When Edward married Debra, he became stepfather to two active young boys, Bobby and Timmy. Believing in strict discipline, Edward meted out spankings for every infraction of his rules the boys violated. This included running through the house, playing ball in the living room, yelling to friends through windows, not performing chores right away, and even refusing to eat certain foods at dinner.
One fall day, Edward ordered the boys to rake the leaves from the family property. But after leaving the lawns clear, and depositing all the leaves by the curb, 8-year-old Bobby and 6-year-old Timmy began to jump into the pile and throw handfuls of the multi-colored vegetation at each other. They were joined in the frivolity by two friends.
“Stop that and come in immediately,” Edward yelled from the front door. Realizing that they had displeased their stepfather again, and would soon be chastised for whatever they did, they moved slowly. This only displeased Edward all the more.
“I told you to rake the leaves, not to play in them and re-scatter them with your hooligan friends,” Edward somberly told the two boys. He ordered them to drop their pants and bend over the arm of a chair. Removing the belt from his trousers, he rained 10 smacks apiece across their rumps, causing both to cry loudly. “Stop crying or you’ll get more,” Edward sternly noted.
“Maybe you’re a little too harsh on the boys. They were only acting like normal little boys and trying to have a little fun,” Debra told Edward. But Edward wouldn’t hear of that. “You knew when you married me that I believed in discipline. Nobody ever got anywhere without discipline. The sooner the boys get those childish ideas out of their heads the better. I aim to get that childishness out of them, even if I have to knock it out,” Edward scowled.
“But shouldn’t you leaven discipline with gentleness?” Debra said. “Gentleness is for sissies. You were far too gentle with the boys when they were younger; spoiling them, holding back their maturing process. You breastfed both until nearly their third birthdays. That makes it all the harder for me to build men out of them” Edward sneered. “But, Edward! Didn’t you overreact?” Debra pleaded. “Look, life isn’t fair. They should learn to take their punishment like men, not crybabies.”
Back in their room, nursing his stinging rear, Bobby mumbled, “What I wouldn’t give to switch places with Daddy.” But Timmy was looking for another solution. He held open a book of mythology to a page he found revenant and asked Bobby if he thought it might help. Bobby said it was worth a try. So both boys placed their hands on their foreheads and concentrated on a single thought aimed nowhere in particular.
Later that evening in the bathroom, Edward was confronted by an 18-inch-tall creature with oversize ears. “What are you?” Edward meekly asked. “I am a billikin. Some think I am mythical, but I am real. It is my job to protect children, such as Bobby and Timmy, whom you have treated horrendously. As punishment, I will send you back to childhood, where I hope you will learn your lesson.” With a snap of his tiny fingers, the billikin vanished, and Edward’s body quickly contracted to a third of its original size.
Bobby entered the bathroom and saw his stepfather standing only 26-inches tall, a naked infant with his adult-size underpants collected around his feet. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I’ll help you,” Bobby said as he picked up Edward and carried him to the bedroom he shared with Timmy. Placed on the boys’ bed, Edward found himself being powdered and diapered. He wasn’t aware the house had such items in stock.
Looking at his now infant body, Edward whined, “I can’t go back to my bedroom and confront your mother looking like this.” Bobby smiled. “Then you can stay with us,” he said.
“They’re so nice and helpful. Maybe I was too harsh on them,” Edward thought as he snuggled between his stepsons on their bed. But then the boys began to debate his fate.
“Now that you’re a baby, we can’t continue calling you Daddy. From now on, we’ll call you Tiny,” Bobby said. “Fair enough,” Edward thought. “And from now on, you’ll obey us,” Timmy added. “I don’t think that’s right. I am your stepfather,” Edward said. “For starters, the home computer – its off limits to you,” Timmy said. “But I need it to day trade,” Edward whined. “Not any more. You’ll be on a strict schedule, with afternoon naps and early bed times. You’ll have no time for such stuff,” Timmy said.
“And we’ll expect you not to be underfoot and in our way when play throughout the house,” Bobby added. “But its my house,” Edward protested. “Not any more. I think we’ll keep you in a playpen – when you’re out of your crib,” Bobby emphasized. “I refuse,” Edward complained. “Quiet! Children, especially babies named Tiny, should be seen and not heard,” Timmy admonished the infantized Edward.
“Now here’s a list of things you are to do, and not do. No monopolizing the TV set. No smoking cigars. No yelling at anyone. You will ask for things by saying ‘Please,’ and afterwards ‘Thank You,’ whether you get what you want or not. No talking back when we give orders. You will do everything we tell you right away, from putting away your toys to stop crying. Failure to behave in a manner acceptable to us will result in you being punished with a spanking,” Bobby said. “No! This is unfair,” Edward said.
“As for meals, you will no longer get pepperoni pizza, chicken fried steak, greasy hamburgers, or any other foods you enjoy. In fact, you’re going back to a liquid diet. You will get only six bottles of Similac formula a day,” said Timmy. “I won’t put up with this,” Edward protested in a quavering voice. “In fact, it’s time for your 10 p.m. feeding,” Bobby said as he produced a full baby bottle. He grabbed Edward and pulled him against his body, then maneuvered the nipple to Edward’s lips.
Edward twisted his head to avoid the nipple, but Bobby kept it near his mouth. “Please! Can’t I get fed from a cup? This is too embar…(mmmmffffpppp),” Edward gurgled. “You’re a baby! Babies get fed through nipples,” Bobby sternly said. Edward squirmed mightily to dislodge the nipple from his mouth, and avoid swallowing any of the formula. After the longest time, his tiny arm managed to bat the bottle from Bobby’s hand.
“Refusing to drink your bottle? Then you will be punished,” Timmy said. As Bobby pulled Edward across his lap, Timmy produced the belt from Edward’s adult trousers. “The same belt you spanked us with,” Timmy grinned. Bobby raised the mock leather belt high in the air and brought it quickly down on Edward’s diapered bottom. “Eeeeyooow!” Edward screamed as he continued to violently twist on Bobby’s lap. After the belt made a second hit, Edward bounced upward, broke Bobby’s grip, and scrambled off the bed. “Come back and take your spanking like a man, or you’ll get double,” Bobby yelled, repeating verbatim Edward’s usual chant when he punished the boys.
Jumping off the bed, Edward initially stumbled, and landed prostate on the floor. But seeing Bobby and Timmy following him, Edward quickly jumped to his feet and toddled at a furious pace from the boys bedroom, down the hall past the bathroom, and to the door of his and Debra’s bedroom. Too small to reach the doorknob, Edward pounded turbulently against the wooden panels. Debra opened the door as the two boys caught up with Edward.
“What are you two doing up at this hour?” Debra demanded. “Tiny refused to drink his bottle,” Bobby said. “And you were trying to spank him with that belt?” Debra said. Bobby nodded. “If there are any spankings to be given in this house, I’ll give them. Now back to bed with you,” Debra told the boys. And they obeyed.
Debra lifted baby Edward, carried him into the room, and sat him on the bed. Edward nestled into his pillow, feeling great relief to be away from his stepsons. Debra climbed into bed on her side and turned toward Edward. “Those boys! I can see why you were so scared and upset, Tiny,” Debra said. Edward smiled, then soon reacted perplexed to something Debra apparently said. “I’m Edward, not Tiny,” he said. But Debra ignored him. “I can see why you rebelled, Tiny. Trying to feed you from a nipple bottle,” she said, as she pulled down the top of her nightshirt and exposed an unfamiliar brassiere. It wasn’t the black lacy ones that Edward remembered. This one was white and had extra seams along the top of each cup.
Debra undid two minuscule hooks at the top of one cup and pulled the fabric completely off, exposing the entire breast. Edward was surprised. He had never seen Debra’s breasts quite so full before. When did she change? Then a shiver ran across his body as he felt Debra lift him from his pillow and pull him toward her. Now cradled in Debra’s arms, Edward saw her grab onto the exposed breast, and move the nipple toward his little face. “I breastfeed all my babies as long as I can,” Debra giggled.
Edward again twisted his head to avoid the nipple, which Debra tickled against his cheek. Unable to control himself, Edward turned his head toward Debra’s nipple and latched on. A massive effort by his tongue soon had the milk flowing, which he eagerly swallowed.
“How did I end up like this?” Edward, now in deep shock, thought. "And as I'm now a child, how could a billikin cause me to endure such abuse?" Staring past the edge of Debra’s breast, he could see standing beside the bed the billikin he first encountered in the bathroom. Grinning broadly, it waved at him. Then to his surprise, the billikin lifted what appeared to be a whole-head mask to expose the head and face of a devil, complete with little horns.
“Everyone is right. Billikins are mythical. And I couldn’t care less about protecting children,” the devil said. Striking a crooked grin, it added, “But I do like punishing sinners, and with the way you terrorized those boys, hitting them even when they only exhibited youthful energy – well, you’re one of the worst. In that you terrorize people, especially your stepsons, to maintain total control; I’m taking it all away. Now your family has total control over you. Now let’s see how well you can take it,” the devil cackled as he vanished in a puff of white smoke.
Still struggling from break suction from the mammary, feeling his stomach fill with the warm milk, and hearing the two boys giggling at the door to the room, Edward shed a tear that rolled down his chubby cheek before dripping to the blanket below him. “How can I take this like a man, when I’m only a baby,” he sniffed as the waterworks began in earnest from his optic orifices. Correction: only a crybaby.
FINIS