The sound of your tantrum must have carried down the hallway because, before Heidi could respond to your pleading, the door to your room creaked open. Your mom, Susan, stood in the doorway, her eyebrows raised in confusion. Her eyes scanned the room, landing first on Heidi, who was trying—and failing—to stifle her laughter, and then on you, standing there in your frilly pink dress, pigtails bouncing as you turned to face her.
“What on earth is going on in here?” Susan asked, her voice a mix of concern and bewilderment. “Mark, why are you dressed like… like that? And why were you yelling?”
You froze, your face turning beet red. This was it. This was the moment you had been dreading. You wanted to explain everything, to tell your mom about the cursed teddy bear, about Heidi’s hypnosis, about how you were being forced to act like a little girl. But the words wouldn’t come out right. Instead, what came out was a high-pitched, whiny ramble that only made things worse.
“Mommy!” you squealed, running toward her with your arms outstretched. The Mary Jane flats clacked loudly against the floor as you hurried over, the frilly skirt of your dress swishing with every step. “Heidi’s being mean to me! She made me wear this dumb dress and put my hair in pigtails, and now she’s making me act like a little girl, and I can’t stop! It’s not fair!”
Susan blinked, clearly taken aback by your behavior. “Mark, what are you talking about? Heidi made you wear that? And… act like a little girl? What does that even mean?”
Heidi, still chuckling, stepped forward, holding the teddy bear behind her back. “Oh, Mom, it’s nothing. Mark’s just being silly. He found that old dress in the attic and decided to try it on for fun. I think he looks adorable, don’t you?”
“I did NOT!” you shouted, stomping your foot again. “Heidi’s lying! She has this stupid bear, and it’s magic or something, and she made me look at it, and now I’m stuck like this! And she said ‘pretty please,’ and now I can’t stop acting like a little girl! It’s all her fault!”
Susan’s confusion only deepened. She looked from you to Heidi, then back to you, trying to make sense of the situation. “Mark, sweetie, you’re not making any sense. A magic bear? That’s… that’s not possible. Are you feeling okay? Maybe you’re coming down with something.”
“No, Mommy, I’m not sick!” you whined, tugging at the hem of your dress. “It’s true! Heidi’s being a big meanie, and she won’t let me change back! You gotta believe me!”
Heidi, meanwhile, was barely containing her laughter. She stepped closer to your mom, her expression the picture of innocence. “Mom, I think Mark’s just tired. You know how he gets when he’s overworked from school. Maybe he just needs a nap.”
“I don’t need a nap!” you protested, your voice rising in pitch. “I need Heidi to stop being so mean! She’s making me do all this stuff, and I can’t stop! It’s not fair!”
Susan sighed, rubbing her temples as if trying to ward off a headache. “Okay, okay, let’s all calm down. Mark, why don’t you go change out of that dress, and we’ll talk about this later. Heidi, stop teasing your brother. Both of you, just… take a breather, okay?”
You wanted to scream. You wanted to tell your mom that you couldn’t change out of the dress, that Heidi had complete control over you, that this wasn’t just some silly game. But the hypnosis was still in full effect, and all that came out was another whine.
“But Mooooom,” you groaned, dragging out the word like a petulant child. “Heidi’s being so mean, and I can’t do anything about it!”
Susan gave you a sympathetic look, though it was clear she still didn’t fully understand what was going on. “Mark, I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but we’ll figure it out. Just… go sit down for a minute, okay? Heidi, come with me. We need to have a little talk.”
Heidi shot you a smug grin as she followed your mom out of the room, leaving you standing there in your ridiculous outfit, feeling more helpless than ever. But for now, all you could do was stand there, your pigtails bouncing as you pouted like a little girl who had just been scolded.
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