"Okay, bro, I need my rock back and you're going to be late for your
date," John said entering the bathroom.
He averted his eyes in case his bro was jacking off again. He'd caught
his 20 year old brother more than once "priming" himself before a
date. The bathroom was almost totally silent. He heard a faint
splashing coming from the tub. He looked down into the tub, and saw
his transformation stone glowing fluorescent shades of green, yellow,
pink and orange. The only thing moving in the tub was a very large
tadpole with hind legs swimming around.
John ran to his brother's door to the bathroom, and it was locked.
That was signature Ocean, he'd lock the door he came through from his
room for privacy, and forget to lock the door to John's bedroom. Still
if it was locked on the inside? John felt his brother's hanging
towel, it was bone dry. He looked down into the tub and asked, "Ocean?
"
The almost developed young frog stopped swimming. It turned and forced
its head out of the water. It looked up at John pleadingly. They
stared at each other for more than a minute, but Ocean was still
breathing water, and ducked his tadpole head back into the bath. John
couldn't help but laugh.
"Well, Ocean, I'd have to say you're going to be late for your date.
I'll go get the instructions, and see if there's anything about
brother's turning into frogs. Worst case scenario, I can take you on
your date, and we'll see if her kiss can change you back. Or maybe it
has to be a princess or someone of royal lineage that kisses you?"
John ducked out of the bathroom. He came back laughing harder, wearing
rubber gloves and carrying the terrarium.
"Dude, I just remembered you were trying to come up with a costume for
your party. I think this qualifies as a prize winner, if anyone
believes it's you," John said reaching his gloved hand into the water
to collect the stone.
He carefully put the glowing stone into the terrarium. He had already
made a few modifications to the contents of the plastic box. He had
dug the "pond" larger and built up a gravelly hill. He now set the
terrarium on the tub edge and used his gloved hands like a bowl to
scoop up water. Water leaking from his hands dripped down like rain
into the terrarium as he moved his hands over the new "Big Pond" and
let the water drop half filling it.
Then he knelt with his hands bowled beneath the water, and called out,
"Okay, Ocean, time to get going. Swim into my hands, and I'll put you
in my terrarium until I can figure out what to do with you."
The tadpole swam over to John's hands and treaded water just outside
of the bowl they made. He forced his head out of the water and croaked
faintly, "John..." he ducked back in the water and croaked again,
"help...me." Then he took a small leap over John's fingers and into
the bowl of water made by his hands. John felt a swelling inside his
jeans as the tiny creature's body moved around in his giant cupped
hands. He felt very powerful as he lifted the tadpole and handful of
water out of the tub and added it to his terrarium.
Ocean blinked as he swam around the plastic and gravel pond. He could
feel the power of the transformation stone at work around and on him.
He could feel the strange warmth permeating his new plastic home.
Little plant shoots were visible sprouting everywhere. It would soon
be a lush jungle. Duckweed was already starting to float on the
surface of his pond. It reminded Ocean of that scene in the Star Trek
movie of the Genesis planet coming to life. Of course, this was
impossible, he told himself. He must've slipped in the tub, bumped
his head and be hallucinating. His mind couldn't deny though that he
could feel the water and he was in fact swimming.
John added more water. Drained the tub, and put the lid back on his
terrarium.
He talked thoughtfully half-to himself and half to Ocean, as he
carried the Terrarium back into his room.
"Your arms - or are they forelegs - are visible just beneath your
skin, bro, you'll soon be breathing air, hopping around and eating
flies," John chuckled. He really wanted to see Ocean eat a fly. He
added, "I bet you're pretty hungry too. I'll see if I can catch you
some flies for dinner. It'll make a great youtube video. Wish I'd
captured your transformation in the tub. I bet that was cool. Oh, man,
I wish I hadn't already done my Senior Science Project, I could use
you, and do it on the development of a tadpole into a frog. I still
could. The project's not due until Friday. Oh, wait, Mr. Waters would
probably want me to dissect the frog at the end of the project. And
as much as you get on my nerves sometimes bro, I wouldn't do that to
you."
He set the terrarium on his desk and marveled at how much life had
appeared since he added the transformation stone. Tiny colorful flower
buds were visible among the now colored gravel. There were tiny
shoots growing and twisting up the plastic plants. John set up his web
cam to capture all the changes, and then went to carefully re-read the
box and instructions that came with the terrarium.
Ocean could hear the dripping sound of condensed water falling from
above. The stone seemed to be heating the terrarium up to jungle like
temperatures. Ocean let his back emerge from the warm water to enjoy
the moist hot air. It reminded him of a cross between a steam room
and sauna. He was sure he could hear the life growing around him. He
felt safe and secure and filled with wonder. For the moment he forgot
he had ever been human, and was definitely going to be late for his
date.