Prisms of Change -- The Purple Orb

         Candice looked at the strange orb her mother had brought into the living room with a mix of anticipation and fear. “So,” she said, unwilling to stir from the couch she was lounging on to take a closer look. “Does that really work? Have you tested it?”

         “Oh, it works,” her mother Janice said, looking over her daughter's slim and youthful form stretched out on her living room sofa. “The orb makes no changes in personality or memory unless we request it to. It transfers attributes between people, whatever we ask it to move. If there are other things that go with those attributes, it moves those too. Anyone inside the room with the orb when the change happens remembers how things were before. Everyone outside the room thinks things have always been that way.”

         “That's cool and all,” Candice said, rousing from the couch to take a closer look at the orb. Padding across the floor on her delicate bare feet, her long legs carried her to the table with the orb in a handful of strides where it's radiant purple surface captured the gaze of her crystal blue eyes. “So, how's it work?”

         “Well,” Janice said, looking up at her much taller daughter's face. Even in her work heals, her college age daughter still stood several inches taller than her. But it gave her an idea. “Let's say that, for a few giggles, we wanted to trade heights. We both touch the orb and think about our height. The orb does the rest.”

         “Okay,” Candice said, reaching out and touching the orb. “I mean, I guess it could be kinda fun to be short for a weekend or something. You're what mom? Five foot even?”

         Reaching out and touching the orb, Janice smiled as she looked down on her much shorter daughter. “Heaven's no dear, you're the one who's five foot. I'm five foot eight.”

         “Wow,” Candice said, snatching her hand away from the orb and staring up at her mother. Her mom had always been on the larger side, tending towards what some would have called stout. Now that she had her daughter's height however, she seemed almost imposing in her size. Looking down, Candice was stunned to realize how much closer the ground looked... and how much larger everything else seemed. Especially her breasts. On her formerly five foot eight frame, the D-Cup wonders had seemed the perfect size. Now, on her reduced frame, they seemed much, much larger.

         “Amazing isn't it?” Her mom's voice jolted her out of her thoughts. “And it can trade other things to, not just physical things.”

         “Oh?” Candice asked, still a bit stunned from the change. “Like what?”

         “Well, you know how much you like my cooking?”

         “Yeah, you're an awesome cook!”

         “Well, I've always wanted to know how to dance, and you took dance lessons all those years. So, if you touch the orb and think about 'dancing' while I touch the orb and think about 'cooking.' Well,” Janice said as she placed her finger tips back on the orb. “Try it, you'll see.”

         Touching the orb again, Candice let herself think about dancing, and for a moment, years of dance lessons flashed before her eyes, but then, those thoughts were replaced as her favorite recipes began to fill her mind instead. Lobster ravioli, or pan seared Ahi Tuna. The list seemed endless. And all of it felt so easy to prepare, like she'd been doing it for years.

         Across the orb from her, Janice watched her  daughter lick her lips at the tasty delights that filled her mind. She'd miss being able to whip up such tasty concoctions on her own, but she felt the trade was well worth it. After all, there was nothing like the feel of excitement and romance you got from crossing the dance floor on the arm of a strong man in a powerful tango, or the floating feeling of a waltz... yes, so worth it.

         “Wow mom,” Candice said, pulling her hand away again. “So I guess it's on me to do dinner tonight.”

         “Well of course dear,” Janice said, leaving her hand on the orb. “But tell you what. I've been thinking. How would you like it if I took your mid terms for you? And your finals this term too. Would you be interested?”

         “Um... let me think about that a moment,” the short, buxom blond said. “Um, duh, yeah, I'd have to be stupid to pass that one up!” Candice said quickly putting her hand on the orb and thinking about her college classes and her tests. Moments later, Candice stepped back from the orb in shock, nearly tripping over the sensible heals she'd worn home from work today and staring at her mother, who stood before her in a faded gray University sweatshirt and jeans.  “Um, mom,” Candice said, looking down at the smart blazer she'd worn to emphasize her cleavage and distract the men in her business meetings today. “What just happened?”

         “Oh, why we traded dear,” Janice said as though it were the simplest thing in the world. “I'm a college student. I'm taking all your classes for you. But if I'm in college, that means you have to have my job. I mean, I think it's a fair trade, don't you?”

         “Sure mom,” Candice said, reaching out and snagging the orb from beneath her mom's fingertips. “So, we're good like this till the end of the term right? I do your job, you do my classes. And, for as long as you want to be tall, I'll cook.”

         “Wait,” Janice said reaching back out to the orb. “I was thinking one more thing...”

         “Nah,” Candice said slipping the orb into one of her jacket's pockets. “I think we're good here mom. Besides, I want to take the orb to work with me tomorrow. I think I might have a few ideas for it there...”