Walter Smukmeyer was heating up a bowl of soup in his kitchen. One of the less popular kids at Lake Point High, Walter had been sick with the flu all day and had spent most of the day sleeping. Unbeknownst to him, Walter had successfully managed to miss both of the major waves of changes thanks to his illness, having not been at school during its recent large shift and having slept through the phone call from the robocaller.
The soup was almost finished when Walter heard the front door open. He frowned, wondering who that might be. He lived alone with his father, who worked long hours, so there shouldn't have been anyone arriving home yet.
Walking over to the front door, Walter was surprised to see a blonde woman in her late thirties walk, setting down her purse like she owned the place. She looked quite attractive, despite her age, but her appearance was first and foremost motherly. She reminded Walter of some stereotypical mother from the 1950s, really.
"Who are you?" Walter asked, quite understandably.
the woman frowned. "This is no time for games. Mrs. McKay is coming to take you to the library."
"But..." Walter began. This woman was acting like she had known Walter for years, almost as if she herself were his mother. But of course that was impossible. Walter's mother had died of leukemia when he was quite young.
"You can play games like that with your new friends," the woman said. "Your father and I missed each other, and want to have some time to talk. Now, hurry up."
The woman then headed into the kitchen, where she removed Walter's soup from the microwave, repackaged it, and stuck it in the fridge. Walter staid where he was, quite confused, both by the woman's actions and by the fact that he was strangely compelled by her authority.
That was when Walter looked down and noticed his outfit. He was wearing a green blouse and a pair of embroidered jeans, something a young girl might wear. Walter was also vaguely aware of the fact that he no longer felt sick in the slightest, to the point where he found himself wondering if he was ever sick to begin with.
