Six year old Jay shops alone for the first time at Target and is immediately stopped by 42 year old Erika aka Long Lost Lady. Erika is a homeless woman who's been on the streets since she was 12 yea

The story of Jay and Erika is certainly an unusual and quite an unexpected one. Living two divergent lives, fate somehow sewed together the strands of these unique individuals' lives in an inexplicable way. One sunny afternoon, Jay was brimming with joy and excitement. He was only 6, yet his radiant mind and affinity for adventure defied his years. With sparkles in his eyes and anticipation stitched into every move, he found himself standing before the gigantic, bustling world that was Target. He was there with the crisp money his mother had given him. It was a big responsibility he had never experienced before. He manoeuvred through the labyrinth of consumer wonderland like an eager mouse in a cheese factory. A toy here, a bag of candy there - he was ecstatic. Excitement raced to his cheeks as they flushed with joy, leaving the store victorious in his purchases. As soon as he teetered out of Target however, he was approached by a striking figure, Erika, affectionately known by locals as Long Lost Lady. Her sensitivity was a gentle shadow that fell over her like a shroud due to her life on the streets since the age of 12. Her brown, wavy hair framed her face and her sunglasses sat perched on her nose, hiding her lifetime of heartaches. Erika's style was distinguished by her tank top, short shorts, and unique leather wedges. Erika, with earnest eyes behind her sunglasses, plucked up the courage to ask Jay if he had any spare change. The crestfallen look on his face made Erika's heart drop - he replied with a simple shake of his head. Compassion flooded her and she reached out to give him a hug. Suddenly, Jay's world went in a spin. His vision blurred and his tiny body buckled with the sensation of dizziness. Opening his eyes, he realized he was wearing sunglasses. But something was amiss! These were not his hands, his clothes, his body. His reflection in the mirror only added to his shock. The reflection was Erika's. Insecurity and confusion took precedence, "I'm not a girl," Jay uttered in a disconcertingly deep voice. Gathering his (her) bearings, Jay tossed aside the impractical wedges and the purse. Even the pearl earrings and sunglasses came off, he deemed them too girly. He was alarmed by the feminine attire clinging to his body, but decided not to remove them as he spotted his own body in the distance. Desperate to return to his world, to his reality, he chased after the figure, only to be met with resistance and laughter from Erika in his body. "Enjoy your new life as a homeless woman," she sneered, leaving Jay shell-shocked. Soon, his memories of his younger self started to fade out, replaced by Erika's life. As a new Erika came to be, she experienced a severe headache. The world spun around her and she found herself frantically searching for her missing items - her wedges, purse, earrings, and sunglasses. She quickly adorned herself again, adjusting and ensuring her tank top and shorts would give her the minimal decency required. Looking in the mirror, she said with a sigh, "I know I'm only a 42-year-old woman, but being homeless really makes me feel older. 30 years on the streets shouldn't ever happen to anyone". With tears welling in her eyes, she walked away, a tragic figure who was actually a boy trapped in a woman’s body. Erika, residing in Jay's body, watched from a distance. A fresh feeling of freedom and youth was hers now while the real Jay, resigned to his new fate, embarked on a difficult journey of living as a homeless woman known to everyone as Erika.