The card had a little poem on it.
You’ve won yet again,
You lucky boy you.
let’s get things going
and start round two.
Your first change is cute
So pretty it charms.
Let’s see how you do
Without any arms!
“M-my arms?” as if responding to his question he felt a weird tingling in his fingertips, and he held them before his face in shock. Bit by bit, his fingers grew shorter, receding into his palms. In a moment they were only a big as his toes. Then they were gone entirely, the card fluttering to the ground. His little flipper hands continued to tingle as he started to sob again. They melted and slithered into his wrists as his forearms shortened. He flailed them a little, whispering, “No… no…” but they didn’t listen. His stumps reached his elbows, and he pathetically saw the bunched-up sleeves of his hoodie fall down, empty. Finally, the last nubs of his arms retracted into his shoulders, leaving just the round lumps themselves.
He sat back down, morose. He didn’t notice as the sleeves of his hoodie unraveled and vanished, becoming just two well-tailored seams that accentuated his shoulder-nubs.
“How am I going to play the game now?”