Reality bites: Six-year-old Jason walks into his first store alone and is intimidated by everything but eventually finds what he wants and leaves the store with his mother's money. Eva, a homeless w

Once upon a sunny, bustling day, a 6-year-old boy named Jason found himself navigating the towering aisles of a store, armed only with a handful of coins given to him by his 21-year-old mother. He was feeling every bit of his age, the intimidating array of items dwarfing his small figure. Nevertheless, with determination brimming in his young heart, he eventually managed to find what he wanted, pay for it, and walk out of the store. As he was about to venture back home, however, he was stopped by a shabby figure. There stood Eva. Known to most as Doll Eyes, Eva was a 35-year-old woman of hard luck. Brown hair matted from lack of care, brown eyes that had seen too much hardship, and an attire that barely escaped poverty featuring a pink tank top, short shorts, and leather wedges. A purse hung on her shoulder, and a pair of sunglasses perched on her face hiding the depth of tiredness in her eyes. "Hey hon, I'm sorry to bother you but you have any more money? I'm just thirsty," the worn voice from behind the sunglasses asked. Jason, being the kind soul his mother raised him to be, didn't hesitate. "Here you go miss," he replied in his sweet, innocent voice, passing the coins he had left. As Eva's grubby hand touched the cool metal of coins his was offering, Jason's world spun. His mind was whirling, heart pounding, as the ground seemed to sway beneath him. He blinked open his eyes, feeling a sudden prickly sensation on his face, only to realize he was wearing sunglasses. Pulling them off, his eyes widened fearfully. Suddenly, everything looked much more distant from his eyes. He glanced down at himself. Something wasn't right. His clothes, they weren't his anymore – he caught sight of long brown hair, a pink tank top, short shorts, and leather wedges on his body, and a purse on his shoulder two sizes too large than what he was used to carrying. He found his reflection in a car window nearby. His first instinct was to frown at the sight of a woman's body in the mirror. Only then did he notice his own small body, clad in the clothes he entered with, walking away with Eva's voice saying, "Have a nice day," before disappearing into the crowd. Realizing he was in Eva's body, Jason quickly removed the leather wedges and the purse, finding them far too feminine for his taste. He straightened up nervously, walking towards a mirror, heavy fear crowding his toddler heart as the gravity of the situation washed over him. The full extent of his predicament hit him when he parted his lips saying, "I don't wanna be a girl. Ew! Gross!" His voice was not his own, coming out deeper, and mature. Trudging forward, he glanced down at his new feet, unable to conceal his shock or fear, finding them larger. He sat down on the parking curb, observing the wedges and the purse once more before reluctantly placing them back on. With a deep sigh, he put the sunglasses back on to shield his eyes from the bright sun. Reluctantly, he looked at his new reflection, frowning at the mature, feminine appearance staring back. "Being a grownup is hard, being an icky girl is... harder," he muttered to himself in his matured female voice. Jason then began the arduous task of teaching himself to walk in wedges, stumbling and catching himself a few times as his small heart pounded in heavy dismay. Missing his mother's comforting presence, he confessed, "I'm really gonna miss my mommy the most if I'm stuck as a grownup and an icky girl forever." He sat down on the sidewalk, stretching out his new legs and looking at the wedges with clear disgust. He peered at yet another mirror, and the sight of his mature, feminine face, albeit covered by sunglasses, threw him into a state of despair. Jason wept, realizing that he might have to spend the rest of his life as a homeless woman, trapped in time older than his own mother. He sat there, looking forlornly at the world as Eva, uncertain about how he would navigate the rest of his life.