Maybe it was due to stress, sadness, frustration or exhaustion. But after Joseph draped his arm over his eyes he fell asleep shortly after that.
Joseph always had vivid dreams ever since he was a child, he dreamt of running from fields, winning marathons, being in gnarly battles.
But for once, his dream was pitch black. He couldnt see a single thing yet he felt as if someone was there with him.
"You poor boy, a helpless and pathetic writer..You tried every cliche, every tool, every book but it hasnt lead you to success."
Joseph's heart raced, who is this feminine voice coming from, he looked left and right to find the origin. Even stretching out his hand but felt nothing, such a strange dream!
"W-who are you? What do you want?"
Joseph was hesitant but he has to know what this entity is and what it wants from him, is he going to get posessed? Is this how the conjuring works?
"You need not know who I am boy, or what I want. But let me ask you instead, do you wish to be a successful writer?"
What kind of question is that? Joseph couldnt help but tilt his head in confusion
"Uh..yes, that's what I wanted ever since I was a child"
Joseph then heard a small giggle, is the voice making fun of him?..fuck
"Fine then, you're interesting. I'll give you a gift when you wake up, perhaps this will give you a new perspective and give you new opportunities as a writer"
Joseph was about to say something to the voice but he quickly woke up with his arms draped over his eyes..right, he must've fallen asleep..was he that tired though?
Joseph couldn't fathom how, when he removed his hand the room was already dark..his mom must've went into his room, tried to wake him up to close the lights himself but he didnt so she closed it herself.
Yeah that must've been the case. Joseph grabbed his phone and looked at the time, it's 4am..shit no wonder its dark, but the roosters from the neighbors clucking was a dead giveaway as well. But something was off.
Joseph has been clutching his phone for a while now and noticed that it seemed bigger.
"Puta, what's happening? First that weird dream now this?"
Joseph sighed, was he hallucinating? He did remember somewhat about a gift...joseph stood up and noticed something different again, his t-shirt seemed baggy, shorts as well..moreover did just feel hair slapping his back? His hair wasnt long!! And moreover his voice sounded different!
His heart raced, "Oh god don't tell me"
Joseph walked slightly faster to open the lights and immediately glaring issues just from looking at himself. Long hair,moreover silver not his hair! A pair of soft and medium roundness from his chest
Joseph walked to the farthest right of his room where a decently tall miror is at and saw a beautiful, long silver haired girl his age infront of him with deep blue eyes..WHO IS THAT!? Joseph knew that was him in the reflection but...WHO IS THAT?!
Joseph clutched beneath his shorts, and... it wasn't there. He slumped down, leaning heavily against the mirror. R.I.P. Joseph Jr., he thought mournfully. Those 19 years will be missed.
He wanted to cry. In fact, a tear was already poised to be the first sacrificial lamb, ready to unleash a flood of waterworks. But Joseph tried his darnedest to hold it back. Though, really, who wouldn't cry in his situation?
This was such a sudden change. Even if that mysterious entity had mentioned having a "gift" for him, he never expected this to be the so-called gift! But...
"Pretty..."
Joseph leaned closer to the mirror, his reflection staring back at him. There was no denying it—his new female form was undeniably pretty. Those striking blue eyes and silvery hair were unlike anything he'd ever seen. Even in a baggy white shirt and plain shorts, he looked like he could rival the cutest idols in Japan.
But then it hit him. This wasn't an anime. He wasn't in some fantastical world where silver hair and blue eyes were the norm. No, he was in the Philippines, where nearly everyone had black hair and brown or black eyes. He'd stick out like a sore thumb!
And how on earth was he supposed to explain this to his parents?
"Ma, Pa, I became a girl."
Yeah, that wouldn't make any sense at all. Joseph couldn't help but scratch his head, momentarily distracted by the silky, smooth texture of his new hair.
"Maybe I can just tell them I'm cosplaying," he muttered to himself.
Joseph nodded.
That was probably the best option.
It's not like he had a better explanation. And, well, given his new... circumstances, it was probably best to start referring to himself as her now.
A part of Joseph still longed for his old self, for Joseph Jr. But then again, if he—or rather, she—had become this cute and beautiful... maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
But what if this is still a dream? Maybe she's in a dream inside a dream? Some Inception-type shit! It was 4 a.m., after all—maybe Joseph was just half-awake. Yeah, it's not exactly easy to believe Joseph turned into a girl.
With that comforting delusion, Joseph smiled, looked back at the mirror, and nodded at the girl staring back at her. Yup! Probably just needs a good night's sleep.
Joseph flicked off the lights, turned on the electric fan, and flopped onto her bed, dozing off almost instantly.
...
..
.
"Josephhh!"
Joseph jolted upright, her mother's sharp voice cutting through the haze of sleep. She glanced at the clock—8 a.m.!
"What are you doing? Get up! You missed breakfast already. What, are you trying to starve yourself?"
Her mother's voice was loud and impatient, sending Joseph scrambling out of her room.
"I'm here!"
Joseph dashed from her room to the kitchen, where her mother stood. It wasn't far—just a few steps—but the sudden rush left her panting.
"I'm here, Ma," Joseph said, leaning forward and tucking her hair behind her ears. But when she looked up, her mother's expression stopped her cold. She looked... confused? Terrified? Her eyes scanned Joseph from head to toe, as if she didn't recognize her at all.
"Who are you?"
Joseph froze. Then it hit her—tucking her hair? She didn't normally do that. Her hands flew to her head, fingers brushing against long, silver strands. And her body... those curves were still there.
"A-ah..."
Oh shit. Joseph hadn't turned back into a man. She could only manage an awkward smile, scratching her head as her mother stared at her, bewildered.
Shit...