"Kyla? What are you doing in here?" a voice suddenly asked. Kyla whirled around and saw her father. "Don't you have to go to school soon?"
"Dad!?" Kyla was almost glad to see him - to confirm that he hadn't changed ... at least externally. He was still a skinny, nerdy adult. Like father, like daughters. The plural spooked Kyla, who had been an only child until now. She guessed that he probably still worked at McMillan Tech Industries.
"Why are you looking at that picture of us?" asked Mr. Leeson. "Is something wrong?"
Kyla realized she was trembling. "Uh ..." What would be the point of lying? thought Kyla. He doesn't even have to be able to see right through me. I'm shaking! "... yeah."
"What's the matter?"
"M-Mom."
"What about her?"
He's thinking about Aunt Betty, thought Kyla. Mom Betty now. My real mom and I got her freckles and her nose! "She ... look at this picture!" Kyla held it up for her father. "Do you see antyhing different?"
Mr. Leeson examined it through thick glasses. "No."
"No!?"
"Calm down, Kyla!" There's no way this picture could be the cause of whatever this is, reasoned Mr. Leeson. "It's the same old picture we've had since last year."
"No, it's not! It just changed!" Kyla pointed at the alterations. "Mom's become my sister, Aunt Betty's taken her place, and Mom and I look like Aunt Betty now!"
"What!? Put that picture down!"
Kyla did as she was told. Then her eyes shifted toward the doorway. "The stone ... it did this to us!" She ran into the hallway. "Maybe it can change us back!"
Mr. Leeson remained in his bedroom, pondering whether his daughter had gone mad. She had been so rational until now, just like him. He never thought it was possible to read too much sci-fi until now.
He could hear her screaming from afar. "WHERE IS IT!?"
He ran into the living room. "Kyla!"
"It's gone, Dad ... gone ..."
Kyla's ex-mother gave her ex-husband and new father a puzzled look that told him that she was just as mystified as he was.
Where did the Missing Stone go?
