You shake your head, and try to get a grip of yourself. “It must be the effects of this stuff... this... skin...” you say to yourself. You try to pinch some of the latex on your arm, separating it from the skin beneath. But it’s no good, your rubberized fingers just can’t get a grip on the material – it’s like it’s vacuumed to your skin.
The compulsion to go out and get others get others to touch your new skin is almost overwhelming. “I have to get a grip of myself,” you say, thumping your fist on the side of the bathroom counter. “This stuff is affecting my mind. Look at me! Why didn’t I do anything about this yesterday?” Did it mess with my mind that badly that I thought this was nothing to worry about? You start to feel a bit woozy, like you’re fighting against a fever. Looking at yourself in the mirror, you remove the rest of your clothes to inspect the damage. From the neck down, you are completely covered in this skin-tight stuff, without a seam or opening in sight. You can’t even get your fingers under the stuff at the neckline – it’s completely stuck to your skin.
“How can I go to practice like this? I look like a giant blue condom“ And why do I even look like this, anyway? I didn’t have this number, or these stripes on me yesterday, did I? Your thoughts are racing, trying to figure out how to deal with this situation, while fighting the strange compulsion to get others to look like you.
Was it when I passed out yesterday? “Oh, yeah...” you realize, as a thought dawns on you. I remember dreaming about practice last night... is that why I’ve got a purple ‘69’ and stripes down the side? “I suppose my team uniform does look at bit like this, but, I mean...”
Suddenly, as you bring the mental image of your football uniform to mind, you feel an odd sensation in your feet, and you feel yourself getting taller. Looking down, you see cleats forming out of the bottom of the latex surrounding your feet. Slowly, the latex bulges around your foot, and resolves itself into a pair of football boots identical your own, albeit blue and rubber.
As though this were a trigger, the rest of your uniform starts to take shape in a slow wave. The pants develop slowly upwards around your thighs, pads slowly filling in, and a jersey forms up from your stomach, inflating your chest and shoulders as pads fill in there. The purple number and stripes begin to look the part as your new blue latex uniform finishes forming around you. From a distance, people might not notice the difference. However, your arms and legs, usually exposed skin in your normal football uniform, are still covered in rubber. If you wore gloves, it might pass as Under Armor, but the sheen of the latex would give it away as being a one piece, skin-tight uniform.
It reacts to thought! That explains it... you think, admiring your new reflection. You shake your head again, trying to get a grip. “This isn’t normal...” you say to yourself. “Why do I feel so comfortable with this?”
Suddenly, there’s a knock on the bathroom door. “Hey, bud, you in there? I’m back from DJ’s, bud.” You panic at first hearing the knock, but you roommate’s voice comes out as slurred and deliberate. He’s back from another all-nighter, and he sounds about as drunk as he’s ever been. He usually needs you to fill in details for him in the morning.
The urge tugs at the back of your mind...