Chapter 3:
Tim reclined languidly on the sage-green sofa in the living room, his frame swallowed by the ample cushions in the aftermath of the evening's meal. The space buzzed with an intangible tension, a spectral presence born from the careless wish he'd voiced at dinner, now hanging palpably in the air like heavy drapes that refused to be drawn open. A peculiar unease seeped into his bones, a phantom weight pressing down on his shoulders and chest.
An uncanny heat began to radiate from within Tim's core, thrumming through his bloodstream with a rhythm that set his skin to tingling. He writhed uncomfortably on the velvety, plush fabric, attempting to discard the disconcerting sensation that clung to him like a shroud. The walls appeared to inch closer, the room seemingly contracting around him as he battled a formidable disquiet that twisted his gut.
Ellen, who was tidying up the dining room where crystal glasses still hummed with the remnants of laughter, caught sight of Tim's fidgeting silhouette. "Everything okay, Tim?" her voice pierced the thick air, her words laced with concern.
He nodded, his reply emerging as a tremulous whisper, "I don't know... just feels weird."
The room seemed to hold its breath, the silence sharpening as Tim's disquiet mushroomed. He tugged at the collar of his once-comfortable cotton shirt, now aware of a strangling constriction around his neck. Sleeves that had once been a haven for his fingers as he submerged his hands now drew back, retracting like a tide to reveal arms that appeared oddly outstretched and sinewy.
Ellen paused in her chore, her eyes knitting together in confusion. "Since when did you have arm hair?" she inquired, her voice etching a note of alarm in the stillness.
Tim's gaze plummeted to his forearms, his heart stuttering as he witnessed a faint sprinkling of hair where once there was none. "I...I don't know," he stuttered, his eyes unable to tear away from the bewildering transformation.
Justin, who had just sauntered into the luminescent glow of the living room, caught a glimpse of Tim's unfolding metamorphosis. "Are you... growing a beard?" Justin's voice bordered on incredulity as he pointed to the shadow now playing across Tim's jawline.
Fingers trembling, Tim grazed his chin, the bristle grazing his fingertips sending a shock through his system. "No, no, no. This can't be happening," he muttered, fear lacing his once boyish tones.
The family watched in mute horror as Tim's shirt protested against his swelling form, buttons ricocheting off the walls like startled sparrows. The fabric stretched taut across his widening back, seams groaning their resistance. Tim, propelled by a surge of panic, rose from the depths of the couch, his eyes spinning with terror.
"Stop, make it stop-!," he immediately covered his mouth after uttering the words as the deep voice that escaped his mouth was one he wasn't used to. The terror in his eyes was evident.
Ellen's hand flew to her mouth, stifling a gasp as the unfamiliar baritone boomed from her little brother. Justin's eyes stretched wide, not unlike saucers. "Tim, what in the world is happening to you?"
But as the words spilled out, Tim's transformation barrelled on. The growth spurt that rippled across him was monstrous, muscles burgeoning beneath his skin as his garments ripped and surrendered. His once-smooth face now donned a rapidly densifying beard, and a light pelt enveloped his body. His shoes burst at the seams, revealing bare feet that rapidly broadened and became cloaked in hair.
A stunned hush enveloped the room, each Roderick holding their breath as they beheld Tim, now a colossus dwarfing Jack and even Justin. The air was steeped in a potent, ethereal energy, and in the corner, the lamp cast a benign glow, the very catalyst of magic that had deftly woven a harrowing twist into Tim's naive wish.
Wide-eyed and reeling, Tim moved with tentative steps, his gigantic presence consuming the space. The enchanted lamp had taken his simple longing to be seen as grown-up and twisted it into this mystifying and petrifying new reality. The Rodericks stood rooted, grappling with the fantastical transformation of the family's erstwhile boy wonder.
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