The Paper Professor and Other Stories

"The Professor had a predicament that was difficult to explain. Three days ago, his hair changed from strands of red keratin to thin strips of red paper. Two days ago, his nails became fragile half-circles of cellophane. Professor Milton Horace could conceal these changes under a hat or in a pair of gloves, but these days, it tended to damage his new hair and nails. His hair became a pulpy-wadded mess under the waterfall of rain yesterday, and his nails had melted and curled inward as if his cell phone had overheated. They always grew back at an alarming rate in the same pristine way despite any prior damage that occurred. These changes were not painful, but they were irksome to hide. Each new transformation brought with it an anxiety that sat uncomfortably in his chest."