The Vanishing
I darted down the dimly lit street, the soft thud of my shoes against the pavement the only sound I could hear over the hammering of my heart. Jessica had veered off in the opposite direction, her figure disappearing into the growing shadows. My thoughts were a blur, caught somewhere between panic and disbelief. I didn’t dare look back.
As I rounded a corner, I collided with someone—a solid, familiar weight that nearly sent me tumbling.
“Watch it!” he snapped, steadying me. Then his eyes widened. “Jamie?”
Tony's face froze in disbelief as he stared at me. His expression twisted with confusion and alarm, his usual grin replaced by a gaping mouth. I wanted to vanish on the spot
“Jamie? Is that really you?” Tony whispered, leaning closer to me. His voice carried a strange mix of concern and fascination, and I couldn’t figure out whether he wanted to laugh or scream.
My cheeks burned hot, and I desperately clutched at the hem of the dress Jessica had convinced me to wear. “Um… yeah, it’s me,” I muttered, my voice high and soft. The squeakiness made my stomach churn. I sounded so wrong. So... girly.
Tony blinked, his eyes darting from my face to the dress and back. “Why are you dressed like that? And… wait.” He narrowed his eyes. “Did something happen to your face? You… you look like a—”
“A girl,” I interrupted, my voice trembling as I glanced around to see if anyone was eavesdropping. “It’s a long story, okay? And it’s not what you think!”
Tony frowned, crossing his arms. “Not what I think? Dude—uh, girl—you look completely different! This isn’t some prank, is it? Like, Jessica didn’t dress you up for a dare or something?”
“No!” I hissed. “It’s… complicated. I—I woke up like this, okay? I think it’s some kind of weird magic or something. It’s not my fault!” My voice cracked as I spoke, and I hated how pitiful I sounded.
Tony stared at me like I’d sprouted a second head. “Magic? Jamie, are you messing with me? Because this… this is seriously insane.”
“Do you think I want this?” I snapped, my voice breaking again. “Do you think I wanted to wake up with long hair, and now have wear dress, and—and this stupid voice?” My eyes stung with tears, but I forced them back. Boys don’t cry, I reminded myself, even if I wasn’t exactly a boy anymore.
Tony scratched his head, his face a mixture of skepticism and sympathy. “Okay, okay. If it’s not a joke… then what are you gonna do? You can’t just stay like this, right?”
I shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know! I don’t even know how this happened, let alone how to fix it. All I know is that some stupid machine or box or whatever changed me, and now I’m stuck like this.” My voice wavered, and I looked down at my hands, suddenly noticing how delicate and slender they looked. Even my nails seemed different—smaller, smoother. “I just want to be me again.”
Tony sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, you’re still you… I think. I mean, you’re still Jamie, right? Just… Jamie with a makeover from, like, another dimension.”
“That doesn’t help,” I muttered, hugging myself.
Before Tony could respond, a loud screeching sound shattered the tense silence. A white van sped around the corner, its headlights cutting through the shadows like knives. My stomach dropped.
“Run,” I whispered, grabbing Tony’s arm.
“What?”
“RUN!” I shouted, already pulling him as the van skidded to a stop.
The doors flew open, and two men in dark clothing jumped out. I barely had time to scream before one of them grabbed me, his grip like iron around my wrist. Tony lunged toward me, but the other man shoved him back, sending him sprawling onto the pavement.
“Jamie!” Tony yelled, scrambling to his feet.
“Help!” I cried, kicking and thrashing, but it was no use. The man holding me pulled a cloth from his pocket, pressing it over my nose and mouth. A sickly sweet smell filled my senses, and everything went black.