Chapter 1: Introduction
Seriously, what was he thinking, hoarding all this crap? He’d kept all sorts of weird things from our childhood, from comic books with dog-eared pages to scribbled-on report cards. He’d been talking about decluttering since we graduated high school, but each time the idea came up, he conveniently had some other plans that took priority.
I shoved a box off the top shelf with the toe of my boot and sneezed as decades of dust swirled in the dim light.
I pulled out another box, marked simply "Ashley" in faded black ink, and opened it. Inside, a jumble of memories fought for space – photographs, ticket stubs, the occasional sketchpad.
A glint of metal caught my eye. Nestled among the keepsakes was a sleek remote control, its design I'd never seen before. It was exquisite, with intricate patterns carved into its surface, and an unfathomable strangeness.
The eight silver buttons along the bottom held an allure I couldn’t explain – I felt compelled to press them, one by one, and see what happened.
My heart pounded at the thought, and I glanced around the room, half-expecting to find my brother lurking in the shadows to catch my mischievous act. But I was alone.
I stared at the remote, a mix of anticipation and apprehension curling in my stomach, my fingers tracing the buttons, each labeled only with a numeral from zero to seven.
My green eyes were glued to the device, moments bleeding into each other, before I decided to take the foolish plunge. I pressed the button numbered '1'. Nothing happened. The same for '2'.
But once I got to ‘3’, I felt a peculiar tingle, like champagne bubbles, dancing at the edge of my senses. My vision blurred gently, and the shadows crept forward, despite the light from the chandelier’s dripping crystals – there was no way these bulbs were enough for what came next.
A sudden shiver stabbed deep into my core. My muscles tensed, and my heart raced, as if entwined with something ancient and unstoppable. I glanced around, realizing I was no longer myself; I was merely a casual observer.
A new version of Ashley stood before me. I marveled at the changes; they rippled through the air with magnetic grace.
My slender hands stretched, fingers elongating to graceful curves, prettier than they were before.
The curve of my waist and hips transformed, accentuating the lines – I, Ashley, was now the proud possessor of an hourglass figure spectacular enough to rival any Hollywood starlet.
As I stood, awestruck, I heard a mild feminine giggle, as though whispered by the wind. But there was no one in the room except this new version of me. The sound felt oddly familiar, like something I had heard before, but it eluded my grasp, which annoyed me intensely.
I struggled to reconcile the surreal events unfolding around me, all while my senses felt supercharged – the dust-choked air held a tickle that enlivened my senses; the dim light danced as if on fire; and the shadows seemed to pulse with secrets untold.
"What the hell?" I muttered, and the strange voice that answered brought a startled yelp out of me. I clapped my hand over my mouth, but another light laugh graced my ears before I could even process what was happening.