I had over-slept; missed the alarm clock completely. Jumping up I rushed around getting ready for work. I guess this is why I hadn’t noticed anything different. It was only when I had rushed into the bathroom and, skidding on the wet tiles, my head collided with the basin. I sat dazedly on the bathroom floor for a minute, looking stupidly at the basin that seemed to tower over me. Rubbing the rapidly growing bump on my forehead I cautiously stood up.
Something was definitely wrong. The basin, which normally I would have to bend over, was level with my eyes. Frowning, I looked down at my feet. Yes, they were still there; I hadn’t been chipped off at the knees. A slight fear started gnawing at my stomach. What was happening? Why was this basin as tall as I was? Or why am I only as tall as the basin?
Carefully I backed out of the bathroom, not taking my eyes off the basin. For some silly reason I expected it to do something, jump out and grab me, preventing me from leaving the bathroom. But it didn’t. It stayed right where it was, grinning at me mockingly in the early morning sunlight that streamed through the window.
Once out of the bathroom I looked for the step ladder I always kept handy. The usually light object was very hard to move so with all my strength I tugged it into the bathroom. Lining it up in front of the mirror above the basin I slowly clambered up. I was not prepared for what I saw.
My hair, it was long and golden and plaited in braids. My cheeks were round and rosy like apples. Oh my goodness, my teeth! Some of them were even missing! I hadn’t looked like this since I was – what, five? Stunned I stepped back and fell off the ladder. Pain shot up my spine and it started beeping at me. My spine was beeping?! How much worse can things get? Very slowly my vision starts to blur and blackness overtakes me but still the beeping continues in the distance. Gradually the black fog begins to lift and as it does the beeping grows louder and more insistent. Suddenly the beeping reverberates around my head in the most annoying way. I sit up and reaching over the night stand I switch the alarm clock off.
Categories: Short Story