The gentle breeze of summer whirled through the air, whipping a few blades of grass as it blew. I had just gotten out of school for summer break, which meant that I had exactly ninety-eight days of complete freedom from schoolwork. A tap on the shoulder made me turn around. It was Jared, my closest friend, and partner in almost everything. We knew each other like the back of our hands.

         “So what’s the first thing you want to do on summer break?” Jared asked, a warm smile on his face. I had no idea. There were so many things to choose from, I didn’t know where to start. Jared was almost my age, slightly shorter than me, had chestnut brown hair, and vivid blue eyes. He was an only child and had no brothers or sisters, which could be lonesome at times, but it never bothered him in the slightest.

         “I can’t say at the moment. We have nothing but time,” I replied, looking up at the near clear blue sky, with a few wisps of sparse clouds. “I have an idea! Why don’t we go visit Mrs. Johnson? We haven’t been to see her for a while,” Jared suggested hopefully. I nodded, straightening my hat. Jared and I began making our way to the antique store just a few roads away.

         As Jared and I were walking, I couldn’t help but notice that peculiar air of somethingcaught my attention. I looked around a couple of times but saw nothing out of the ordinary and continued walking. When we rounded the corner, a warm, classic-looking antique store stood out against the many other businesses and stores that populated the area.

         Martha Johnson’s Antiquities stood in front of me and Jared, with its welcoming aura and appearance, always open to those with a keen interest in fine antiquities and vintage items. “You first, Jake. You know Mrs. Johnson the most,” Jared said, stepping aside to allow me to enter the building first.

         A melodious bell rang when I pulled the door handle. When Jared and I entered the antique store, a familiar woman was inside wiping dust off the various vintage and antique items on the shelves. When she heard us walking close, the store owner paused in her sweeping. “Hello, Mrs. Johnson. How has your day been going so far?” I asked her. Martha smiled warmly and chuckled. “So far I’ve had plenty of store visitors. How are things for you two?” she asked, straightening her copper framed glasses.

         I looked around at the numerous oak shelves lining the antique store before answering. “We just got out of school. School’s out for summer vacation!” I said happily, walking further down the row of shelves. “Take your time, you two. Feel free to take a good look around. Let me know if you find anything you want,” Mrs. Johnson said, resuming her task of brushing dust off the vintage items that filled the entire antique store.

         Jared caught up beside me and whispered into my ear. “I heard a rumor that something really interesting can be found here. Nobody knows what it is but people at school have been gossiping about it the entire school year. We have to find it before anyone else does,” he said under his breath, with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes. I nodded briefly.

         With that, Jared walked off to another corner of the antique store, leaving me somewhere near the middle of the building. I considered my friend’s statement, wondering whether it was true or not. But Jared wasn’t the type of person to lie or make something up. Believe it or not, he was the most truthful person I’d ever met. If he told me something, it was bound to be true. I was convinced enough to start looking around for….whatever the latest gossip concerned.

         I walked slowly among the oak shelves lining the entire length of the store, looking for anything slightly unusual. Somewhere ahead, a glint of green light flickered. Snapping back to attention, I quickened my pace and approached the source of what I’d seen so briefly. “Is this what the gossip was talking about?” I wondered to myself, picking up two strange-looking necklaces with matching pendants attached to them.

         I turned one of the necklaces over in my hand. Strange and bizarre runes and symbols were etched into the back of the pendant, which I could make no sense of. One particular symbol made slight sense to me, as though I had seen it somewhere in the past but didn’t quite remember.

         When I heard someone walking up to me, I was startled, before realizing that it was only Jared. “Whoa, Jake, easy. It’s just me,” he said, before taking notice of the two necklaces in my hands. “Where did you get those? Don’t you know what those are?” my friend asked, and I picked up on what he was implying. “Wait, you know what these…things…are?” I asked, feeling genuinely surprised at this revelation.

         Jared nodded solemnly, holding a hand out for one of the necklaces. I obliged, handing him one. I looked past Jared’s shoulder and saw Mrs. Johnson walking towards us. I tapped him on the shoulder and tilted my head in Mrs. Johnson’s direction. He understood my signal and quickly hid the necklace behind his back. “Find anything interesting, boys?” she asked, showing no sign of having seen us with the necklaces.

         Jared was the one to speak first. “We wanted to know what this is,” he said, revealing the necklace he held. Mrs. Johnson straightened her copper framed glasses and peered closer. After a moment of close inspection, an expression of dawning clarity showed in her hazel brown eyes.

         “Ah, I see you’ve discovered one of my enchanted relics. Come, follow me you two,” she said, gesturing for us to follow. Jared looked at me. I shrugged. So we followed behind Martha towards a seemingly ordinary bookshelf located near the very end of the store. On our way, she continued. “I don’t often reveal my enchanted and magical items to just anyone, you know. But you two are just the right kind of people who I trust enough to allow wielding these powerful necklaces,” she explained.

         I felt a little confused. “Hold on a second, is this true? What makes those necklaces so special?” I asked, wanting to know. Martha paused a moment before answering. “You’ll see in a few minutes,” she said simply, slipping a key into the glass door on the antique bookshelf. Instead of unlocking the unsuspecting-looking door, the entire bookshelf sank into the floor, revealing a torch-lined tunnel that led underground.

         “You wanted to know what makes these necklaces important, right? Down there, all your questions will be answered,” Mrs. Johnson said, stepping to the side, clearly waiting for Jared and me to go first. I looked at Jared for an explanation, but he simply angled his eyes toward the first stairstep. Taking a deep breath, I stepped through the door and made my way down the stairs.

         So many questions, so few answers. This is getting to be the most unusual day of my life! I thought to myself, squinting my eyes in the dim light of the stairwell. I bumped into Jared a few times on our way down the stairs but thankfully did not collide with him anymore after that. After an unknown period of time, I felt something hard and solid contact with the tips of my shoes.

         “I think we could do with a nice touch of…light!” Martha’s voice said somewhere to my right. A clunking sound in front of me indicated that Martha was unlocking the door. A brief moment of blindness followed this act before my vision returned to normal. I blinked a couple of times before fully regaining my sight. A circular room was in front of me, and I stepped through the curved underground entrance, looking around in wonder, curiosity, and amazement.

         The circular underground room was filled to the brim with delicate-looking scrolls and reams of parchment, along with many other mysterious and foreign artifacts and relics. “This is where I keep the most secret and rare magical items, far from anyone who would use them for nefarious purposes. I don’t think I’ve shown any living person besides the two of you. You’re the first ones to catch a glimpse of such rare and unique things,” Martha explained, turning around to face Jared and me.

         At a loss for words, I looked to my friend for guidance. Catching my meaning, Jared spoke up for me. “How about answering our question. What do these necklaces do?” Jared asked, waiting for an answer. Martha dipped her head obligingly and sat down on a very comfortable-looking chair. “Why don’t you see for yourself? Go on then, put the necklaces on,” she said, clasping her hands together.

         I felt confused, but did so anyway, the necklace slipping around my neck. A strange and sudden rush of magical energy surged through me, making me feel awestruck. Jared showed a similar reaction, and we both looked at each other in surprise. “What was that?” I asked, stroking the pendant attached to my necklace.

         I absentmindedly scratched my side, not noticing the pads swelling on the palm of my right hand. “Jake! Look at your hand!” Jared exclaimed, jumping out of his chair with a clatter. Confused, I looked at the palm of my right hand. “Wha-huh?” I gasped, my eyes widening in utmost shock and disbelief. Martha smiled knowingly, a cryptic gleam in her hazel brown eyes. I felt a strange pressure start developing at the base of my spine.

         Slightly curious, I looked over my shoulder. A small nub was straining against the fabric of my pants, making me wince. “What’s happening to me?” I asked Martha. She stood up from her chair and strode behind me. “Let me help you with that,” she said, bending down. Her thumb pressed into the base of my spine and something clicked loudly into place.

         With a shout, I found myself forced down onto all fours. I stretched with my rear end high up in the air, my eyes closed tightly. A loud ripping sound burst out behind me, followed by a strange sensation of immense liberation. I shakily caught my breath, opening one eye cautiously. I finally opened my other eye, wondering what had just happened to me.

         I struggled to pronounce the words of a shakily voiced question. “Wrrrrrat happened t-to me?” I finally managed to ask, sounding somewhat like a growl. Martha crouched down in front of me, her eyes level with mine. She held a mirror up to my eyes. With a yelp of surprise, I flinched at my reflection. I looked behind myself and saw a long silvery tail protruding out in between my legs.

         I could hardly make sense of what I was seeing, couldn’t begin to comprehend my current situation. This had to be a dream….right? This couldn’t possibly be happening, could it? I attempted to stand upright but my new quadrupedal stance wouldn’t allow me to do so. Looking up, I saw Jared standing over me.

         “What happened to Jake?” Jared asked, sitting down next to me. Martha gestured at Jared’s respective magical necklace as an explanation. I had difficulty forming proper words and struggled to speak clearly. “T-the necklace grrrr-d-did this to m-me?” I asked shakily. Martha nodded her head in confirmation.

         Jared seemed to have gotten over his initial concern and relaxed a little. “But hey, at least you have a tail Jake,” he said comfortingly. Unlike my friend, I was still panicking over my current situation. “H-how is that supposed to be any better?! J-just look at me! I’ve turned into a w-wolf!” I barked in frustration, my teeth bared.

         “Easy, Jake. Don’t let yourself spiral out of control. Calm down,” my friend soothed, patting me on the head. I suddenly felt a strong canine desire to wag my newfound tail, so I did. “Y-yes, keep g-going,” I said, closing my eyes in satisfaction. I snapped out of my brief moment of canine satisfaction, my eyes fluttering open.

         “What am I doing? This is all wrong!” I said, my tail falling slackly in between my legs. I let out a sigh, contemplating how to solve my predicament. Martha must have guessed what I was thinking and spoke up once more. “The necklace doesn’t just transform the wearer. You can easily return to normal. Just close your eyes and focus on transforming back,” she explained. Hoping this would work, I closed my eyes and thought over and over this single thought: Transform back, transform back, transform back! I felt my wolfish snout shortening back to its original length, along with the furry tail retreating into my spine.

         After a few moments of shifting, I opened my eyes to see if it had worked. The pads on my formerly pawlike hands had vanished without a trace. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that my attempt had been successful. I found that I could stand upright once more and got to my feet. “That was just crazy,” I said, shaking my head. Jared clapped me on the shoulder playfully. “It’s all right. But think of how much fun we’ll get to enjoy during summer vacation, Jake!” my friend pointed out, slipping on his necklace.

         Martha stepped in between Jared and me. Her expression was solemn. “You two be careful using those necklaces. Others may see their power and try to seize them from you. Be extremely careful,” she cautioned before opening the door that led above ground. “Come on, Jake. Let’s go over to the lake,” Jared suggested, heading through the door and back upstairs.

         The entrance bell chimed when we headed out the door. Mrs. Johnson watched us at the entrance door, calling after us. “Enjoy your summer vacation, boys! Come back any time you’d like!” With that, Martha went back inside and let the front door shut.

         I felt a sudden rush of excitement at having a necklace that could transform me and Jared. Just thinking about this made me smile in happiness. By now the sidewalk was less bustling than thirty minutes before we’d entered the antique store. I guessed people were out enjoying the first day of summer vacation, with time to spare. The possibilities were endless!

         After the initial panic I’d experienced upon the necklace performing its magic, I no longer felt any negative emotions. I felt…eager. Eager to explore the capabilities of my necklace, that was. We reached the outskirts of town and came upon the widely spread, open lake which was untouched by the chaos of electric motorboats zipping across the surface of the body of water. I turned to face Jared, who was gazing intently at the enormous lake. “Want to go for a dip in the lake?” I asked my friend. Jared came back to the present and nodded eagerly. I bent down, untied my sneakers, removed my socks, and slipped out of my red t-shirt.

         I waded into the water first, enjoying the feel of water and sand passing in between my toes. Then a strange rubbery feeling occurred, right in between my toes. Curious, I looked down. I gasped in delight, when I saw webbing forming in between my toes. I waded further into the water, enjoying the nice comforting sensation of moisture. I felt a familiar tense pressure beginning to develop at the base of my spine.

         Sure enough, after a moment of pressure, bubbles erupted on the surface of the lake. I reached behind my back and brushed up against a long furry object unfurling underwater. When I lifted my hand out of the water, I saw that webbing had formed in between my fingers, along with dark chestnut brown pads that had materialized on the palms of my hands.

         I spun around to look back at my friend. Smiling, I raised my webbed hand out for Jared to see. “Isn’t this great?” I asked, a trickle of water sliding down the bridge of my nose, which immediately began pushing out into an ottery snout. Jared nodded, his face partially becoming that of an otter.

         I turned away and dove underwater, my long flexible tail whipping through the water behind me. My necklace’s pendant became an oyster, which suited me perfectly. I was an otter now, after all! My pants slid off my legs as I swam through the water, falling into the depths below. My transformation became more prominent, the last few traces of my human features disappearing as I swam. I watched as my body shrank into a more otter-like proportion, my feet becoming paws.

         My vision was just as clear underwater as it was above water, but even more, enhanced than ever before. Pewter fur grew in patches on my rapidly shrinking form, swallowing any exposed skin in a thick furry coat. I could get used to this! I thought to myself, dipping even deeper into the water. Thoughts and worries melted into contentment, the underwater environment felt just like home. I felt at peace here, where I didn’t have to worry about stresses and difficulties on the surface.

         Jared appeared at my side, snapping me out of my thoughts. My friend pointed up to the surface and I understood his meaning. Taking a last look at the underwater environment, the two of us swam upward and broke through the surface of the lake, sending a cascade of water droplets up into the air. When I had taken a moment to catch my breath, I was startled to realize that my upper body was completely human!

         “Jared, I think that when we exit the lake, we’ll completely revert to our normal selves. You know what this means, right?” I said, looking at my warped reflection on the rippled watery surface. He nodded in agreement. “We have to go back underwater. Your pants slipped off of you when you were swimming. I still have my clothes, but you don’t. Hurry up, it’s getting late,” my friend said before turning to exit the lake.

         It made a lot of sense and I dove back underwater to retrieve my discarded clothing. My highly enhanced sight was restored and I had no problem finding where my pants had ended up. Swimming down, I felt the upper half of my body shifting into that of an otter, so I quickened my swimming pace. Grabbing hold of the legs of my pants, I tugged but the pants slipped out of my webbed hands. I panicked a little before trying again.

         Both my thumbs had completely disappeared, and my hands were becoming more pawlike by the second. On the fifth attempt, I succeeded in keeping a secure hold of my pants, so I swam upward to exit the lake. Wading up to the edge of the bank, I stood, dripping wet. Jared was sitting in the shade of an oak tree and looked up when I walked up to him.

         “Your nose hasn’t returned to normal, Jake,” my friend pointed out. I nodded and closed my eyes, focusing on my nose going back to normal. I opened my eyes and saw my nose had completely reverted to its original state. A gentle breeze whirled around Jared and me, making me shiver slightly. I slipped on my relatively dry t-shirt and headed home. “Same time tomorrow?” Jared called after me. I gave a thumbs up over my head as I walked, my mind racing at what I’d just experienced.

         “You’re home a little late, Jake. How was school?” my mom said when I stepped through the front door. “Great! I made a little stop by Mrs. Johnson’s store after school. Jared was with me,” I explained, pulling out a chair from under the dining room table. Mom shut her office laptop computer and walked over to the kitchen window. After a moment of gazing out the window, she turned away with a sigh of exhaustion, rubbing her temples.

         “You don’t look so good, Mom,” I said, getting up to walk over to her. “I’m fine, just a little tired is all. I’ll be fine,” she reassured me, giving a slightly exhausted smile. A look of curiosity appeared on her face. “Where did you get that?” she asked. At first, I didn’t know what she was talking about, but I noticed her gaze was on my neck. “Oh, this? I got it at the antique store. Jared and I both got matching necklaces,” I explained, removing my necklace to show my mom.

         “It looks beautiful, Jake. Did you pay for this, though?” she said, the look of curiosity still visible on her face. “Mrs. Johnson said we didn’t have to pay anything. You know how she is,” I said and my mom nodded in agreement. She laughed a tinkling chuckle and pulled me in for a hug. “I love how you found this necklace. It looks so beautiful,” she sighed, before rubbing her eyes tiredly.

         Mom let go of me and headed out of the kitchen. “I’m going to lay down for a bit. Stay out of trouble for me, okay?” she said, stopping halfway up the stairs. I nodded. With a smile tugging at the sides of her mouth, my mom resumed walking upstairs. I slipped the necklace back around my neck, before heading to my bedroom.

         I closed the door behind me quietly before locking it. The sun was now at its lowest point, the last few rays of twilight fading into a deep bluish indigo, stars appearing one by one in the night sky. I sat down on my bed, a sleepiness overcoming me. With a last yawn, I fell asleep, still fully dressed for daytime. My sleep was dreamless, though, and it seemed like I’d only just fallen asleep before I woke up to the morning sun.

         I blinked groggily, struggling to recall the past events from yesterday. In the reflection of my bedroom window, a gleam of green light reawakened my memories of the day before. The necklace! With reinvigorated excitement, I kicked off my blankets and unlocked the bedroom door, hurrying downstairs to the dining room.

         When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I found Jared waiting for me. “How did you-?” I started to say before my friend shook his head, clearly wanting me to go with him. It was summer vacation, after all. Before I could take a single step forward, Mom came out of the kitchen and started talking. “Jared says his parents are gone for an important business meeting somewhere in Canada. They’ll be gone for a considerable amount of time, so you can accompany him for the day,” my mom explained.

         I nodded in agreement, heading to the front door with Jared. “Stay out of trouble, you two. Enjoy your second day of summer vacation!” my mom said as we walked out the door. The morning sun was bright, with a pleasant summer breeze whipping through the air. Me and Jared walked along the sidewalk and took in the summer scenery, the sights enjoyable.

         I remembered that there was a part of the nearby woods that nobody but Jared and I knew of, so I spoke up. “You know, we could go to the woods to test out our new necklaces, Jared,” I suggested. He stopped walking and looked at me with a gleam in his vivid blue eyes. Just the thought of going to the woods triggered my necklace’s power.

         I looked down at my shoes and saw they had somehow changed their appearance. They looked almost like…Sonic’s shoes. Another change confirmed my suspicions. “Jake, you’re transforming!” my friend said, looking at me in startled curiosity. My thoughts became impatient. I tapped my left shoe up and down impatiently. “What am I doing just standing around for? I don’t have all day!” I said, getting down on my knees in a running position. With a loud boom, I sprinted down the sidewalk, a few car alarms going off. As I ran, I felt myself beginning to shrink, my transformation becoming obvious to me.

         I could sense that my face was also starting to shift and change in appearance. “Woohoo! This is going to be great!” I said, exhilarated from the sprinting. Before I knew it, I had reached the secret lake. What was even more surprising, when I looked down, I found myself skirting the surface of the water, as though it were solid. My eyes widened in surprise when I saw my reflection.

         I heard Jared call out from behind me, so I turned around, making a wide arc of water splash into the air. “How are you even doing that?” he shouted, bending over to catch his breath. I zoomed across the surface of the lake to meet Jared at the edge of the bank, leaving v-shaped ripples in my wake.

         “Did you see that? I can run across water now!” I said in excitement, striking a cool pose. Jared finally regained his breath and stopped bending over. It wasn’t just my body that had changed; My voice had changed as well. I sounded just like Sonic. I turned around to look at the lake, feeling the slightest urge to run out onto the water and race around the surface.

         I quickly dismissed this desire and closed my eyes, channeling my necklace’s power to revert back to normal. Opening my eyes, I saw that I had completely returned to normal. “Let’s go to the arcade,” I suggested, heading towards the trail leading back into town. Jared nodded and followed close behind me.

         When we reached the arcade located in the city square, it was about to open. A number of people were already gathered around the main entrance to the arcade, ready to play some video games. Jared and I both tucked our necklaces underneath our shirts, not wanting anyone to see them.

         The owner of the arcade flipped the sign around. Opening the double doors, the gathering of people, along with Jared and I, all entered the arcade.