!!
“WHOOAA!!” Ryan gasped, as his muscles inflated at exactly the same time! Just as the man said, his biceps increased in size, just as his pectorals, his calves, and his quads.
Then the man blew again.
FFFFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFFFFFF!!!!
This time, Ryan’s muscles grew even BIGGER! The boy’s chest pushed out even MORE, making his shirt fit incredibly tight! His legs had widened to much, that he felt like he was about to burst out of his shorts as well! In a matter of seconds, Ryan had transformed into a little muscle boy!
“Holy smoke! I feel strong! This is amazing! And only for five bucks?” Ryan gasped, as he examined his body while the man looked on, holding the inflated balloon in his hands. Now the letters “Ryan Holt’s Muscles” appeared much bigger on the face of the balloon!
The man decided to let the air out of the balloon, which he was holding in his hand.
SSSSHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Just as the balloon deflated, Ryan’s muscles immediately deflated as well! Ryan felt an intense tingling as all his muscles started to shrink back rapidly until he was to his old self again!
“Thanks, Mister!” the boy said cheerfully, as he took the balloon from the man. “I’ll tell my friends about your store and your balloons!”
“My pleasure! Have fun with your muscle balloon! Please come again!” the man replied.
The man just stared at the boy as he strolled out of the store, carrying his magic muscle balloon in his hand. He had made another happy customer.