The morning sun filtered through Justin's bedroom window, casting a warm glow on his face as he lay in a deep slumber. Unbeknownst to him, the room seemed to pulse with a quiet energy, remnants of the lamp's watchful presence. The alarm clock on his bedside table, despite its persistent ringing, failed to rouse him from his dreams.
When Justin finally stirred, it was well past the time he usually greeted the day. He jolted upright, feeling the sting of sore muscles protesting against the sudden movement. His eyes darted to the alarm clock, confirming his tardiness. Panic gripped him as he glanced at his phone, revealing a flurry of missed calls and urgent messages from his friends and classmates.
With a groan, Justin catapulted out of bed, the rush of adrenaline drowning out the lingering traces of fatigue. He stumbled to his closet, a maze of clothes that had once fit him perfectly. The room seemed oddly cramped, the walls closer than he remembered.
Justin grabbed a shirt, the fabric slipping through his fingers like a fleeting memory. He pulled it over his head, only to find that it stopped short of reaching his boxers, exposing a strip of bare skin. Perplexed, he discarded the shirt and tried another, then another. Each one seemed to shrink, the familiar cotton betraying him. Frustration gnawed at him as the shirts, once comfortable, now clung to his torso with an unwelcome tightness.
A sigh escaped him as he glanced at his jeans. He tugged a pair from the drawer, struggling to fasten the button at the waist. His fingers, accustomed to effortless movements, protested against the sudden challenge. The waistline felt tighter than ever, and Justin winced as he mustered the strength to secure the button. A hint of discomfort lingered as the denim clung to his body.
As he rushed towards the door, determination masking the confusion in his mind, Justin slammed his forehead against the doorframe. A sharp pain reverberated through his skull, and he muttered a curse under his breath. The room seemed to mock him, the once familiar confines now conspiring against his hurried attempts.
"What's going on today?" Justin mumbled to himself, rubbing his sore forehead. He chalked it up to the chaos of oversleeping and being in a rush. After all, he was a tall guy going through puberty—awkward moments were par for the course.
With a final glance in the mirror, Justin sprinted to his car, a sleek vehicle that now felt unusually small. He squeezed into the driver's seat, pushing it as far back as it could go, a realization settling in. The once expansive space of his car seemed to shrink, the contours now pressing against his elongated limbs.
As he sped towards school, questions lingered in Justin's mind, but the urgency of the morning drowned out the echoes of confusion. The lamp, standing quietly in the living room, held within it the secrets of wishes and dreams, silently shaping the reality of the Roderick family.
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author