Inferior to Superior Curse (attribute theft, reality change)

[JRG]

Part 1

Sunday

Lee sauntered down the street, stepping confidently as he always did. Life seemed to be in his favour, blessed with intelligence, good looks and an impressive physique, the world was his oyster. As he continued his stroll he spotted an old woman struggling to drag a box into her house, all set to ignore her in favour of enjoying his walk he suddenly stopped as he heard her shout.

“Are you just going to stare, or will you help me?” She called out to him, catching Lee off guard. He reluctantly went over to help, lifting the box she was struggling to move with ease, carrying it into her house. He dropped the box in her lounge, having a peak around the room as he prepared to leave, spotting a plethora of old exotic looking items, and books with text on in a language he could not recognise.

Deciding to ignore the strange items he turned back towards the front door where the old woman stood, eyeing him suspiciously. “You’re welcome,” Lee said coldly as he stepped to leave, her gaze fixing sharper on him.

“I knew you had a terrible attitude as soon as I laid my eyes on you. So smug and rude, thinking your God’s gift,” she spat icily.

“When you look like this it’s hard not to think that,” Lee boasted, playing into her assumption of him, deciding that if she thought he was a smug asshole, he will act like one.

“Someone needs to put you in your place, and I think I know the trick,” she said ominously. Lee watched as she closed her eyes and began speaking quietly to herself, slowly increasing in volume, with Lee able to hear the end of whatever she was saying.

“For those who feel inferior, they will become superior,” she said, bringing her speech to an end. As she finished speaking Lee felt a sudden shiver overtake him, like a gust of air had blown through his entire being.

“What the hell was that!” Lee shouted. Quickly exiting the house, wanting to get away from the old woman and whatever she was doing as fast as possible. As he returned back to the street he saw the old woman smiling wickedly by her door, giving him a wave as he briskly walked away.

Putting that strange experience behind him, Lee finished his walk and returned to his house, as he approached he spotted his neighbour John lifting weights in his garage. He could hear his moans as John tried to lift the bar above him, causing Lee to walk over to check how he was getting on. Upon entering the garage Lee could see that John was seriously struggling with the weight, so quickly lifted it off, much to his relief.

“Thanks Lee. I thought I was stronger than I was!” John joked wheezily, still feeling the effects of the weight.

“Don’t worry about it, just be careful,” Lee replied, moving the weights to the side comfortably. As he put the weights down he cast his eyes over John. He was a recent gym convert at the age of 40, trying to make up for years of minimal exercise. He had progressed well so far, but still had the body of someone who had barely done any gym work in their life, leaving him significantly weaker than Lee. However, he was committed to getting stronger, with him paying Lee to give him some help on his journey, optimistically hoping to get as strong as him.

“I will. I just hope one day I can get to be as strong as you,” John said.

As Lee went to respond, he felt a sudden blur around him. Lee watched agape as the world around him began to change. The mediocre gym gear in the garage transformed into new and expensive equipment, with the weights becoming much heavier than they had been, now at a level that even Lee could not lift.

Whilst Lee took in these new surroundings, he looked over at John and was shocked at what he saw. His previously lithe physique was replaced with bulging muscle, as you’d expect to see on somebody obsessed with the gym. Instead of being tired and wheezing, he now sat comfortably and confidently, strength pulsing through him, donning a shirt designed for personal trainers.

“As I was saying, my gains have been incredible over the past month and it’s really helping me with my clients. Maybe one day you’ll get some like me,” he teased in a deep voice.

“What the fuck! When have you been so strong,” Lee said in a panic, overwhelmed by the new version of John in front of him.

“Whoah Lee, what’s the matter? You know I’ve always been jacked since high school, that’s why I’ve been giving you tips to get guns like these. I usually charge for training but you’re a good kid so I’m happy to give you some pointers,” John said as he flexed his biceps. They rose into a huge peak, full of power and strength as Lee watched open mouthed. Then he looked at his own arms and froze in fear as he realised that they were smaller than they had been moments ago.

“Yeah. Sorry. I’m not feeling too well. I’ve got to go, see you later on,” Lee said frantically as he swiftly exited the garage.

“No problem. Hope you feel better soon,” John said as he grabbed the huge weights on the ground, picking them up like they were nothing, and returned back to his exercise.

As Lee ran outside, trying to calm himself from what he had just seen, his mind flashed to his strange experience with the old woman earlier. Thinking she must have had something to do with what had happened he bolted towards her house, desperate to return everything back to normal.

[syconerd]

Great start!

[JRG]

Part 2

Lee banged on the front door of the old woman’s house, panting heavily from the run, more out of breath than he expected. He hunched over as the door slowly opened, looking up to see a cruel smile. “I was expecting you, come inside.”

Lee followed her in as he caught his breath, showing him to the living room. “Before you sit down, can you move that box to the corner of the room,” she said, pointing to the box he had brought in earlier. Begrudgingly he went to pick the box up, but as he lifted it he flinched as the previously light weight caused him to strain slightly. He was able to move it but required more effort than he had previously, the effects of his muscle loss evident. As he put the box down and went to sit, he saw the old woman giggling to herself after seeing his struggle.

“You’ve changed already I see,” she laughed, “those arms aren’t as big as earlier,” she teased, causing Lee to nervously feel his biceps that were indeed smaller.

“Who are you? What did you do to me?”

“All I did was give you what you deserve. You see, I’m Esme and I’m what people like you would call a witch,” she announced, “and after seeing you acting like such a cocky asshole earlier, just because of the things you were blessed with, I decided to make a change.”

“Wait, so that change with John, that was-“

“Yes! Any time someone feels inferior to you, they will become better than you,” she said excitedly, “and the best part is, the whole world will change like it has always been that way. Apart from you and I, nobody knows what has happened!”

Lee stood up angrily. “You can’t do that! You need to change me back!”

“Yes I can,” she said firmly, “and if you don’t change your tone I will make it worse for you. Think how you lost only a bit of muscle for your neighbour to grow so strong, now imagine you lost even more to fuel his growth.”

Lee froze at her threat. “I’m sorry. Is there anything you can do to change me back. I’m really not that type of guy, please let me prove it,” he said apologetically.

“If you really do mean that, then I want you to come back here in one week. I will judge you on what you’ve learnt, seeing life from other perspectives, and if I really believe you are the guy you say you are, I’ll change you back.”

Lee frowned at being stuck in this situation for a week, but realised this was his only way to get back to normal. “Yes I will, thank you,” he said, trying to get on her good side.

“Good. Now go out and get some empathy for others. I’ll see you next week.”

She escorted Lee outside as the sky was beginning to darken. “Goodbye Lee,” he heard her say as he started walking home, whilst she watched on with an eerie smile before returning back inside.

Lee managed to get home and into his room without running into his family or anyone else. He knew he would not be able to avoid people for the entire week, worried about what other changes he would potentially have to undertake. With those fears on his mind he closed his eyes and managed to fall into a fretful sleep, nervous about what was in store for him.


Monday

The light poured into Lee’s bedroom as he groggily woke up. He flexed his biceps, hoping that the events of yesterday were a strange nightmare, but after feeling them it confirmed his fears that they were smaller than normal, meaning the curse was real.

Slowly getting out of bed he looked around his room and gasped as he noticed changes that he did not see after rushing into bed last night. His muscle loss was clear in the photos on his wall, no longer the broadest person in his football team photos. Despite this distressing realisation, he was relieved that he was still part of the team. He went to his wardrobe and found his normal clothes there as expected, putting on a hoodie and a pair of joggers he noticed they felt looser, still fitting comfortably but no longer tight from his formerly huge muscles. Saddened at this he made his way downstairs, taking stock in the fact that he was still muscular compared to the average person.

Lee sat down at the breakfast table, his mum had left a note saying she was out this morning with his sister and brother, but they would be having a family dinner together in the evening. He cringed at having to have dinner with his younger siblings before pouring himself a bowl of cereal, as he began to eat he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. It was his friend Jason, reminding him that they were meant to play basketball this morning and that he was on his way to the court. Lee had forgotten this plan, having been distracted by the events of the previous day, but realising it was too late for him to cancel he quickly finished his food and headed to the park, hoping to avoid any further changes.


As Lee headed out to meet Jason he saw John at his front door kissing a very attractive blonde woman before getting in his car. He did not remember John dating anyone before, but it seems that his new muscles not only made him stronger, but also more of a ladies man. John waved as he drove by, a confident smile on his face as he drove into the distance while Lee continued towards the park.

Lee arrived at the park to see Jason practicing his free throws, most of which missed the basket by some distance. As he walked up closer he examined his friend, Jason was a similar build to Lee except a little bit shorter and weaker, even after his change. While there were some similarities, Jason’s lack of co-ordination and sporting prowess left him as a spectator more often than not, whereas Lee was a key player in a variety of sports teams. Jason prepared to shoot again but Lee snatched it and scored a lay up.

“You need to be quicker than that!” He teased.

“C’mon you’ve got to give me a warning, only way you can beat me is by cheating,” Jason responded.

“Why of course! Let’s just ignore every game we’ve ever played.”

“Today will be different, I’m feeling good.”

“Alright then, let’s start,” Lee said, throwing the ball to Jason to start the 1v1.

It was a harder workout than normal but Lee was easily able to lead against Jason, his loss of strength counteracted with his still physical superiority and co-ordination. As the game approached its inevitable conclusion of a Lee win he had completely forgotten about his encounter with Esme, and was just focused on finishing Jason off. He scored another basket leaving him only needing one more point to win, passing the ball back to Jason to restart.

“Fine, you are better than me,” Jason joked, a hint of jealousy in his voice, preparing for a final attempt in vain to score. Lee smiled, ready to rub it in when suddenly he began to panic as the world around him started to warp, just as it had done in John’s garage yesterday.

Lee felt a lurch as the world around him grew slightly bigger, his own clothes adjusting to fit his new smaller size. He looked at Jason alarmingly, as he noticed he seemed to have grown more than the surroundings around them, now standing a couple of inches taller than him. He had also grown broader, his entire physique boosted by additional muscle, all of which was now clothed in tight sportswear, instead of the loose t-shirt he had been wearing. The changes stopped as Lee caught his breath, looking at Jason who sported a wide confident grin.

“Too easy. One more point and I win again,” the bigger Jason said in a deeper voice, throwing the ball to Lee strongly, catching him by surprise at the speed of the throw and the apparent score. The ball felt unfamiliarly bigger in his hands as he went to bounce it, but he lacked his usual speed and co-ordination to dribble sharply. His sluggish bounces were quickly intercepted by Jason, who after snatching the ball spun and scored from distance. As the ball cleanly went through the hoop he cheered and went up to Lee to to celebrate his victory.

“Good game, you got 2 points this time so you’re improving. Maybe next time you could even get to 5!” Jason teased, causing Lee to wince. “Anyway, let’s go get a drink, losers round”. Lee balked at the confidence that Jason possessed, being much louder and more domineering than he usually was. However, he did not have the gall to argue and followed along accepting his new role as the smaller friend, whilst Jason, oblivious to Lee’s predicament, led the way.

[sidfridt9]

Please continúe. Great story

[Subboy123]

Wow this is a really interesting concept. I wonder how things like privilege, race, and social class play into this too

[syconerd]

Great work thus far! Maybe we will see other attributes be taken away other than muscles. Maybe mind, height, age, or social class?

[JRG]

Thanks for the comments and yes expect to see a wider set of changes in the upcoming chapters!

[JRG]

Part 3

The pub only had a few people in it, but Jason insisted that Lee needed to get a round in as punishment for losing. As Lee went up to order the drinks he surveyed the room, unused to seeing the world at this shorter perspective. While he was still taller than most others, the gap was certainly smaller, and he had never been around so many people who were close to his size since he was a teenager.

Returning to the table with 2 pints of beer, Jason smiled at his winnings. “Just like every week, I’ll never need to pay for a drink again.” He teased, taking a big swig of his pint. Lee just sat in a stunned silence, slowly drinking his beer. “It’s alright Lee. I have fun playing and of course the drinking after. Besides, what chance do you really have against an athlete like me? I play in a football and basketball team for a reason.”

“Wait what?” Lee gawped, shocked at this revelation from Jason.

“Why the surprised look? You should know better than anyone, I mean you always come to watch me play when you can. You’re a good friend and I appreciate it,” he said in a more serious tone, giving Lee a warm smile.

“Err, no problem,” Lee stuttered, playing along with this new reality, still shocked that he was no longer a sports star and that Jason had effectively taken his place.

“Good,” Jason said pleasantly, “now on another note, what do you think of her?” Lee looked at a beautiful brunette sat at the bar who Jason was pointing at. She glanced over at their table, flashing a flirty smile towards them.

“She’s so fit.”

“I know, and she keeps looking at me”.

“No, she is obviously looking at me!”

Lee and Jason jovially argued over which one of them she wanted, when suddenly she walked towards them. They both awaited in anticipation as she reached the table, but to Lee’s disappointment she leant towards Jason and whispered in his ear. Lee could only watch as she turned and headed back to the bar, her peachy ass shaking hypnotically behind her.

“I told you she wanted me,” Jason said cockily, with a huge smile across his face. Lee sat in anguish, new feelings of envy and insecurity engulfing him as they finished their drinks.

Lee said goodbye to Jason after his last swig, agreeing to meet up again soon. As he left he turned to see Jason move next to the brunette at the bar, both of them flirtatiously chatting while Lee returned home by himself.


Lee neared his home, still jealously thinking of Jason with the brunette from the bar. He was taken out of his stupor by the sight of Marie. Marie was in her late 40s and lived a few houses down from Lee’s family, and she was breathtaking. She was a curvy 5’6” bombshell who had had her pick of men throughout her life, and while she had a lot of fun doing this it had left her single, despite her allure. Even at her mature age she was still a huge flirt though and Lee was one of her favourite visitors, which he enjoyed equally as much.

“Hey handsome, I don’t suppose a big strong man like you who could help someone like me?” Marie asked sultrily.

“For you, of course”, Lee replied. Relieved that despite his muscle and slight height reduction, she was still flirting with him.

“You’re so generous, I’ll make sure you’re rewarded properly,” she said with a wink, her voice dripping like honey as she led Lee by the hand into her house.

Lee helped her to move a few items and do some other odd jobs, nothing particularly taxing but Marie seemed very glad for the help. She continuously complimented Lee throughout, praising his size and strength, as well as indiscreetly touching up against him when the opportunity arose. Lee sat down after completing the jobs and she came in with a couple of drinks for the both of them, her prominent cleavage pressed right into his face as she bent over to put them on the table, he noticed that she had taken off another button from her shirt while she was in the kitchen.

She sat down next to him, her eyes looking him up and down, lustfully drinking him in. Lee returned the favour, enjoying the boost to his ego after the changes he had experienced, especially at the hands of a beautiful older woman. “Are you single Lee?” Marie asked coyly, her smile spreading wider when he shook his head, prompting her to put a hand on the top of his leg.

“What about you? A woman as beautiful as you must have someone,” Lee replied flirtatiously.

“You charmer! No I’m still single. Not found the right guy yet,” she said looking lustfully into his eyes, edging even closer towards him. “There is one guy, John, who lives next to you that asked me out,” she said as her hand crept higher up his leg, “but while he is muscly, he just doesn’t measure up. I love a tall man, like you. I know it’s basic but there is a minimum height for this ride. Now let’s see if everything else is big…” she said as she leant in for a deep kiss, her hands millimetres away from Lee’s cock. Just as Lee prepared for her warm lips and soft hand, a different sensation overtook him causing him to panic, as the world around him began to transform again.

Lee closed his eyes, feeling a cold shiver as his body contracted, much more than it had earlier, the sofa around him seeming to spread larger. While he had lost a little bit of height before, he knew he was now significantly smaller. Opening his eyes he looked in shock as Marie was no longer sitting tightly next to him, but was now sat in a chair the other side of the room. Her cleavage was much less visible than before, with all but one of her buttons buttoned up, the lustful look on her face was now replaced with a platonic look, even slightly maternal.

“As I was saying, thanks for the help and don’t worry about not being able to do everything, John said he would help reach the high up places when he picks me up for our date,” she said warmly, “speaking of which I had better go get ready, let me show you out.”

Lee tentatively stood up, afraid to see how tall he actually was, and his worst nightmares were met as he stood only a couple of inches taller than Marie, no longer part of the 6’ club. As they reached the front door she pulled Lee into a warm embrace, which he was powerless to receive at his diminished size, engulfed in her arms and body. “See you soon sweetie,” she said affectionately, like a mother to her child, closing the door behind him as he rushed home in dismay.

He avoided looking in John’s house as he passed by, afraid to see how much taller he had become. The sounds of his family rang in his ears as he made it home, but ignored them to head straight to his room. He almost tripped over the stairs in his haste, not used to the relative size of the them at his new height. He locked his bedroom door behind him and sat in his chair he tried to take in this latest change. Looking around the room he noticed his photos and saw that he was no longer the tallest in them, in fact more often than not he was the shortest. Looking away from them he began to regain his composure, until he heard the shout of his mum through the walls calling him for dinner.

[Notrewound]

Oof, looks like John wins again?

Haha at first I was thinking he was going to get.. well, inches from a different place. Wonder if that happened too, or not?

[sidfridt9]

For a moment I thought Maria would turn taller. That curse is very dangerous because any person can shot it and transfer any feature to another person.