I smiled at myself in the mirror, having washed my hands for the kajillionth time since Ive worked here. The kids were always so so cute even though they were messy and loud and sometimes they got on your nerves.

I had always wanted a child of my own, having this job helped me understand what I was in for and I still dream of the day I get the chance.

Graduated college, I live alone and work at a little daycare by the beach.

Its old and its not perfect but we manage and Ive worked here for six years of my life so we're still goin strong.
I should probably introduce myself, Im Lucy. (Yes I know, so original.)
Lucy Pearl Elvam.

Most people call me Pearl cause its a  family name, my grandma Pearl had the name and her mom had the name and her mom had the name and so on and so forth but my mom didnt wanna name me Pearl so they compromised.

But I still get called Pearl cause its what my dad called me cause I was with him the most since mom travelled the world doing important business while dad managed a fishing boat.

Its the way of life here, fishing is a very common job so my dad was always the first one up in the morning who caught the fish.

I remember the times we'd pull an all nighter and he'd tell me stories of pirates sailing across the sea with knives in their teeth as they battled the british soldiers to prevent arrest.

I used to want to be one when I grew up, how times have changed.

I exited the bathroom to hear a loud boom outside, the kids having turned the tv onto that wierd static channel they liked so much.

I apologized and flipped it to the weather channel...
A storm was passing through and we had to retreat downstairs to make sure the kids would be safe... you see, had it been a storm anywhere else then it would have been fine but a tropical storm is far different than what one would consider a regular storm.

Once I and the two guys I worked with got the kids downstairs... we counted them and made sure everyone was accounted for...
Everyone was there besides...
Wait...
Wheres...

"UGH- Ill get her-" I grumbled to the others as I ran up the stairs to find little Paige by the tv... that wierd static channel again... Channel zero. It was creepy to be honest as the kids were infatuated with the screen. I read up on it but ridiculous stories circulated online about magical horror cartoons that played and only kids could see it and whatever.
Sometimes kids are wierd... like really wierd though it was beginning to creep me out.

"Alright honey, we gotta get you downstairs... we'll watch the show later... now lets get you downstairs.." I picked her up but she didnt do nor say anything, just silent.
She was alive, I could feel her chest rise and fall but nothing more as I helped her down the stairs then went back up to turn the tv off.

Only to find that I couldnt, it just stayed like that as I clicked all of the buttons to shut it off.
"Thats... creepy." I mutter when I am blown back by a strong wind that has shattered the windows all around me.
I scream out loud as I run to the basement door and lock it, leaving myself outside.

A stupid move? Absolutely.
A protective move? Oh of course.
Would I survive this? Doubted it.
Would they be safe? Abso-fucking-lutely.

The roof flew off, the walls around me shattered and I was left staring up at the eye of the storm.
All around me was a flurry of wind and rain, it hit me so hard I couldnt breathe nor see.

I felt myself get lifted and as quickly as I was lifted...
I fell into. a cold and familiar liquid.

I resurfaced and coughed out.
Gasping for breath as the ocean around me threatened to swallow me.

I choked, gagged as I swam to an island in the distance then passed out from exhaustion after throwing up water of course.

~~~~~°○

I awoke, feeling hot and dizzy. Where was I?

I sighed, wiping my forehead to feel something on my head...
Wierd... I dont remembee having a hat...

I took it off, stared at it then got worried...
Much less an... authentic pirate's hat.

"What the... fuck..." I muttered to myself to hear someone else say exactly what I said nearby me.
"HELLO!?!" I called out and they did it at the exact same time.
I covered my mouth, Was that me!?
I began to panic, looking at myself before realising...
I was... a man...
Like.. not a regular man either...

I was a puppet, I was a woman in a puppet man's body.

I screamed, what the actual fuck what was this bullshit?

I peeked into my shirt.
Okay Okay so I wasnt fully a man...
Not yet at least...
I was wearing men's clothes and I looked like a man...

But I wasnt fully one...

At least not yet...

In some places I still felt like a person, soft and squishy...
But my face felt smooth and soft as if it were porcelain.

I felt my hair, soft and fluffy but tangled from sea breeze, no longer strawberry blonde... now red.

I looked around and found a puddle, staring into it... I saw my reflection.

It reminded me of... the pictures the kids drew of...
Pirate Percy from the static show they watched.

I became nervous as I held myself, fear in my core. What... the hell is going on? I pondered when I heard footsteps behind me and clumsily but instinctively reached for a sword I had at my hip...
That was new.

My hands shook as I held it at the source of the noise.

"Percy me boy! We avent seen ye in a week! We thought ye wuz dead!" A jolly man with red hair made his way to me, I dropped the sword when he hugged me tightly as if he'd known me for years.

Percy...
Percy.... oh my fucking gosh I was Percy...

I teared up a little then began to cry, the man looked startled but squeezed me, he must have thought I was happy...
But I was fucking terrified.
This was it...
I was really here....

In the worst way possible.