Stuck (Patreon)

In the department store, thirteen-year-old Emiko was looking through the dresses.  Her mother had brought her to the store to get her own things.  Emiko was left alone in the girl's 7-16 section of the department store looking at the dresses.  There were so many dresses she really liked, but she doubted her mother would buy them for her.  But it was just so much fun to look.

Emiko is a slim, pretty 13-year-old Japanese girl.   She is only 4'8" and perhaps 80 pounds.  She hadn't weighed herself in a while, but that didn't matter.

Emiko found this black/white/yellow shirred sleeve striped dress that she really liked.  Even though it had buttons down the front, it was a pullover type with a round neck and the shirred short sleeves had metallic accents.  She loved it.  She pulled it from the rack and posed behind it as if she was wearing it.  She stuck one foot out and looked at herself in a mirror.

“That's a very pretty dress,” a boy commented.  He looked to Emiko like he was about fifteen years old.  He was with his friend.

"Thank you,” said the polite little girl.

“Would you like to have it?”

“I would.  I'll ask my mother.  I don't think she'll get it for me.”

“Why not?”

“It's too expensive.”  Emiko showed the boy the price.

“I could get it for you.”

“You could?”

“Yeah, but I need you to do something for me.”

“Something?”

“Nothing bad, all you have to do is give something back to someone without them knowing.”

“What do you mean?”

“This belongs to someone.  I got it and I have to give it back.  But I don't want him to know I had it.”  The boy showed Emiko a circular metallic object.  Emiko didn't know if it was a coin or a charm or what it was.

“You mean I just have to give that to him and that's it.”

“No, you have to put it in his pocket without him knowing.  That's it.  It's no big deal.”

“Why can't you do it?”

“He knows me.  It's simple.  All you have to do is sort of bump into him and put it into his pocket without him knowing.”

“I don't know.”

“How about if I not only uyt the dress, but I get you some white tights and pretty shoes to go with it.”

“Maybe?”

“A pretty hair ribbon too?  Like that one over there?”

“It took some sweetening, but Emiko finally agreed.

The boys bought the stuff and walked Emiko out of the store.  “There he is,” one of the boys remarked.  This happened to be a random person that neither of the boys had ever seen before.  Their two victims didn't matter too much to them as long as they were different types of people.

“What should I do?”

“Just walk nonchalantly and bump into him.  Stick the 'charm' into his pocket.  Say something like 'Sorry' and walk away.  That's it.”

“OK, I can do that.”

Emiko took the charm and put it into her right hand.  Her heart was in her throat.  She could hear her heart beating.  She walked towards the man.  She kept her eyes not on the man's face, but on his pocket.  She crept nearer and nearer.  She was going to pass him, but then she faked slipping and fell into the man.  She dropped the charm into his pocket. As she bumped into his upper chest.

“Be careful,” the man said.

“I'm so sorry,” Emiko replied.  “I guess I wasn't looking where I was going.”

“Are you alright?”

“Yes.”

“Are you sure?”

“I'm fine.”

“Can I call anyone for you?”  The man was being so nice.

“No, I'm fine. I just slipped.  I should be thanking you.  You broke my fall.  I didn't get hurt.”

“OK, it's alright, what's your name?”

Emiko lied, “My name is Momoko.”

“Momoko, you are a very pretty young lady.  I'm glad you didn't get hurt.”

“Thank you.”

Emiko walked away as fast as she could.

The man called out.  “Be careful!”

The boys gave Emiko the dress they promised.  In the bag, were also the tights, shoes, and hair bow.

“Thanks,” the boys said.

Emiko felt a little guilty now that it was over.  But she didn't see any problem with what happened.  After a moment she thought that her mother would make her give the pretty dress back.  Before that could happen, Emiko wanted to wear it.

Emiko didn't pay any attention to where the boys went as she headed towards the ladies room to put on her dress.  She got into the stall and took off the clothes she was wearing.  She carefully folded them and put them into the bag.  She took out the dress and other items.  She sat on the toilet in a locked stall and pulled on the white tights.  They were nylon and very opaque even over her legs.  Then she stood to pull on the dress and sat again to put on the shoes.  She exited the stall to see what she looked like.  She loved the dress.

Finally, since she could see herself, she attached the bow to her hair.   She didn't have any way of knowing that affixed to the dress was a charm identical to the one she dropped in the man's pocket.  'The boys' who were back in their own bodies.  Bodies that would be unrecognizable to Emiko.  The boys activated the charms.

The man Emiko had bumped into, and Emiko swapped places.  Inside Emiko's body, looking at himself in the mirror was the man, Sachio Sakai.  He looked at the mirror for a second not knowing that the reflection of the pretty girl was his.

<Sachio In Ladies Restroom>

Sachio looked around.  He knew he was in a women's restroom.  He didn't know why he was there or what had happened.  He exited immediately.

Once clear of the restroom, he also noticed how much shorter he was now.  He looked down and noticed he was wearing a dress.  His hands looked smaller; his arms thinner. Sachio resisted the urge to touch his new body.  That didn't seem proper.  He was a man of control; he didn't want to make a scene.  He didn't want to draw attention to himself.

Outside the ladies' room, Sachio looked around at his surroundings.  He was in the mall he had recently left.  He recognized it.  He knew who he was but didn't know how he got into this body.

The charm that had been used to perform the swap was gone.  He didn't even know that such a charm had ever existed.

Sachio didn't know what to do.  He didn't know who he was.  He didn't even know that the body he was in was the girl who had bumped into him before.  After all, she wasn't dressed the same.

Sachio froze in place, thinking what to do.  He didn't know.

“Emiko, Emiko!” Sachio heard.  He didn't recognize the name.

A woman was running towards him.   It was Emiko's mother.  She was looking for her daughter.  She wasn't where she was supposed to be.  It was clear to Sachio that this woman was coming towards him.   Sachio didn't know what this was about but didn't want to be caught by this woman.  He ran the other way.  He could run fast in his little body.  Faster than he could in his own body at his advanced age.   Emiko's mother ran after him but couldn't catch him.  In the crowded mall Sachio got away.

What Sachio decided was to get home and figure out what to do.  He couldn't take his car it wasn't here anyway.  He had been driving when the swap happened.

Sachio hadn't any alternative but to take public transportation home.  It took a while, but he finally arrived at his own house.   Sachio knocked on the door.

“Can I help you?” Sachio's wife Suki asked.

"Suki, you aren't going to believe this, but I'm your husband Sachio?”

“Little girl, stop fooling around.  Is Sachio with you?”

“No, I'm Sachio.  I'm 53 years old, I work at...” Sachio gave the details of his life and the things that only his wife knew and what he knew about his wife.  It was hard to convince her, but she had to.

“How did this happen?” Suki asked.

“I don't know.  One moment I was driving home, the next I was in a restroom looking like this.”

“You don't know how it happened?”

“I told you everything.”

“What are we going to do?” Suki asked.

“I guess we have to find my body and swap back.”

“How?”

“Let's just find...”

Suki's phone rang. It was the police.  It said so on the ID.  She answered.  “Mrs. Sakai?”

“Yes.”

“There's been an accident.  It involved your husband Sachio.”

“Is he alright?”

“You had better get down to the hospital.  It was on the freeway.  He apparently lost control.”  The policeman explained what happened the best he could.  He didn't want to tell her that Sachio didn't make it over the phone.  Better to tell her at the hospital.

“I'll be right there.”

Suki got the hospital's details.

“What is it?” Sachio asked.

“There's been an accident.”

“I could tell from what I heard.”

“I'm supposed to go to the hospital.”

“Did they say how...I am?”

“They didn't say.  I think it's really bad.”

Suki and Sachio left for the hospital.  Sachio didn't change out of the dress he was wearing.  He couldn't if he wanted to, he didn't have any other apparel.  Even Emiko's clothes that she was wearing had been abandoned when Sachio left the restroom.  He didn't even know they belonged to him.

They had to see how Sachio's body was.  Sachio also wanted to 'talk' to whoever was in his old body.  Suki drove to the hospital.  Sachio was in the passenger seat.  This had never happened before.  Before today, it didn't matter whose car they were using, if Sachio was in the car, he would drive it.  Sachio was a traditional Japanese man; he was in charge as much as he could be.

The pair arrived at the hospital and proceeded to the front desk.

“I'm here to see...” Sachio started to say.  But when Suki pulled his hand, he knew that he should be quiet, he wasn't the man anymore.

“I'm here to see Sachio Sakai,” Suki stated.  “What room is he in?”

The receptionist typed the name in the computer and then looked up at Suki.  “He's your husband?” the receptionist asked.

“Yeah.”

“Someone will be out to talk to you in a couple of minutes.  Please wait over there.”

“We want to see him now!” Sachio yelled.

“I'm sorry honey.  You'll just have to wait a little while.”

They took a seat and waited.

“Why won't they let us see him?” Sachio didn't know how to refer to his former body.

“Maybe he's in surgery or something.”

“They could have told us.”

“You heard her.  Someone will be with us soon.”

Momentarily a man came by.  “Mrs. Sakai?”

“Yes.”

“Can we talk privately?”

“Hey! I want to know!” Sachio demanded.

“Let me just talk to your mother and then she can talk to you.”  The police officer had assumed that the little girl was Suki's daughter.

“I'm not her...”

Suki cut him off, “Just let me hear what this nice officer has to say.  You wait here.”

They moved a little away from Sachio.  In his quietest voice, the officer said, “I'm sorry Mrs. Sakai your husband is dead.”

“Dead?”

“Yes, I'm very sorry.  He was D.O.A.  The wounds were too extensive.”

“Can I see him?”

“Yes, we need someone to confirm his identity anyway.”

“Well?” Sachio asked.

“You wait here. I'll be right back.”

“I want to come.”

“I'm sorry honey, you can't,” the officer interjected for Suki.

Suki was in a daze.  She didn't know what to think.  Was her husband dead or was he a little girl?  Both were true,  Neither was true.  Suki was led through the hospital to view Sachio's body.  A nurse's assistant watched Sachio while Suki was away.

“What's your name?” the nurse asked.

“I'm Sach...I mean I'm Suki,” Sachio said using his wife's name.

“That's a very pretty name. Just like you.”

Sachio wasn't interested in the conversation.  He wanted to know what was happening.  He didn't know that his body was dead.

Seeing Sachio's dead body, Suki broke down in tears.

“Is that your husband?” the attendant asked to confirm identity.

“Yes.”

“OK, you can stay with him as long as you like.  Then come to room 1024.  We have papers to sign, and someone will be there to help with the arrangements.”

Suki was left alone.  Her husband's body was dead.  Her husband was a little girl.  She didn't know what to do.  The first thing to do was to tell Sachio that his body is dead.  That means he can never be himself again.  There wouldn't be any switching back.  Not that he would know how to switch back if that wasn't the case.

Suki left the room containing Sachio's body.  The attendant was waiting by the door.

“Come with me, I'll show you where room 1024 is.”

“I've got to tell...”

“It'd be better if you handled all of this without your daughter.”

“Oh, she not...I mean, I should tell her.”  Then a moment later, Suki asked, “Can I take care of the paperwork tomorrow?”

“It would be best to do it now.”

“But can it wait?”

"I guess.”

“Then I'll see you tomorrow.”

“I understand.”

When Suki caught up with Sachio again, he was pacing the floor in his little body.  The nurse's assistant had given up trying to occupy the 'child's' interest.  She did get Sachio to drink some water.  He needed it; his mouth was very dry.”

“What's going on?” Sachio asked.

“We have to go.  I'll explain soon.”

“Tell me now!”

“No, when we are in the car.  When we are alone.  I promise.”

“OK.”

Soon they were both seated in the car.  Before Suki started the engine, Sachio asked again.  “What's going on?”

“You are dead.”

“I'm dead?”

“Yes, your body is dead.  I saw it. It was you.  You are dead.”

Sachio was quiet for a moment.  “What am I going to do?”

“I don't know.”

“If I'm dead, then I'm stuck like this forever.”

“I think so.”

“Look at me?  What am I going to do?”  Sachio was still wearing the pretty dress with white tights and brown shoes.  There was also panties with little pink hearts and a small bra.  The hair bow that Emiko was putting on during the swap had fallen off someplace.  Sachio didn't know. He didn't care.  He had the body of a little girl.  He didn't even know how old he was.  He looked himself over again.  This time without the hope that he would return to his own body...to his own life.

Through it all, Sachio refused to give into his emotions (except for anger) he may look like a little girl, but he still considered himself a man.  Men stay strong.

Suki turned the ignition on and drove home.  There wasn't any reason to stay at the hospital.  Neither said anything during the trip.  Both were considering what to do next.

On the way home, Sachio realized he had to pee.  The feeling came upon him fast.  His mouth had been dry, and he had drunk a lot of water in the hospital waiting room.  With his smaller body, came a smaller bladder.  He had to go soon.  Sachio pressed his legs together.

The need to pee distracted Sachio from his problem.  It was hard to think when the need was so urgent.  He resisted telling Suki to drive faster.  Suki didn't need to be told; the need was obvious.

They arrived at their house.  Sachio got out of the car and ran towards the front door.  His dress was fluttering as he ran.  But when he got to the door, he realized he didn't have his keys.  He wasn't carrying anything.  His dress didn't have any pockets.  Sachio pressed his legs together again to keep from wetting himself.

Suki walked quickly and let Sachio in.  He flew to the bathroom.  He knew what to do.  He pulled up his dress, then pulled down his panties and tights in one motion.  He turned from the toilet and sat down.  His dress crinkled behind his butt, but it didn't get in the way of the stream of urine he let loose.  Relief could be seen on his face as his bladder emptied.

Suki considered going to the bathroom to 'help' but decided against it.  She didn't even suggest that he should wipe after going.  There would be time enough for that later.  Instead, she went to the kitchen to make something to eat.  She was hungry and was sure that Sachio would be hungry too.

Setsuko Wakayama, Emiko's mother, called the police when her daughter ran away and couldn't be found.  The police contacted mall security to get a hold of the surveillance cameras.  They tracked Emiko through the mall and saw where she ran to.  Then using various cameras around the mall, they tracked her to a bus.  Before the end of the day, they knew where Emiko had gone.

No one knew why Emiko had gone to the Sakai household.  But they knew she want on her own volition

The police arrived at Sachio's door and knocked.  They had a picture of Emiko.

“Police,” they called out.

Suki opened the door.  She assumed it had something to do with 'Sachio's death'.

“Do you know this child?” the police asked as they showed Suki the picture of Emiko.

Suki didn't know what to say.  Sachio (Emiko's body) was in the next room.

“I, umm, I,” Suki stammered.

“She ran away from home,” the police informed Suki.  “We have reason to believe she is here.  Is that the case?”

The police entered the house without getting Suki's permission.  She wasn't in any condition to stop them anyway.  They called out, “Emiko!”

Sachio didn't know who Emiko was.  He wasn't sure if he was in the body of that girl who bumped into him.  He hadn't gotten that good a look.  Certainly not from this perspective.

The police found Sachio in the kitchen.

“Honey, there you are,” the policeman said in a soft voice.  “Your mother has been sick looking for you.”

Sachio didn't say a word.

“Emiko come with us.  We'll take you home.”

“I don't want to go.”

“Don't you want to see your Mommy?”

“No.”

“Why not she misses you.”

“I don't want to go!”

The police tried to be gentle and persuade Sachio.  Sachio wouldn't budge.  They finally had to grab him and carry him out like they would a 'little girl' which he was.  Sachio cried out, “PUT ME DOWN!  I don't want to go!”

The police didn't care what the girl wanted; they were going to take her.  Maybe they shouldn't take her straight to her mother before finding out what was wrong.  Regardless, Emiko wasn't staying here.”

Sachio screamed and kicked, but with the body of a thirteen-year-old girl, he didn't have much of a chance.

Suki and Sachio locked eyes as Sachio was being carried out of the house.  They might never see each other again.

End.

Author's note: This was always supposed to be a short story.  Much shorter than this actually.  I'm going to end it here.  Anyone who has a thought on what should happen next can post a comment or send me a message.  But for now.  This is the final version of the story.