Suddenly you inflate

You barely hear a click when you feel your body balloon out. It's only a few seconds, but you feel like it's happening in slow motion.

First your feet pop out, then legs expand from the ankles like they are filling from the bottom up. Next actually is your bottom that happens to be on top with your belly on the floor. As if you ate too much and got gas, your torso expands to your neck. You have to wait for your shoulders to round out before your muscles roll down your arm like those old Popeye cartoons when he ate spinach. Your thumbs, then each finger in line becomes straight and full down to your pinkies.

Finally you feel pressure build in your neck. Your jaw pushes against the floor, and you think you've grown chipmunk cheeks from the quick change. Ears begin to wiggle and flap as your nose lifts your face at the same time. Pressure builds in your forehead as your eyeballs become round causing you to blink. Then it's over with a real skull in place.

"I'm back!" you shout ever thankful to hear that you're able to speak your own voice and also be able to see again.

You bounce to your feet and wave your arms dancing around, glad that you're controlling your body again. Then you turn to look at Laura.

"What's with you?" she asks. "Did passing out in our little fight make you go crazy?" she giggles.

"Um, ah, er, well, ah, ..." you stammer. You notice that Laura isn't holding the pen which you assumed she would if she just zapped you back from being a skin. Frantically you scan the room until you spot it on the floor. Why would it be there unless she dropped it when you collapsed? Maybe you did pass out, and this was all a dream. After all, most skin suit stories always say that the skin never remembers what happened to it. So why would you remember?

You have to find a way to find out if you were out or a skin. You're still in the robe like you were when you fought. Laura's still in that shirt that clings to her chest. You can see her nipples which makes you embarrassed and look away.

Maybe she dropped it in surprise or to keep her story about you blacking out. That's what she said when you were a suit. Could you have dreamed that about her mentioning a blackout and then have it come true from her saying it to you?

You stare at her trying to read her expression. Is she tense and sweating a bit because she's lying? Or is it from the battle you two just had? She stares back and seems to be daring you to challenge her. Or is it just because she's concerned you bonked your head?

There is one way to find out: make her a skin, and you get her memories - at least that's what the voice told you. She didn't seem to get yours, but maybe that's because it's your pen and your special heritage makes it work differently. There must be some other way though. How long would it be if you were really made into a skin suit? Of course, you could just ask. Surely as a friend she wouldn't lie.