Kyla fast-forwarded through her mental file of plots from books she had read and TV shows she had seen, trying to find a situation vaguely resembling hers. Science fiction and fantasy had been a release from the mundane for her, but now it might provide her with some understanding of her situation. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind. All she could think about was the question, If Mom isn't mom anymore, then who's our mom? I can't have inherited Mom's genes. I might still share them with her, but only because we're sisters. And we must have new genes from our new mother ...
Kyla gasped. She noticed freckles that weren't on her arms a moment ago. My new genes, she thought.
"What's wrong?" asked her former mother. The new girl lowered her book, revealing a freckled face beneath glasses supported by a short upturned nose. Kyla's mother wasn't freckled and her nose had been longer.
"Uh ..." Kyla touched her face. Her chin felt more prominent and her nose was now like her new sister's.
"Why are you touching your face like that?" Her sister sighed. "And people call me weird?" She raised her book in front of her face and continued reading.
Kyla ran to her parents' room. The furniture was different. She sat on an alien bed and picked up a family portrait atop a short chest of drawers. Her father looked the same, but he was now married to ...
