You lounged on the beach, soaking in the sun and atmosphere. The holiday was a welcome break from the world, or at least from the winter chill, and relaxing on the hot sand was infinitely more enjoyable than being stuck at work. The tide had been gradually drawing in, the occasional surfer making a dash for the waves. A few people were playing a game of volleyball nearby, the spinning of the ball strangely hypnotic and as it bounced back and forth.

       “Ever wish you could join them?” a voice came from behind you. Turning back, you saw a woman leaning against the seawall, a black swim dress gainst her bronze skin, thick black sunglasses covering her eyes, her brilliant blue hair dancing in the wind.

       “Oh, well, I guess,” you started, something about the woman unsettling you, or perhaps entrancing you, “but I’m not the most physical type… I’m far happier just relaxing.”

       “Oh, don’t worry, I can fix that,” she replied, flashing a grin.

       You were about to ask her what she meant before a strange tingle rippled across your skin, a sensation like pins and needles spreading over you. Rubbing your hands across your arms, you could feel your skin becoming unnaturally smooth save for a grid of dimples spread evenly across your arms.

       “What the-,” you thought aloud, staring with fascination as your arms continued to change, the tips of your fingers fading to pink, then purple, and finally to a brilliant blue. It rolled up your arms like a wave, a tugging sensation as it went, you skin feeling like it was being tugged tight across your body. Flexing your blue fingers, your skin squeaked and groaned slightly, protesting against the movement. Another shudder through your body, and you could feel the same wave of feeling spreading over your chest, reaching down to your skins.

       Under the top of your swimwear, you watched as the same surreal smooth material spread over your chest, skin dimpling, another wave of colour soon following, this time turning your chest to brilliant yellow. Running a hand down your bare stomach, the skin beneath felt tough and thick, bending only slightly under your fingers. Deep inside, you could feel your insides changing, a growing hollow feeling, pressure building inside you. You watched your belly slowly start to rise into a gentle curve, bulging away from you. Despite how strange it all was, you couldn’t deny how good it felt, the satisfying sensation of fullness inside you.

       Shifting yourself upright, the skin of your legs started to stiffed and protest, soon matching the same blue colour as your arms. Your whole body felt stiff and slow, resisting every slight movement, the urge to just lie back in the warm sands growing.

       “This feels- kinda good-” you sighed, staring down as your belly continued to swell, spreading up your chest and down to your waist. You were starting to lose all features and definition, your torso smoothing out as it became rounder, only a slight crease running down your middle. Your clothes started to shift on your body, pushed out at first as you started to swell, only to grow looser as your whole body shrank inside them.

       “Just wait until you get into the game…” the woman spoke behind you, grinning as she watched your body continue to change, looking less and less human with each moment, “it’s not the players who have the most fun.”

       You felt your arms and legs grow weak and limp, collapsing in the sand, drawing up around your body. Toes and fingers merged together, fat and muscle fading away inside your limbs as they flattened. All the while your torso continued to expand, almost a perfect sphere of brilliant yellow. Your body started to spin slightly, sand catching in the dimples and creases of your skin, wrapping your arms and legs across the rest of you. They settled over your skin, squashed flat by the pressure inside, merging with your body, reinforcing it. The streaks of blue that were once your arms and legs spiralled around you, forming a pinwheel design against the yellow of your body.

       Your vision started to shift, your neck growing wider, your head slowly pulling down into your body, merging with the shape of it. You could feel your mouth closing up, the pressure of the air inside your body pressing out against your face. You could feel your nose and ears flattening, smoothing out against your round body, leaving a black printed impression of your face. Your eyes soon followed, stuck staring out at the blue sky above you, seagulls whirling overhead.

       “Hey, not bad,” the woman’s face loomed over you, seeming so large now your body had shrunk down so much. She reached down, warm hands carefully gripping your sides, your toughened skin helping make sure she didn’t drop you. Lifting you up, she spun you about, quick bursts of speed as the beach zoomed past your eyes, then the impact of her hands against your sides. Each time, you could feel your skin stretch and bounce back against the impact, shockwaves carrying through your hollow body, “the first time I’ve made someone a volleyball, I think you came out alright. What do you think?”

       You were too stunned by the sensations to answer, even if you could. Your whole body felt dizzy and giddy, the touch of her hands along sending quivers of pleasure through your sensitive body.

       “Still, I’m sure you’re eager to get playing with your new friends, such a shame their last ball just flew into the ocean…” you could see her smirking, clearly orchestrating the thing for her amusement as well as her own, “hey! Catch!”

       You sailed through the air, a lurching feeling of weightlessness as you tumbled for what seemed like an age before a pair of arms knocked into you. The impact shook your body, a wave of powerful sensations felt across your entire skin, stunning you for a moment. By the time you recovered, the net flew past beneath you. Another strike, more gentle, sending you high and slow in the air… Another pair of arms crashed down on you, rocketing you back over the net, slamming into the sand beneath you. The force of your landing sent a shower of sand around you, the warmth of a thousand grains playing across your skin. Then you were lifted again, sailing back, high into the air.

       She was right, it was more fun being the ball...