The early suspension of school sent waves of confusion and fear through the community, leaving Amelia and her freshman brother, Jeremy, to make their way home in a daze. The gravity of what had transpired hung over Amelia, the images of Ethan's transformation replaying in her mind like a horror movie she couldn't pause.
Once home, Amelia retreated to her room, seeking solace in solitude. She barely had time to process the day's events before Jeremy barged in, his curiosity piqued by the commotion at school and the rumors swirling among the students.
"Hey, Amelia, is it true what they're saying about Ethan? That he turned into a giant freak?" Jeremy asked, a teasing grin on his face as he spotted the journal on her dresser. "Oh, what's this? Love notes to the giant?"
Annoyed and not in the mood for her brother's teasing, Amelia snapped, "Just grow up, Jeremy!" before storming out of the room, her frustration boiling over.
Left alone, Jeremy's gaze fell back to the journal. With a mischievous glint in his eye, he grabbed a pencil and, mimicking what he imagined Amelia had done, doodled his name next to "Jeremy's giant size" as a joke.
The moment the pencil touched the paper, the air in the room shifted, charged with an unseen energy. Jeremy laughed at his own joke, unaware of the power he'd just unleashed.
Suddenly, a strange sensation coursed through him, starting at his feet and rushing up his body like a tidal wave. He looked down in confusion, only to witness his shoes tightening around his feet alarmingly fast. Within seconds, the seams split with a loud pop, his toes bursting through the fronts as if they were made of paper.
"What the—?" Jeremy's voice cracked, then deepened, each word sounding more bewildering than the last. His clothes began to strain against his rapidly expanding frame, the fabric stretching to its limits. The sound of ripping filled the room as his shirt tore open down the middle, revealing a chest that was growing broader by the second.
Panic set in as Jeremy watched his body transform, his height shooting up with such speed that he had to stoop to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. His pants, unable to withstand the sudden growth, tore apart at the seams, leaving him in tatters.
"Amelia!" he bellowed, his voice now a deep, rumbling thunder that shook the small room. But Amelia was already rushing back, alerted by the noise.
Bursting into the room, she was met with a sight she could hardly believe. Her brother, now a giant, was hunched over in their shared space, his clothes in ruins around him.
Realizing the journal's power and her role in this chaos, Amelia sprang into action. "Jeremy, we need to get you out of here before anyone sees!"
With difficulty, they managed to navigate Jeremy out of the house, his massive form barely squeezing through the doorways. The barn, a relic from their property's past life as a farm, offered the only refuge large enough to conceal him.
As they settled into the shadowy interior, Jeremy, now calmer but still towering over Amelia, looked down at his sister with a mix of fear and bewilderment.
"I'm sorry, Amelia. I didn't know," he murmured, his voice a low rumble that echoed off the barn's aged walls.
"It's not your fault," Amelia reassured him, though her mind raced with questions and fears about the journal's mysterious origins and its unforeseen capabilities.
Together, they faced the uncertainty of the night, hiding away in the barn, pondering over the journal's magic and the chaos it had unleashed. Amelia knew one thing for certain: their lives had changed forever, and there was no turning back.