Second Class Swaps - Part One

"So... How has the job search been going?" the woman across from me mutters, the bookish and dark-haired academic leaning in a little to sit at the steaming hot latte as she pulls a little at her navy blue scarf.

Despite having broken up over a year ago Fiona and I had still caught up regularly, our lives having been enmeshed for so long that it was hard at this point to simply not remain friends.

"Well... about the same as it has been..." I grumble back, having received a fresh batch of rejections this morning. I watch as my former girlfriend purses her lips a little, a slight bit of foam from the coffee clinging to them as she seems to ponder something.

"I think Latham is hiring again, you know... after all the lay-offs" she muses, raising one of her somewhat pudgy fingers to her chin in thought. It had been well over a year at this point, a year since myself and many of my colleagues had been forced out of academia due to 'over-hiring' during the pandemic.

I feel a pang of frustration at the news along with a slight elation, annoyance that they seemed to have let me go for nothing blending with a hope that I could just slip back given my prior experience.

"Really?" I cough, spluttering a little into my own coffee as I choke down a half-sip. "Maybe I should..."

"Yeah..." Fiona mutters as she cuts me off absentmindedly. "Mrs Mawab said we needed to bring in some more people for diversity. I mean you remember how much of a... sausage..." she giggles, her laughter turning to an awkward chuckle as she looks over my rapidly souring expression. "... sorry..." she mutters, turning to attention back to her coffee as she sips more in an effort to keep from speaking.

Changing Clothes - Part Five

With another yank I'm tugged forward, the goth girl quickly nudging the now oversized shoes towards me as I stumble into them. Clothes from the pile scatter across my floor as I'm pulled and yanked towards the door and the corridor beyond.

"Come on..." Gracie huffs, her hand release my arm before grabbing my own sweaty palm. "I am not starting my shift late again..."

As I'm dragged out the door I manage to grab A handful of the strange sealed clothing, my fingers finding purchase on various bulging packages. My fingers dig into several of the pink plastic bags, the fabric inside each yielding as I tighten my grip around them.

One after another tumble from my grasp, my stomach sinking as the sight of the packages bouncing off the hardwood floor before I quickly bring the remaining three packages to my heavily sagging chest as I clutch the packages as tightly as I can.

The sound of jingling keys ring in my ear as Gracie snatches my apartment keys from a small hook by the door, the goth pausing for a moment as she glances down at the shoes on the floor.

"Come on!" she snaps, kicking one of the sneakers as it bounces off my foot. "Do I have to do everything for you?"

Changing Clothes - Part Four

"Oh my..." I wheeze, my voice coming out in a sweet yet husky croak as I feel my chin wiggle slightly. With each wheezing breath I feel my chest rise and fall, the mammoth weights rubbing uncomfortably inside the woolen sweater with each clawing gasp. My belly and waist fare little better, the deep inhalations causing me to feel the pile of flab stretching the skin around my abdomen and hips.

Fidgeting with the sweater I soon find the hem hanging around my mid-thigh, the oversized sweater seemingly acting as a sort of cozy 'while-at-home' dress. Titling my head slightly, a cascade of light brown extremely blurry strands falling into my field of view, I spot the glasses on the sofa and worse yet the large and wide panties resting on the floor.

My head spins, my heart racing at an uncomfortable rate as I part my plump lips. My soft rounded cheeks burn hot with a sense of embarrassment as I lay splayed on the floor, the sensation only growing worse as I feel my thick thighs press against each other with the usual obstruction between my legs failing to make any sort of appearance.

Flailing slightly in the clothing pile I try to get a grip on this new body, my mind racing with dozens of trains of thought all at once as I try to work out what I should do. 

Suddenly, I am broken from my desperate and panicked thoughts as Gracie barges her way into the room with a frustrated scowl across her face.

Gender-Flu Season - Part Five

"Let me guess..." my mom huffs, the eye-roll being self evident in her tone. "You didn't do the one job I gave you." she continues, her grumbling sending a shiver down my spine.

"I... I'm still..." I blabber, freezing up as a wave of light brown hair tumbles down in front of my face.

"Sure sure..." my mother mutters dismissively, the door creaking as she pulls back form leaning against it. "You could have at least given me some idea of what I need to look for. I mean, I thought you would be a least a little more mature this time aro..."

"Looking for... what?" I ask, cutting her short as I flop onto my side and simply lay there. My hips pop as I lay on my right side, the wide childbearing pelvis causing me to shift my waist and legs to try and make myself more comfortable. My hand continues it's exploration, a soft gasp escaping my lips as I feel my fingers reach the lopsided and sweaty mounds pooling out from my chest.

"Your uniform, did you even read my note?" she responds, sighing a little as she takes a breath. "I can't believe I'm having to organize your clothes again... at least it's for a daughter this time rather than..."

"Why do I need... a... a..." I blubber, my breath growing short as I reach up to let my fingers sink into the large and sensitive flabby bust and take my small yet painfully hard nipple into my palm.

"A uniform?" my mother responds, scoffing a little. "Well I certainly haven't seen you trying to sell off that little viral gift of yours to anybody. You always lacked initiative, so I decided to help my daughter a little more this time. "So of course you need a uniform, after I went to all the effort to enroll you in Atheron High."

I writhe a little on the floor, my head swimming with the kneading of my newly engorged chest as I feel a gnawing twinge between my legs. My left hands slowly reaches down, my fingers quivering as they glide across a remarkably flat and smooth stomach before reaching a mess of coarse pubic hair below.

"I... Why would you..." I whimper and whine, my panting breath coming out in a mixture of confused panic and arousal as I paw at my needy body.

"Well I was talking with Zoe... Mayor Lonsdale..." my mother states, sounding almost giddy as she brings up the head of the town's political elite. "... And I may have said my daughter was coming to stay... and one thing led to another and..."

Gender-Flu Season - Part Four

A knocking raps out from the front door, my groggy mind barely aware of where I was let alone able to really work out who would be at the door.

Groaning loudly, my voice sounding more like a pre-teen boy than my own, I slowly heave myself to my knees. A cascade of hair tumbles around my ears and shoulders, the strands seemingly evening out slightly though still lacking any uniform cohesion across my scalp. Wobbling up to my feet I feel loose skin droop and hang over my right pectoral, an empty sack of flesh just waiting to be filled with something softer to the tough.

"God damn..." I whimper, limping my way to the door as I feel my body scream and fight me the whole way. Each step hurts in some way or another, too much weight being put on an irregular joint or an overly shrunken tendon twinging as it's forced to extend.

Reaching the door I creak it open slightly, not wanting to let anyone see inside or let any of the disease of scent from within out. Looking outside I'm met with the sight of a platter of food, tape measure and a note reading

'Need measurements for uniform'

My mouth immediately begins to salivate at the sight of the food. Despite the damp sea air and speckled rain drops covering the platter my body yearns for that had been left outside. Sticks of butter lay piled in the center, my tongue smacking at my lips as the craving for fats of any kind burns deep in my gut. Beside the large plastic platter sits two jugs of milk, the sloshing lipid and calcium laden beverage making my throat feel almost painfully dry at the sight.

Worst yet is the slab of raw red meat stacked around the veritable tower of butter, the sight of which leaves me almost wide eyed with hunger as something deep inside my demands I consume the iron rich meat with reckless abandon. The meat itself is dotted with a hefty coating of ground rock salt, my strangely large feeling tongue hanging out of my mouth as I drool at the sight of the sorely needed mineral

Gender-Flu Season - Part Three

With one last huff I force the door open, lurching inside the dark room before slamming the door behind me with my back against it. With a sigh of relief I slowly slide down with my back against the wooden door, my body dropping onto the hardwood floor as I catch my breath.

The image of the test in the back of my car and the sight of my mother upstairs makes my skin crawl, my breath catching in my chest as I slowly try to crawl to my feet.

"This is so... fucking wrong..." I cough, my mind reeling as I try to comprehend what was about to happen or even what I might look like once all was said and done.

Slapping my hand around I soon find the smooth plastic of the light switch, my fingers glancing over it as the room is suddenly flooded with painfully bright warm light. In reality, the light was more cozy than anything else, my pounding headache and fever leaving my eyes far more sensitive to the sudden shift.

The ever so slightly off-white walls glow almost golden under the soft light of the bulb above, the messy and sweat soaked bed in the back of the room appearing more like a void of sodden blankets under the poor lighting. Bags sit at the foot of the bed, my clothes barely unpacked since my arrival and my sudden illness.

The bed itself rests in a small alcove, the wall wrapping around it as a new space is formed on it's left. The open door reveals the dim and dank modern bathroom beyond, a simple sink and toilet taking up hafl the room before a large shower takes up the rest. The living space is split between a tiny living room that had been cobbled together last minute for my arrival, a simple couch and coffee table playing home to my laptop, while a galley kitchen runs along the left wall.

The humming of the fridge nearly makes me want to vomit, the mere thought of food making my stomach churning violently as I feel something foul fill it despite my lack of breakfast. Coughing slightly I stagger forwards, tumbling onto the sofa as a burp abruptly.

Meat

The scent and flavor of some raw and visceral fill my mouth as I feel the color drain from my face. My breath clings to my tongue as I retch, lipids riding on the air grasping at me and coating my mouth as my body rapidly sheds excess fat in any way it can.

Gender-Flu Season - Part Two

The door slams shut before the young woman can finish her sentence, her tiny figure quickly running past with her arms outstretched in front of her as if merely touching my car had left the gloves coated in whatever I was infected with.

"Thanks..." I croak, rolling my eyes as I undo my seat belt and spin around to look into the back seat. My bones creak and joints pop as I slump halfway between the two sections of my old sedan, a low groan escaping my lips as I ease down onto my elbow before grabbing the package.

Thankfully, testing for the Gender-Flu was remarkably simple. Pulling the two boxes out I grab the slender plastic trays from within, one for the disease itself and another for variants, before fishing around in the boxes for the 'mixing' tube. Hacking up a cough I spit into one of the tube, my dry and foul tasting mouth struggling to make the same deposit into the second without another round of chest rattling coughs. Capping each I shake them weakly, my wrist crackling and cracking painfully as I try to mix the tubes properly.

With a thankful sigh I pour each tube into the collection section of the tray, the lack of a dropper of any other fiddly attachment making me relieved as I clamber into the back seat to have a lay down. Shivering and shaking I slowly move to read the results, my heart skipping a beat as I read the test aloud.

"Regression... positive..." I wheeze painfully, my ribs cracking and my lungs popping like bubble wrap as I exhale deeply. My groggy mind reels at the thought, the whole thing being a struggle to piece together through the haze in my head.

My skin crawls as I worm my way back into the drivers seat, a pool of sweat being left in the back seat where my arm lay. As my head flops back into the headrest a splattering of sweat coated hair slaps against my forehead, the strands already seemingly slightly longer.

"FuUu..." I begin to groan, the sound my voice pitching up and breaking as though I was undergoing puberty causing me to slam my mouth shut. Despite it all I can't muster to strength to be angry, the almost painful draining sensation wracking my body leaving me lingering in a constant malaise.

Gender-Flu Season - Part One

My fingers grip the steering wheel of my car as I slowly creep through the packed shopping center parking lot. My knuckles practically glow white as I squeeze the supple plastic in front of me, the grip only easing as I wipe the sweat from my brow before it can drip into my eyes.

The world is a constant mild haze, my head swimming and my vision waning as I crawl the car ahead towards an empty space. My breath is ragged, each gasp leaving my throat raspy and sore as my mouth fills with the strange taste of iron and fat. Every inch of my body seems to shiver and twitch, from my bones to my muscles and even my skin I feel completely off and downright drained.

Pulling into the parking lot I spot a tiny young woman standing by the doors ahead of me, the diminutive minimum wage employee wearing a long set of rubber gloves and a mask beneath a cumbersome plastic face shield. In her shaking hands she holds a large paper bag, the two boxes inside bouncing against one another as she struggles to fight back her nerves.

As my car rolls to a stop the tony blonde races towards my car, sweat forming on her tanned forehead as she sprints past my door before opening the one to the back seat. In one swift motion she practically flings the package into the back seat, her voice quivering weakly as she goes to slam the door shut.

"Your order sir, one Gender-Flu test and one for vari..."

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Nine

On the stage the large glass box filled with the now rather familiar fog is rolled out, the Hostess looking towards it as the studio audience roars with excitement.

"That's right..." The Hostess announces, gesturing towards the strange device. "It's time to bring one of our contestant's back home, back to their own body, and out of the running to win our fabulous grand prize" she continues, the crowd going wild at the mention of the life changing money on the other end of one contestant's journey through a new reality.

"Ms Hughes escaped early elimination for her little nap, but can she avoid it again? Maybe Mr Jones should be given his life back, I'm certain sleeping in a car can't be good for his back she laughs, referring to another contestant as the votes begin to roll in.

"We'll be back with the results... right after this commercial break."

The digits beneath each image of a sleeping stranger quickly begin to race up, those beneath my own barely squeaking into double digits as seemingly one of the more popular contestants. Racing up to over fifty percent of the vote an image of a handsome stubbly man in his mid-thirties suddenly vanishes in a bout of smog, the glass box in the center of the room glowing as they attempt to retrieve the contestant from their distant reality. 

"It's seems Mr Douglas' family life was not all that attention grabbing" the Hostess coos, a loud thump coming from the smokey glass device in the center of the stage as a tiny pudgy feminine hand presses against the glass from the inside.

New Moon, New Life - Part One

Candles flicker around the forest clearing, the thick wax cylinders holding down the crinkling blue tarp beneath me. Even with the weak flicking flames being nearly useless to read by I'm still easily able to read the sheets of paper strewn about at my feet, the pale light of moon flooding the glade light a spotlight from the heavens.

The moon seemed impossibly large, the sort of bright glow in the night sky that looked more akin the a photoshop image than reality itself. Tides were thrown off, birds cawed and crowed outside as they thought it was day time.The world seemed alomst turned upside down as the largest moon any of us had ever seen loomed overhead.

It was the event of the century, the sort of full moon that no one alive today would ever have a chance of seeing for the rest of their lives. For some it was a chance to watch the marvels of the natural world, others a time to party. However, for many around the world it was a time to tempt fate and try to weave magics while beneath the light of the fullest moon.

Some sought riches, others love, I had come out into the deep forest with a different reason entirely. Reaching for my pock I pool out a tiny vial, the dusty glass capped with gold as the viscous red liquid inside roils and splashes about in a remarkably lively state.

'Magical blood' I had been told, in part a reason it hadn't simply turned to a tried caked on brick of crimson coagulant. While I, along with practically everyone on the face of the Earth, were simply numb to the world of magic, there were those who were not only attuned to it but had the very essence of the arcane in their veins.

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Eight

As I reach the steps down to the lane way and the parking lot beyond I immediately spot the pacing sight of Bridgette, the over six foot tall athletic young woman being difficult to miss and she shuffles around beside my old sedan.

Inching down the steps she spots me, my bright copper red hair likely not doing me any favors in subtly. She waves wildly at me, watching for a moment as I heft my tiny frame and heavy backpack across the lane before bolting over.

"Babe let me get..." she whine, her voice dripping with concern as she practically pulls the backpack off of me and effortlessly slings it over one shoulder. Her free hand clutches at the large gym bag she had carried this morning, the large black denim bag appearing to crumple and squish around whatever was inside.

"Thanks..." I sigh, my body feeling leagues lighter as the weight is pulled off my shoulders. It was like everything was relative, the straps of my bra having been completely ignored all day as the ache and pain from carrying the bag consumed my thoughts more presently. "What are... were you waiting for me?" I ask meekly, adjusting my glasses a little as I look up at the practical amazonian in front of me.

Bridgette rubs at the back of her neck nervously, her face turning red as she looks up and away for a moment.

"Kinda..." she mutters, her husky voice shaking a little. "I was.. well I was going to ask...My parents are out of town and... well, do you think you could maybe stay the night?" I watch as the tan young brunette, bites at her bottom lip, her shoulders slumping as she shrinks away a little out of nerves as she takes a shot.

My stomach fills with butterflies as I look up at her, my face twitching as I'm practically forced to wear a silly giddy grin.

"I'll need directions..." I state, walking around to the driver's side door. Pausing slightly as I realize just how that sounds. "I mean, where can I park and stuff."

Mr Marigold's Magician's Box - Part Three

"Do I... need to pick something?" I ask, adjusting my jeans as I feel my mighty ten-inch cock shift in my boxers. "I... there wasn't anything there that I really... you know... it's hard to pick them just from looking at the... right?" I bleat and blubber, unable to really form a coherent answer.

Mr Marigold pauses for a moment, stroking his chin in thought as he glances to my and then to the magical stage equipment with a discerning eye. After a brief pause he shakes his head, the massive top hat jostling in a worrying fashion as he begins to speak.

"Well... I..."Am afraid I must insist you pick something, otherwise you may wind up with nothing... below deck at it were, and we can't have that" Mr Marigold sighs, giving me a little shrug. "Each compartment needs to be filled I'm afraid, why don't you explore a little more good sir? I'm certain you will find something to your liking soon enough."

I give a short sigh myself as I look down, the thought of giving up my cock making my stomach sink. However, as I glance back to the rather attractive assortment of parts in the boxes the urge to finish what I started becomes all to great to avoid.

"Fine..." I mutter, spinning around and heading back towards the shelves once more. "I'll be back soon" I call out behind me, hurrying along as I delve back into the strange selection.

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Seven

"Can you... walk me to class?" I ask, my eyes darting to the backpack as I quickly realize I had no idea where or what I was meant to do once I made it into the school. Bridgette suddenly perks up, her hangdog expression shifting rapidly to an excited grin as I ask for help.

"Sure!" she blurts out excitedly, the towering woman quickly leading me away from the car and towards the side entrance to the first large brick building. "I'll take you there and... and I can carry your bag for you. Why is it so heavy? You shouldn't be carrying something like..."

"Thanks honey" I coo, raising her hand up with my own as I plant a little kiss on it.

I watch as Bridgette's cheeks begin to burn bright red, the tiny sliver of affection seemingly doing more than our brief make out session in the parking lot. Her sentence falls short, a pathetic mewling blabber consuming her words before she manages to shut herself up.

"I... I think you have English first right?" Bridgette chokes out, her breath shuddering as we pass over the lane way to the parking lot and begin up the short set of steps. "Lots of books for that I... I guess..."

The trip to the classroom itself is rather uneventful, if a little disconcerting. The sheer domineering size of everything around me set my teeth on edge, from the teenagers who were easily over a head taller than me now to the top lockers being simply out of reach. Thankfully Bridgette seems more than happy to carve us a path to my first class, the towering young woman getting a soft and lingering kiss as a reward before she passes me my bag and races off to follow her own timetable.

Strangely enough the desk and seat feel almost roomy as I slide into it, my shrunken stature doing wonders as I wriggle into place. The aging CRT screen in the corner suddenly grows pale and misty as the audience sets up to watch my class, a shiver running down my spine as I stare directly into it.

To get my mind off of things I quickly begin to search my backpack, a small black leather diary thankfully resting atop the pile of text books and literature as I snatch it out. Inside I find a timetable on the front page, each day of the week followed by a series of classes and room numbers.

"I can work with this..." I squeak, quickly finding that each day started differently. "I just need to work out what... day it is..."

Mr Marigold's Magician's Box - Part Two

After a short pause he flicks his wrist, producing the purple ticket I had place in the door before repeating the motion as it vanishes again.

"...You however, have been gifted one free session" he explains, gesturing to the many racks and shelves. "Most outside of the community don't get such an opportunity, do you perhaps have a family member who is a part of the pro..." he begins to ask, pausing and cutting himself off as he waves his hand.

"Never mind that..." he states, not letting me get a word in edge wise. "Simply pick out what you would like from the shelves and bring them to the boxes, once you're ready simply climb inside the empty set and I will start the show!"

I stare blankly at him for a moment, blinking in disbelief as he looks down at me with a delighted grin. Slowly but surely his smile begins to fade, his joy being replaced with a look of confusion.

"Well dear fellow?" he mutters, gesturing towards the shelves and racks with a flick of his wrist and a wave of his hand. "Explore, indulge, cavort, and enjoy the..." he begins to state, only to finally get get off by me.

"What do you mean by..." I huff, my eyes going wide as I look to the various neatly packed or stacked body parts. "Are you telling me these are people and.. and I'm meant to be?... Wear?... I mean..." I blabber, the older gentlemen looking at me in a mixture of frustration and confusion.

"Why yes my good fellow" he states, cocking a thick black eyebrow. "Theses did in fact belong to others, and you may in fact take them for yourself should you so..." he explains shortly, his words tense and tightly packed. "Did the one who granted you this boon not explain this to..." he begins to huff, revealing the ticket once more as he holds it between his hands.

"I got that at a bar from some guy who..." I blurt back, my heart hammering in my chest as the reality of the strange situation begins to set in.

The Swap-Cation - Part Three

I quiver slightly as I feel myself get placed down on something cold and hard, the chilly sheet of metal beneath me waking me slightly as I realize just what I am sitting on. However, after a few moments of sitting on the metal plate nothing seems to happen.

"Carl?" calls the young woman, her shout coming through loud and clear as she stand over me. "Yeah... Yeah I've got the list... But I... Yeah...Is this blonde real or dyed?... No, I need to know otherwise the prom queen is going to be up there with exposed roots”

The woman quickly begins to pace away, the sound of her stomping boots piercing the obstructing flesh over my ears before vanishing entirely in an instant. Murmured voices rumble in the distance, a back and forth completely lost to me as some low voice chatters with the young woman.

As the voices die down I hear the boots begin to approach, a series of keystrokes soon following as I feel my pathetic squishy form become constrained by some invisible force. My mind swims and my blood boils as I feel the last of the slime over my skin dry up in an instant, the last vestiges of oxygen vanishing in an instant.

"Al...ght..." the woman coos, her voice distant and hard to make out. "Le... thi...the...ro..." she calls out, a sudden shock rippling through my terrible diminished form. With a gasping breath I feel two holes form in what I could loosely describe as my face, the small gaps quickly winding through my jiggling flesh into what feel like a pathetic and deflated set of lungs. The two little holes begin to shift as cartilage forms between them, my skin stretching out as a small and dainty nose is formed.

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Six

Opening the car door I brace for the cold, a whimpering shudder wracking me as I leap out of the sedan. "Cold... cold cold cold..." I pant, rubbing at my stick-like arms in an effort to warm up while inadvertently and disconcertingly squishing my bust with my forearms. I turn to get my bag, leaning in as my plump rear stick out while I snatch at one of the straps.

Suddenly, I feel a hand snake around my flat stomach before pulling me back. I squeal in shock, my feather light body being slightly lifted off the ground as I'm embraced from behind. My heart hammers in my chest, my breath going ragged in terror, though the heat from the person behind me threatens to leave me melting.

"Hey Jordy" coos a voice in my ear, their warm breath on my neck leaving my knees shaking a little. "I got your bag" the state, wrapping an arm around my waist they guide me to the side. As I stagger back, still held firmly by the stranger, I watch as they lower down to grab my overly heavy bag. 

I bite the inside of my lip as my eyes lock to the towering and extremely fit young brunette with a gym bag in one hand, her muscular frame being painted by a tight set of yoga shorts and a sports bra. My mouth falls open, my eyes locked to the practical amazon's thick toned thighs and plush taut rear as she leans across the seat, a shuddering breath escaping my plush lips as I find a warmth flashing through me.

As she stand back up she slings the heavy backpack effortlessly over her shoulder, the massive seeming young woman flashing me a grin as she gets the strap in place.

The Swap-Cation - Part Two

Without much going on in my life, and the thought of the expense that had gone into the gift, I had quickly went to the Swap Clinic to cash in my gift without any real thought into who could have sent me such a gift. Thankfully, the local Clinic was more than capable at cashing in the little voucher, the woman beaming at me as she scanned the card with a little beep.

"Thank you for coming in early... Mr Hughes" the caramel skinned young woman had chirped from behind the counter. "We always have issues with people checking in right before the deadline. We can get you sorted now if you want? Next thing you know you'll be off enjoying...Perfect Prom!" the young woman cries with excitement, her slender frame nearly launching out of her seat.

"Uh... Thanks?" I mutter in response, my hands fidgeting with my jacket as I try to pull it around me.

"It's sooooooooo sweet that someone gifted you this" she coos, her deep brown eyes practically sparkling as she looks off into the mid-distance. "To relive such a big event, the excitement and powerful emotions rushing back and..." she giggles, obviously longing for her own chance to try the holiday package. "Sooooooo..." she muses, smirking at me from across the front desk. "Who got it for you? Wife? Partner? Maybe..."

"I..." I stammer, completely in the dark as to who had left the card in my mailbox. "I have no ide..."

"Mr Hughes!?" calls a low and honeyed voice from the hallway beside the front desk, a short and fit man in his forties soon leaning out as he scans the room. Giving the tan blonde man a nod he waves a little clip board at me, gesturing for me to follow as he begins to plod off down the hallways and out of sight.

Mr Marigold's Magician's Box - Part One

Shivering in the evening chill I trudge down the dim dank alleyway, my boots splashing in foul sour-scented pools of what I can only hope is water. My clammy hands clutch at a small purple ticket tightly, my knuckles white as I grip the cheap plastic rectangle.

The alley itself is much like any other, graffiti and tags sprayed against the brick walls while large dumpsters force me to weave and squeeze my way down the narrow path. I freeze as I hear something squeak and skitter in the darkness, a flash of fur diving down beneath one of the dumpsters as a long pink tail thrashes about behind it.

A simple light sits a decent way up the plain brick wall at the far end of the alley, the squat and long broken green plastic revealing the fluorescent bar within. As I draw closer I cock an eyebrow, my gaze shifting over the plain brick wall in confusion.

"I could have swor..." I mutter, looking back towards the entrance to the alley. I bite at my bottom lip, wracking my brain as I try to remember what I had been told only a few days ago. Sure, I may have been more than a little drunk at the time, but I should have remembered a simple set of directions.

As I approach the wall something begins to stand out in the plain and simple red brick wall. An arch of bricks, still layered in the same pattern as the rest, fail to really blend in with the rest thanks to their slightly darker and muddy hue. Squinting at it, purposely blurring my vision, it almost looks like a door frame inlaid into into the brickwork.

With a little burst of speed I approach the wall, my right hand patting the bricks in search of something... different. However, despite seemingly having found the right place it still looks and feels just like any other wall. Before long I find something, a slight gap in the mortar at around waist height. Sizing it up for a moment I hold out the ticket, measuring it up as I read the overly dramatic and cursive text.

The Marvelous Mr Marigold's

Menagerie of Magical 'Mishaps'

Magician's Boxes - One Free Use

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Five

The crowd murmurs slightly, only for a group gasp to rip through them as their little displays begin to light up.

"She knew the rules about sleeping" the Hostess smirks, shrugging her shoulders. "Maybe she doesn't want to win the grand prize, I'm sure she'd be happy with coming back as the fastest loser in the games history."

Waiting for a moment for the snickering and laughter of the crowd to die down the Hostess looks off to the side of the stage, the older director of Lights, Camera, Change! giving her a little nod before finally mouthing 'First Vote'.

"But after spending so long on making her like this, it would be a shame to send her off so unceremoniously. While we usually have our first vote when all contestant's go to sleep for the day I suppose we can start with Ms Hughes" The Hostess announces, the crowd cheering excitedly.

"We'll work something else out in the broadcast, but as a special treat and a first in Lights, Camera, Change! history you get to not only make the the whole of the contestant's new body but you also get to decide their fate by yourselves!"

As the crowd roars with excitement the sound of the various beeps and bloops of their displays being selected and locked in begin to take over the room. The image of my sleeping form on the screen being overlayed with the various percentages of the vote.

The Hostess smirks as she watches one of the bars race to the other end of the screen, the crowd voting overwhelmingly for me to stay on the show with only a single vote from someone in the audience to end my time in the competition.

Lights, Camera, Change! - Part Four

Exiting the stairwell I find myself in the entrance hall for some sort of museum, a small front desk sitting to my right and beside a large set of antique wooden doors with one siting wide open in an inviting manner. Across from the stairwell sits a small lounge area, a small set of antique stools and tables all in view of the front desk.

To the left rest large glass cabinets filled with all manner of ancient looking tools and pieces of clothing with a large spinning wheel sitting in the center of it all. A large arch way sits along the left hand wall, a passage way leading deeper into the building, while above it rests a large glass window looking into a small office space above.

Swallowing hard I return my attention to the phone, my eyes darting over the various addresses in the app until one seems to repeat far too many times.

"Farrier Road" I mutter, smirking as I read the address aloud. "That's... quaint..." I chuckle, the laughter coming out in a cutesy giggle thanks to this new voice. Quickly punching the address into my phone's GPS it begins to autofill, a smirk spreading across my lips as I feel like I had cracked some sort of mystery.

Taking a deep breath I begin to walk towards the open door, yawning involuntarily as I feel my eye lids grow heavy. "Okay..." I sigh, rubbing my eyes from behind the thick glasses. "Just need to get home, and from there..." I state, giving myself a pep talk only to trail off. "I... I have no idea."