If Johnny Murphy had thought about it, he would have admitted that he had a pretty empty life. But then, he wasn’t the kind of guy to think deep thoughts...or to think about too much at all.

 Johnny was 26, and didn’t know what to do with himself a lot of the time. He hated to even get out of bed in the morning, so it was a good thing his shift at the gas station didn’t start until noon. Almost every Saturday, his routine was the same...and had been for more than a decade. He would arrive at the neighborhood convenience store about 11 o’clock.

 (When this gig started, Johnny rode his bike; now, he drove his car, but otherwise, things were about the same.)

 Each member of the group would buy an assortment of pops, chips, candy bars and other junk food. Then they would go outside, sit down in front of the store and consume their purchases, while exchanging such stimulating conversation as this:

“Whatcha gonna do tonight?”

“I dunno. You?”

“I dunno.”

 His routine at this point in the month was pretty predictable too. He would head to the Waldenbooks to buy the latest issue of Playboy, then wander up and down the mall, staring at the beautiful women, the mannequins in the store windows, and then finally end up at his favorite place of all: Victoria’s Secret.

 Johnny still bought Playboy out of habit, but if truth was to be told, the Victoria’s Secret catalog was his most favorite reading matter. Not that he could explain why....but he was about to meet a man who had all the answers.

 He pulled into a space not too far from his favorite entrance to the mall, walked in and headed to the spot where Waldenbooks was....or should have been. In its place was an odd, ramshackle establishment called “Spells-R-Us.” “What the hell?” Johnny muttered to himself. He thought for a moment before walking inside. He caught sight of the wizard behind the counter and immediately demanded, “What the heck happened to Waldenbooks?” he was so focused on trying to determine what had changed his cherished routine, he hadn’t even taken time to look around at the strange array of items that surrounded him. Now, slowly, he took it all in, asking, “What the hell is this place?”

 The wizard smiled, “Ah, curiosity. Something you haven’t exhibited in a long time, have you,  Johnny?”

 “Huh? How do you know my name?”

 The wizard came walking around from behind the counter and put his hand on the young man’s shoulder. “I know everything about you, Johnny. That’s why I want to help you.”

 Johnny was so taken aback by the strange man and his strange surroundings, that he forgot his pose of hostility. “H-how can you help me?” It was an unfamiliar feeling to have someone want to help him; for most of his life, everyone, including his own family, had just watched Johnny drift by.

 “We’ll get to that, but I want to ask you a few questions, just to be sure; all right?”

 Johnny nodded, his eyes a bit glassy, his mouth slightly open. The wizard thought, yes, he’s definitely the right one; he’s already got 'the look'.

 “First, not much in this world really interests you, does it? Aside from the sight of beautiful women?”

 The nod of agreement came quickly.

 “That’s why you buy your Playboy every month, that’s why you love the Victoria’s Secret catalog, and so on. But be honest, Johnny, it’s not a feeling of sexual excitement you get from looking at these women....it’s envy, isn’t it?”

 Now Johnny looked alarmed. “Hey! I’m not a fag!”

 The wizard shook his head sadly. “I know that you’re not homosexual, Johnny. It wouldn’t matter if you were. The point is, sex per se doesn’t really interest you at all, does it? Just the idea of looking at, and ultimately, be, like a beautiful woman. Am I right?”

 His face reddened with embarrassment, Johnny stared off into the distance. “Yah, that’s true,” he muttered.

 “Yes, you love the thought of looking beautiful. But you don’t want to worry about getting old and losing your looks, do you? And you really don’t want to do anything that taxes you too much, physically, or mentally?”

 “Uhhh....yeah, I guess so.”

 “I thought so,” the wizard said, heading back behind the counter. When he stepped back out, he handed Johnny a sealed envelope.
 “Take this directly to the Victoria’s Secret at the other end of the mall,” the wizard directed. “They’ll know what to do to take care of you.”

 “All right...thanks,” Johnny muttered.

 “Don’t open the envelope before you get there, or the deal’s off!” the Wizard called behind him.
 

 What a strange guy, and what a creepy place, Johnny thought to himself. I should just take this envelope and throw it away...but no, he thought, I might as well see this through. Who knows what might happen?

 A few minutes later, Johnny spotted the familiar entrance to Victoria’s Secret. He took one step through the beam of the electric eye that signaled the arrival of a new customer....

 .....and turned into a female mannequin.

 The new form of Johnny was lovely. He stood close to six feet tall, with long, perfect legs whose feet were shaped to always wear high heels. His hips flared out nicely from a wonderfully narrow waist; his teardrop-shaped ass curved perfectly. His ample breasts were two ideal globes that would never sag, droop or lose their shape.

 Dainty hands with long, feminine fingers were at the end of his newly-graceful arms. His new face was long, slim, and featured two full lips in a slightly pouty expression; an upturned nose, big green glass eyes, and well-defined cheekbones. A long red wig sat atop his new plastic head. From head to toe, he was a vision of the female form perfected.

 Connie Williamson, the owner of the franchise store, had gone to the back for a moment, and hadn’t seen Johnny’s arrival. But she had heard the chime that was activated whenever someone broke the electric eye.

 “Hello?” she called, “Can I help--” Connie stopped short when she saw the new mannequin standing there. Then she noticed it was holding something in its stiff hand; an envelope. She reached over, took the envelope, and tore it open. She read the carefully penned message: 'Dear Connie: Here is that new mannequin I promised you. The Wizard.'

 Connie reached up to put a hand on Johnny’s hard, cool cheek. “Well, dear,” she said. “I don’t know anything about who you were before, but I want to welcome you, and I promise I’ll do all I can to make your life here a pleasant one.”

 In the weeks and months that followed, Johnny found himself displaying all kinds of lacy, racy, skimpy outfits. Bra and panty sets, baby-doll nighties, peignoir sets....all very soft, very colorful and very sexy. The thin fabrics caressed his plastic flesh wonderfully, sending constant waves of pleasure through his body.

  He loved being started at by customers and the passing crowds. He felt the waves of lust from the young men...young men who had once been like him...and the waves of envy from the young women...young women who knew they could never look as beautiful, as perfect, as he did.

 It is a pretty nice life, he had to admit to himself. Wouldn’t go back to his old one now, even if he could. But every so often, he couldn’t help wondering what happened to Waldenbooks that fateful day.