The events of the strange changed school raised a lot of eyebrows which eventually grew to concern and some hysteria. The world was facing a general ‘discontent’ at the unexplained situation, with of course the natural fear that it could ‘spread’… like some kind of strange transformation virus. Humans had turned into strange creatures, that defied science… the horror. The panic… would people ‘riot’, over it?
The general population were given some assurances, that it appeared to be an isolated incident… and this was accepted for the most part. As a few months passed, there were no other odd occurrences. A ‘special task force’ was dispatched to investigate other ‘paranormal’ activities (though there was some suggestion that the organisation had existed for well over a hundred years anyway, so nothing had changed there either.)
Life continued as normal for mostly everyone, aside from that odd group of twenty-seven students, one teacher and one janitor.
In another school, far away, there was a young teenager who had no links at all to the incident.
Like many others, he was as obsessed as anyone else. He knew of nobody there, none of the transformations that happened, all of which was kept quiet by the media. His imagination tended to run wild… It was the stuff out of a comic book! A spark of magic in an otherwise mundane world… it made the future exciting to him when before it was ‘mediocre.’
Adam Jay Sylvin was quiet, shy…and quite ordinary. He didn’t stand out at all, but like any young man he longed to be something more than he was and wanted excitement in his life. At home, when looking in the mirror, all he saw were his dark brown eyes and a nice face that melted into the background. Most would describe him as handsome, with short straight black hair and a quiet demeanour. He didn’t have many friends… but… he wanted more then ‘anything’ to talk about the transformation… the magic with someone. The possibilities that it might have one day if they were to ever encounter it again. He sometimes wondered what forms his classmates would have… (though kept quiet about that part.)
Naturally, he tried to talk to other nerds about the event but… they usually shunned him. There was just something ‘different’ about his ‘nerdiness’ to the others… did it come in a different flavour? Who knows. It didn’t stop him though from imagining… the changes that day was just such an amazing event. The possibilities were boundless.
Could they become super-heroes? Flying… fighting… using animal powers! Or… whatever powers that came with their change.
Maybe some would become super villains… they could scare the population into submission… of course, everyone knew the dragon-girl that had taken up ‘that’
role, and he was hopeful to never run into her…
So, like many others, he investigated with the question of how it happened, mostly as an ‘armchair detective’, using the internet and search engines while examining social media for any news. Little by little, some word came out of the changed students… a few complained about turning into minors- (and swiftly got removed from platforms that needed a parent’s permission, much to their seething anger of their new minor status) but Adam thought they were very lucky… it was probably the most benign of changes to have and increased the potential future of someone, literally erasing past mistakes.
Unfortunately, like so many others, he found no answer. No idea of how it happened… ‘magic’ was the best guess… so that was when he changed tactics and went beyond simply ‘how’…
“Why… WHY did it happen…”
That was the question… far more important than the ‘how’. Assuming it was not a natural phenomenon… what type of person would do this? For some reason this made him more excited then the actual event itself.
Adam got to work, building on this shadowy figure… their presence upon the classroom and impact on reshaping the bodies of each student. Was every change completely in their control? What linked all the changes besides location and time… why this class? What was their motive… he kept an open mind, thinking that was the best approach.
Magic was a new subject on the internet now. People spoke of magical spells… saying how some magic was now actually ‘working’ since the incident. It seemed that very ‘subtle’ magic worked well enough for most people, such as fortune telling on cards… but others were exploring more advanced forms such as telekinesis or pyromancy with… mixed results.
Everything website on magic came with the standard disclaimer, not to try it at home… so of course, that meant he had to try!
Adam had managed to search the internet and save some of the magic spells people had come up with that ‘apparently’ had some effects. Such websites were taken down though as soon as they were considered ‘legit’… which infuriated him. More and more tricks had to be used to circumvent the ‘spell-wall’ as it had become dubbed. There was even talk of making such magic illegal- how could they! Adam wouldn’t accept it. He had to get at least one spell done before that happened and make contact with a magic group to continue research.
He had plans to print out a basic spellbook, or at least some of the theories of magic before the pages were expunged. It was during his labours exploring the internet when… ‘something’ odd happened.
It started with the pointer on his computer glowing. Briefly he lost control of it. Was it a virus? A strange spark lit the screen and it was like he heard a finger running on the other side… treating it like a mirror, slowly inkling out a message.
‘Hello seeker of Magic,’ the message appeared on his screen in flowing letters.
Adam stared briefly and looked at the program running. He had not installed it. At first, he dismissed it as some kind of ‘phishing’ attempt… but something about how the words were written, as if they were being ‘drawn’ on his own screen in natural calligraphy… it made him feel a chill.
‘Hello Adam,’ the writing continued.
Adam stared at the words in shock. Someone on the internet… knew his name? “Who… are you?” Maybe it was someone from school messing with him. That was actually very likely.
‘I am… the one you’ve been looking for…’
Adam glanced around. ‘Who?’
‘The cause. I am the spark.’
Adam blinked. He was communicating with the most wanted person in the entire world… No way… it had to be a joke! It was such a messed-up joke though. People had got into trouble impersonating this person, though that also made it kind of ‘fun’. He debated with himself how to respond… “I don’t believe you.” He typed back. Though he tried to be polite about it.
‘I know.’ The message slowly appeared again. ‘Yet it is the truth…’
At this point Adam laughed. So many would be ‘wizards’ were claiming this! So many were suggesting that it was them- and some even begged to be locked up for their crime, believing whole-heartedly that they were responsible… that their very thoughts had manifested into reality somehow. Crazy people… so of course, Adam was used to dealing with such nut-jobs. “Yeah, okay,” he said back. ‘So, what do you want with me?’
Clearly this person had ‘some’ kind of magic to write on his computer screen like this… but it was a low-level ability. There was no chance the most hunted person in the entire world would contact ‘him’ of all people. Should he continue to humour the person? ‘You want to talk about it?’ Adam settled into the chair, watching the words appear. Adam ‘did’ want to talk to someone about the events… he never assumed he would talk to the one who did it though… (and he wasn’t convinced this was ‘that’ person.)
‘Yes.’
‘Why?’ Asked Adam curious now.
‘You just seemed… different to me, then all the others looking for me… you are like me.’
“How?” Adam typed back.
There was a brief pause.
‘… you are a kindred spirit.’
Adam wasn’t sure at all what to say to that. He didn’t think he would do anything like that! ‘Why you changed them?’ Adam asked curiously. Was this really… the person? His heart skipped a beat… what was the reason…
‘…I had… many reasons… Logical reasons… sound reasons… but the truth… I wanted them… to like me.’
Well, now Adam was stumped. What could he say to that? Maybe… some part of him twinged with a slight level of guilt of vaguely understanding such a motivation. The feeling of crushing loneliness has been used to justify some of the most terrible and terrifying of crimes… though changing others in such a way would never have achieved that. But if that ‘was’ the motive, it was stupid! He was expecting something at least of a basic batman villain. “…You ruined their lives… destroyed an entire school… you’ve got the cops after you! The entire world!”
The words wrote more slowly now. ‘Yes… it was expected.’ The words wrote themselves into reality sadly. ‘It didn’t work either… they all hate me. They hate each other… some hate themselves… despise the bodies I worked so hard on…’
‘Well you did ruin their lives… they can’t hate you or like you if they don’t even know you.’
‘Correct…’ The words responded. ‘You understand… I am glad.’
Adam was now quite stumped. He was sure this person was just crazy now. Pretending to be the number one wizard or whatever…
‘I will change you. Tomorrow. At 9:04am.’
Adam felt his blood run even colder at those words… were they serious? How the heck did he get into this! He felt nervous… yet maybe a little curious? The changes were quite ‘interesting’ to him… but still… if he was changed and was not part of the group- the original class that was altered, there would be suspicion.
The words hung there… and perhaps the entity was expecting a response. ‘Will you beg me not to?’
‘No’ Adam stated flately.
‘…Then… will you beg me to change you?’
Adam raised an eyebrow at that and laughed. ‘hell no!’ He laughed. “What the heck are you on… I don’t beg for anything…”
The person seemed to wait. Adam rubbed his hands. ‘Look… I can’t deny… it would be interesting…’ he typed. ‘but, I’m not a part of-’
“teehee… a part... yes… I will make it so.” the almost ‘mechanical’ voice suddenly came out from his speakers! Adam took a step back.
“No no- I’m out of here!” Adam turned off his machine… but it was quite slow in shutting down. The other person managed to write in a few further words.
‘All changed by me have a gift… for you, it will be revealed with a kiss… I will give you a powerful spark… Good luck…’
Adam stared nervously very creeped out. Was this guy serious? “Hey, come on, stop joking…” but it was gone… his computer finally shut down, leaving Adam utterly bewildered by what was to follow.
The next day continued as normal for Adam…
The teenager returned to class, settling into the homeroom, placing his bag under the desk as rollcall would be taken soon. The atmosphere was just like any other day. It was cold, a little windy… he could see the school grounds from the first-floor window. Some girls were congregating in the corner, apparently talking about lipstick or makeup- nothing that Adam cared for of course. There was another group talking about video games and films, which was more to his interest… but again, that alone didn’t let him ‘join’ into their cliques.
Adam glanced at the clock nervously… The events of last night played on his mind. He was tempted to just say away from class- just in case. He was sure someone there was messing with him… bullies were not unknown to him, but who could it be? Who could it be? He eyed Josh in particular, a tall boy that was physically quite imposing but probably didn’t have the mental ability to pull something like that off. No… Matt? He was smart and quiet but generally okay… he didn’t come across as a total creep. “Could it be a girl?” He glanced at the corner of four girls discussing new internet trends and some of the others in the class… he didn’t think any of them could do it- but then, he didn’t ‘know’ any of the girls all that well besides their names.
“Heh… it’s not gonna happen…” Nobody else in the world has changed so far, so it was complete nonsense. Yet part of him was intrigued though, if it ‘could’ be true, that of all people he would be contacted by this weird ‘terrorist’. Maybe he should have told someone… but nobody would have believed him anyway. Random strangers on the internet often trolled people.
Adam’s ‘sort of’ friend Robert, was next to him in homeroom, in and he wondered if he could talk to him… though truth was Robert didn’t like talking about the changed.
Robert was… a very serious student. Always with polished shoes and immaculately dressed… He wore glasses and had ‘no time’ discussing events that made no sense. He certainly didn’t like to talk about magic either. They were friends mostly by accident, by simply being next to each other. Still, Adam ventured a quick greeting. “Uh- Morning,” he said politely.
“Hey,” Robert nodded looking at his diary with no interest.
“So… finished all your homework?” Adam asked making conversation.
“Yes,” Robert stated flatly.
Small talk was the best he could manage. Adam watched the clock. The teacher asked for silence as roll-call was taken. The person had said at exactly 9:04 am… he would be changed. It wouldn’t happen, of course. Though… maybe the person was here? He glanced around to look for anyone acting suspicious but… couldn’t see any. Someone had to be seeing if he was nervous… probably recording his reactions… that would be the best reason to prank him. Yet nobody was making eye contact with him… whoever it was, was really good at hiding it- wait- could it be the teacher?!
“Adam…” The teacher called out after what seemed like the third time.
“AH! Oh! Uh… P-present-” Adam stared in horror for a moment as the class burst out into giggles.
Then the time came. 9:04… tick… tick… tick…
Adam glanced around… and relaxed. He knew it. “Heh… nothing hap-” but was suddenly caught off guard by something very… strange. It was so... subtle as he felt… reality just ‘blip’ and slightly rewind itself, going back about ten seconds… the clock ticking back to redo the moment his name was called.
Suddenly, he felt his head being ‘slumped’ on the desk, yet he felt as if he was sitting normally? What the heck was going on? Everything was just ‘wrong’! He couldn’t turn his neck! He tried to look left and right but could only manage moving his eyes. He tried to move his arms and torso which he could feel move- his arm brushing slightly to the side of his vision oddly ‘higher’ then he expected and yet- he didn’t move- or rather, his perspective didn’t change. He got into a panic as he heard someone calling a name-
“Aeiko!” The teacher repeated. “I know you are new, please say present.” He said calmly.
Adam felt his body fall back- as his chair finally fell from his sudden motions. He screamed expecting to hit his head- but it seemed that his perspective didn’t change still, despite the sensation of falling slightly over.
Everyone started to laugh, much as they did when he didn’t call out before. In fact it was eerily an exact echo of that moment.
The teacher sighed. “I’ll just mark you in Aeiko…” The teacher said with a shake of his head. “I know you’re still adjusting to your new school… don’t worry.”
“W-what?” Adam blinked.
“Indeed, I hope you will tell us what you saw,” said Robert who seemed to bend down towards him to look in his eyes… as the reality of his new form hit him, when slender small fingers began to grip his head. Soft twin-tails of black hair descending down his cheeks… The hands were feminine… and yet they belonged to him?!
Anxiously he felt the hands start to turn his head around… and he saw it.. a body…a headless body! Whisps of blue sparks of energy swirling where the head would normally be…
She was just… a head… She was a Dullahan!
A female… Dullahan? Aeiko stared at her body. Her body seemed to react to her worries and held her a little closer… it was such a ‘young’ body, small and soft. She barely had breasts, perhaps at best an A-cup. She was petite and wearing a typical Japanese style uniform. Her face felt… strange. She wished she could see what her head looked like. She could feel slightly ‘pouty’ lips, her tiny fingers brushing across them. she could also feel her nose being a lot more flatter then she had before… and judging by her bodies olive skin… a lot more then her gender must have changed. She could feel twin trails of hair hanging down her face.... and with a name like Aeiko… “Uh- Can I be ex-cused” she asked, gasping as her voice came out heavily accented.
“Of course, go ahead,” The teacher smiled.
Aeiko clutched her head in her hands and started to quickly run out of the classroom. “No- no! This- so- wrong!” she muttered feeling the breeze of her new skirt on her short legs… she could feel ‘so many’ things of her new body, her head was in a state of constant shock and surprise.
