You are always on my case

Doing everything on my pace

Even though I'm as weak as a vase.

Without you it's like music without a base

But with you it's like I'm in a race

That I've already won first place.

I know I always tremble

But in my heart you will always resemble.

People might say you are not made for me

But what we have is meant to be.

I know you feeling so low

Because of that Creative Arts solo

But just know I meant everything I said just like Apolo.

You and I are not supposed to be apart

And thats why I'm keeping you in my heart .

I know we always asleep by nine

But you will always be mine.

By Lunghelo

I had always believed that if I’d only been a man, I would have been strong enough to face this cruel and savage world that cost me everything. Surely, if it had been my husband who had survived that horrific night down at the marina, things would have been different. Maur always knew what to do. He was powerful, capable, and filled with a calm reassurance I would have killed for. If only I’d been born a man, he might have not felt the need to protect me when the kidnappers came for our boy. He wouldn’t have fallen to their brutal blows, his ocean eyes warped with fear for me. I would have been at his side until the end, not running with our child for the last boat out of a city in flames at his urgent command.

Even if I had fled and left my husband’s side, if I had been a soldier like my love, I would have been faster on my feet. The twisted, hawk-nosed wraith of a man that wrestled my son from my arms would have met greater resistance. Tabe wouldn’t have slipped from my grasp, his whimper of half-conscious terror the last sound I heard before I was knocked from my feet and left to die beneath the stinking docks. No, I would have been able to keep them both safe. We would still be together, if I had been half the man Maur was...at least that was the thought that carried me through these last few months.

It was this belief that led me to the marsh, seeking the wisdom of things more ancient and terrible than the feud which stole my family, my country, and my soul. For more than a year, I searched and plotted, trying to track the mercenaries who had destroyed my world. I did things I would never have dreamed, suffered in ways that a year ago I never could have imagined, and still I found myself no closer to the truth. Too many doors refuse to open for a noblewoman in rags. And those that did open...oh, how I wish they could be shut again.

Last night, with nothing left to lose and only the whispered warnings of villagers to guide me, I’d found my way to this weathered, mildewy shack in the center of this foetid swamp. The eyeless, three-toothed crone that took my last bit of secreted gold had promised to fulfil my one remaining desire. So I’d taken her bitter, foul brew, and laid beneath the murky sky with only my once-sumptuous rags and the knowledge that I would rise more powerful to warm me.

But when I woke up this morning in unfamiliar skin, and heard my voice foreign and gravely in my ears, I didn’t feel any stronger. This masculine heart that races with adrenaline in my chest is not the stalwart organ I’d been led to believe. Fear still ices my veins at the memory of losing everything. The pain is still too palpable, and any confidence I hoped would come to me as natural as breathing seems to still be missing. There’s still a hole in the deepest part of this new me where Maur was. The memory of my trials still reduces me to trembling.

In the end, nothing has changed. For all the strength in this body, I’m still me, a second daughter of a withered line. I’m still too weak to save my son. And in the end, I’m still too weak to save myself.

Change doesn’t just happen overnight. You can’t become a famous youtuber in just 8 hours.

When you think about time you imagine a clock. An old or new one, it doesn’t change anything. Tick Tick Tick, seconds being counted away. Life draining away from you. Or is it yourself that is draining away. Your talents, your personality.

Your gender.

“Avery Adele Whitfield, get off of your laptop, now. Go to bed”

“Okay, mom.”

8 hours later.

Why do I feel so weird? I got up from my bed and quickly walked over to my mirror. A scream escaped from my throat. It wasn’t my normal high pitched scream, it was a low, gravely yell that matched with the body I was seeing.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” I looked over at my mom expecting to see her mouth all the way open in shock. But she acted like everything was okay.

“Mom, what is wrong with me.” Instead of my sing song voice the only way to describe the voice that came from my open mouth was deep.

“I don’t understand Avery.” She said with a confused look in her eyes.

“I’m a boy. A gross boy.” In my now deep voice it sounded weird.

“Yes… you have always been a male. Now get ready for school.” She walked away as if nothing had happened.

What just happened? Deciding to do what my mom wanted me to do I got ready. Clothes, teeth, breakfast. I tried not to think much of the fact that last night I had fallen asleep as a 15 year old girl only to wake up as a 15 year old boy.

At school I tried to approach one of my friends, Dayna, but her reaction was not what I expected.

“Hi, Avery.” she twirled her hair around her finger, then bit her lip, “I was wondering if you would like to go to the movies with me tonight.”

“Yeah, sure.” I said, just like it was old times us going to the movies with our friend group.

I went to all my classes. Everything seemed to be the same. Well, except for me, of course.

When I got home I asked my mom if I could go to the movies at 7 tonight. She said yes. When 7 came around, she drove me there and said she would be back at 9 to pick me up.

I bought my ticket then found Dayna. She was wearing a pretty rose gold dress, the one that recently, we had just talked about how it was a perfect first date dress. Wondering why she was wearing it now I walked into the theater with her.

The movie was good, a real tear jerker but it seemed like all of my tears had dried up. When we got outside, I looked at my phone and saw I still had 15 minutes left until my mom came to get me, Dayna turned to me and said,

“Can we go somewhere more private? I’ve got something to tell you.”

I let her lead me to behind the movie theater.

Before I knew it, her lips were suctioned cupped to mine and it felt like they were going to be there for awhile. I tried to pull away but failed miserably.

When it was all over, before I could open my eyes I heard the sound of my alarm clock.

It was a dream, just a very wacky dream.

The job became unbearable

Coworkers they were terrible

I was in charge of eighteen men

My staff consisted of women

The men were forced to be there

They broke the law they did not care

"Fuck you bitch!" they said to us

But we were not supposed to cuss

They took their shirts off for to fight

The female staff knew wasn't right

They ran around like two year olds

We could not spank we could not scold

The hospital employed no men

Inmates in care of slight women

I fell asleep the dream I had

That I had muscle I was "bad"

I was tough as Hercules

I brought the inmates to their knees

I took control of my domain

The inmates suddenly insane

No more riots no more pain

Can't wait to go to work again

The alarm clock next to me is blaring. I force my eyes closed again and roll over, ignoring the noise. My legs brush together and my shorts ride up which I try to sleepily work back down. I brush my hand over my soft tank top which is now twisted halfway around my body. I roughly tug it down.

I roll back over onto my back and slam my hand down onto my alarm clock, silencing it. My long blonde hair attaches to my dry, chapped lips and I tug it off. I lick my lips and open my eyes. The ceiling comes into focus as I yawn and stretch. My short legs don't even reach the end of the bed.

Wait...

Something feels wrong. I reach down again and brush my hand against the soft skin of my leg. That is not how my skin felt last night. My hands find the short, cloth shorts that are finally back where they belong. This is not what I went to sleep in last night. I reach up to run my fingers through my long hair. This is not how long my hair was last night.

I run my fingers over the rest of my body, examining what all is different. My skin is soft everywhere. I have no hair anywhere other than my head. My stomach is so flat and not at all muscular as usual. My hands land on my chest. I have large, not-completely-covered-by-this-tank-top breasts. These were so not here last night.

Last night, I partied at a local club with a few friends. I danced with a couple of different girls and drank way too much. I stumbled through the door of my apartment at midnight. I kicked off my boots and jeans then face planted in the bed.

Last night, I was a man.

#ChallengeOfTheMonth #Fiction #ShortStory #SeptemberChallenge

I had considered being trans. I was even a closet trans for a while technically, a weird defensive mechanism against being gay, but I conquered my discomfort with being female, my dysphoria, along with my discomfort for all things LGBTQ+. I still considered being trans though, and ultimately, I decided that I wasn't about to decide now. I'd wait until I was at least twenty-five, maybe get a husband, and then I'd truly consider it. But that was not God's plan....

It was on a Tuesday, the third week of college. I thought it would be a normal day for me. I fell asleep like I always would, and I wake up to my loud alarms as usual. I felt off, towards my nether regions, and my chest, too, but I didn't think much of it, grabbing my glasses and putting them on. The off feeling I had merely made me uneasy at first, and I grabbed my phone, checking the time. I frowned, noticing it was already past five. I probably wouldn't have the time to go to the bathroom today....

That's when I noticed, though. I put my phone out of view, looking at my chest with eyes just a little wider than normal. I blinked, having to process.

My chest... was normally bigger than this, right?

I set my phone down and pulled my shirt away from my chest, peaking in.

Holy crud, I had no cleavage!! A flat chest!! I have a flat chest!! (Bless the Lord; I'll be sleeping well tonight with my boobs out of the way!!)

Bewildered, I stared for longer.

Ehhhm... I wasn't about to be able to hide this change, now, was I...?

(Unless maybe no one remembers me having cleava--oh!! I could wear something baggy!!)

I hopped off of my bed and grabbed a pair of shorts, taking it off the hanger and putting it on. I also grabbed a bra out of instinct, blinking when I did.

Ehmm... If I have a flat chest, even though I'm a girl... would I still wear a bra???

I decided against wearing a bra since it was the first time in a long time that I didn't have to, and I pulled my night shirt over my head and looking amongst the shirts I had in my room. Let's see... Let's wear Hideneki today!!

I retrieved my Hideneki shirt, taking it off the hanger and pulling it on, heading over to my door. I opened the door slightly and peaked out.

Good, looks and sounds like Dad's in the shower, and Mom and my brother are still in bed.

I headed out of my room and retrieved my Shingeki no Kyojin cloak from the banister, my lips curling upwards.

I always felt so cool in this, but I haven't worn it in a while since I normally need a jacket. (I get cold too easily.)

I clipped it around my neck and headed into the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror.

Hrmmn... I'll have to be careful. My cloak can cover my breasts--err, lack of, but only if it's completely shut.... I can't just be holding the two sides together all day....

I headed back into my room, closing the door on my way to my closet, and I opened the left side of it, where I had the shirts and cardigans that weren't anime-related.

Let's see; fall's starting, but it'll still be pretty hot, and I'll be walking all around campus.... I shouldn't wear something too hot, but...

Hmmn, I wonder if my Kaneki jacket would suffice.... I could simply wear a tank top und--no, wait, that would be too hot....

I frowned, staring amongst the few clothes that I considered more fancy.

I could wear my male shirt with drago--no, that's not what I'm looking for; I'm looking for something baggy!!

I grimaced.

Can something baggy even BE something not hot?!!

Ah!!

My eyes opened wide instantly when I came up with an idea. I rushed over to my dresser (this is absolutely the worst time for this to happen...!! I already woke up late!!) and opened the drawer that held my cosplay, scarves, and the like. I grabbed the scarf that came with my favorite tank top, throwing it on. I looked down at my chest and shifted the scarf slightly. Perfect!! It covers my chest!! I might as well still have breasts!!

I headed to the bathroom just to make sure before going through my daily routine.

It's weird though. My nether regions feel off as well....

Glancing around again as I put my toothbrush to my teeth, I pulled my shorts and underwear away from myself with my left hand.

Understandably, I spit and almost choked.

I slammed my toothbrush down, closed the door as much as it would close, and pulled my pants and underwear down.

Silence followed.

My lips slowly curled upwards at the sight, and I tried not to shriek.

OH, I WISH I DIDN'T HAVE TO GO TO SCHOOL TODAY!!! I COULD JUST GO BACK TO MY BED AND DO ALL SORTS OF THINGS TO FINALLY QUENCH MY CURIOSITY---

A little chuckle left my throat.

My smile vanished, and I blinked.

I coughed.

I let out a deep, opera-like noise, and I squealed for a second in delight, laughing afterwards and cracking up at my own new laughing. It sounded even deeper than normal!!

But ahh, I shouldn't be laughing so loudly since my voice sounds so different---!!!

I snickered through my nose, trying to calm down.

(I wonder how long I'll be like this.... Hopefully a day, at least!! What a waste it would be for it to go away too soon....)

I cleared my throat and picked my toothbrush back up, brushing my teeth and not bothering to pick my shorts and underwear back up.

Ahh, what a delight...

(It should've definitely happened to someone else, though.... Someone who would really appreciate it, like Ken or his brother....

That said, though... how long will it last?? If it only lasts a day... wouldn't it actually hurt a trans person, because it'd merely be lost within just a day...?? They'd be longing for the same thing to happen for the rest of their lives....)

But, I guess I shouldn't dwell on that.... It only happened to me (unless this sudden reversal was worldwide...). No use dwelling on what could've been. I should merely try to use this sudden change for the best.

(Should I cut my hair? What about my new reproductive system? What should I do about that?? Is it visible??)

I glanced down as I finished brushing my teeth. With the shorts I was wearing, which were quite baggy, it didn't seem very visible....

I turned the faucet back on and rinsed my toothbrush, spitting into the sink.

I should probably stay home, actually.... There's no way I can keep a facade up all day....

With that reminding me as I put my toothbrush back, I tried to speak with a high voice.

It sounded more like my normal voice.

I yawned, pulled my pants back up, and headed out of the bathroom, walking towards my parents' bedroom.

Me with a "shrilly" voice all day definitely won't hold up. Speaking with a high voice hurts my throat. That hasn't changed, despite that my "high" voice is now more closer to my normal voice.

(And anyway, with me being home, I'll be able to quench my curiosity to my heart's content...!!!)

With taking the day off as my intention, I walked straight but slowly to my father, who had just gotten out of the shower not too long ago.

"Hey, dad...?" I spoke, trying to sound under the weather while still keeping up a "shrill" voice, "I'm not feeling good at all today...."

(That is such a lie....)

"I think I better stay home..." I gulped, holding my stomach.

(I'll just stay in the bathroom until mom and dad leave.... Unlike my brother, having puked so many times in my life, I'm an expert at it, so I should be able to make it believable....)

"Really? What's wrong?"

"I don't know..." I sighed, "As soon as I woke up, I just felt terrible.... I feel well enough to walk around a little bit, but I don't think I should do it too much..." I supported a reasoning for me being in here.

"Okay, go ahead and stay home.-"

Yes, success!!

"-I hope you feel better."

I gave a weak smile, "Yeah, thanks..."

Like a hermit, I slowly walked back to the bathroom and closed the door, both proud that I'd been able to do that but also guilty that I lied so badly.

(But, I do need to stay home....)

I propped the toilet lid and--whatever the part was called that you sat on--up and sat down.

(I forgot my phone in my room....)

I sat there for a while, until both of my parents left. I wasn't sure what to do about my brother though.... Hopefully, he works today....

(I should still eat and take my medicine though, that's for sure....)

I got up off of the floor, lowered both of the toilet lids, and descended downstairs to eat and take my medicine. I personally wasn't in the mood to eat right now though....

Regardless, I emptied my water bottle, put a new one in the fridge, and took a cold one out, settling it in my water bottle holder. I took my medicine and walked back towards the kitchen, looking around. Let's see... yeah, I'm not in the mood to eat anything right now, um....

Eh, it'll be fine....

I headed into the bathroom downstairs, propped the lids up, and closed and locked the door. I then turned the fan on.

I can stay in here until my brother wakes up. In the meantime... let's drink some knowledge....

And that I did. I quenched my thirst of curiosity, and I went through the day just fine. I was able to fake still being a girl for the day, and I went to sleep in peace (although a male reproductive system is definitely more unfortable than a female's.... I guess that's why girls have boobs: to even out the discomfort).

It was the next day that I actually panicked.

I was still a man.

I smiled weirdly at myself for a little while after waking up.

(I don't think I'm gonna be changing genders any time soon.... I better fess up. I can't just manage faking my new gender until it goes away, if it ever does....)

(I definitely don't wanna see my dad's reaction that I'm a guy now....)

But my dad's in the shower.

So I can just tell my mom.

I headed over to my parents' room with only my night shirt, socks, and underwear, and I woke my mom up.

"Hey, mom? Mom?!" I spoke in my "normal" voice, which was now deeper than my original voice, "Mom!!"

Finally, she woke up, "Hmmn, what is it...?"

"It's me, mom." I then spoke my name unsurely. She blinked her eyes and looked at me.

"Why are you speaking with a deep voice...?"

"Umm... you know I felt sick yesterday...? Well, uh... this might be why..." I gestured to my nether regions. She looked down at my nether regions and looked back up at my face.

"You're on your period...?"

"... No, mom... I, uh... I'm a... I'm a guy now..." I averted my eyes awkwardly with a slight shrug.

"... What?"

"It just happened over night.... I woke up, and I was like this...."

"What are you talking about?? You're trans??"

"UMMM..." I didn't know how to answer that. Technically, I'd been a closet trans for a while, but that was a few years ago, before I even knew what trans was. I'd been plenty comfortable with my own gender for a few years now.

But now I'd changed genders.

"Maybe???" I replied, "I mean, I'm a guy now, so... but it wasn't my choice!! It just happened overnight...."

Maybe this is God's way of saying that I can be a man.... That he loves trans people just as much as anyone else.... (I'm glad for that. That's the main reason I don't want to be trans....)

"What are you talking about?!!!" she sat up.

"I'm a guy," I stated plainly, not understanding why she wasn't understanding. Maybe she was in denial, like when I told her those dangerous kinks of mine....

Or maybe she needs evidence.... This ain't a phase....

I pulled my underwear down to show her. She stared in horror for a second or two before her eyes lifted back to my face. She shrieked.

"What did you do?!! When did you do this?!!!"

"Huh? I just told you, I didn't do it!!" I tried to reason with her as I put my underwear back, where it was covering my nether regions.

(Looks like she may be accepting of others being trans, but not her own daughter.... Nice to know how she would've reacted if I'd gone through with being trans....)

My mood soured, a frown deepening on my lips.

I'm a man now, so I guess I'm really gay now. And my mom wouldn't accept any of this....

Assumably, my father reacted even worse. It didn't matter how many times I tried to tell them that day, that it wasn't my choice, that it had happened overnight, that I was just a guy now, they wouldn't appear to listen. My brother was confused but far more accepting. Dinner was still tense though. Like a division of the parents from the kids, I felt.

It never really changed. Although my parents still loved me, I could tell that my new gender made them uneasy.

With this as the final jar of fuel, it wasn't long before I traveled to Berlin, to stay. My parents called regularly, but my gender was forevermore a barrier between us.

I was a new person in Berlin, although I kept my long hair that now reached my butt. I found that Berlin was quite accepting to me, just as it had felt that week in the summer, before my first semester at college, and I was also accepting of myself. I felt very comfortable as a man in Berlin, and I found someone who was willing to love me despite all of my faults. I wasn't able to have children, but perhaps that was for the best. Ultimately... I don't think I'd have it any other way.... I truly found myself as a man.

Quinn groaned as she was forced to roll onto her side, chest aching.

Sleeping on their stomach was never a problem as a boy, but they didn't expect this Shift on a Friday.

Everyone knows that girl is a Tuesday and Thursday gender! She thought. Today supposed to be a boy day, for crying out loud! I even planned out the suit I was going to wear!!

The phone on Quinn's nightstand buzzed, the fanfare of a ringtone that sounded from it forcing her to pick it up. This was a work phone calling.

"Metamorph, we need you in Sector 12, ASAP. Mantis is sending in his Hench-Mutants on the streets again!"

"Coming," she muttered, scrambling to find her Female suit.

Infa-Red, the Telepathic Hero on the other side of the phone, immediately picked up what was going on. "Are you going to be okay fighting today? We can move you to Sector 6 guard if--"

"I'm fine!" Metamorph aggressively zipped up her bodysuit. "In fact, you know that this is better than usual, since most animals have larger females than males."

"Well, yes, I just--"

"Was underestimating me? Was being slightly sexist?" Quinn had only half of her anger on Red, as she remembered that, for a reason everyone knew but didn't say aloud, the women's bodysuit only zipped up so far in the front.

She was going to have to fix that later. The Shapeshifter knew that she had bigger problems to deal with at the moment.

"Metamorph, out onto the field." While the suit was also illogically revealing in the back, she admitted that it was perfect for wings.

Quinn was an Animalia-Shapeshifter, but one of those odd quirks that came with the ability was the occasional gender-swapping, that was found to have a weekly pattern. While they could, theoretically turn into any known animal, it had to be of that certain sex. Metamorph learned a long time ago that, if they attempted to break this unwritten rule, the consequences would be them Shifting from a healthy person into a person in agonizing pain.

Once, even a dead person. Necro-Dancer, the Reanimator of the team, had been a literal lifesaver on that one.

Quinn shook her head of the memory, trying to focus on the threat of the day. Mantis was Poly-Powered, with abilities ranging from Invisibility to Super-Strength and Speed to Enhanced Vision. Technically speaking, all of the capabilities that come with being part mantis shrimp. (Don't be fooled, he's more overpowered than many would think.)

That being said, he was able to pick out a flying Hero from a mile away.

Metamorph was met with one of the Hench-Mutants: Pilot, the Avian-Shifting, Fire Elemental. His partner, the Levitating, Alien-Shifter known as the Bandit, joined him.

"Nope, not today." As quickly as she had taken to the skies, Quinn retracted her wings and dropped down to the streets below.

At the last second, she Shifted into a dull-colored butterfly, floating safely the rest of the way to the ground. Right to where Mantis was throwing his usual hissy-fit.

Pilot crashed to the ground with his Area 51 boyfriend. "There's a hero somewhere around here, trying to stop us!"

Mantis looked around, only noting his henchmen and a bug landing on his suit. Just as he was about to fire his two most distracting cronies, he felt a weight that definitely wasn't as light as a butterfly on his shoulder.

"What's up, Shrimp?" He met the gaze of a grinning boy in a women's bodysuit.

Naturally, yelling from both sides commenced, Mantis realizing he was in the presence of a Hero and Quinn realizing that he was in the wrong body (and in the presence of the city's most notorious Villain).

Morph was promptly pushed to the ground. It then occurred to the Hench-Mutants that their enemy was already writhing in pain, so they simply stood back and let their boss have the last hit.

"Wait... time-out," Quinn croaked, attempting to switch back into his morning self.

In the process of Shifting into a human, they had imagined themselves as their Friday self (ie. male), and in response, every cell in his body wanted to pack up and quit for the year.

Mantis scowled. "I have no time for a Hero who can't control themselves."

Just as he turned his back on the young Shifter, the Villain heard Pilot and Bandit let out a strangled yelp. Sighing, he swiveled back around, meeting the gaze of a murderous, female Metamorph. Her hands had extended into the tentacles of a giant squid(?), simultaneously ruining those two perfectly-good, throwaway servants of his.

"Come on!" Mantis shook his claws in frustration. "Fifth time this week!"

"Make that the sixth," Metamorph said. "Only, this time it will be you... I guess that would be the, what, seventeenth then... for that case?"

Infa-Red found Sector 12 lined with tentacles, Quinn in the center of it all. Some of Mantis's accomplices were being constricted or thrown around, but him and couple of other ones had managed to run off.

"Finally," she said. "I was running out of tentacles! Go get the ones that got away and Shrimp, then help me with these ones."

"Good work, Morph," Quinn knew that Red was hiding his shock by using his authority-voice. "you really outdid yourself today."

She smiled, going into her own scientist-mode. "See, I told you the females are generally larger than males. And they are also less colorful, making better disguises."

Shrimp didn't even see me coming! She added mentally. Friday should be a girl day more often. My body better be taking notes on this.