"Here, little boy, this will make you feel better. Just go into that room, and put the creme all over your
body. It is guaranteed to put bounce back in your spirit," she said with a smile, and a gentle shove.
"Creme?" Patrick said staring at the single word on the large rubber tub. He unscrewed the lid, the contents
looked like petroleum jelly but smelled like latex. He stuck his index and middle finger into the gunk and
lifted out a dollop of the ointment. He sniffed it. Then he started to slick back his hair with it. Mei Li
closed the door behind him. On the back of the door was a full length mirror. The tiny room had a massage
table, stool, table with oils and incense burner, and no windows.
Patrick looked at his reflection in the mirror. His hair looked black with the goop in it, and it looked solid
like Superman's hair in the cartoons. It looked like solid black rubber. "Cool," he said admiring his new doo.
He wondered what a bit more would do. It felt good as he massaged the ointment onto his hands, and then his
face. It felt warm and tingly. He soon was shirtless, and his naked torso positively glistened with the
ointment. The tub was still over 3/4ths full, so he locked the door, and took his trousers and shoes off. He was
shiny all over except for his Power Ranger underwear. He grinned as he rubbed the ointment on the soles of his
feet and between his toes. He looked so different. He felt lighter, happier, in spite of his circumstances.
Then he noticed something odd about his ointment coated skin...