“What do you mean? I’m not a girl!” I cried softly. He’s crazy. I’ve got to get out of here, I thought to myself.
Doctor Wheeler sat at a small table across the room.
“We have the lab results,” he said calmly. “They show you’re now a girl.”
He held up a sheet of paper. I didn’t even want to look at it. My heart was racing. I nervously twisted my new long hair around my finger without realizing it.
“If you don’t mind, we’d like to run a few more tests,” he added, getting up from his seat.
“Well, they’re wrong,” I said quickly. “I feel smaller, yeah, but I’m still a boy.”
I glanced toward a mirror in the room and stared at my reflection. My baggy clothes were practically falling off me. I had to hold them up with both hands just to keep from flashing the room.
“I’ll go set up the tests…” Dr. Wheeler started.
“But, Doctor... I’m scared.” My voice shook. I felt like I was about to cry again. My hand reached for my hair and started twirling it again—almost like a reflex.
He gave me a soft look.
“I love your long blonde hair, Nathan... or should I say, Natalie?”
“Um, I need other clothes,” I muttered, glancing down. “These are falling off me. I can’t even see my feet.”
“The only things we have in your size are these cute Hello Kitty pajamas,” he said, holding them up.
I stared at them in disbelief.
“Aren’t those for a girl?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Natalie... you are a girl,” he said with a small chuckle.
“But—but no, I’m not,” I whimpered.
He didn’t argue. He simply held out the clothes—and a small bundle underneath.
“You’ll need these too,” he said, handing me a pair of pink panties. “You don’t want to be walking around without underwear, do you?”
I hesitated, trembling.
“I still don’t believe I’m a girl...”
“You will,” he said, almost too calmly. “When you put those on.”
I reached out with shaking hands to take the clothes—and that’s when my pants and underwear slid to the floor.
Dr. Wheeler respectfully turned away while I quickly changed. I didn’t want to look, but... when I slipped the panties on, I had to look. And what I saw made my stomach twist.
I didn’t just feel different.
I was different.
“There you go, young lady,” he said gently.
“Doctor... I feel so small now,” I whispered. “How old are girls who wear clothes like these?”
He smiled slightly.
“The pajamas you’re wearing? They’re made for five to seven-year-olds.”
“What? Really?!” I gasped, pouting as I sat down on the bed. “I feel like I need to lie down... I feel dizzy.”
Dr. Wheeler helped me onto the bed, tucking the blanket around me.
I lay there quietly as my mind ran in a thousand directions at once.
What’s my girlfriend going to think? What’s going to happen to me?
Tears filled my eyes again. I didn’t even fight them.
Eventually, I closed my eyes.
I don’t know how long I was out. But when I opened my eyes again, the room was quiet.
“I can’t stay here,” I whispered. “I need to get out of here.”
I climbed off the bed and noticed how tiny my feet were now. Even the tiles on the floor seemed... bigger.
“This is insane.”
I opened the door slowly and peeked into the hallway. It was clear. I slipped out, moving as casually as I could.
“Dang... I can’t walk home in a girl’s nightgown. I’d stand out like crazy. I need other clothes.”
I heard footsteps coming from around the corner. Panicked, I ducked into the nearest hospital room. A nurse passed by, pushing a wheelchair down the hall, not noticing me.
Inside the room, I spotted a small bag near the bed—left behind, maybe? Just as I reached for it, another nurse stepped in.
My heart jumped. I’m caught!
But she didn’t say anything. She just kept walking, heading toward the nurses’ station.
I opened the bag quickly and pulled out the clothes. I didn’t even realize until after I’d put them on...
I was wearing a skirt.
“Ugh,” I groaned. But I wasn’t about to risk changing again.
I stepped back out into the hallway, trying to walk like nothing was wrong.
I spotted Dr. Wheeler in the hallway ahead—but luckily, he didn’t notice me. He looked too focused on whatever was on his clipboard.
I was almost to the hospital exit when I saw her.
Mom.
She was walking down the hall toward me.
I instinctively crossed my legs and turned quickly, heading into the nearest door—the women’s restroom.
I peeked back as I went in. Mom hadn’t reacted. She didn’t recognize me.
“What a cutie,” she said softly as she walked by.
Inside the bathroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror—and froze.
I looked... like her.
Like my mom when she was a kid.
I’d seen the old pictures. The resemblance was terrifying. And for some reason, I started to giggle.
Then the door opened.
A nurse walked in.
Panicked, I slipped into the nearest stall and lifted my feet so she wouldn’t see them under the door.
She checked each stall quickly, then left.
I let out a long sigh of relief... only for the door to open again.
“Oh crap.”
It was Mom.
She stared down at me.
“Nathan?” she asked.
I froze.
“Who?” I said, my voice squeaking slightly.
The same nurse returned a moment later.
“There you are, Natalie,” she said, clearly annoyed. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Natalie?” Mom repeated, eyes widening. “Is that what you go by now?”
I couldn’t even look at her.
“Yes,” I whispered, tears forming again.
The nurse gently took my hand.
“Come on, Natalie. Doctor Wheeler needs to run a few more tests.”
The nurse led me back to the room I’d escaped from earlier. Mom followed, carrying the Hello Kitty bag and looking more amused than concerned.
Dr. Wheeler was waiting for us, flipping through his clipboard with a furrowed brow.
“Ah, there you are, Natalie,” he said. “Before you go anywhere, we need to run a few more tests. Your condition is... unprecedented. The rapid regression, the chromosome shift—it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“So I’m a medical freak now?” I muttered under my breath.
“You're not a freak,” he replied gently. “You’re part of something we don’t fully understand yet. That’s why I’d like to keep you here, at least overnight. For observation. Maybe even longer.”
Mom crossed her arms.
“No, she’s coming home.”
Dr. Wheeler blinked. “I don’t think you understand, ma’am. Your child is undergoing a complete biological transformation. Physically, hormonally, genetically—even developmentally. We’re watching a teenage boy become a six-year-old girl in real time. This isn’t just rare—it’s medically historic.”
“And yet,” Mom said calmly, “she’s not a science project. She’s my daughter. I’m taking her home.”
“Mrs. Russell, with all due respect, you could be putting her at risk. If the transformation isn’t stable, we don’t know what could happen next. Organs could fail. Brain function might—”
“She’s fine,” Mom cut him off. **“She’s walking, talking, and fussy about booster seats. Sounds pretty stable to me.” She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Let’s go, sweetie.”
I hesitated, looking between them.
“Natalie,” Dr. Wheeler said softly, “please—just let us monitor you. This isn't something that can be reversed, but it can get dangerous if we don't understand what’s happening inside your body.”
Mom opened the door.
“You’ve done your tests. We’re done here.”
As we walked out of the hospital, Mom held my hand. My fingers looked ridiculously tiny in hers now.
“So the doctor told me you’re as young as a six-year-old,” she said like she was talking about the weather.
“A six-year-old?” I whined.
“Yep,” she laughed. “And because of that, he gave me a booster seat for you to sit in while we’re in the car.”
When we got to the car, she opened the back door and clicked the booster seat into place like it was no big deal. I just stood there sulking.
“Why can’t I just sit in a regular seat?”
“It’s the law in this state,” she said matter-of-factly. “Booster seat until you're taller. Now come on—we’ve got to get to the airport to pick up Jennifer.”
“Oh great, Jennifer,” I thought miserably.
Just what I need. My sister seeing me like this.
“But Mom!” I cried as we headed into the mall at the airport.
“No butts!” Mom snapped. “It’s dresses and skirts—no pants.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as we stepped through the automatic doors. My heart was pounding.
“Your sister won’t be here for a few more minutes,” Mom said. “So this gives us plenty of time to find a dress for you to wear when we see her.”
We walked into a store called Just Girls. I felt a rush of anger in my chest. As we crossed the threshold, I glanced down and saw a picture of a cartoon clubhouse painted on the floor, with a sign that read:
Girls Only – No Boys Allowed!
“Just Girls?” I thought bitterly.
Good luck finding pants now.
The store was packed with cute clothes—racks of pinks and purples, glittery things, frilly things, puffy things. There was even a sign above one display that said:
Why wear pants?
“Fantastic,” I muttered under my breath. “This sucks.”
A saleslady noticed us almost immediately and came bouncing over with a smile that was way too excited.
“What a cute little girl! How old are you, sweetheart?”
“She’s six,” Mom said quickly, smiling down at me.
I looked away. I hadn’t even realized I was still holding her hand like some toddler—and worse, I was staring at a dress.
“Do you like that dress?” the saleslady asked gently. “I noticed you kept staring at it.”
“Um, no. I wasn’t staring at it,” I lied. “Just looking around the store.”
Mom leaned over and whispered something to the saleslady. I couldn’t hear what she said, but they both looked at the dress I had just denied liking.
The saleslady nodded.
“Come on, Natalie,” Mom said brightly. “Let’s look for more clothes. You pick what you want to try on… and I’ll decide what you actually wear.”
We made it to the gate just in time to see Jennifer.
I was wearing the new dress—the one I had been staring at earlier. I hadn’t expected Mom to actually buy it. But here I was… in it.
As we walked toward the arrivals area, I saw Jennifer in the crowd. I lowered my head and gripped Mom’s hand tightly, like a little kid hiding behind her.
Jennifer spotted us and came running.
“Hi, Mom!” she said, wrapping her arms around her.
Then she looked down at me.
“Who’s the little girl?” she asked with a confused smile.
Mom smiled and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“This is Natalie,” she said. “Your sister.”
I looked up at Jennifer, trying to smile despite the knot in my stomach.
“Welcome back, sis,” I said quietly.
Jennifer blinked in shock.
“Nathan?”
I shook my head and sighed.
“No... I’m Natalie now.”
She let out a surprised giggle.
“How’d you become a little girl?”
“Long story,” I muttered. “I’ll explain in the car.”
We turned and started walking toward the airport exit.
Jennifer kept glancing at me, still trying to wrap her head around everything. Mom stayed silent, and I appreciated that. I didn’t need more attention.
Then we rounded the corner.
That’s when Jennifer froze.
“Look—over there!” she cried, pointing.
Mom and I both turned.
A woman was struggling near the edge of the sidewalk. Three... people—or something close to people—were grabbing at her. Their skin was pale and sickly, their eyes sunken and wild.
Before any of us could react, one of them lunged—and took a huge bite out of her arm.
“Oh my God,” Jennifer whispered.
Mom dropped her purse, her face frozen in horror. Her hand flew to her mouth as she nearly screamed.
I stood frozen, the air suddenly feeling thick and wrong.
The woman screamed... but it didn’t last long.“What do you mean? I’m not a girl!” I cried softly. He’s crazy. I’ve got to get out of here, I thought to myself.
Doctor Wheeler sat at a small table across the room.
“We have the lab results,” he said calmly. “They show you’re now a girl.”
He held up a sheet of paper. I didn’t even want to look at it. My heart was racing. I nervously twisted my new long hair around my finger without realizing it.
“If you don’t mind, we’d like to run a few more tests,” he added, getting up from his seat.
“Well, they’re wrong,” I said quickly. “I feel smaller, yeah, but I’m still a boy.”
I glanced toward a mirror in the room and stared at my reflection. My baggy clothes were practically falling off me. I had to hold them up with both hands just to keep from flashing the room.
“I’ll go set up the tests…” Dr. Wheeler started.
“But, Doctor... I’m scared.” My voice shook. I felt like I was about to cry again. My hand reached for my hair and started twirling it again—almost like a reflex.
He gave me a soft look.
“I love your long blonde hair, Nathan... or should I say, Natalie?”
“Um, I need other clothes,” I muttered, glancing down. “These are falling off me. I can’t even see my feet.”
“The only things we have in your size are these cute Hello Kitty pajamas,” he said, holding them up.
I stared at them in disbelief.
“Aren’t those for a girl?”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Natalie... you are a girl,” he said with a small chuckle.
“But—but no, I’m not,” I whimpered.
He didn’t argue. He simply held out the clothes—and a small bundle underneath.
“You’ll need these too,” he said, handing me a pair of pink panties. “You don’t want to be walking around without underwear, do you?”
I hesitated, trembling.
“I still don’t believe I’m a girl...”
“You will,” he said, almost too calmly. “When you put those on.”
I reached out with shaking hands to take the clothes—and that’s when my pants and underwear slid to the floor.
Dr. Wheeler respectfully turned away while I quickly changed. I didn’t want to look, but... when I slipped the panties on, I had to look. And what I saw made my stomach twist.
I didn’t just feel different.
I was different.
“There you go, young lady,” he said gently.
“Doctor... I feel so small now,” I whispered. “How old are girls who wear clothes like these?”
He smiled slightly.
“The pajamas you’re wearing? They’re made for five to seven-year-olds.”
“What? Really?!” I gasped, pouting as I sat down on the bed. “I feel like I need to lie down... I feel dizzy.”
Dr. Wheeler helped me onto the bed, tucking the blanket around me.
I lay there quietly as my mind ran in a thousand directions at once.
What’s my girlfriend going to think? What’s going to happen to me?
Tears filled my eyes again. I didn’t even fight them.
Eventually, I closed my eyes.
I don’t know how long I was out. But when I opened my eyes again, the room was quiet.
“I can’t stay here,” I whispered. “I need to get out of here.”
I climbed off the bed and noticed how tiny my feet were now. Even the tiles on the floor seemed... bigger.
“This is insane.”
I opened the door slowly and peeked into the hallway. It was clear. I slipped out, moving as casually as I could.
“Dang... I can’t walk home in a girl’s nightgown. I’d stand out like crazy. I need other clothes.”
I heard footsteps coming from around the corner. Panicked, I ducked into the nearest hospital room. A nurse passed by, pushing a wheelchair down the hall, not noticing me.
Inside the room, I spotted a small bag near the bed—left behind, maybe? Just as I reached for it, another nurse stepped in.
My heart jumped. I’m caught!
But she didn’t say anything. She just kept walking, heading toward the nurses’ station.
I opened the bag quickly and pulled out the clothes. I didn’t even realize until after I’d put them on...
I was wearing a skirt.
“Ugh,” I groaned. But I wasn’t about to risk changing again.
I stepped back out into the hallway, trying to walk like nothing was wrong.
I spotted Dr. Wheeler in the hallway ahead—but luckily, he didn’t notice me. He looked too focused on whatever was on his clipboard.
I was almost to the hospital exit when I saw her.
Mom.
She was walking down the hall toward me.
I instinctively crossed my legs and turned quickly, heading into the nearest door—the women’s restroom.
I peeked back as I went in. Mom hadn’t reacted. She didn’t recognize me.
“What a cutie,” she said softly as she walked by.
Inside the bathroom, I caught my reflection in the mirror—and froze.
I looked... like her.
Like my mom when she was a kid.
I’d seen the old pictures. The resemblance was terrifying. And for some reason, I started to giggle.
Then the door opened.
A nurse walked in.
Panicked, I slipped into the nearest stall and lifted my feet so she wouldn’t see them under the door.
She checked each stall quickly, then left.
I let out a long sigh of relief... only for the door to open again.
“Oh crap.”
It was Mom.
She stared down at me.
“Nathan?” she asked.
I froze.
“Who?” I said, my voice squeaking slightly.
The same nurse returned a moment later.
“There you are, Natalie,” she said, clearly annoyed. “We’ve been looking all over for you.”
“Natalie?” Mom repeated, eyes widening. “Is that what you go by now?”
I couldn’t even look at her.
“Yes,” I whispered, tears forming again.
The nurse gently took my hand.
“Come on, Natalie. Doctor Wheeler needs to run a few more tests.”
The nurse led me back to the room I’d escaped from earlier. Mom followed, carrying the Hello Kitty bag and looking more amused than concerned.
Dr. Wheeler was waiting for us, flipping through his clipboard with a furrowed brow.
“Ah, there you are, Natalie,” he said. “Before you go anywhere, we need to run a few more tests. Your condition is... unprecedented. The rapid regression, the chromosome shift—it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
“So I’m a medical freak now?” I muttered under my breath.
“You're not a freak,” he replied gently. “You’re part of something we don’t fully understand yet. That’s why I’d like to keep you here, at least overnight. For observation. Maybe even longer.”
Mom crossed her arms.
“No, she’s coming home.”
Dr. Wheeler blinked. “I don’t think you understand, ma’am. Your child is undergoing a complete biological transformation. Physically, hormonally, genetically—even developmentally. We’re watching a teenage boy become a six-year-old girl in real time. This isn’t just rare—it’s medically historic.”
“And yet,” Mom said calmly, “she’s not a science project. She’s my daughter. I’m taking her home.”
“Mrs. Russell, with all due respect, you could be putting her at risk. If the transformation isn’t stable, we don’t know what could happen next. Organs could fail. Brain function might—”
“She’s fine,” Mom cut him off. **“She’s walking, talking, and fussy about booster seats. Sounds pretty stable to me.” She reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Let’s go, sweetie.”
I hesitated, looking between them.
“Natalie,” Dr. Wheeler said softly, “please—just let us monitor you. This isn't something that can be reversed, but it can get dangerous if we don't understand what’s happening inside your body.”
Mom opened the door.
“You’ve done your tests. We’re done here.”
As we walked out of the hospital, Mom held my hand. My fingers looked ridiculously tiny in hers now.
“So the doctor told me you’re as young as a six-year-old,” she said like she was talking about the weather.
“A six-year-old?” I whined.
“Yep,” she laughed. “And because of that, he gave me a booster seat for you to sit in while we’re in the car.”
When we got to the car, she opened the back door and clicked the booster seat into place like it was no big deal. I just stood there sulking.
“Why can’t I just sit in a regular seat?”
“It’s the law in this state,” she said matter-of-factly. “Booster seat until you're taller. Now come on—we’ve got to get to the airport to pick up Jennifer.”
“Oh great, Jennifer,” I thought miserably.
Just what I need. My sister seeing me like this.
“But Mom!” I cried as we headed into the mall at the airport.
“No butts!” Mom snapped. “It’s dresses and skirts—no pants.”
Tears welled up in my eyes as we stepped through the automatic doors. My heart was pounding.
“Your sister won’t be here for a few more minutes,” Mom said. “So this gives us plenty of time to find a dress for you to wear when we see her.”
We walked into a store called Just Girls. I felt a rush of anger in my chest. As we crossed the threshold, I glanced down and saw a picture of a cartoon clubhouse painted on the floor, with a sign that read:
Girls Only – No Boys Allowed!
“Just Girls?” I thought bitterly.
Good luck finding pants now.
The store was packed with cute clothes—racks of pinks and purples, glittery things, frilly things, puffy things. There was even a sign above one display that said:
Why wear pants?
“Fantastic,” I muttered under my breath. “This sucks.”
A saleslady noticed us almost immediately and came bouncing over with a smile that was way too excited.
“What a cute little girl! How old are you, sweetheart?”
“She’s six,” Mom said quickly, smiling down at me.
I looked away. I hadn’t even realized I was still holding her hand like some toddler—and worse, I was staring at a dress.
“Do you like that dress?” the saleslady asked gently. “I noticed you kept staring at it.”
“Um, no. I wasn’t staring at it,” I lied. “Just looking around the store.”
Mom leaned over and whispered something to the saleslady. I couldn’t hear what she said, but they both looked at the dress I had just denied liking.
The saleslady nodded.
“Come on, Natalie,” Mom said brightly. “Let’s look for more clothes. You pick what you want to try on… and I’ll decide what you actually wear.”
We made it to the gate just in time to see Jennifer.
I was wearing the new dress—the one I had been staring at earlier. I hadn’t expected Mom to actually buy it. But here I was… in it.
As we walked toward the arrivals area, I saw Jennifer in the crowd. I lowered my head and gripped Mom’s hand tightly, like a little kid hiding behind her.
Jennifer spotted us and came running.
“Hi, Mom!” she said, wrapping her arms around her.
Then she looked down at me.
“Who’s the little girl?” she asked with a confused smile.
Mom smiled and placed a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“This is Natalie,” she said. “Your sister.”
I looked up at Jennifer, trying to smile despite the knot in my stomach.
“Welcome back, sis,” I said quietly.
Jennifer blinked in shock.
“Nathan?”
I shook my head and sighed.
“No... I’m Natalie now.”
She let out a surprised giggle.
“How’d you become a little girl?”
“Long story,” I muttered. “I’ll explain in the car.”
We turned and started walking toward the airport exit.
Jennifer kept glancing at me, still trying to wrap her head around everything. Mom stayed silent, and I appreciated that. I didn’t need more attention.
Then we rounded the corner.
That’s when Jennifer froze.
“Look—over there!” she cried, pointing.
Mom and I both turned.
A woman was struggling near the edge of the sidewalk. Three... people—or something close to people—were grabbing at her. Their skin was pale and sickly, their eyes sunken and wild.
Before any of us could react, one of them lunged—and took a huge bite out of her arm.
“Oh my God,” Jennifer whispered.
Mom dropped her purse, her face frozen in horror. Her hand flew to her mouth as she nearly screamed.
I stood frozen, the air suddenly feeling thick and wrong.
The woman screamed... but it didn’t last long.