The shrill sound of the alarm clock broke through the haze of Maya's sleep. She groaned, rolling over and hitting the snooze button. The rain from the night before had given way to a gray, dreary morning. She lay there for a moment, trying to shake off the vivid dream of the well and the strange light. It was her first time seeing the well, and she was sure it wasn't there before because she regularly visited her mother's tomb. "Was I hallucinating? Maybe it was the rain; perhaps I mistook a puddle created by the rain for a well. But what about the light that shone from the point? Who knows, maybe it was lightning."
"Ugh! This is so frustrating," she grunted, covering her head with a pillow in an attempt to push away the previous day's incident.
Just as she was drifting back into her thoughts, her phone rang. With a sigh, she reached over and answered it without looking at the caller ID.
"Hello?" Her voice was deep, resonant, and completely unfamiliar. She bolted upright, her heart pounding. "What the…?" she whispered, touching her throat.
"Maya, are you okay?" It was her Aunt Shona, her voice tinged with concern.
Maya cleared her throat, but the deep voice persisted. "Yeah, I'm fine, Aunt Shona. Just… a bit of a rough morning." She hoped her aunt couldn't hear the panic in her voice.
"I was just checking in. You know, it was twelve years yesterday… if you ever need to talk, I'm here."
Maya forced a smile, though her aunt couldn't see it. "Thanks, Aunt Shona. I'll be okay."
"Are you sure you're okay? Your voice sounds deep. Did you cry all night and lose your voice? Oh, my poor baby, it must be tough being alone and…" her aunt started ranting, worrying about her. Maya had to cut her off, using a flu as an alibi for why her voice was that deep. She, too, was getting more nervous as her voice remained deep while she kept on talking. "What is happening to me?" she thought.
After reassuring her aunt that she was okay, she ended the call and stumbled to the bathroom, still feeling weak and nervous. She banged the door open as she barged in. When she glanced at the mirror, she gasped. Reflected back at her was not her usual self, but an image of her with white hair instead of her usual golden brown hair, and her muscles were stronger than usual. She lifted her nightdress and, to her horror, she had abs. "What on earth is going on?" She blinked several times, hoping it was just a trick of the light or her tired eyes, but the reflection remained unchanged.
Panic surged through her. What was happening to her? She splashed cold water on her face, hoping to snap out of whatever nightmare she had stepped into. But the reflection didn't change.
"Okay, think, Maya," she muttered to herself, her deep voice sending shivers down her spine. She needed answers, and fast. Her mind raced back to the well, the light, the strange feeling that had lingered in her heart. Could it be connected?
Determined to understand what was happening, Maya decided to take a quick shower and do some digging on what was happening to her. She was one hundred percent sure that it was a well and that she wasn't hallucinating. She hoped to find some clues about the ancient well and its possible powers. She knew it was a long shot, but it was the only lead she had. With each passing minute, the reality of her new form became harder to deny, and the urgency to uncover the truth grew stronger. Just as she removed her nightdress, she looked down between her legs and what she saw made her part ways with consciousness, falling to the ground with a plop.