Monica rolled over and peered at the clock next to her bed. '3:00 AM What's he doing?' she wondered. Ever since her husband John accepted his new position at Gene-Tek he had spent more and more time locked away in the basement. The new position, which payed considerably more than his old role with Gene-Tek, required them to move to a small community in central Florida. Living on the out-skirts of town, and with no nearby neighbors, was a complete change from their former surroundings in Cleveland. Monica had argued against the move, not feeling comfortable leaving her friends and family.
John, on the other hand, argued that Florida would be a wonderful place to raise their two kids and that he wouldn't miss the Cleveland winters. The kids liked the idea of being near Disney World. Outnumbered, Monica reluctantly agreed to the change. Her one hope was that maybe the change of scenery would be good for their marriage. She and John had grown distant through the years. A while back John began an affair with a co-worker. A girl nearly half his age. Monica became suspicious of the time he supposedly spent at work and was finally able to catch them in the act. Talk of divorce surfaced but were forgotten for the 'sake of the children'.
Unfortunately, John was even more distant now. Every evening he would come home from work, grab a quick meal, and head to the basement. He refused to talk about what he was doing only to say that it was "for work". Monica began to suspect he was involved in an online relationship. She even went so far as to cut the phone line leading to the basement figuring that would severe John's computer with the outside world and he would be caught. Much to her surprise, he continued to lock himself away and it was days before he even mentioned he'd noticed a problem. He asked her to call the phone company to check the line. She knew that if anything was going on he would have noticed before then and so she was as confused as ever. Even their kids, Lara and Scott, were getting curious. Lara was 8 years old and Scott was 14, old enough to sense that all was not well in the family.
Monica rolled back over and tugged on her blanket. She was long since past anger, more of a growing indifference. She knew that soon enough the alarm clock would sound and John would be back in bed, but ready to rise. At the sound of the alarm he would awaken, quickly head off to work, and then repeat his odd behavior again in the evening. On the weekends he sometimes didn't even go to bed. She didn't know how he functioned on so little sleep. At this point in their relationship she was, frankly, glad to have the bed to herself.
----
A SHORT TIME LATER
----
"Monica, Monica! Wake up! It's finished! Monica! Get up!"
Monica looked up to see John standing in the room urging her to wake up. She blindly groped for the switch on her lamp, finally was able to turn it on, and then squinted as the light replaced the darkness.
"John? What is it? It's nearly 4:00 AM What are you yelling about?" She asked.
"Don't you see? All my work.... All this time.... It's finished! Look!" he said extending some type of electronic gadget toward her. "It's the same as what we've been doing down at the company, only I've made my own. Shhhhhhhhh..... I could get in a lot of trouble for doing this."
"Doing WHAT? All I see is a box with some switches and some kind of a readout. What's the big deal?" She knew John was a bit eccentric but now she was starting to wonder if he'd lost his mind.
"What? 'What'..you say? This 'BOX' as you call it is a technical wonder. And it's for you! A gift. Look at this! These 'switches'....rocker switches actually..... momentary, normally open if you must know.... are simply the 'wand' that lets this 'box' do its magic! But you mustn't tbout 21? That's how old she was when you screwed her! That was probably too old though.... maybe 19?.....or hey, 18! 18 is a good age for your lover.... Not jail-bait, but still soooo innocent looking! Sure, some people might call you a cradle robber or think you're out with your daughter....but you men LIKE that stuff don't they? What do you like the most.....the clothes? Mini-skirts? Short shorts? Short tops? Maybe all that youthful energy? You can go all night when you're young! Or maybe it's the body.... tight waist, thin thighs, perky breasts? I'm afraid all that stuff is behind me. No little 'box' can bring it back! I'm 40 years old and if you can't accept that then you need to start making some changes in YOUR life. I can't believe you! Why don't you just get the hell out of here and go back to your basement? Call your 'little friend' in Cleveland. Maybe she'll use this thing to please YOU! It's all about you! Get out...just get out! Get out, you bastard!"
Monica began crying and John could only hang his head. This wasn't what he had expected to happen. He hadn't even thought about Monica's point of view. He slowly turned and walked out into the hall. Monica's sobs were like knives stabbing him every time he heard her cry. He closed the door behind him to block out the sound.
"Daddy? Daddy? What's wrong with mommy?"
'Damn!' he thought 'we've woke the kids with our arguing!' "It's nothing Lara. Just a disagreement. You go back to sleep." he told her.
"Dad? What's going on? What's Lara yelling about?"
John slipped into Scott's room. "Your mother and I just had another fight. We woke Lara up. I'm surprised you could sleep through it. It wasn't very long....but it was serious. You go back to sleep, it'll be time for school in a little while. It'll be OK. Nothing for you to worry about."
John walked back downstairs and sat down on the couch. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep this night. He turned on the TV in order to drown out Monica's sobs from upstairs. The images flickered by as he stared blankly at the screen. Soon, the sun peeked through the windows. John heard the alarm go off upstairs. He then heard Monica rapping on the children's doors waking them for school. John didn't even bother getting ready for work. He just got up from the couch and walked outside. He rubbed his chin feeling the stubble of a night's growth. It didn't matter to him now. He looked back at the house and then got in his car and headed to work.
Monica got the children ready for school and hurried them out to the catch the bus. "Lara, remember to go to the Soccer Field after school. Scott's game is tonight and he'll make sure you get home after the game. His friend Tom's parents will be picking all of you up. I don't want you riding the bus by yourself!"
"MOM! I'm old enough to ride the bus by myself..... " Lara whined
"Just hush now, and do as I say! I'm not in any mood to argue this morning!" her mother told her.
----
LATER THAT MORNING
----
Monica kept thinking about last night's fight. The more she thought about it the angrier she became. The hurt that she had felt earlier was turning to rage. She just wanted to get even! Her thoughts turned to John's affair. She went into her bedroom and examined the 'box' that John had given her. 'What if it DID work?' she wondered. She was seething the whole time, trying to plot some type of revenge. She sat on the bed and picked the box up. She saw the two switches at the bottom. One was simply marked + while the other was marked -. Above the switches was an LCD screen that was blank. Above that was a knob. On the side was another switch. She pressed it and the LCD screen came to life. It showed a stream of characters similiar to what she had seen watching a computer boot up. Suddenly, it flashed the words 'DIAGNOSTICS-OK -READY'. That was followed almost immediately by the phrase' -0.0 Years-'. As She turned the knob the read out changed. The more she turned the knob to the right the farther up the 'Year' went. She set it at 5.0 Years and then looked in the mirror. 'NOTHING' she thought 'I Should've known....'. Shaking her head, she kept examining the device. She noticed that the front had some type of 'lens'. She rubbed the 'lens' with her thumb and then thought about the buttons on the top of the 'device'. This time she slowly pressed the '-' button. The unit came to life and she felt what seemed like a sting and then it passed. Confused, she sat back down on the bed. After collecting her thoughts she once again looked in the mirror. "OH!" she shrieked "It works!....My God... It works! He really did it!"
All of a sudden, the revenge she had been thinking of came into focus. She knew what she had to do do. She grabbed her old phone book and looked up the name 'Kari Hart'. Kari was the girl that John had been involved with in Cleveland. 'Won't she be surprised to hear from me!' Monica thought as she dialed the phone. She knew she would have to be very convincing for her scheme to work.
"Hello,Kari? I know this may surprise you, but this is Monica Winston. Just listen before you say anything. I was wrong. Flat out... I was wrong. I stood in the way of your and John's happiness. Our marriage was a sham. I was a fool. What I would like to do is invite you down here to talk. There are so many issues we need to iron out. I want to do this ASAP! It is eating at me and it is a bad situation for the kids!...." Monica's unfelt apology oozed with fake remorse.
Kari, understanderably, was apprehensive. Kari knew how much Monica cared about her children and that is what swayed her to believe Monica's story. After a few minutes Monica had Kari convinced to catch the next flight to Florida. Monica kept up her best 'sweetness' act and agreed to pay all costs and meet her at the airport.
-----
1:00PM FLORIDA INTL AIRPORT
-----
"Kari! Kari! Over here." Monica shouted as Kari entered the terminal. Kari was wearing a skimpy top and white shorts. Monica could see the men all undressing Kari with their eyes. 'Not that there is much undressing to do.... the little tramp!' Monica thought to herself as she tried to get the young woman's attention..
Kari looked at Monica but didn't seem to recognize her at first. "Monica? Wow, the Florida sun seems to agree you...... not that you didn't look good before, but you look great now."
Monica laughed and thanked her. She knew that the 'box' had erased five years and she saw no reason to put them back on! She also wanted to save that surprise for later. They grabbed Kari luggage and headed out to the car.
Kari seemed genuinely excited to be in Florida. "I just got a new bathing suit and Florida is going to be a great place to try it out" Kari giggled looking up at the Florida sun.
"Yes it is. Flaunt it while you got it I always say." Monica deadpanned and Kari just laughed. Monica was, in reality, appalled at just how vain Kari could be.
On the ride back to the Winston's, Monica was friendly but not nearly as sweet as she had been in convincing Kari to drop everything and head to Florida. The trip was filled with only small talk.
"So Kari, you never got another job?"
"Umm no, after John errr your husband and I.... well.... ummm.... sorry.... you know. Anyway, Gene-Tek ended up releasing me."
"Don't worry about it now. It's going to work out fine, Kari. You can say 'it' if you want."
"It's still hard to talk about..... wellll with 'you' anyway..... I'm sorry. Lets change the subject for now, Monica. We can talk about it when John joins us."
"Whatever 'you' want, Kari." Monica said slowly.
----
MEANWHILE AT GENE-TEK
----
"John, you wanna take a look at what Jones over in the pysc has been studying. They want us to stay late this evening. They want our help in studying this further. They're seeing mental changes in the test animals. It seems that a regressed animal seems to lose mental abilities. More as the regression is increased. The reverse doesn't seem to be true. I wonder what that is telling us? Shock to the system or something?" Bob asked as he handed the report to John.
"I don't know.... first I've heard of this. I would've thought they would've tested that stuff early on." John says as he reads the preliminary report. "Animals that have 'learned' certain 'abilities'..... 'tricks' is what he means ..... seem to forget the 'learned activity'. Hmmmm so that means if Fido learns to shake, and we shoot him with the device, he forgets how to shake. I'm not sure if this tells us anything. I would expect that has the regression reaches a certain point..... infancy for example.... we would see a lot of mental capabilities change. Maybe the shock of the regression is just leaving the mind confused. Jonsey likens it to a hypnotic state, somehow. Until we try this on humans we'll have a lot of questions. It's nothing to us right now, anyway!"
"Well, it is until they tell us we can go home this evening. Jones sure thinks it means something. What's with you today anyway?" Bob asks as sits down behind his computer terminal.
"Me and the wife had a little problem last night.... nothing new there.... we just hadn't argued like that for a while. Hell, we hadn't even 'talked' much recently before last night!" He went back to work, trying to keep his mind off of his problems at home.
-----
AT THE WINSTON HOUSE
-----
The two women arrived at the house and Monica quickly excused herself and headed upstairs.
"Nice place you have, Monica"
"Thanks" she answers from upstairs "I'll be right down. Make yourself comfortable."
Kari continued to look around the room, examining the many photos Monica had displayed.
Finally Monica returned. "So you like the photos? People change so much. They're one way I have to help remember what everyone used to look like..... One way!..... So Kari, I have something I want you to see. It's something that John made. Incredible actually."
"What is it? It looks like some kind of test device."
Monica's tone changes "No, no it's not a 'test device'. It's more than that! Quite remarkable really. How is it he put it? 'Fountain of Youth'.....that's what he called it! The Fountain of Youth! Amazing little device."
"Monica? It can't be real....can it? That would be worth millions." Kari answered, her curiosity starting to grow.
"Oh it's real!" Monica dryily replied "I used it to get rid of five years. That's why I looked better to you. I just turned this little knob.... like this..... there....five years..... but it can do more I think..... let's see....6, 7, 8, 9, 10,....20 and it still can go more!. I'll just leave it on 20 for now. Hmmmm how old are you now, Kari dear? 22, 23? 20 years is such a long time. I remember when I was 22. That was almost 20 years ago. I used to wear skimpy clothes just like yours. Really drives the men wild to see a little flesh.... doesn't it? 20 years..... I can press this button and 'poof' 20 years under my control." Monica teasingly pointed the device at Kari as she spoke.
"You're scaring me! Is this a joke? Where's John? Maybe I should go? I'll just leave..... I'll get a taxi or something."
"NO! You'll stay here and listen to me. And no sudden movements. You wouldn't want my hand to slip and press a button would you?" Monica asked sarcastically.
"You're weird. That thing isn't real..... You're trying to scare me. You just want to get even!"
"Even? Like if I made myself 22 like you? Would we be even? Who would John choose...Kari or Monica? Kari or Monica? I don't think that would be 'even' enough. Let's see...you were 21 when you took up with my husband. How old were you when I was 21? 3, I think. Would that be even? I could be 21 and you could be 3. I think I can find some diapers around here somewhere."
Kari didn't answer. She didn't know whether to try and run or be strong and stay. She couldn't believe that Monica could actually do what she was saying. She thought Monica was possibly only trying to scare her yet she was curious about Monica's younger appearence.
"Cat got your tongue? Don't worry I have other plans for you... and John!" As she spoke the phone began to ring.
"Aren't you going to answer it?" Kari asked.
"The machine'll get it." Monica answered.
/-'Monica, this is John. I have to work late tonight. I'm sorry about last night. I want to talk to you. I need to talk to you. I'll be home when I can. Love you....bye.'-/
"OK where were we? Oh yeah, I was just about to aim this at you and hit the plus button!"
Kari's eyes widened as a 'wave' of energy seemed to hit her coming from the device in Monica's hand. Monica smiled as she saw Kari begin to age. Still youthful looking, but obviously getting older. Her body was starting to sag. Her flat stomach started to 'round' out and lose its firmness. Small lines appeared on her face and then began to deepen. Monica could see that Kari was well into her thirties now. She smiled more as she could see the horror in Kari's face. Her svelte body was soon gone as excess weight started to appear. 35, 36, 37, 38..... Kari's fresh face was now a memory.... 39, 40, 41, 42. The device stopped after adding 20 years to Kari. The 42 year old Kari looked pathetic dressed like a 22 year old. Monica loved it. Revenge at last!
"You bitch! Why?" Kari yelled.
"Now, Now.... you don't want me to zap you again? Another zap and you'll be about ready for a nursing home! What a plan.... Now YOU'RE the older woman. But I'm still not finished. I'll use this on my self and I'll be the sexy young kid. One difference though, I only want to make John want me. I don't want him! Not any more. I know what he likes. I'll tease him. I'll make him jealous. I'll lead him on. I just want to hurt him! Break his heart. And there's nothing you can do. He won't want 'you'.... he likes his women a bit younger!" Monica laughed as she set the control for 17 years.
Before she could use the device on herself Kari ran at her. "You fucking bitch!..."
Monica jumped back and instictively aimed the device at Kari, wielding it like the weapon it now was. Again she hit the 'plus' button. Kari stopped as another wave of energy seemed to eminate from the device. This time the changes were quickly noticable. 43, 44, 45, 46, 47....Kari's hair seemed to thin and quickly turned grey. Veins appeared as her skin thinned. 51, 52, 53, 54..... The skin on her face sagged more than ever. 56, 57, 58, 59. Even more muscle tone was lost and replaced with fat. Her confident, straight posture disappeared as she now displayed a pronounced slouch.
"I warned you! Look at yourself now! Was that what you wanted.... It's what you got! How old is your mother? I bet you are older than her now!" Monica hissed.
Kari only cried. She knew there was nothing she could do without a plan. No one would believe her. She would be committed if she told anyone what had happened! She pleaded with the vengeful Monica "I'm sorry Monica..... I didn't know..... I never understood..... I understand now. Change me back. please...."
Monica only laughed and aimed the device at herself. She smiled and pressed the 'minus' button. Kari stared in disbelief as she watched the woman in front of her suddenly grow younger. 35, 34, 33, 32.... More youthful looking with each passing second. Lines disappearing. 32, 31, 30...... The bridge is crossed taking her back into her twenties. 29, 28, 27, 26.... Very youthful now. Smooth firm skin. Long flowing hair, maybe a bit lighter. 25, 24, 23.... Younger now than when John and she had first met..... and still getting younger. 22, 21, 20..... Now crossing the bridge back into her teens...... 19, 18.
Kari couldn't believe how pretty the girl was standing before her. Monica looked like another person to her. More like one of her sister's friends from high school than a 40 year old woman that was married almost 16 years. She could even see a strong resemblance to Monica's daughter whose picture hung on the wall.
"Wow. THIS feels great!" she exclaimed as her hands covered her mouth in surprise at her young sounding voice. "I wasn't ready for my voice...." She giggled.
She quickly spun around to see her reflection in the mirror. She ran her hands through her long wavy blond hair. She pressed on her small upturned nose and giggled as she saw her teenage reflection do the same.
"Monica, you look great. You don't need to do this to me. Don't leave me like this." Kari pleaded.
"What? Leave you like what?.....Oh, I almost forgot. Wow! Look at you.... you're so old!"
"Don't do to this to John, Monica. Just change me back and go on with your life. What'll your kids think?"
"Kids?" Monica asked
"What's wrong with you? Your children! Your and John's children!"
"Oh... my kids..... yeah.... ummmm John?"
"Your HUSBAND! Are you OK?" Kari asked, sensing that something wasn't right.
"Uh huh.... Yeah, I was lost for a moment. I drew a blank. It was hard to remember. This is such a shock. Look at me! I'm YOUNG! Look at my body! ....And look at yours! My body is young and perfect! You know what I need? I need some different clothes don't I? These things will never do.... too conservative.. Hmmmm I think your clothes will work just fine, though. Let's trade. You don't look so good in the anyway."
Kari reluctantly agreed though she didn't want to capitulate to Monica's demands. She realized she had no other choice. Kari hoped that Monica would leave her a chance to grab the device, but she always kept it safely within her reach. The two of them switched clothes. Soon, Kari was wearing the conservative clothes that Monica had started the day wearing while Monica now wore Kari's skimpy shorts and top. Actually, Kari was relieved to get out of her revealing clothes that now only looked ridiculous on her.
Monica admired her younger body. She ran her hands up and down her bare legs. It had been a long time since she had felt sexy wearing shorts. She also liked the way Kari's top fit her, just allowing a peek of her belly button. The trade was complete when she handed Kari her 'sensible shoes' and put on the strappy sandals that Kari had been wearing.
"Yessssssssssss! I look great! I feel great! These clothes are great! I feel so SEXY! You know something? We're about the same size. Well, you were anyway. You look a little fat now. But look at ME! He won't be able to resist me...... he'll be so surprised. I look like everything he ever wanted. After last night, a younger me is the last thing that he'll expect to see..... and so much younger!" Monica sounded positively giddy at the thought. "Now, I think you should stay hidden in the attic for a while. IF you EVER want me to change you back you should do what I say. You know how impetutious a teenager can be.... If you stick around down here I might make you older! You know, to like ummm slow you down even more! Anyway, it's not too bad up there. It's actually made into an extra bedroom but we never use it. Go on up there. I'll take care of your suitcases. You won't need them! And speaking of things you won't need, I'll take a look at that bathing suit you were so proud of earlier.....do you mind?" she asked, her young voice tinged in sarcasm.
Kari shook her head indicating 'no' and dejectedly went on to the attic. The stairs hurt her knees as she climbed them.
Monica went through the suitcases checking out Kari's choice of clothing and makeup. 'These will suit me fine' she thought. She finally put the suitcases away and laughed at the thought of what she had done to the other woman. John would be home soon and she could then start phase two of her plan. Until then she stared at the mirror, admiring her looks, and practicing her best seductive looks.
She heard a car drive up and quickly tried to pose seductively on the couch. 'Arm behind the head.... One foot on the floor...No! Both legs on the couch with one up high on the back' She laughed outloud as she thought to herself 'ankles behind my ears would probably be what he would choose!'.... She finally settled on a pose just before John walked in.
'Ching' The keys fell out of his hand and onto the floor of the entrance way as he saw the girl on the couch.
"Monica? Monica, is that you?"
"Mmmmmm It's me" she purred seductively.
"But you said....."
"I changed my mind..... a girl can change her mind can't she?"
"Sure, but you look so young? Why so young? I thought you were mad. I don't understand. Are you errrrrr legal?" he nervously asked.
"18, legal adult. I'm 18 years old and quite legal..... How does it feel to have an 18 year old wife? It feels really good to be one! So much energy..... and hormones.... Come on over here. I won't bite....hard!" she laughed.
John made his way to the couch and she slid over and made a spot for him. He nervously sat beside her.
"You look great.... but you're so young...... I don't know whether to kiss you or just hold your hand! I feel like your parents might pop in at any moment!"
She took his hand and placed it on her thigh. "Here, I'd forgotten how smooth young skin really feels....but you know don't you, John? But let's not talk about that. It's over. She's the older woman now!"
"Well I'd hardly call 22 the older woman, Monica. But yeah, let's not bring her up."
"Don't you like me this way, John? Do you like the way my skin feels?" she softly asked him all the while lightly kissing and then sucking on his fingers. She looked up at him with bedroom eyes awaiting his answer.
"Umm sure...." he said as young Monica showered him with more kisses. Each kiss deeper than the one before.
He melted. He no longer cared to question his good fortune. His wife of nearly 16 years was now barely older than 16! Soon he was on top of her and trying to slide his hand under her top. She lightly turned his hand back. She had forgotten how it felt to be a teenager but it was rushing back to her as her body was flooded with teenage hormones. She realized her plan was going to be harder than she had thought. She, herself, was getting lost in the moment as she kissed him and teasingly nibbled on his upper lip. She giggled the whole time. He finally was able to place his hand on her breast and began to caress it as his other hand passionately moved up her thigh. She knew that she had to be strong and fight her urges or else risk ruining her plan. 'He has to suffer!' she thought. She gently moved his hand away from her breast and backed away.
"We need to go slow....."
"Slow? You're my wife....." he pleaded.
"I know, but I want to take things slow now..... I don't want you thinking I'm easy."
"Easy? No, you're playing with me. You're still my wife.... my young, lovely wife.... I love you so much!" he said as he once again put his hand on her breast.
"NO!" She said and slid away from him. "I want to take this slow. I'm 18 and I have all the time in the world. I want a slow, romantic relationship! I want to know you really love me!"
"I do really love you! But I'm not 18. I'm a man who needs his wife!" he again pleaded.
"You'll just have to take it slow. And don't think that you'll use your invention on yourself to make yourself younger because I want you to be you! I want to experience an older man. I want to feel what Kari felt!.... Sorry about mentioning her.... really, I'm sorry, I just think you were right last night when you said my being younger would help our marriage. Just take it easy. Besides the kids will be home soon."
"Shit! The kids.... You better change back before they see you like this! I never thought you'd make yourself so young!" John told her.
"Change back? This is not something you'll be turning on and off like a light switch. I'm 18 now. I'm your 18 year old wife. For better or worse!" She stood up so he could see her young body. "This is what YOU like, and I gotta admit..... I like it too! From now on I'd suggest you treat me right or I'm sure someone else will." She knew her plan was working. John was hers to do whatever she wished. She realized there was no reason in her plan not to change back for the kid's sake, but she had to admit, she didn't want to! "I hear them coming now.... you just explain it to them and I'll wait in the kitchen. I'll take this with me!" she said and kissed him on the cheek. She then picked up the 'device' and headed for the kitchen. As she left the room, John's eyes were fixed on the swaying of her sexy hips. Her scantily clad body was almost more than he could take!
John sat on the couch with his head in his hands. He tried to think of a way to tell the kids that his wife, their mother, was barely older then them now. That was when it really hit him 'His wife was closer to the age of his children than she was to him now'.... atleast in appearence.
The kids walked in excited about Scott's team winning their game. John motioned for them to sit down so that he could talk to them. "Kids, I want to tell you a bit about my job. It's all kind of secret but I really work with some exciting stuff. I invent things for the government. Not all by myself always, but lots of cool things are my idea! Now this one thing is a BIG secret..... You both must promise me to keep quiet about it because I could get in a lot of trouble. You can't mention the invention or anyone who's used it. Do you promise?"
Both children shook their heads 'yes' and John continued.
"This last thing I invented can make people younger or older. Whatever they want. A lot of people want to be younger. I gave it to your mother. Now here is the really secret part....your mother wanted to be younger! I figured she might want to be a little younger but she wanted to be a lot younger."
"Is she littler than me, Daddy?" Lara asked.
"No, No she's still an adult, honey..... Well, legally anyway. But it's still shocking to see your mother like this. Are you ready to see her?"
"Your fooling with us aren't you dad?" Scott asked.
"No, this is real..... Monica? Come on out....."
The kids looked toward the kitchen as a teenage girl walked out and twirled around like a model on a runway.
"Yayyyyy Mommy.... you're pretty!" Lara exclaimed.
Scott was speechless. He never imagined anything like this in his wildest dreams. Finally he spoke "This is going to make parent-teacher conferences a bit awkward!"
-----
IN THE ATTIC
-----
Kari listened to the whole episode through the vent in thr floor. She never imagined that this is how her day would turn out. She knew that she had to get her hands on John's invention because she'd never get Monica to reverse the process. Kari also started understand how bad that she and John had hurt Monica. She hadn't really considered Monica's feelings throughout the trist. ....Still, she knew THIS wasn't the answer. She also knew it was in her best interest to play along until she could think of something. All through the early evening Kari could hear Monica's excited voice as she continually talked and demonstrated her newly recaptured youthful abilities. She danced and played games with the kids until their bed-time. The noise distracted Kari as she tried to think of some way to escape her predictament. She couldn't help but wonder if her older mind was slowing or clouding her thought process.
-----
BEDTIME
----
John climbed into bed at a decent hour for the first time in weeks. Monica was in the bedroom and now wearing only a large T Shirt. She was sitting at her dresser and painting her nails.
"So, you get to bed a little faster now, huh?" she asked.
"My work's done. I like spending time with you. I hated all the time I spent with a soldering iron hunched over the workbench while you were in here all by yourself. But it was the only way to get the device finished and get it to you before it was too late!"
"Too late? Too late for what?" she asked as she slid into bed with him.
"Too late for our marriage." was his answer as he put his arm around her and pulled her close. He couldn't believe how much lighter she was now and how small her waist felt. He once again let his hand roam under her shirt. He was surprised to feel that she wasn't wearing any panties! He thought this was a good sign but soon found out different!
"NO, I told you earlier! I want to go slow. We can just snuggle tonight. If you love me, you'll wait!"
He kissed her lightly and told her "We'll do whatever you want, hon. But don't make me wait too long."
'Yes!' She knew it was working! They fell asleep in each others arms and stayed that way until they were woke up by the sound of Lara crying.
"What was that?" Monica asked as she heard John getting out of bed.
"Lara was crying. Probably a bad dream" John answered "I'll check on her"
"I'll go to!"
They walked down the hall and opened Lara's door. She had quit crying by now. "I'm sorry.... I had a dream and it scared me..."
"It's OK, baby, Mommy's here for you" she said as she hugged her child.
John stood back and watched Monica with her child. He couldn't help but think that Monica looked more like a babysitter than the mother of an 8 year old! It was all so surreal to him. She could walk into Scott's school and be accepted as a student. No one would suspect that the 'teen' was actually 40 years old! John eyes moved lower as he stared at her perfect thighs, thinking only of his building lust for her now. He hadn't felt this way about her in years.... maybe never. Still, he kept wondering why she had changed her mind and made herself so much drastically younger.
Once she felt Lara was OK, she gave her a kiss on the forehead and told her to "Sleep tight"
With Lara settled, they made their way back to the bedroom. When they got back to the bedroom Monica worriedly checked to see that the 'device' was still there. She had left it unattended when they went to check on Lara. It was still in the drawer of her bureau where she had left it. 'I'm going to have to be more careful with that!' she thought.
They again snuggled and fell back to sleep only to be awakened a short while later by the ringing of the telephone. John answered the phone and grumbled "HUH? But.....I understand.... What? .....On Saturday?....Alright!....Soon as I can.OK. bye."
"Who was it, John?"
"It was work.... I've got to go in. They're moving up the time-frame. Shit!" he said as he got up and got ready for work.
----
SATURDAY MORNING
----
It was a gorgeous Florida morning. The sun was shining bright and Lara wanted to go swimming in their pool. Monica didn't allow Lara to use the pool without supervison and Scott had rode his bike into town to meet up with friends. Monica thought this was the perfect time to try on Kari's new bathing suit. She opened the suitcase and found a skimpy two-piece suit with the tags still attached. 'Hmmmmm' she thought 'This must be it. It's been a while since I put on one of these!'
After putting on the bright suit she again admired herself in the mirror. She didn't realize how 'hot' she was when she was younger. Looking at her body now she knew she had the kind of body that turned heads. She grabbed another one of Kari's large T-Shirts and put it on over her suit. She grabbed the 'device' and took off for the attic.
"Wake up Granny! I thought you were an early riser, Kari.... guess not."
Kari slowly rose up "Now what? Are you going to change me back now?"
"No, not until John gets to see you. But we can't rush THAT! I'm not done with HIM yet! Actually, I came up here to show you something. I wanted you to see how cute your bathing suit looked on me!" She said and then lifted her T-Shirt and displayed the suit. The suit fit perfectly. It showed off all of Monica's curves and young lean body.
Rather than the rage she expected, Kari just told her "It looks good on you! Glad you like it." She also noted Monica's brightly painted nails. " I see you found my nail-polish also. The color looks real good on you. Especially with the suit. Enjoy yourself."
Monica glared at her and then left the room in a huff, slamming the door behind her. She had expected jealousy or groveling! "Just to be sure you don't try anything, I'm going to lock this door!" she sneered, and continued on downstairs.
Once downstairs, Monica yelled for Lara to join her. She then sashayed outside and placed her lounge chair where Kari would be able to see her from the attic window. She kicked off her sandals and turned to face the attic window stretching and slowly removing her T-Shirt so that Kira could see her young body glowing in the bright Florida sun. She put her foot up on the lounge chair and bent over, and using both hands, slowly rubbed cocoa butter on each leg. The cocoa butter made her skin glisten. She thouroughly enjoyed the fact that SHE was the sexy young girl now.... and Kari wasn't!
After displaying herself in various poses in her lounge chair, all for Kari's 'benefit', she rose up and walked out onto the diving-board. She ever so slowly moved to the edge of the board and then finally dove into the water. Her teenage body seemed to effortlessly glide through the water. After a short while she slowly climbed out of the pool and grabbed her towel. She dried off and then relaxed in her lounge chair. She caught a glimpse of Kari looking out the window. She closed her eyes and smiled. It was the smile of a winner. She had won! She was young and sexy and the 'other' woman, her rival, was now an old hag! Her plan was working better than she ever could have imagined!
As she felt the warm rays of the sun browning her skin she continued to think of nothing but her victory. Off to her side she could hear Lara laughing. She turned toward Lara and saw Lara had the 'device'.
"Lara, you better put that down. Don't play with that..... Bring it here, baby. C'mon, hon. Give it to Mommy"
Lara shook her head 'no'.
"No? Lara, give it to me. You'll be in trouble if you don't give it here. You don't want to use that. Give it here!" She shouted.
"No Mommy! Fairy Godmother told me you really wanted to be younger. She said you wouldn't say so but that was your wish."
"Fairy Godmother? There's no such person! Now give me Daddy's invention, Lara."
"There is too a Fairy Godmother! She came to my room last night and told me. She was there hiding when you and daddy came in. She said to tell you I had a dream so you would leave us alone."
Her expression tuned very serious. "LARA, give it to Mommy..... give it to me....."
And with that Lara pressed the '-' button and Monica began to get younger. Her eighteen year old body slowly became a 17 year old body. She looked like a high school senior..... then a junior.... The feminine curves that she was so proud of were disappearing. Soon she had the body of a sophomore. Her body slowly lost its feminine bloom. Her breasts were shrinking. The sexy bathing suit wrinkled as Monica's body could no longer fill the material. Within moments she appeared to be no more than a high school freshman. Her body was shrinking. Even faster now. She had lost both height and weight.... and still was dwindling. Her hands and feet were smaller. Her memories were fading as fast as her body was shrinking. Her body swiftly passed through her junior high years and continued backward. Smaller still, she looked only like an elementary student. Soon, she was the same age as her daughter.... and still growing younger. The serious expression on her face had turned into a grin. 7, 6, 5.... Her hair was shorter and not as thick. Wispy blonde curls bordered her face. Her arms and legs were shrinking, looking as if she was melting away. Teeth had disappeared only to be replaced by 'baby teeth' 4, 3, 2.... Her body began to get pudgy and much smaller. Her stomach became more rounded. Her fingers and toes became tiny....Finally she was no more than 1 year old.
The 'device' quit after removing 17 years from Monica. She was now peacefully cradled on her back cooing, pointing, and occasionally sucking on her fingers. The top of her bathing suit was above her head while the bottom of the suit was a few inches below her feet. She had simply shrank right out of the suit and ended up between the two pieces.
Lara walked over to her infant mother and wrapped a towel around her. "Gosh, Mommy, you really wanted to be little! Fairy Godmother told me that you already had it set up and all I had to do was push the button." Lara picked up her infant mother and tickled her tummy. "I'm the big girl now Mommy. I can ride the bus all by myself if I want to. But don't worry, I'll take care of you!"
While Lara cradled her infant mother John finally reappeared. He looked to see Lara with the baby and then immediately went into the house and ran upstairs. He quickly unlocked the attic door and went inside.
"Oh Kari, what has she done to you? How could she turn so wicked?"
"The real question is what took you so long? It's been 4 hours since I called and got you out of bed." Kari stated. "I was beginning to wonder if you believed me!".
"Well, I had to wait long enough for Lara to go through with your plan. Hmmmm Fairy Godmother..... That was a brilliant. There was no way Monica would trust me enough to leave the 'device' where I could get it. She never worried about Lara getting it though! It was a brilliant plan really. That's why I love you, Kari..... you've got brains and beauty! Well, you'll have beauty again as soon as I zap you. Let's get downstairs and get my 'device'."
The two of them went downstairs and found Lara and baby Monica.
"Fairy Godmother, I did it! Look how happy she is!" Lara said as she held the babbling infant.
"Very good, Lara. I'm proud of you. Now your dad is going to make me younger so we can all be one big happy family! Lara, as your mommy grows back up you can be like a big sister to her. When she gets a little older she'll want to find a boyfriend. You can teach her how to wear make-up and pretty clothes and make herself all pretty for the boys. Then our family will be even bigger! Won't that be fun?"
Lara shakes her head 'yes' as she happily lets baby Monica grab her little finger.
John picked up the device and smiled as he turned the knob. He then aimed it at the 59 year old Kari and pressed the '-' button. "Here you go."
59, 58,57, 56.... She still looked old but he could see she was looking better. As she crossed over into her 40's her looks started to come back. 49, 48, 47, 46..... Her hair color started coming back. Her sagging body-fat seemed to be shifting. 42, 41, 40..... As she slid back into her 30's her looks began to reappear. 39, 38, 37, 35...... The lines on her face are not nearly so deep. Her hair started to look healthier. 32, 31, 30. Her face starts to look more like the face he remembers. As she jumps back into her 20's he can now see the glow of youth begin to radiate from her once again. Her brunette hair starts to shine again. 29, 28, 27.....25, 24, 23, 22..... Back to her original age. Very youthful and sexy. Her face unlined. Soft dark curls frame her face.
"Hey? How long is this going to take?" she asks....
John's grin grows a little wider. "You're about there."
21, 20.... Now looking like a college girl and still getting younger as she slips from her twenties into her teens 19, 18. Four years younger than her original age. A little skinnier but still sexy, glowing with youthful exhuberance.
"What happened?" The teen curiously asks.
"I'm John. You're just having a little trouble remembering things right now. We're dating. These are my kids. You're 18.... 18 years old. Do you remember now? You're 18 and we are going together."
"Gee, It's sounds kinda familiar. Yeah, it's coming to me...... I remember you...... I'm sorry....... Oh, John I'm sorry! 18 and I'm already getting forgetful!"
The end?