TheXtra Path

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“Hasn’t Mr. K been a little off the last few days?” Kim asked Patrick as they played a video game in the back of Mr. K’s store.

Patrick shrugged. “He could be a little sick. He’s human after all. Ha! Win again.”

“Gah,” Kim groaned as she dropped her controller. Even though Kim was good at gaming, she could never beat her brother, no matter what game they played. “I know he’s human, but he looks fine one moment, then the next he looks like he’s about to pass out. Also, like today, he’s gone most of the time. He should probably go to the hospital.”

“How do you know he hasn’t?” Patrick asked.

“What if he’s really sick? What if he’s dying? Maybe that’s why . . .” Kim looked around cautiously at the other kids and lowered her voice. “Maybe that’s why he wants to meet with us alone after everyone has left.”

“Kim,” Patrick said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about something until it’s actually something to worry about.”

Kim crossed her arms and sulked. “Don’t tell me what I can’t do.”

A couple of minutes later, the last group of kids left. Kim jumped up. Kim jumped up. “Finally! Let’s go grab Mr. K.”

“Fine, fine,” Patrick said as he followed his sister.

Kim knocked on Mr. K’s door. “Mr. K, we’re the only ones left. You said you wanted to tell us something?”

The door opened, and Mr. K peered out cautiously. “Perfect. Patrick, can you close the store, then meet us in the back?” Patrick nodded and went to lock the front door. Kim and Mr. K walked to the back room.

Kim glanced at Mr. K. He didn’t look sick or even unhappy. In fact, he looked more energetic than he had been all week, though a little nervous.

After they all gathered in the back, Mr. K said, “Can you guys keep a secret?”

“Yep,” Kim replied quickly.

“Just as long as you didn’t kill someone,” Patrick said, half-jokingly.

“Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that,” Mr. K said. It looked like he was going to say more, but then he clutched his stomach, groaning in pain. “Ah, I feel strange.”

A wave of fear passed through Kim. “Mr. K, what’s wrong? Should I call the hospital?” she asked.

Mr. K stood up straight. “No, it’s just – AH!”

Kim noticed movement under Mr. K’s shirt in the check area, like two balloons filling up with air. They almost looked like . . .

“What the . . .” Kim heard Patrick mutter, echoing Kim’s own thoughts.

“What is this?” Mr. K exclaimed, grabbing the swelling orbs under his shirt.

“Mr. K, I think,” Kim said, disbelieving the situation, “I think you have breasts.”

Kim shifted her vision to the rest of his body. His hair was much longer, almost to his shoulders. His facial features became much softer, including his jawline losing its hard edge and his nose shrinking. The little scruff he usually had had disappeared. Also, his height reduced a few inches, so he was only slightly taller than Kim.

Finally, the changes stopped.

Kim grabbed her brother’s arm in a vice grip. A stranger was standing in Mr. K’s clothes. “Patrick, what just happened?” Patrick opened his mouth, but no words came out. Since words failed him, he shook his head.

Kim stared at the beautiful, confused young woman. She had long dark hair that flowed a little above the small of her back. Even though her clothes were too big, Kim could see her breasts were quite large, maybe two sizes larger than her own. The young woman’s face was similar to Mr. K’s, like she was his sister.

Suddenly, a large grin split across the girl’s face. “You should see the look on your guys’ faces,” she said with a siren-like voice.

Confusion layered on more confusion. “Was this some kind of joke?” Patrick asked.

“Is Mr. K hiding around the corner?” Kim asked.

“Nope, I’m Jack Kearl. The one and only,” the young woman said proudly.

Kim shook her head. “No, no. That’s impossible.” But, she just saw him transform. This went far beyond a simple prank.

“Let me explain. I recently came across a couple of rings earlier this week.” She held up her hands to show off the two rings on her hands. “The red one transforms me into this. I don’t know why. I can control when I transform, but not what I transform into.”

Kim raised her hand. “Um, question. Have you told anybody else?” The young woman shook her head. “Why us? If this is true, it would be huge. Magic exists!”

The young woman scratched her face. “Hmm, how to explain.” Her mannerisms, the way she talked, and her expressions all mimicked Mr. K’s. It was very disorienting for Kim. The woman held out her left hand, showing off a bright yellow ring. “The red ring transforms me, but the yellow ring transforms other people; it becomes dull once it activates. In fact, Kim, you changed yesterday. Remember how you felt sick for a bit?”

Kim nodded. She did feel a little queasy, and then uncomfortable, like something was wrong with her body. “But I looked at myself in the mirror; I would have noticed something was different, like my gender.”

The girl nodded. “It took me a little while to figure out what was different; you got older by a year or two. You see, the effects start small, but the more you use it, the stronger it gets. The ring might have other effects. Problem is, I don’t know how the yellow ring activates . . .”

“And you want us to be your guinea pigs, so you don’t activate the ring by accident,” Patrick said, thinking out loud. “Is that why you didn’t come out today?” Kim was amazed at how calm he was in this situation; she was still freaking out that Mr. K was a girl. Also, she was freaking out she had gotten older and hadn’t even notice.

“You guys are the ones I trust the most. So, what do you say?”

“How long do you stay like that?” Patrick asked, already getting into research mode. “And how long does the yellow ring last? Also, what is the trigger for the red ring? That’d be useful to know the yellow one.”

“With the yellow ring, Kim’s age increase lasted about fifteen minutes, the next one was twenty minutes. With the red ring, I’m at about forty minutes as a woman; it increased a couple of minutes every time. The trigger is . . .” Her voice faltered a bit, as she shyly looked at her feet blushing. “The trigger is attraction.”

“I see, can you go into detail about it?” Patrick asked, completely oblivious to her blushing.

“Pat!” Kim scolded. “It’s not nice to ask something like that. Gain a little tact.”

Patrick looked confused. “But, if we’re going to help, we have to know all the details.”

“Can’t you read the mood? Miss K is feeling embarrassed. Besides, you shouldn’t ask a girl that question.”

Kim flinched as she felt a foreign hand on her shoulder; Kim turned to hear Miss K laughing. “Miss K, huh? I guess that name fits now. Don’t worry, I can handle a little awkwardness. I’m still a guy underneath all of this,” Miss K said with a wink. “Patrick, I can show some notes I’ve taken.”

The two walked upstairs to the computer. Patrick asked probing questions, and Miss K responded excitedly. It seemed she got over her embarrassment. They had the same personality, which was probably why they got along so well.

Kim followed silently. Not only was she still completely lost in the situation, but she started to feel a little sick. Just like the day before. Kim glanced at Miss K’s left hand; the yellow ring was dull.

Kim felt annoyed they were completely oblivious to her; they always get caught up in their own world. Kim always felt jealous of Patrick with how well he got along with Mr. K. 

The nauseous feeling passed, but her skin felt hot and bones ached. She really was going to change. Despite herself, she smiled. If Mr. K could play a prank, so could she.

Kim stepped into the bathroom and looked at her reflection. The changes were subtle. She was a little taller, maybe an inch or two. She usually kept her hair pretty short because she was too lazy to take care of long hair, but now her hair went past her shoulders. Kim couldn’t help but feel excited; he had always wondered what she would look like if she were older.

Kim felt her chest tighten. Her breasts had always been on the small side. She was still only seventeen and there was still room for growth, but she had begun to lose hope. Right then, it felt like all of her potential development was happening in a couple of seconds, and then some. A wave of vertigo passed over her, which caused her to drop to the floor. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself and loosened her bra to relieve pressure. Looking down, she could tell she had grown at least two cup sizes, from an A to C.

She had always wondered what it would feel like to have larger breasts, but her only thought was that they were heavy. She felt the changes stop. Taking another breath, Kim stood up to see what had happened.

Another person stared back at Kim. She looked to be around twenty-two years old. She still had red hair, but it was a much deeper red than Kim had, like it had been dyed with blood. The hair was also thicker and with a gentle curl that came past her shoulders. Her face still had Kim’s key features, but her face was smoother and free of pimples and freckles. Her eyes and lips were much more prominent like she was wearing natural makeup. She looked . . . matured.

“Dang, I look good,” Kim whispered. She hadn’t cared too much about her outward appearance, since she didn’t think she was very attractive. Her opinion began to shift; being beautiful was empowering, even if it was superficial. She might have to start putting forth more of an effort. Mr. K might even start . . .

Kim gathered herself; she didn’t know how long she had left before she’d change back. However, as she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw a box of clothes sitting on Mr. K’s bed. Kim smiled; Miss K must have been having fun trying on a bunch of outfits in her new body. Kim found something she could tease Mr. K about.

Kim picked out a simple low cut blue sundress to show off a little of her new assets. The skirt fell just above the knees. Satisfied, Kim snuck passed Miss K and Patrick, who were still absorbed in their discussion, and walked downstairs to the store. Kim rang a bell used for customers and called out, “Hello? Is anybody here?”

Kim heard Patrick say, “What? I could have sworn I locked the door. I’ll go take care of it.”

Once Kim heard Patrick coming downstairs, she quickly started to browse the shelves full of random things Mr. K had bought.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” Patrick said, a little nervously. Kim knew he was a little awkward around pretty women. “We’re closed right now.”

 Kim turned dramatically, fluttering her eyelashes. “Oh, can’t you make an exception for me?”

Patrick stared at her for a long moment. “Kim, is that you? What are you wearing?”

 Kim pouted. “Ah, I thought I could trick you a bit longer. How do I look? I’m the older one now.” She flicked her hair and puffed out her chest.

 “Yeah, yeah, you look great.”

 “That’s a lame response,” Kim said. “Anyway, let’s see if we can trick Mr., um, Miss K.”

 “I don’t think it’ll work, but we can try,” Patrick replied. “You don’t make a very good actress.”

The siblings walked back upstairs. Miss K was still at the computer. “Mr. K,” Patrick said, “you have a visitor. She said she really wants to see you.”

 “What? Don’t bring ‘em back here. I’m still a . . .” Miss K’s words faded away as she saw Kim. She seemed to immediately make the connection, as she looked down to the dull yellow ring and then back to Kim. Kim felt her cheeks turn red. What did Miss K think? Did she think she was pretty? More mature?

 “You look good, Kim,” she finally said. “Looks like I changed you by accident again.”

 Kim smiled. “I know. I was super surprised.”

 “Do you remember what triggered it?”

 “I thought about it a bit. You did touch me on the shoulder.”

 Miss K shook her head. “I thought that too, but it didn’t happen the other two times. Give me a second.” She closed her eyes and appeared to be in deep thought. After a few seconds, her eyes shot open. “I think I’ve got it. Each time someone changed, I laughed right beforehand.”

 “Laugh?” Patrick asked. “That’s kind of an odd trigger, but I guess the other trigger is strange as well.”

 “I think laughter is our best bet, but we’ll have to make sure the next time.”

 “Wait,” Kim said. “Two times? When was the other time?”

 “Oh yeah, Desiree came over, and I accidentally changed her. I was lucky she didn’t notice.”

 “Desiree came over?” Kim asked. “Oh, oh, oh, did you ask her out?”

 “You should be proud of me,” Miss K said smugly. “We have a date tomorrow morning. Speaking of the date, I sort of have a favor to ask. Could one of you come over tomorrow morning?”

 “To activate the ring?” Patrick asked. Miss K nodded.

 Kim raised her hand excitedly. “I can come. It’s kind of fun changing for a bit.”

 “Thank you, Kim. What are you smiling about, Patrick?”

 Patrick smiled sheepishly. “I’m just kind of conflicted. I’m with two gorgeous women, but one of them is my sister and the other is a guy.”

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 Patrick yawned as he entered the store at nine in the morning. Thoughts of the rings and magic distracted him from sleep. Patrick went to the back room and saw Mr. K playing video games, in his female form. Patrick still felt odd seeing him like that; she was very attractive.

 “Oh, where’s Kim?” Mr. K asked. “I thought she was coming today.”

 “You clearly don’t know my sister in the morning. Grumpy is an understatement.”

 “I see. Are you ready? ‘Kay, here I go.” Mr. K started to laugh; Patrick thought it was a very cute laugh.

 Patrick tensed in anticipation for the change, but . . . “That’s a fake laugh. I don’t think it’s working,” Patrick said.

 “Pity, I’ve never been able to laugh on cue. You’ll have to make me laugh.” Mr. K said, looking at Patrick expectantly.

 “Okay,” Patrick said, feeling awkward from being put on the spot. “Why did the car go to the pet store? To get a carpet.”

 Mr. K started to laugh dramatically, then stopped suddenly. “Yeah, sorry, that joke was pretty lame.”

 “Let me try again; I’ve got another one. Never trust an atom, they make everything up.”

 Mr. K burst into a fit of giggles. “You’re terrible at telling jokes, but I guess that’s funny in its own way. Did it work?”

 Patrick nodded as a chill ran through his spine. “I think so. I’m going to get older, huh? Wonder what I’ll look like.”

 “Right, I’m interested in what happens as well. Remember, you might feel a little queasy.”

 “Yeah, I think *blurb*. Let me borrow your bathroom.”

 Patrick closed the bathroom door. He kind of wanted to transform along anyway. Looking at the mirror, Patrick saw an awkward red-haired teen, with limbs too long for his skinny body and zits decorating his face. Though he could ignore his emotions most of the time, he still felt self-conscious about his appearance.

 The nausea faded away, replaced by a dull aching pain throughout his body. Patrick’s hands shook with excitement. It was one thing to see another person change, but completely another to be changed himself.

 Patrick started to imagine what he’d look like as a full adult. Stronger, more handsome, and taller. He knew the ring probably didn’t act like that, but if Kim could turn into a hot babe, he could turn into a hunk. However, his hopes were dashed as he realized he was shorter and his shoulder became less broad. Perhaps he’d get younger . . .

 He felt an odd sensation under his shirt. Once he realized what was happening, fear spread through him. He should have guessed something like this would happen, but it still caught him by surprise. Turning into the opposite gender, he wasn’t mentally prepared. He closed his eyes; he liked dealing with things all at once, like ripping off a band-aid.

 Even though his eyes were closed, he could still feel the changes happening. He felt the weight on his chest increase and the frame of his body shrink. Something brushed over the nape of his neck; Patrick reached over to swipe it away, only to grab a fistful of hair. He felt a sensation between his legs; just as he reached inside his pants, he felt his manhood completely withdraw into his body. He let out a gasp of surprise as he felt his new body parts.

The changes stopped. Patrick still had his eyes closed. He leaned against the counter, preparing himself to see the changes. He suspected he would look like Kim, perhaps similar to what she looked like transformed the day before. “Okay, Pat,” Patrick said to himself, noticing his new female voice. “You can do this. One, two, three . . .”

 Patrick opened his eyes. He couldn’t see anything; or rather, he couldn’t see anything clearly. The figure in the mirror was blurry. After squinting and moving around, he was able to find a position where he could focus his eyesight.

The girl in the mirror looked nothing like Kim, old or young. Patrick’s reflection showed a short girl with strawberry blonde hair, which came down her shoulders in a messy fashion. Although she looked older than Patrick, probably in her early twenties, she gave off an innocent and timid persona. Her breasts were roughly average, in between Kim’s young and older form. He reached under his shirt and gave the breasts a gentle squeeze; he let out a cute yelp as the feeling was completely foreign.

A knock sounded at the door. “Patrick, are you okay in there? Did the transformation end?” Mr. K asked, obviously back in his male form.

Patrick didn’t answer. Instead, he opened the door. Patrick guessed Mr. K was surprised by the blurry outline, but he wasn’t sure.

“Oh,” Mr. K said. “I probably should have guessed something like this would happen.”

“It’s definitely a different experience,” Patrick said; his voice sounded odd to his ears. “I guess I can relate more to you when transform. I’m pretty sure I need glasses now; I can’t see anything.”

 “Wait a second,” Mr. K said as he rushed off. A moment later, he came back with a box. “A while ago, I bought a bunch of glasses. Guess they can come in handy now.”

Patrick tried on a few and settled on one with a red frame. “Much better. I’m not legally blind now. Wonder why that happened.”

“We’ll have to experiment later,” Mr. K said. A wide smile broke across his face and he glanced at the box full of women’s clothing. To Patrick, the smile was pure evil. “You have about thirty minutes as a girl. You know what that means?”

“Oh no, you better not be thinking what I think you’re thinking of.”

“Come on, I’ve done it. It’s actually kind of fun.”

“I’m not wearing girl clothing,” Patrick said stubbornly.

Mr. K casually walked to the box and pulled out a pretty pink dress. He eyed Patrick and nodded. “Yep, I think this will fit.”

“Come on, Mr. K. I’ll look ridiculous.”

“I promise, you won’t.”

Just then, a girl came rushing into the room. “Mr. K, I’m so sorry for being late . . .” Kim paused as she saw Mr. K holding a dress up to a random girl.

Mr. K started to panic. “Wait, Kim, this isn’t what it looks like.”

“You mean, Patrick didn’t turn into a girl and now you’re not trying to put girly outfit on him? Because if that’s the case,” Kim said with an evil grin that rivaled Mr. K’s smile. “I totally want in on that action.”

Patrick resigned himself to his fate as he was double-teamed by his sister and boss.

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Author’s note: And here is as far as I got with this story. I might continue it at a future date, but I hope you enjoyed what I had.

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