" ... a garden gnome!"
Karyn's eyes went wide for a moment, but then, her form contracted. A second later, there was a stone statue of a somewhat plump and merry little woman. She had on an 0ld World dress with an apron, all painted against her form. The sight was made slightly ludicrous by Karyn's clothing being draped around the gnome.
Mikey carefully tilted the gnome over and found it was hollow underneath.
"Mikey!" called his mother. He quickly stuffed Karyn's clothing inside the gnome, righted it, and then turned to face his mother.
"You're coming along nice!" she said. Then she saw the gnome. "Where'd that come from?
"I dunno. I just found it. Someone must've left it here."
"Don't be silly. No one just leaves something like this." She bent over and lifted it up. Mikey gasped as she almost dropped it. "Whew! It's heavy! That's funny. Where'd those clothes under it come from?"
"I dunno."
"They're awful dirty being on the ground like that. Well, I'll wash them up. But, first, I'll put little miss gnome here in the garden until someone comes by to claim it."
A moment later, Karyn the gnome was sitting in the middle of the flower bed and Mikey's mother had gone into the house. Mikey wondered what he should do next. If he turned Karyn back into Karyn, she'd be standing naked in the garden. He had a feeling he'd get blamed for that.
What should I do? he thought.
