You know, when you find an artifact in the woods, generally you’d think the reasonable thing to do is to call your local archaeology team, or even a police officer. But when you're 6 and deep in the woods, you most likely aren’t the type to be making the most logical decisions.

The 6 year old, Jethro, toddles over a log or two and sees a bright shimmer enter his view. He crouches down to find a plain blue bracelet. He picks it up, notes a gunmetal texture, and an incredibly shiny-glittering ruby ensconced into its center. Without much thought, Jethro puts it on. It fits perfectly, snapping snuggly onto his wrist like a watch.

Immediately he regrets putting on this random bracelet when within seconds of its presence his heart begins to pound heavily. Suddenly, fire floods his veins and his vision turns red. Collapsing onto his knees, he can barely move as everything turns into nothing but pain. His consciousness fades in and out. And just as quickly the pain floods him, leaving him in a blackness that swallows what remains of his mind.

Their eyes snap open without much fanfare. They look around to observe their surroundings and find themselves exactly where they fell unconscious previously. 

As Jethro walks over to a pond nearby they look into it and see a new face greeting them. It's a bit softer and rounder. Their hands are ever so slightly smaller, their eyes slightly bigger and a deep shade of green. The only changes Jethro themself notices upon looking into the pond is that their hair is a bit longer and now a dark green. They are now wearing a thigh length skirt, a new shirt and shoes all of which are navy. They have a sword strapped around their waist. 

As they continued to look they could tell that something was off beside their new attire. Reaching up, they pulled the new hair and to their surprise they yipped in pain in a higher but more pleasant voice for them, as they observed their new state they saw the girls clothes that they were in and all at once it hit them, “Am I a girl?” noticing a tightness around their crotch but no pain. They reached down and felt an emptiness that should have sent fear into her but it just felt right. It was so strange she was a girl, it should have been terrifying but instead it was almost freeing.

 “What happened? Why am I a girl? Was it the bracelet?”

After spending a good minute or two examining their appearance in earnest she now starts to comprehend the gravity of her situation, and thoughts begin to roll into her head. 

“I look so different, why did this happen? Can it be undone? What if it can't? What if I am stuck like this? What will my parents think?  Will they even recognize me? What if I suck like this?” 

It was with this last thought that tears started to well up in her eyes, “What if they leave me? Will they just get a new kid? What if I can't ever see them again? Will they even care? I want to change back!” 

As she cried into the pond they felt a subtle change that they didn't even take the time to notice, too lost in their own thoughts. 

“How could I survive out here? What will happen to me? Why me? Why? Why? Why?...” 

Suddenly, they felt hands on their shoulders.

“What's wrong Jethro?” 

He looked up to see that his parents were there and bawled out, “Do you recognize me?!” 

They quirk a confused look while looking at each other, “What are you talking about, of course we recognize you.” 

Jethro took a moment to look down now mirroring their confusion to find that his previous appearance has all but reverted, all that remains however is the bracelet assuredly. 

“B-But I thought-t-t.… I looked different though.” 

“Well maybe you do look different with a bit of dirt on you, but trust us we’d still recognize you,” Jethro’s father brightly says. 

Jethro takes the explanation for what it is and curls into his mother’s side. They eventually after pausing for a moment pick up their son and make their way out of the woods. 

Later that night when Jethro was privately in their bathroom, he was staring intently into the mirror looking for the changes that he swore he saw. He spent hours questioning his parents about it, trying to see if the changes had stuck but even under his parents' scrutiny they found none of the changes he had once seen.

Thinking deeply about what he had looked like; the dark green eyes, that rounder face, that deep green hair, the navy skirt. When he brushes his hand over the bracelet, face in deep concentration, without noise, without lights, without even an iota of motion, Jethro sees himself regain her feminine appearance within a literal blink.

A quick shout spills out as Jethro immediately tumbles backwards in surprise hitting the back of her head on the edge of the tub and immediately sitting down seething in pain from the impact, noting once again the melodic quality of the new appearance’s voice. She presses herself up from the floor now taking deep breaths while examining closely what she looks like once again. 

“The exact same from earlier, the sword, the clothes, it’s the same! I knew I wasn’t imagining it!” She pumps her fist in an almost victorious mood.

 “Wait, why am I in a good mood about it?” 

Her parents knocked on the door, “Are you alright in there, we heard a loud crash!” 

Her hackles raise and suddenly she feels the need to assure them, “Nothing’s wrong! I just tripped and bumped into the cabinets a little!” 

“Your voice sounds a little off, are you ok?” 

Thinking on her feet she spouts out, “Uh my voice is a little hoarse from running around in the forest, I’m ok!” A pause passes as she waits with bated breath. 

“Ok, if you say so, if you need anything let us know!” She hears the footsteps of her parents as they begin to walk away from the door and down the stairs, and proceeds to let out the breath she was holding. 

Turning back towards the mirror he finds that he transformed back. The feminine appearance leaves no evidence.