The old and confused Mabel

Once upon a time, in a small town on the outskirts of the city, lived a little girl named Carly. She was spending her summer vacation at her grandmother's, a typically stern old woman called Mabel. Carly's jubilance and energy bore no bounds, except when it came to her dear toy, which she loved enormously. On a sunny afternoon, Grandma Mabel noticed the bright and sparkling toy, captivated by its charm. She walked over to Carly and declared, "That looks nice. You can have it back when I say so." Disheartened, Carly watched as Grandma Mabel took her beloved toy away, leaving her to settle in a corner feeling distraught and abandoned. Not a while later, Mabel announced she was off to the store, leaving Carly all by herself. Seeing her chance, Carly tiptoed into the forbidden territory- Mabel's room, in hopes of reclaiming her lost present. Her eyes darted around the room filled with Mabel's flamboyant dresses, floral shirts, and old lady sandals. Carly wrinkled her nose at the sight before spotting her prized possession amongst the old lady clothes. As she reached out to grab her toy, one of Grandma Mabel's sandals tripped her, and her little feet wiggled into them accidentally. She looked down with growing horror, seeing her foot outfitted in the garish, flowery sandal. Freaked out, she dashed from the room but stumbled as one sandal didn't come off. Suddenly her foot started aging, turning coarse and rigid like Grandma’s, and it wasn't just that. She felt herself growing taller, her clothes shifting in form into something she'd never worn- a pair of tan shorts and a floral blouse. Stunned, Carly peered into the mirror only to see Mabel’s reflection staring back at her. Tears welled up in her tiny eyes as she realized she was transforming into her grandma. Her personality morphed as well; from playful Carly, she was now becoming strict Mabel. Bewildered and confused she is standing in the middle of Mabel’s living room, when she spots a sandal lying around. Her actions felt automated, she ambled over to the sandal and slipped it on. Suddenly, she observes the toy, her old toy now discarded on the floor. A rush of anger succeeded her confusion; she stomped on the toy, causing it to crack and break. With the toy's breakage, she screamed out in pain, clutching her back. The pain seemed too familiar, too old to belong to Carly and yet, she was experiencing it all. Fury brewing within her, her eyes searched the house for Carly, with a resolution to punish her for causing so much distress. Little did she know her quest was impossible because Carly was gone, and Mabel was all that was left.