Trevor

What is the point of life? This is a question I used to ask myself often. When I was a kid, I always tried to live my life to the fullest, to see what would happen as a result of my efforts.

But then, as I got older, I realized how pointless it all was.

Every day is so routine and boring now, and nothing will change that. I can imagine my future in a bunch of ways, but I know I'll still end up exactly like everyone else.

No wonder so many people try to be unique or famous.

However, most of the people that attempt greatness, try in vain. It's not like I'm happy about my fate as an average Joe, but I myself will not even bother trying to be different, because I know what the result will be. I'm an apathetic who half-does everything; a "that's good enough" sorta guy.

Yeah, I'm a boring guy in a boring life. How fitting.

That's why there will never be any crazy or life-changing events in my future to look forward to... right?

--

"I'm home, sweetie." My mom said, after coming home from work.

"Hey, mom." I said back, sitting on the couch watching TV.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching TV, duh."

"As usual. Did you do your homework?"

"Didn't get any today."

"Jeez, I can't believe you..."

"What? I really didn't get any!"

"That's not what I mean, Trevor. You do nothing but watch TV everyday. This needs to change."

"There's nothing else to do."

"Then find something to do! Go outside, or hang out with your friends."

"Friends? Good one, mom." Well, I do have one friend, but...

"Then get a job."

"I'm only 16."

"So? I'm sure there are a lot of people that are hiring now."

"Whatever..."

That's basically the conversation we have every day. Because of that, I didn't expect her to do something about it the following morning...

--

"What did you just say?!"

"I said that I got you a babysitting job." My mom explained to me. "Our neighbor from across the street got a new day job and needs someone to take care of her baby while she's gone."

"But babysitting?! Of all the jobs out there, why did you pick such a girly one for me?"

"Don't be like that! Her house is closeby, and not many people are lucky enough to get their first job so easily, y'know."

"I'm sure..."

"And I talked with your friend about it, and he said he'd lend you a hand. So this job shouldn't be too difficult for you."

"Seriously, why does he always feel the need to involve himself in my business in times like this?!" But I suppose thanks to him, this job might not be as much of a pain...

"Go already! She's expecting you soon."

"R-right now!?"

"Yes, hurry up!"

"Alright, jeez!" I grabbed my coat and ran to my neighbor's house.

--

Man, I'm completely unprepared... And I don't even know the first thing about babysitting! What was mom thinking?!

I knocked on the door. The door was opened immediately by a middle-aged woman.

"Morning, young man. You must be Trevor, if I'm not mistaken."

"T-that's correct, ma'am..."

"Come in."

I did so. She guided me to the living room, which had a playpen in the corner of the room.

"This is the baby." The woman said, picking her up from the playpen. "Her name is Kylee. Isn't she just about the most adorable thing you've ever layed your eyes on?"

The baby didn't seem too happy to be held by the lady.

"Sure, I guess..." I uttered, noticing something strange about the baby. "You're her mother, right? She doesn't seem to resemble you at all."

"Actually, this poor little thing lost her family a short while ago. Isn't that just the saddest thing ever?" She explained, seeming to make exaggerated expressions. "So when I saw her at the adoption center and heard what happened to her parents, I thought: I just have to adopt this little cutie! Having her around has been such a joy!"

"I-I see..." Why did that sound like she was talking about a dog instead of a baby...?

DING-DONG! The doorbell rang suddenly.

"Now who could that be?" The lady inquired.

"Ah, that's right. I have a friend that's going to help me today."

"Oh my! I'm not sure I want to pay for two babysitters, though..."

"U-uh..." I stammered nervously, not knowing how to respond to the situation.

"Heheh, only kidding! It's no problem at all!"

Phew...

"Now, I'd better let the poor dear in! It's been getting pretty chilly lately, y'know?" The woman rushed toward the front door, after putting Kylee back in her playpen.

She opened the door for my friend. He was wearing a simple sweatshirt, because of the slightly frigid weather.

"Good morning, ma'am!" He greeted, as chipper and cheerful as always. "I'm here to babysit while you're away!"

"She already knows that." I said to him. "I told her earlier."

"You have good timing, young man!" Said the lady. "I was just about to leave, so it's nice that I got to meet you first."

"I promise to do my best in taking care of your young one, ma'am!"

"Wonderful! It's nice to know I'll have someone so reliable to watch over her while I'm gone."

Does that mean she doesn't think I'm reliable?! ... Although I guess I can't blame her...

"Oh, I'd better hurry, or I'll be late for work!" She ran passed my friend and left the house. "Everything you need is in the bag I prepared next to the playpen. See you in six hours!" She got in her car and drove away.

"She sure left in a rush..." I stated bitterly.

"Well, she did say she was going to be late otherwise."

"But she barely explained anything about taking care of the baby..."

"Hm... Oh well. I'm sure we'll be fine!"

As carefree as ever...

"Hey, Casey." I said to my friend. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Trevs?" He asked in his usual cheery tone, a sharp contrast to mine.

"The way you were talking with that lady earlier... You always talk like that with everyone, especially with people you first meet. Why is that?"

"Well, why not? It's always nice to make a good first impression, isn't it?"

"Is that one of your 'mantras' or something?"

"Mantras? ... I like it! Sounds fancy!"

I sighed. "Well, you don't need to overdo it. Especially since you're going out of your way to help me.

"It's no trouble, Trevs!"

"... By the way, I've been meaning to ask..."

"What's up?"

"Why are you still standing outside? Don't you want to come in?"

"Oh... To be honest, I've been waiting for you to invite me in this whole time..."

"Invite you i-..." I facepalmed. "What are you talking about?! This isn't even my house! Why do you need my permission?"

"Well, it's rude to enter someone else's home without being invited in first, isn't it?" He said fidgeting.

"Another one of your stupid mantras...!?"

"P-please, Trevs..." He pleaded, hugging himself for warmth. "It's sooo cold out here!"

"Sheesh..." I gestured to the inside of the house. "You are hereby officially invited into this humble abode... Happy now?!"

I made sure to sound as formal as possible, so he shouldn't have any complaints.

"Gee, thanks a bunch, Trevs!" He exclaimed, sprinting into the house, happy to be free of the freezing outdoors.

--

"So, what should we do, Casey?" I asked him, sitting down on the living room couch next to him.

"Well, now's a good time to get down to business, don't you think?"

"Huh? What kind of business?"

"Y'know, 'baby caring' business."

"I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"So, what should we do, Trevs?"

"Hey, don't go repeating the same question I just asked!"

"WAAAH!!!" The baby cried loudly.

"Gah! W-what did I do?!"

"Relax." Casey said reassuringly, picking up the baby from the playpen. "It's not your fault. She probably just wants some attention."

"Goo..." Kylee latched onto Casey's sleeve, looking like it wanted something from him.

"Or maybe it's hungry?" He wondered aloud. "Trevs, can you check if there's a bottle in the bag?"

"Oh, sure." I checked inside and found a bottle already full of milk. "Huh, whaddya know. It's already been prepared."

"That's good! Can you hand it to me?"

"It's warm. Who knows how long it's been in there...?"

"It was in the bag of things prepared for us to help take care of the baby, so it should be fine."

I handed it to him, and the baby drank it happily.

"Such a good girl!" He said, after she had finished drinking it.

"Yeah. Kylee really seems to like you, Case."

"Kylee? So that's the baby name?"

"Ky-wee!" The baby mimicked.

"Aww, you're so darn cuuute~!" Casey hugged Kylee gently.

I sighed. "Jeez, I'm sure glad you decided to help me. I don't think I'd ever be able to make her happy like that, especially after it was just bawling a minute ago..."

"No problem! Want to hold her?"

"E-eh?! Wai-..." Before I could protest further, Casey handed the baby to me.

"Goo..." Kylee now in my arms, she proceeded to stare at my face.

"U-um..." I have no idea how to handle a situation like this...

"Up!" She chirped suddenly.

"Uh, alright..." I slowly held her higher in the air. "Like this?"

"Heehee!" She giggled and smiled, wiggling her arms and legs happily. "Wee!"

Heh, she is pretty cute, actually...

"See, Trevs? You're not bad at taking care of babies, either!" Casey stated, with a grin as large as Kylee's. "Maybe you should stick to taking babysitting jobs from now on."

"Um, no thanks. Think I'll pass on that..."

"Why's that?! This is a good chance to broaden your horizons!" He told me sternly. "Your mom told me you spend all of your free time watching TV. That's not good for you, y'know!"

"It's none of your business..."

"This is why you don't have a girlfriend!"

"I don't want to hear that from someone who doesn't have one, either!"

"I-I can get one whenever I want! I'm just... picky, that's all!"

"Sure, whatever you say..."

"Trevs, you should take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way, lest you end up with nothing at all."

"And there's mantra #3..."

"Omigosh, wow! I'll end up with a whole list of them at this rate!" Casey exclaimed, becoming sidetracked. "You think I should start writing them down?"

"Goo..." Kylee stretched her hands toward Casey.

"I think she wants you to hold her again..."

"Aww, come here!" He said, taking the baby from my hands.

It's strange how happy she is with us. She didn't seem to like her own guardian very much...

"Hey, y'know what?" Casey uttered suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Now that I take a good look at her, doesn't she look kind of... unique?"

"Unique? In what way?"

"Well, she's got such bright green eyes, but her hair is a dark burgundy color. A weird combination, isn't it?"

"I... guess?"

"I've been thinking about it as soon as I first saw her, and I just realized... doesn't it remind of you of the 'Eternal Child'?"

"The Eternal... what?"

"You know... A small child with dark hair but light eyes, who will grant you one wish if you care for her enough... You've never heard of that tale before?"

"Nope." I stated bluntly. "Who'd make up a weird story like that, anyways? A wish-granting baby...?"

"Jeez, Trevs! You've got no sense of imagination..."

"Zzz..." Kylee began to sleep in Casey's arms.

"Oh! Looks like she's already all tuckered out." He returned Kylee to her playpen, letting out a rather large yawn afterward. "Awwlnm..."

"Looks like she's not the only one who's tired..."

"Heh, I had to get up early today to help with my mom's work again."

"And you still came here to help me, even though it's so late?"

"Yeah, sorry..."

"We've got a couple hours, still. Want to take a nap or something, Case?"

"Sure, sounds good." He agreed, letting out another yawn.

"Alright, I'll move off of the couch then..."

"Actually..." He pointed to a door across from us that "Guest Room" labelled on it. "... can I sleep in there?"

"I suppose... You want to sleep in a bed that badly?"

"No... I-I'm just embarrassed to show anyone my sleeping face..."

"I... see."

He got up and walked up to the door, opening it a little.

"Please don't come in until I wake up, okay?"

"Sure, whatever. Pleasant dreams, I guess."

"Thanks. Sorry for the inconvenience..." He said, before entering the guest room and closing the door.

He's such a weirdo. He's a good friend though, but he can be too nice for his own good sometimes...

--

I sat on the couch for a few hours, reading some magazines I randomly found lying around.

I looked at Kylee, still sound asleep.

Eternal Child, huh? Like something like that could actually exist...

I put the magazine I was holding down, got off the couch, and bent down to look at the baby through the playpen.

If Kylee really was the Eternal Child though, what wish would I have her grant for me?

... Ah, I know.

"I wish for a girlfriend. One that's nice, and will want to spend her whole life with me."

The baby had absolutely no reaction to my wish, continuing to sleep soundly.

"Huh. Didn't work..."

Of course it didn't work, you idiot. Was I seriously expecting something just now...?

THUD! I suddenly heard the sound of something hitting the ground from the guest room.

"What the heck?! What's Casey doing in there?"

I ran over and knocked on the door.

"You okay in there?"

"Oog..." I heard faintly.

Ah, forget it! I'm coming in, whether you like it or not!

I opened the door vehemently, noticing Casey lying on the floor, off the side of the bed.

"You alright?" I went to his side. "Did you roll off the bed or something?" I asked, noticing he was covered in sheets.

"I guess, but I'm okay." He answered, rubbing the back of his head. "But jeez, what a way to wake up..."

I don't know why, but something seems... off about Casey right now...

"Eh? Why's my hair so long all of a sudden?!" He questioned, bringing up some of it over his head. The long part looked kind of abnormal; it was a darker shade of blue than the rest of his hair.

"That's strange. You sure that's your hair? Get up for a sec..."

"Okay." He got up off the floor, the bed sheets falling off of him.

... Eh?

"Ah!" Me and Casey exclaimed in unison.

"M-my chest... Why's it so swollen?!"

N-no, it's not swollen... You...

"YOU'VE TURNED INTO A GIRL!!!"

"A... girl?" Casey uttered in disbelief.

But why? Why would something like thi-... don't tell me!

"Kylee really is the Eternal Child!?"

"W-wha?! What're you talking about, Trevs?"

"W-well, uh..."

--

We both went back to the living room and sat on the couch again. Kylee was still sleeping, despite the noise we had made earlier.

"So, you made a wish, and you think it made me like this for some reason?" Casey said, after I had told him (er, her) about what I had apparently done.

"Yeah, that's right..." I answered guiltily, trying to avoid eye contact.

"So... Me being like this... Is all your fault?" He asked, a bit of anger in his voice this time.

"Y-yeah, that's right..." I repeated, feeling even more guilty.

"What kind of wish did you make, anyways?"

"Um, I'd rather not say... It's too embarrassing..."

"What do you mean, 'embarrassing'?! You didn't wish for a girlfriend, did you?"

"How did you know!?"

"You really did?!"

"Yeah... Sorry, Case..."

He said nothing for a while, calming down.

Huh? Is this the dreaded "calm before the storm"?

"So, I'm a girl now, huh?" He said quietly to himself, looking down at his new(ish) body.

"Yep, that's right." I uttered, not knowing what else to say.

"... Oh well."

"'Oh well'? Shouldn't you be having more of a problem with this?"

"Why? It's not that big of a deal."

"Whaddya mean? I thought you'd be mad; about ready to punch me in the face or something!"

"I'm not mad, just... surprised." He explained. "And besides, if Kylee really is the Eternal Child, then I can just wish myself back to normal, right?"

"Ah, that's right! I didn't think of that!" I said in shock, facing myself back to his direction.

"Wow, no offense, but you're pretty stupid, Trevs."

Gee, thanks... My self-esteem hasn't been damaged enough today...

All of a sudden, all of the lights turned off in the house. It was pitch black all around.

"W-what's going on?!"

"Eternal Child..." A voice said, coming from the direction of the house's entrance. "The baby is the Eternal Child?"

I couldn't tell if the voice sounded upset or happy, but it sent chills up my spine for some reason.

"The Eternal Child's wish is MINE!!!"

To be continued...

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Previous Release Date: Jan 13, 2011~
Writer's Comments:

So yeah, I decided to redo this chapter randomly. It may look like I just added a lot more to it, but I'm actually changing the story now than what I originally intended when I wrote the previous version, so I'm considering this a re-write.

I know it may have seemed like I ended this chapter in a weird way, but I honestly couldn't think of a better way to finish this one, so... yeah.

I somehow managed to do this one in only a couple days. Hopefully the other re-writes I have planned won't take long either!

So this is Eternal Child's new 1st chapter; I hope you enjoyed it!

- CS-Masyet