Alex awoke to the evening's dim light, a sense of dread lingering in his mind. He half-expected to find himself back in his old body, but the grotesque reflection that greeted him in the mirror dashed those hopes. The transformation was real, and it was persistent.
As Alex's mind processed this reality, he couldn't help but touch the ring on his thumb. He noticed its smooth outer edges and felt some roughness in the middle parts of the ring. Looking at it more closely, he saw that the band was intricately adorned with delicate, swirling patterns that resembled ancient runes or symbols.
The ring felt warm to his touch.
'What is this ring exactly? Everything that started happening to me began once this ring attached itself to my thumb.'
What Alex did not notice was that the ring was faintly glowing, as if it was pleased that Alex was finally touching it, caressing it.
Awakened from his stupor by his stomach growling, Alex realized he was hungry. He had not had any food or water since the ordeal started.
The reality was setting in; Alex was hungry and opened his mini-fridge to find any leftover food from his government rations.
Since Alex was just a child, the government would send him weekly packages containing seven rations. Each ration pack, a utilitarian, dull-colored package, contained just enough to sustain him. Inside, he found a compact, ready-to-eat meal: a main dish like dehydrated beef stew or lentil curry, designed more for sustenance than flavor.
Accompanying it were basic side items—perhaps a small packet of instant rice or vacuum-sealed vegetables—and a dry, dense energy bar or a pack of crackers for snacking. For a touch of sweetness, a small, tightly-sealed packet held a few hard candies or a miniature block of compressed fruit pulp.
The rations also included a powdered drink mix, varying from tangy orange to a bland, artificial lemon flavor, providing a much-needed change from tap water.
While each ration pack was a monotonous reminder of his limited means, Alex had learned to appreciate these small provisions that sustained him day to day.
He opened his last remaining ration and dug into it. However, he couldn't help but notice that he didn't taste anything; it actually tasted bad. He usually would enjoy his meal, savoring it as if it was gourmet food, but this time, he felt like his stomach was barely able to hold it in.
After devouring his food in mere minutes, he had a strange feeling in his stomach. His stomach rejecting the food and feeling the discomfort, Alex ran to his bathroom and hurled out the food he just ate.
After expelling the food he ate, Alex felt much better. While his hunger did not subside, the feeling of expelling the food felt refreshing to him.
It was an odd feeling; usually, when one vomits, they would feel irritated due to the gastro reflux, but this time, it felt like Alex's body was thanking him for getting rid of the unwanted food.
For the first time in a long time, Alex was starting to feel scared. Scared of what was happening, scared of how he looked, scared of why the ring wouldn't come off, and scared of what was to come.
As Alex's mind was going through everything that had happened to him, he came to the conclusion that it was time to start finding answers.