He knew he needed to changed back immediately, but the image reflected in the mirror fascinated him.
Oliver took a moment to fully absorb the extent of the changes. The image of little Indian girl in colorful traditional garb looked a far cry from what he usually saw reflected in the mirror.
"This ring is fucking amazing!" He exclaimed, but in the soft-spoken tone of the little girl.
As amazing as it was, he needed to undo this accidental transformation. Without farther hesitation, he started the process when the door to the little girl's room opened without any warning.
A tall, slender woman, dressed herself in traditional attire, swept into the room. "Abha, we're ready to go," the woman said.
Oliver recognized his neighbor, but he had certainly never seen the woman from this perspective.
The woman grasped her daughter's hand protectively in her own and started to lead her from the room.
Surprised, Oliver jerked his hand from her, but in the process he dropped the ring. He heard it hit the floor, bounce and ricochet somewhere beneath the girl's bed.
"Abha, behave yourself!" The woman reacted angrily. "We talked, and you promised you would be a good girl during your visit with your grandparents!"
"But…" Oliver struggled. What could he possibly say to delay this woman?
He felt her take his hand again, leading him toward the door. He resolved to just endure the humiliation of being trapped in a little girl's body until he could get back to the room and recover the ring. How long could a visit with the little girl's grandparents take? In a few hours, he would be back to his normal self without anyone ever being the wiser.
His mother closed the door, and in the hallway they were joined by Abha's father. Oliver knew her father well. They often stopped and spoke when they saw each other outside their respective homes.
"What took you?" The tall man asked.
"Abha wasn't quite ready," his wife answered.
The man smiled and bent forward. Without warning, he scooped his daughter off her feet, lifting her close to his chest as he carried her out of the house.
Oliver became faintly alarmed when he realized that the grandparents were not visiting their granddaughter in her home.
Still held in his father's arms, Oliver saw the yellow taxi parked at the curb waiting for them. Across the street, he saw his own home. He could say something, but not without the humiliation and perhaps even legal consequences of having suddenly transformed into a young girl. It was an accident, but Abha's parents might not see it that way.
"Where…where are we going?" He asked in Abha's soft voice that trembled from the very real nervousness he was feeling.