I turned and saw the cook. The cook was a woman in her mid-30's with short, somewhat-faded red hair, but was still attractive. Sitting next to her on the couch was a young girl, who appeared to be no more than ten years old. Somehow I had completely missed seeing this child until now. She was a cute girl, had the same red hair as her mother, but with much more youthful vitality. She sat very quietly and didn't seem to be in the least bit fazed by what had happened so far.
"Do you mean...will you wear clothes in your new bodies?" I asked nervously.
"Yes," the cook answered.
"I'm sorry, I still haven't gotten to know you all," I apologized. "What is your name?"
She answered, "My name is Erica Andersen. This is my daughter, Kelly."
"Hello," said Kelly.
"Kelly is only ten years old, and while she's definitely smart, I don't know that I want her exposed like this," said Erica.
"Mother," Kelly interjected as she turned to face her mother. "You know that I know about these kinds of things already." Kelly spoke with the tone and demeanor of someone older and more mature. She turned to look at me. "Mother forgets that I take classes that are advanced beyond my age," she said.
"How old are you?" I asked.
She answered, "I am ten and a quarter years old."
I followed up by asking, "And what age level are the classes you take?"
"I take classes that are equivalent to freshman college classes," she answered with total confidence.
"Wow," I said. "That's pretty advanced."
Erica spoke again and said, "Yes, she's been blessed with good fortune. A lot more than me, I'll admit."
"Mother, you are a fantastic cook," Kelly said. "You have a talent that few other people possess."
"Thanks, dear," said Erica. "But back to the point at hand, I'm still not sure if I want Kelly to be exposed to...well, to nudity in any form."
"Mother, you know that I've learned about these things," Kelly protested. "I do not know why you think it will be bad for me."
"Kelly," Erica said, "I know you're smart and mature, but I still think that this is a decision I need to make."
"Oh, mother, I think you are being a bit silly," Kelly said.
"Hmm, OK," I said as I tried to take control again. "Kelly, I can understand why your mother is protective of you. That's what I've always understood a parent is supposed to be. But, Erica, it would seem that Kelly has a maturity well beyond her years."
"She does," Erica agreed. "But mentally, only. She's just not physically mature."
I nodded. Erica had a very valid point. I felt I could resolve the differences, however.
"What is your favorite kind of animal, Kelly?" I asked.
"I do not have one," she said. "I like a lot of different animals, but I would not say any would be a 'favorite.' If you are going to change me, I would want it to be something that is more fantasy than reality."
"And what is that?" I asked.
"Well no doubt you know that Lake Romine borders on the property of this mansion, yes?" she asked me. I nodded. "There is a boat dock and small beach on the property that allow for easy access."
I was a bit confused now. "So what is it that you want to be changed into?" I asked.
"I want to be a mermaid," she said. I was a bit surprised and Erica seemed more than that.
"Kelly, sweetheart," Erica interrupted. "You'll never be here if you do that!"
"Oh, no, mother," Kelly replied. "I want to be very specific. I want to be able to change freely between mermaid and human, just like in the movie 'Splash.' That way I can still be here with you and continue with my studies, but I can also indulge a fantasy I have always had."
"I don't know," Erica said. She looked at me. "How can I be sure that she will be safe?"
"I would think I can handle that," I said. "But I'll need to be very specific, which I'm sure won't be a problem. Are you sure this is what you want, Kelly?" I asked the young girl.
"Yes, I am positive," she answered.
I looked at Erica again. "Do you have any other objections?"
"I still think she is too young," Erica answered.
"I think we can address that," I said. "First, I wish that Kelly will age so that her physical appearance matches the normal age of the classes she takes."
Kelly smiled wide. Erica looked a bit stunned. Kelly stood up from the couch as the changes took hold. The changes progressed from bottom to top. Her feet grew too big for her child shoes and ripped through them much as Jennings' had done earlier. The only difference was that Kelly's feet remained human. Her legs grew larger and longer. Her pants started to ride up her legs until the increase in size caused them to tear with a series of loud rips.
Her upper body also increased in size and her shirt began to stretch and strain against her maturing body. She grew to a height of about 5'6", which matched her mother's height. Her hair grew a bit longer and thicker as her face showed signs on continued maturation. Her lips became fuller and her cheeks rounded a bit more.
Another series of rips filled the room as her body won the battle against her shirt and her underwear. Her body took on the classic feminine, hourglass shape and her hips widened and her backside filled out. Hair grew in her pubic area, and I noticed that it didn't grow wildly, but rather controlled as if it knew how Kelly would groom that particular area of her body.
Once Kelly's shirt fell off her in tatters, her nipples grew larger as they started to swell and push from her chest. She moaned ever so softly as I could see on her face that she enjoyed the change that now took place. Her budding breasts continued to swell into little cone shapes and they also filled and rounded as they continued to grow. They grew to an impressive D-cup size, which again seemed to match the size of her mother.
The changes climaxed and Kelly admired her new body. She had grown up, literally, from a ten year old to an eighteen or nineteen year old in just a matter of minutes.
"Wow," she said. She instinctively placed her hand over her mouth. "Incredible, even my voice is different."
"Of course," I said, "you're older now." I could see that Erica was about to object to my ogling of her naked child. I was actually simply admiring how the well the ring's wishes turned out, but that was pretty much the same thing. Before Erica could chastise me, I said, "OK, that's part one. Now for part two!"