Jacob Shae had always felt a little different, but nothing compared to what he’d experienced lately—randomly turning into things that moved, with no warning and no way to stop it. The secret weighed on him, a mixture of fear and annoyance bubbling inside, but he couldn’t bring himself to tell anyone—not his parents, not his siblings, not even his best friend. He worried that if they knew, they’d use his strange ability or, worse, see him as a problem that needed fixing.
In horror, Jacob tries to will himself back to normal, but nothing works. Seconds later, his younger brothers burst in, startled by the empty shower. One reaches out and twists the knob, cutting off the water—and trapping Jacob in a place he can barely understand, lost in the plumbing. He feels the movement of others in the house, but he’s powerless, invisible, and alone.
Jasmine Max, a kind-eyed girl with messy braids, steps into the boys’ bathroom. She pauses near the shower, her gaze sharp and searching. The noise fades as she whispers, "Jacob, if that’s you in the shower, my 10-year-old brother cursed you by mistake." Jacob, sensing the truth in her words, manages to swirl the water in response, desperate to communicate.
He remembers the confusion when his parents decided he would live with his aunty and uncle, while his brother Henry stayed behind. Henry had been furious, believing Jacob was the favorite. No matter how Jacob tried to explain, Henry wouldn’t listen. The adoption papers had already been signed, and their fate was sealed. Henry’s resentment simmered, and Jacob’s silence about his curse became a shield against more pain.
"Jacob, you need to talk to him," Jasmine urges gently. Jacob hesitates, then finally approaches Henry, his heart pounding. "Henry, I never wanted this to happen to us," he says, voice trembling. Henry’s face twists, anger and longing battling within him, but as Jacob continues, the tension slowly melts.
Jacob finally shares his secret, his words tumbling out in a rush—about the curse, the transformations, and his fear. Jasmine listens intently, promising to help him find a solution. For the first time, Jacob feels truly seen, his burden shared, and the possibility of controlling his strange power glimmers on the horizon.
