Jeff managed one last glance at his new appearance, taking in the combination of crystal blue and pale blonde when he heard the faint chirp of the Chronivac and turned to see his mother pointing it at him once again. This time, instead of the slight warmth caused by minor changes, he felt a harsh thump in his chest, and fell to his knees, panting.
His whole body started to throb from head to toe, muscle and bone preparing for a major change. He gasped as his back gave a sudden crack, and arched upward as his legs seized and stretched. Slowly his body lurched upward; he managed to stand shakily to his feet, which as he looked, were growing once again, his toes crawling forward along the carpet. With a little effort, he managed to turn around to the mirror and his eyes widened as he watched his body warp and change.
His skin tone had taken on a little more color, still pale, but with a slight golden glow, as if he’d been spending time out in the sun. His hair had darkened ever so slightly and soft highlights had formed, streaked through the thick, wavy tendrils. His hair had lengthened into wavy, almost curly locks which to his surprise, made him look rather attractive! He smiled at his reflection, taking note of the perfectly formed, sparkling white teeth and pink supple lips. But his body wasn’t through.
He felt another hard thump, this time able to stay upright, and watched his torso stretch, wincing as bone and muscle grew, his shoulders widening just a little while he got taller. His legs were long and lanky, attached to feet that looked a little too big for the rest of him, then lean muscle started to pump all over. His shoulders, pecs, abs and waist took on a more toned, form while his legs thickened to match. He had a moment to think about what his mother had said, “…and also made you more athletic” and it hit him, if he’d been more active starting from his previous age of 6, he’d obviously be much better built now!
As his body wound down from its last and final growth spurt, he felt his face tingle, an watched as the roundness of youth faded, and more angular features were revealed. He wasn’t much older, maybe 5 years or so, but his new features gave him a mischievous, playful, and he realized, utterly beautiful look! Taking in the entire package, his opinion of himself had changed immensely. He gave his reflection a little half grin, and his mother behind him clapped her hand together and cooed. He was gorgeous! The epitome of youth and beauty, the shape of his new, older, and much more toned body coupled with his face, hair, and eyes to complete the ultimate boyish charmer! Then, as he gave his arm a little flex, his head felt as if it were going to split open and he yelped, clutching his forehead in both hands as his mind filled with new information.
His old personality and thoughts were still there, but new thoughts and memories were filling in. His mother had enrolled him on gymnastics when he was only 6, he’d fought, but later realized he loved it, and too this day, at age 11 and going into his first year of Junior High, he’s been called a prodigy, his talent for the sport was clear from day one. This explained his new build, the muscle tone of an athlete, coupled with the shape and form of youth. In his old reality, he’d been shy and a loner, only having a few friends, but in this new reality, he’s quite outgoing, even popular, having friends from his gymnastics team, and other sports, although the football team are still the “kings” of the school, he’d be considered the prince. His teachers loved him, not for being the best student, his grades were solid Bs, but he was cheerful and tried his best.
The new memories and experiences pouring into his mind slowed, then stopped, and he stood, wobbling on shaky legs until his head stopped pounding. In the mirror, he could see his mother smiling, almost in tears looking at her little angel, the perfect son she’d built from scratch. In her excitement, she dropped the Chronivac and hurled herself at him, hugging him close, and his new personality forced his body to hug back, feeling nothing but love and respect for her. His old mind though, glanced at the handheld device lying on the floor… Did he want to change back? Was it right for his mom to have forced this on him?