Randy didn't know what to do. He'd lost his family and his house. He didn't have any immediate relatives he could live with, and as far as friends went...there was Jesse Pindle. He was Randy's best friend, and his family had always been very hospitable to Randy. But the Pindles were off on a cruise, and they wouldn't be home for another couple weeks. Randy wished very badly that he could stay with them, but they wouldn't be an option. All he could do was find a secluded alleyway and sleep in there for the night.

The following morning, Randy hoped the events of last night had been a bad dream-but it was not so. His house was still destroyed, and his family was dead. Randy couldn't even go to school, since all his books and binders had been burned in the fire. As Randy walked down the street, he realized that his worst fears were coming true. He was now a homeless 12-year-old kid.

Randy kept wandering the streets and begging strangers for food and water for over a week. Not everyone stopped to help him, but a fair number of passerby obliged. It wasn't until he was approached by a police officer that he finally got something beyond just getting fed.

"Hey kid," the policeman said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm homeless," Randy said miserably. "My house burned down last week, and my family died, too."

The policeman looked Randy up and down. "Hey, you're Randy Miller," he said. "We've been looking for you for a week!"

"You have?"

"Yes. The firemen found your family's corpses in the remains of the burned building, but you were nowhere to be found. And you look just like the pictures that my fellow police officers found of you!"

"So...what are you gonna do with me?"

"Hopefully, find you a new home," said the policeman. "Come with me."

***

At the police station, the cops identified Randy and determined that yes, he was the lost kid they'd been looking for. Unfortunately, finding a new home for him turned out to be a different matter altogether.

"Well, Mr. Miller, it looks like all the other foster homes have no vacancies," the police chief said to Randy. "Except for Pretty And Pink Foster Care."

"Pretty And Pink?" Randy asked.

"Yes, Pretty And Pink," said the police chief. "It appears that it's an all-girls foster home."

"It is," said Randy. "I know some people from school who live there."

"There are some vacancies there," said the police chief, "But you're not a girl."

"Like gender even matters in this day and age," Randy scoffed.

The police chief chuckled. "I suppose," he said. "But I doubt whether the Pretty And Pink foster workers will allow you there."

"Are you sure?" Randy asked. Truthfully, an all-girls foster home didn't seem very appealing to him, but he was getting desperate at this point. "Maybe they can make an exception for me?"

As if on cue, a woman in her early thirties, dressed in a nice-looking suit, came into the room. "Hello, Chief Hall," she said. "I hear you have a kid in need of a foster home?"

"Yes, Ms. Kayne," said the police chief. "But he identifies as a male, so he wouldn't fit within your all-girls foster home..."

The woman looked at Randy curiously. "What happened to him?"

"My family died in a fire," Randy answered. "And my house burned down, too. I've been living on the streets for a week and a half now, and I don't have anywhere else to go."

The woman stroked her chin. "You know," she said, "I think I can work something out with you."

"You mean you'll let me into your foster home?" Randy asked.

"Yes, of course," said the woman.

"Wow," said the police chief, clearly surprised. "Well then...I guess that clears up that matter!"

***

The woman, who introduced herself as Ruth Kayne, had to fill out some more paperwork with the police before she could take Randy with her. But an hour and a half after she'd met Randy, Ruth took him back to her house.

"Uh, this is your foster home?" Randy asked when he saw Ruth's house.

"No," said Ruth. "This is my house where I live. I brought you here because we have some...things to discuss."

Randy assumed she meant how he'd fit in at the all-girls foster home. "Okay," he said.

When the two of them entered Ruth's house, they found a bunch of shopping bags on the counter. "Oh, good!" said Ruth. "Caitlyn brought your new clothes!"

"What-you already got me new clothes?"

"Yes," said Ruth. "I texted Caitlyn-she's one of my workers-when we were getting started with the paperwork. I told her to go shopping for some new clothes and drop them off at my house."

"Well, that's good," said Randy. "What kind of..."

"Actually, we should sit down first," said Ruth. "There's something I have to tell you."

Randy sat down with Ruth. "What is it?"

"Randy, my foster home is an all-girls one."

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," said Randy. "I'm not a girl, so..."

"But you can become one."

For a second, Randy wasn't sure if he'd understood Ruth correctly. "What do you mean?"

"You need a home, do you not? But the only available spots are at my foster home, which only allows girls. Therefore, the only way to get a home there is to become a girl."

Randy was starting to regret accepting Ruth's offer. "How am I supposed to become a girl?"

"It's easy," said Ruth. "I have a potion that I created."

"You're a witch," Randy suddenly realized.

Ruth nodded. "I am indeed," she said.

"No," said Randy. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this. I can't be a girl."

"It's too late. I've already filled out the paperwork to adopt you into my foster home."

Randy was speechless.

"Randy, I'm sorry it had to begin this way. I really am. But I can promise you that Pretty And Pink Foster Care is one of the best foster homes in the business, and that you will live a very happy life there. Everyone you meet will corroborate to that."

"Is it really too late?"

"Sadly, it is. We've already reserved a bed for you, and gotten you some new clothes."

"Wait a minute." Randy got up and went over to the counter where the bags of clothes were. To his shock, the bags were full of girls' clothes-tank tops, tight jeans, skirts, and...bras. Real bras.

"Yes," said Ruth. "We're going to have to turn you female."

Randy's heart sank. It really was too late. "Alright," he said. "Where's that potion?"

"I'll get it for you," said Ruth. She got up and went up to her fridge. She got out a small bottle full of reddish-pink liquid. "You have to drink the whole bottle," she said. "But I warn you, it's a painful process."

"Let's just get it over with," said Randy. He took the bottle, unscrewed the cap, and took a deep breath. Here goes, he thought. These were his last moments as a male. He drank the potion-which tasted like a strawberry milkshake-and put the bottle down on the counter.

For a moment there, Randy felt nothing. But then his insides started heating up like they were on fire. "Ah!" Randy exclaimed. He could feel his whole body bubbling and distorting like hot wax, reshaping itself into a more feminine shape. His body fat melted away, his hair grew out, and his hips and butt swelled a little. The biggest pain came was when his penis and balls folded in on themselves, giving way to a soft, warm vagina.

The whole process lasted less than a minute, but it felt much longer to Randy. He was so distracted from the agony, he didn't even notice when it disappeared. But when it did, he felt a lot lighter.

"Well, princess," said Ruth. "You took it better than I thought."

"I did?" Randy asked. His voice sounded higher now. He hadn't quite hit the voice-changing part of puberty yet, but turning into a girl still seemed to have made his voice higher.

"Yes," said Ruth. "And I must say, you look rather pretty."

Randy looked his, or rather her, new body up and down. She was only twelve, so she wasn't particularly "hot" or "busty," but she still looked pretty cute. Her torso was on its way to forming a nice hourglass, and her hair went down to her lower back. "Wow," she said. "I do look really good for 12."

"Yes, you do," said Ruth. "But you mustn't tell anyone at Pretty And Pink that you were a boy."

"Why not?"

"Because they're all girls," said Ruth. "What I did with you was a very special circumstance. If word broke out about what really happened..." She shuddered. "I'd rather not think about that."

Randy wilted slightly. She couldn't even tell anybody? Not her new roommates, not her friends at school? That was...discouraging. "But what's my new name gonna be?"

Ruth thought for a moment. "What do you think of Rachel?" she asked.

Randy shrugged. "I guess," she said.

"Alright, Rachel," said Ruth. "Let's get you changed now. I think those boy clothes might be a little...uncomfortable on you now."

"Oh yeah." Rachel was only just realizing that her clothes didn't quite fit her anymore. Her boxer shorts were a lot looser on her crotch, and her shirt was itching her chest like crazy. Her now-flared-up nipples were extremely sensitive. "I could definitely use some new clothes."

To be continued...