Jon sat on the wall after class, nervously fingering the book and swinging his legs. It was the first day of school after spring break and had been one of the most stressful he'd ever endured. He hadn't dared carry the book around all day in case he misplaced it or someone thought they might borrow it, and that meant leaving it in his locker. That turned out to be an even worse plan: he was on the edge of his seat throughout every lesson, worrying that someone would break into his locker and take the box. It was irrational anxiety and he knew it; why would someone break into his locker?
He was waiting for Karyn, his best friend through high school. In fact, he'd been waiting to talk to her for over a week, but she always spent to spring break with her parents in their caravan in the mountains and we had no classes together this year, so this was the first chance they'd had to get together in a week.
Finally, he spotted her strolling towards him across the yard. She was wearing her usual get-up of scruffy old slacks and her favourite worn old green jumper. Her short red hair was in its normal unruly state and she displayed her quirky grin as she spotted Jon slouched on the wall. The overall effect, he thought, was pretty cute. He'd always thought she was cute, but they'd never been more than friends. There are some friendships you just don't want to complicate.
When she finally reached him, she leapt up onto the wall with somewhat more ease than Jon had managed earlier.
"Hey, Jon-boy! How's it going? Good break?"
He grinned hesitantly. "Was okay. You?"
Karyn shrugged, "You know, same-old, same-old. There's only so many snowy mountain peaks you can gaze at in wonder in a lifetime. I might have to give the old spring break tradition a miss next year and just hang out with you."
He grinned again, trying to relax. "That'd be nice. Save me from couch-potato-dom."
"Jon, what's up? You look worried," Karyn asked.
Jon looked down at the black notebook in his hands. "Yeah, maybe I should just show you." He opened the book to its first page and offered it to Karyn. "Just read this."
Rules
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The human whose name is written in this book shall transform.
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This book will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in mind when writing the name. Therefore, people sharing the subject's name will not be affected.
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If the description of the transformation is written within 40 seconds after the subject's name has been written, it will happen as described.
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Besides the subject's physical form, the description of the transformation may include its timing, its mental effects, and whether or not the original form is forgotten by the subject or by others, even by the person writing the description.
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If the transformation is not specified, the subject will change to be physically identical to the next human or animal he or she sees.
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If this book is not used to transform anyone into a fish within the next 33 hours, its owner will transform into a mermaid and surrender ownership of the book.
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Death is the only other way to surrender ownership of this book.
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If this book has no owner, it becomes the property of the next human to read this page. This book is owned by Jon Gibson.
Karyn finished reading the note and looked accusingly at Jon. "Is this a wind up, because it's not funny if it is." Jon shook his head. "You can't be this gullible. Someone played a prank on you, wrote these crazy rules with your name there. It's nicely printed and bound, but come on."
Jon shook his head. "Karyn, when I first read that, my name wasn't there. It appeared in front of me when I took this book out of the mail last week. No return address or anything."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"Yep."
"Not a chance." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I mean, I'm as open minded as the next girl, but this is just plain silly. Maybe there's some clever kind of invisible ink, so it darkens as soon as light hits it."
"Karyn, I'm in trouble! Look at rule 6. 'Fish' and 'mermaid' appeared too! And when I first read it, it said I had 72 hours! It'll tick down to 32 in a few minutes!" Jon was becoming upset.
"Okay. Look, have you tried it? Don't tell me I used to be a guy named Karl," Karyn asked.
Jon's face turned red. "What? No! Yes! I mean, I only tried it on myself. I tried turning my hair black, then back. And it worked." He reached over to turn the page. "See?" There was written, Jon Gibson. Hair turns black. Only he remembers. Immediately below it, Jon Gibson. Hair turns brown again. Only he remembers.
Karyn chuckled. "Heh. The ol' black-n-back. Now this I have to see. Got a pen?"
Jon grabbed the book. "Not here! Everyone will see!"
Karyn sighed. "Well then let's find an empty classroom or something. Or the ladies' room. No, you can't go in there... unless..." she feinted a grab for the book.
A few minutes later, they found a quiet spot in the school auditorium, behind the stage curtains. Karyn turned to Jon. "Okay, hit me!"
Jon stared blankly. "What? I was going to do my hair again."
"Oh no, Jon-boy. I've figured you out. You learned some magic trick over the break and now you're going to change your hair in front of me. I'm throwing you a curve." She crossed her arms.
Jon gulped. "I haven't done anyone else yet." He sighed. "Well, I already know I can reverse it. Okay, what should I do?"
"Surprise me. Nothing too weird. Don't make me a boy. Or a fish."
"Okay, I've got it." Jon wrote in the book, Karyn Black. Physically identical to Sarah McMillan. Only Karyn and I remember.
40 seconds later, Karyn yelped, in a slightly different voice. "Ouch!" She tugged through her sweater, adjusting her bra. "That pinches! What did you do!?"
"I made you look like Sarah McMillan." Jon paused. "I, uh, guess she is a little bustier than you." He was turning a little red again.
"What!? Why would I want to be that stuck up, airheaded..." Karyn began in Sarah's voice. Then she reconsidered. "Never mind, I have to see this!" She dashed for the adjacent costume changing room, in search of a mirror.
Jon followed, finding her turning this way and that in front of the mirror, examining her, or Sarah's, long blonde hair. "Are you convinced yet?" he asked.
"I don't know how you did this... This is awesome! But you better turn me back, mister."
Jon suddenly remembered his troubles, and his spirits fell. "Sure, this is great for the next day or so. But I don't want to be a... a mermaid." He checked the rules page, and it was already down to 32 hours.
Karyn stopped and turned to look at him. "What? Just turn someone into a fish."
"I don't want to turn someone into a fish! That's practically murder!"
"Can't you turn them back?"
Jon shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so. I mean, it says you can transform humans. It doesn't mention fish."
"Well they were human once." Karyn frowned thoughtfully. "So be a mermaid for a minute, and then turn yourself back. No, do mermaids count as human?" Jon couldn't help but notice her face looked cute just then. Sarah McMillan had the same features, of course, but he couldn't remember seeing her think hard about anything. Too bad; apparently it suited her.
He pulled himself together, then shrugged again. "I don't want to find out."
"Well don't tell me no one in the world deserves to be a fish. Terrorists, serial murderers, Kim Jong Il. No wait, he's dead. Maybe his son?"
"I really don't want to."
"Well, it's you or them. Let's think of someone. Right after you turn me back."
