Little Visitor
By Ouroboros
It was a sunny afternoon at a city apartment house. It was a large, expensive hotel that had been converted into an apartment building. Many different kinds of apartments were available to rent. Dana, the owner, was busy in her office doing paper work. She was only 28 and had already gotten hold of the lucrative family business. Her parents had bought the place before she was born and decided to convert the rooms into small apartments rather than run it as a hotel. They also decided to live there in the house while running it. Dana had grown up in that house and had many fond childhood memories. She sat there in her office musing over old photos bringing back happy times long past. Her parents had since retired and moved off to Florida where the elderly seem to migrate and Dana became the owner. Over the years she had met a wide variety of people. Some were nice and polite, some rude, still others just plain weird. It comes with the territory though. However, she would soon meet the strangest visitor to ever rent an apartment from her.
He came in that day, looking desperate. "I uh...need an apartment." he said in a shy voice. "Might one be available?"
"Actually, yes." Dana answered. He looked a bit young to her to want an apartment. Kids were moving out of the house earlier and earlier these days. She noticed that he ways trying not to make eye contact with her. "What are you looking for in an apartment?"
"Well, I'm alone, " he said looking down, "so all I need is one bedroom and one bath. I'm not picky."
"Very well then." Dana stated, "We have one that should do. I just need to see your ID."
"Okay." he said as he dug into his pockets. Dana noticed that his jeans seemed a little loose. As he dug into his pockets, his jeans would attempt to slide further down his frame. He jerked them up and blushed as he gave her his driver's license.
"Just a moment." Dana said looking at the card. "
Ross huh? Nice name. What?...No way." she thought to herself. "
There's no way this guy is 23. Just no way. Looks like he isn't a day over 17." She looked at him as he continued to blush and avert his eyes from hers. Finally she said, "You're 23 Mr. Ross? I find that hard to believe."
"But I am!" he said a bit flustered, then looked up at her. "Jeez, everyone always says I look young. It really bothers me. It says so on my ID, I can even show you my birth certificate if you want." He obviously had trouble convincing people that he was the age he claimed. Just then, Dana noticed something about his eyes. One was blue, the other green. The difference was ever so slight, but definatly there. No one could tell unless they looked straight into his eyes. Probably why he was avoiding eye contact. She decided not to mention it.
"No, that's quite alright." said Dana now averting her eyes from his. "I believe you. How will you be paying for this?" She figured he wouldn't have any money, but to her surprise he brandished a large money clip with several hundred-dollar bills in it.
"Will cash do?" he said with a smile. With that, she took his money and showed him to his room. It was a modest place, but he seemed to like it. He was all smiles as she showed him the features of the room. Especially the bed. He seemed very excited to have such a large, soft bed. Dana thought it a bit odd behavior, but he ways paying in cash so she didn't complain. He was also very excited to see that the room came with a small TV. Happy with his choice, he began moving his suitcases and things in next. Dana looked on as he lugged each of his belongings onto the cart. The big cases made him seem even smaller than he did before. She just shrugged it off. He struggled with one and it was about to fall when she rushed over to help.
"Oh, um..thanks." he said sheepishly. She helped him load the rest and then helped him to his room. He went in and closed the door to unpack. Dana was curious as to why Ross needed all the luggage. After all, he wasn't very big and certainly wouldn't need that much clothing.
Behind the closed doors, Ross began to unpack. One of the biggest and heaviest cases carried a CD player with detachable speakers. Also packed away were several zippered cases of CDs. A smile crossed his face while unpacking them and laying them out in their proper order. Everything was put away in its proper place, from various clothes to personal articles, and he also hid a few things where no one would think to look. Just then, his stomach growled asking for food. He suddenly straightened up and got his keys and headed out the door.
Dana was still in her office and saw Ross leaving. "
Strange." she said to herself, "
He looks about right. No one would mistake his age now. My eyes must be playing tricks on me."
Ross knew exactly what he wanted, driving off to the nearest Chinese buffet restaurant. He loved seeing all the beautiful gold decorations all around and the complex light fixtures. The waitresses all gave him an odd look as he loaded up his plate at the bar. He looked a way too small to eat all that food. Still, he sat at his table and, with the biggest smile he could muster, ate what was in front of him in sort order. His hands moved fast across his plate and when he was done with one thing, he would quickly take a drink of his soda and continue unhindered. When he was done, he had a look of sheer pleasure on his face as he patted his stomach. When he was done, he paid the confused cashier and walked out.
Dana was really confused when Ross came back into the house. This time he looked like he did when they first met. "
What is going on with that guy?" she thought to herself. "Hey Ross! Did you eat your fill?" she playfully asked him.
"Huh? Oh, sure! I guess maybe I ate too much. I don't know when to quit." he laughed. Something was different about his voice. Dana couldn't quite place it. She noticed that he was once again tugging at his clothing trying to make it all fit properly. "Well, I think I'll hit the hay. Eating makes me sleepy." With that, Ross went into his room and shut the door.
After locking his door, Ross could no longer hold it in. Grinning, he closed his eyes and relaxed and suddenly began to shrink. He let go of his loose clothing and let it hit the floor. As he opened his eyes, Ross smirked at the ever-growing room. Stepping out of his fallen clothes, he walked around in just his shirt to look in the full-length mirror. The reflection was himself at about 8 years old and losing more height. Soon his shirt was dragging the floor and covered his bare feet. The brown hair on his head became lighter and lighter. He looked at his hands as they became chubbier and shrank into the sleeves of his shirt. All the hair on his body had vanished except a feathered mop on the top of his head. The neck of his shirt slipped down around his body leaving him nude. Looking at his 2-year-old self in the mirror little Ross let loose a childish chuckle. Happy and full of energy, he ran around the room as fast as his chubby legs could carry him. He went over to one of the places he had hid something, and pulled out a blue gym bag. Inside were disposable diapers, cloth diapers, plastic pants, training pants, wipes, baby oil, baby powder, baby shampoo, a blue fleece footed sleeper, and other assorted baby things in different sizes. In short order, he rubbed in the baby oil and sprinkled on some powder. Then he took one of the diapers, unfolded it and slid it on. With great skill for a two year old, he taped the sides together and adjusted it a little bit. He mused at his diapered reflection in the mirror.
Unable to contain his excitement any longer, little Ross ran to his bed and climbed up on it. With unsteady legs, he began jumping wildly. Giggling loudly he flopped onto his back. This is what he had wanted to do since he saw the bed. For a while, he just lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling. Bored with that, he reached over and got a small box from the top of a table where he had placed it knowingly. He opened the box and got out his favorite toys: a few Matchbox cars, some GI Joe action figures, and blocks. Ross had loved blocks as far back as he could remember. Soon a fort was built for the GI Joes and a small road for the cars to ride down. He played blissfully for hours, stopping only momentarily to watch the Rugrats and Spongebob on TV.
During his playtime, all the food that he had eaten began to take its toll. He felt his stomach ache for a moment, then relief as he pooped uncontrollably into his diaper. Soon after, the warmth on his bottom was met with a warmth from the front as his bladder gave way. The smell didn't bother him much at this age. Instead, it flooded his mind with thoughts of home. Then he grinned and began rocking back and fourth in his messy diaper, enjoying every minute of it. A little bit of his adult mind kicked in and reminded him of the horrors of diaper rash, and with that he hopped off the bed and waddled into the bathroom. He carefully unstrapped the dirty diaper and placed it in a small trash bag he had hidden away. Little Ross got a few wipes from his bag and cleaned up his diaper area, throwing all of the evidence into the trash bag. Next he wanted a good warm bath. He concentrated a bit and started to grow. He stopped at around age 5 and got his favorite bubble soap and poured the clear pink liquid into the running tub water. The sweet, pleasant aroma filled his nose and he stepped in. He continued with a bit more playtime as he had brought a rubber ducky, a small plastic boat, and a few other bath toys in with him. Ross had fun building up mountains with the bubbles for his boat and duck to swim through. He giggled and splashed in the water until his little fingers were all wrinkled. All too soon, it was time to get out. The water drained from the tub as he dried himself off. He let go again and shrank back down to a 2-year-old toddler, then rediapered himself after applying more oil and powder. Next came his favorite baby blue fleece footed sleeper. It was no easy task for someone his age, but Ross had already had lots of practice. Ross drooled in anticiapation of the treat he had in his mini fridge. It too was placed in a convenient place that allowed easy access for a 2-year-old. Several normal drinks were inside, but tucked away were a few baby bottles filled with chocolate milk. His lips formed a tiny vacuum around the cold nipple of the bottle and he was soon sucking with gusto. With his treat finished, it was bedtime. He climbed up on the bed, pulled up his favorite baby blanked, turned out the lamp and was soon sawing toothpicks.
The next morning went like many others for Ross. He woke up and threw away his wet diaper, grew back up to his 23 year old self, showered off, and got dressed. Since he had slept in, it was about lunchtime when he finally left the apartment in search of something to fill his tummy. Dana saw him and decided to stop and have a talk. She just couldn't understand what was going on, as now he looked normal again.
"Hi Ross! Did you sleep well?" she asked him.
"Like a baby." Ross replied with a knowing smirk. "Thanks for the great room. I think I'm going to like it here."
"Glad to hear it! If you ever need anything, just let me know."
"Thanks, I'll be sure and do that." Ross then walked out, got into his car, and sped away.
Dana noticed a peculiar smell about him. Like baby powder or something close to it. "
Oh well." she thought to herself. "
People use talcum powder all the time. Nothing odd about it."
Ross was hungry. Very hungry. He knew the one thing that could satisfy his hunger at that moment. The nearest IHOP was a welcome sight for the hungry visitor. He was already licking his lips thinking about the mountain of pancakes he would soon be eating. Inside the restaurant a waitress seated Ross at a booth table. He didn't even need to see a menu, as right away he ordered a pancake dinner with sausage and hash browns. Oh, how he loved the good ol' IHOP hash browns. He always had. After the waitress left, he looked over at another table. There was a little kid sitting with his parents and drawing with crayons on a kid's placemat. Looked like lots of fun. Still, he had to maintain himself. He, as an adult, couldn't just ask for a kid's menu and crayons. He just looked longingly at the happy child and frowned a bit.
"Here you go little boy." said a waitress as she offered Ross a placemat and blue crayon. Ross looked up at her confused. It was a different waitress, and he noticed that he was now about the same age as the little boy he was watching. Luckily no one had noticed. He happily accepted her gift. Blue was his favorite color after all.
"Oh boy! Thanks mam!" he said to her with a large grin. She walked away to another table as he quickly scribbled away on the placemat. It had fun puzzles and mazes to help pass the time. Soon after, he saw the other waitress coming with his meal. He looked around to see if anyone was looking and then quickly pushed himself back up to his original age. The waitress arrived with his meal and sat it down on his table along with a container of warm maple syrup. His eyes lit up as he anxiously poured syrup on the stack of pancakes. Then he dug in. Just like at the Chinese buffet, he ate quickly and happily. Very full and very satisfied, he noticed that he had sticky syrup on his face and hands. He was always a messy eater when it came to such things, so he washed up and headed for the cashier.
After paying for his meal, Ross decided to have a bit of fun. There was a new movie out that he had been wanting to see. He parked his car in the theater's parking lot and walked up to the window. "One for Lilo and Stitch please." he said to the lady inside. He then paid and went inside. The familiar scent of fresh buttered popcorn hit him instantly. He had a few minutes to kill before the movie started, so he decided to play some of the video games in the lobby. One in particular caught his attention. It was Ms. Pac-Man, Ross' favorite. He never missed an opportunity to play it whenever he saw a machine somewhere. The clinking sound of the quarters was all too familiar to him. Ross grabbed the control stick and began to play. He moved with great skill, avoiding the ghosts while eating all the dots in the maze. Soon, he had cleared six mazes without losing a single life. A few kids gathered around him to watch. The mazes got tougher and the ghosts got faster, but still he zoomed along. Every time he almost had a maze finished, the crowd would chant, "Go! Go! Go!" until the last dot was eaten. Then a cheer could be heard over the lobby.
Ross soon realized that his movie was about to start. He handed the controls over to another kid. "Take over would ya?" he said as he ran into the theater. The lights dimmed as he found a seat. "
Just in time." he thought. He sat in his seat in the dark theater and watched the movie, laughing at the antics of the cute little alien creature. Ross knew that he was shrinking, but didn't care. It couldn't be helped. Besides, he would enjoy the movie much better as a child. Ross watched as the alien drank chocolate milk from a baby's bottle. "
Yeah!" he thought to himself. "
I like this guy." Little Ross continued to laugh and enjoy the movie until it was over. Before the lights came back up, he concentrated until he was once again 23. He walked out of the theater happy as could be. It had been a great day.
Ross was a little tired when he walked back into the apartment house. Dana noticed how he drug his feet on the carpet and slouched. She wondered what he could have done that would make him so tired. "You're not sick or anything are you Ross?" she asked.
"No, I'm fine." Ross responded. "Just a bit winded that's all. A quick nap and I'll be as right as rain." He smiled at her and went into his apartment. The minute he had the door closed, he began his decent into childhood once again. He was really tired and just wanted a nap. He walked slowly across the apartment as he lost clothing to gravity. Wearing only a shirt now, he made his way to the bathroom. He quickly unpacked a pair of Goodnights and slipped it on. He then began to drag his bare feet over to his bedroom where he climbed up and promptly fell asleep.
In a few hours, Ross woke up very refreshed and very wet. He was a little smaller than when his head first hit his pillow, but he didn't mind. He climbed down and padded back to the bathroom where he stripped his wet disposables away and proceeded to use a few baby wipes to clean himself. He then applied oil and powder before picking out a disposable diaper that fit and strapping it on. He made his way over to his mini-fridge, got out a cold bottle of apple juice and began to drink. He was full of energy now and wanted to use it somehow, so he decided to put on a bit of music.
Dana was taking a walk around the apartments when she came across Ross' door. She could hear a few mild thumps coming from within and some sort of music. It was loud enough to hear out in the hall. She also heard someone's voice, but it did not belong to Ross. Curiously, she knocked on the door. "Ross? Are you okay in there?" Nothing but music could be heard. Then, a loud squeal reached Dana's ears. Something that loud could get the neighbors in an uproar soon. Another loud round of knocks yielded no results. All else failing, Dana decided to use her master key to unlock his door and find out what was going on. Ross was nowhere to be seen until she noticed the mirror reflecting into Ross' bedroom. In the reflection was what appeared to be a 2 or 3-year-old boy, clad only in diapers, dancing around, and singing along to Day-O.
"Six-foot, seven-foot, eight-foot, bunch!" Ross sang out loud. He danced about as clumsily as a typical toddler would, enjoying every minute of it. Dana just looked on in shock. She had no idea what was going on. Ross had never mentioned that he had a baby. Just then, little Ross spotted Dana's reflection in the mirror and froze. The music stopped and now there was an awkward silence. Not knowing what else to do, Dana spoke up.
"Uh, little boy? Do you know where Ross is?" she asked the toddler. Ross didn't quite know what to say. Should he pretend to be someone else or just explain his situation to her? He quickly weighed the options. "Are you his son? Maybe a cousin or just a friend's kid? Can you talk?" Ross still just stood there. "Okay, can I at least come in?" She asked, but got no response. She stepped in and looked around a bit, but didn't see Ross anywhere. "You're alone in here?! Where has Ross gone?! Did he abandon you here?" Little Ross almost wanted to cry. He was very scared and embarrassed as he felt his diaper suddenly get very warm. "I can't just let you stay here by yourself. I'll have to notify the police if Ross doesn't come by soon." He realized that he only had one choice now.
"Dana...it's me. I - I'm Ross." said the little boy.
"What?! You expect me to believe that? You're telling tales out of school kid. I wasn't born yesterday. Now where's Ross?!" Dana was getting just a tad bit upset now. She didn't want to have a media scene around her quiet apartment house.
"I'm Ross!" he explained. "I swear!" His heart was beating very fast now. Dana still didn't believe it, but then she noticed his eyes. One blue, the other green. It WAS him!
"R-Ross?" said Dana, "Your eyes...it's really you? But how can that be?" Ross let out a heavy sigh.
"My eyes. So you noticed them. I guess I can't hide it from you anymore." Ross closed his eyes and began to will himself older. Dana just watched in amazement as the toddler grew. He unfastened his wet diaper and held it in place for cover as he hadn't really thought ahead. Soon he was a boy of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. He grabbed a shirt lying on the floor and used it as a better cover. Dana continued to watch as the boy quickly matured into a teenager. His face became more defined and a few pimples showed up. The hair on his legs and arms became thicker. Then the pimples on his face were replaced with stubble. His body became more tone and shapely when he stopped at 23. Dana didn't quite know what to say.
"Oh my..." Dana said in shock. "So that's why you looked so young and why your clothes didn't seem to fit earlier." Ross just blushed as he tried to conceal himself.
"Would you mind?" Ross asked, gesturing that Dana turn around while he get dressed. Dana blushed in turn and did as he asked. He dressed quickly and asked Dana to sit down. "I know that you must have a million questions for me. It's rather complicated, but you must hear it. Please, I beg of you to keep it a secret no matter what." Dana nodded and listened as Ross explained his story to her.
"Believe it or not, I used to work at a science lab. I was no scientist though. I was just an assistant. I would help out the scientists by making sure they had what they needed, cleaning up a bit, going and getting them things, or just holding a button down while they tested something. They were all working on some project that dealt with brain stimulation. They had some kind of machine that could amplify the dormant areas of the brain and unlock its potential. The tests showed that results were different for everyone. One test subject became a dog, another subject became the opposite sex, and yet another subject turned invisible. It seemed to only tap into the part of the mind dealt with what the person secretly wanted to be or be able to do. I wasn't supposed to be a test subject, but one night I kind of snuck in to use the machine."
A sudden flashback came to Ross. He hadn't really meant to use the machine. True, he was curious as to what it would do to him, but after seeing what happened to the others, he had second thoughts. As he was about to leave, the machine activated on it's own and Ross was enveloped in an aura of blue light. He felt a mixture of warmth and pain as the machine worked. After the glow faded, his mind tingled. He looked at his body but saw nothing different. He managed to sneak back out, but not before swiping the videotape from the security camera and hiding it in a safe place. The guards always checked everyone leaving so he couldn't take it with him. He could remember that night vividly.
"And you got younger right?" Dana interrupted.
"Y-yeah. Not at first though. At first nothing happened. Then when I got home, the changes became more and more noticeable. My body shrank more and more. I looked at my face in the mirror and saw that my eye color had changed. That was some sort of side effect, but I didn't really care. I became a baby that night and to make a long story short, made a big night out of it." Ross smiled broadly.
"I'll bet." Dana smiled back. "So deep down you wanted to be younger?"
"Yes." said Dan. "You see everyone has their little secrets in life."
Another flashback, came to him. He didn't tell Dana the whole story. All his life, Ross had felt a bit different. As the other kids grew up and matured, he still had the playful, open mind of a child. It didn't matter to him because he was happy that way. Of course, as he got older he got better at hiding his emotions and put on a false face in front of others. However, after the age of 16, a series of traumatic events happened in his life that he would never wish on anyone. His mind reacted to the stress by regressing. This led to his secret life of infantilism. When he moved out on his own, he found out that there were others like him. On some nights, he would experiment with adult diapers and baby bottles. On days when the stress was just too much, Ross would sit down and play with toys or color with crayons. It was always in private and no one knew of it. So Ross knew how he would react to the machine, but he didn't know for sure if it was what he wanted. However, now it was too late.
That night, his body was still feeling a little numb, but otherwise fine. It wasn't until he got further into his home that he noticed his clothing felt looser. He almost tripped over his own shoes, leaving them on the floor. The frightening thought of what was happening to him made him shrink faster. Panicking, he raced to the bathroom, stepping out of his clothing in the process. Looking at the toddler's face in the mirror, he suddenly felt happy. It was a feeling he had not felt in a long, long time. It was then that he noticed his eyes. That night, Ross lived it up. The pitter-patter of his little feet echoed in every room. From one end of the place to the other, he ran full of energy. Being an avid toy collector left him with no shortage of playthings. Normally, he would not take the things off his shelves and tables to play with, but that night he made an exception. It wasn't easy to reach most of it, but what he could reach was more than enough. Of course, all this made him hungry. In his new body, it was harder to do most things. Like making a peanut butter sandwich for instance. It was a mess, but he managed somehow. Feeling every inch an infant, he knew that soon he would need a diaper. The adult diapers he bought were too big, so he used a small towel. Of course, it leaked everywhere. The next day, Ross was still a toddler and didn't know if he would ever be normal again. His attention once again returned to Dana.
"No one at work knew about my secret life, but they didn't need to know. I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay that way though. My adult mind came back and I realized my position. What was I going to do as a baby? What if I was stuck this way forever? All the other test subjects had become stuck the way they were. I knew that, but didn't really care when I snuck into the lab. Now I did though. I wondered if I really wanted it this much. I kept trying to picture myself as an adult when I noticed that I was growing. It was then that I knew I could control my condition. So for a while I kept it a secret. They knew that someone had activated the machine but had no idea who. They conducted an investigation of different suspects. I was one of them. A woman came to ask me some questions one night. While she was talking to me, my emotions got the better of me and I shrank right there in front of her. I told her my story and about my secret life, and to my surprise, she could relate."
It was hard for Ross to believe that someone like her could relate. As it turned out, she too was an infantilist and confessed to him that she would have given anything to have his ability. For a time, she even visited often and helped Ross test out his new ability. She would play with him, feed him, change him, and even bathe him. He experimented with every age he could and discovered that age 2 best suited him. That is also when he learned his limitations and that he got extremely hungry after transformations. During that time, he developed a loving relationship with her as she played the mommy figure when he regressed. Then his happy world was destroyed when someone found the security tape. Ross continued with Dana.
"Even though she didn't tell, the company found out anyway. Someone found the security tape that I had hidden and I was placed under observation. I thought I was all alone in the world. They ran tests on me, making me get younger and younger then growing back up. It was exhausting and embarrassing. I just wanted to crawl into a hole. Then one day, she came back. The same woman who interviewed me earlier helped me escape, she told me where I could go to get a new identity. My company had actually declared me dead and so my closest relative had gotten all the insurance money. It was enough for me to live on for a long, long time. To make an even longer story short, after I got that money, I came all the way out here to get a new start on life."
That was one of the toughest decisions Ross had to make. He knew that the woman whom he cared for so much couldn't come with him. He didn't want to involve her in this. It was all his fault for using the machine, not hers. It was a tearful goodbye. Before they parted ways, she gave him his baby supplies and a sleeper with Winnie the Pooh stitched on it. It took all he had not to regress while driving away that day. Along the way, he stopped at several hotels and towns. He never forgot how much she helped him and hoped to one day see her again.
"And here you are." Dana said after hearing it all. "Quite an amazing story. Not sure if I can process it all right now, but you're definatly no ordinary guy." Ross blushed again. "So you can change your age at will?"
"Yeah, I can do it anytime I want." Then he lowered his head and frowned a bit. "Sometimes I can't help it though. Stress and emotions can make me shrink a little. Sometimes the desire to be a baby again gets so strong that it's hard to resist."
Dana looked around at the diapers and various baby things Ross had around. She noticed that Ross seemed a bit younger now than when he started the story. "I see." she said finally. "So that's why you were little when you came in. You were shy." Embarrassed, Ross began shrinking again. "See?" she laughed, "There you go again. We're friends now. You don't have to be embarrassed or shy around me." Ross' innocent face turned up towards Dana. He looked to be about 12 now. He smiled and pushed himself back up to his proper age. "So what happens now?" Dana asked.
"All I want is to live in peace and quiet." Ross said. "I need you to keep this as our little secret."
"I promise I won't tell." Dana replied.
"Pinky swear?" Ross grinned as he held out his right pinky finger. Dana looked a bit confused, then agreed.
"Pinky swear." she promised. They shook pinkies and laughed. "You really are something else. Even when you're not a kid you still act like one."
"Why thank you Dana." said Ross with a wink. They talked a bit more into the night, discussing more of Ross' past and Dana's life. Then Ross said, "Someday I'll have to repay you for your kindness."
"Oh, you don't have to do that. That's what friends are for right?" Dana smiled. Over the next few days, Ross continued to regress, play, then return to normal in order to drive out somewhere. Each time he and Dana saw each other, they would give a knowing smile and continue on. He wasn't shy around her anymore. Then one night, many weeks later, Ross noticed that Dana was sad about something.
"What's wrong Dana?" he asked.
"Oh, nothing." Dana replied in a sniffle. She was crying.
"It's obviously something. You're crying. Why?"
"I don't really want to talk about it right now." Dana went into her office and shut the door. Ross stood outside her door for a minute and then went into his apartment. He felt concern for Dana and wanted to help, but had no idea what to do. The more he thought about Dana, the more he could feel her sadness until he too began to cry. Without trying, he began to shrink. He sat on the floor with his legs tucked up to his chest in his now oversized clothing. Soon he put his thumb in his mouth and began sucking. With tears streaming down his face, he rocked back and fourth. His little hand grew smaller inside his mouth. He could feel that he had fewer teeth now. His clothes became too loose and he soon rocked out of them. His t-shirt now acted as a large nightshirt. His tiny bear feet poked out through the bottom as they touched the floor and rebounded. He could feel the cool apartment air blowing around on his bare skin. Just then, there came a knock at the door. Ross knew it was Dana even before she said anything.
"Ross? Can I come in?" she asked. "I really want to talk to you."
"I uh..can't really open the door right now." Ross sniffled. "You're welcome to use your key." Dana did just that. She opened the door to see little Ross sitting in his oversized shirt at about four years old.
"I'll never get used to that." Dana claimed. She noticed the tears in his eyes. "What's wrong? I didn't hurt your feelings earlier did I?" Ross wiped the tears from his face and stood up.
"No, it's not that. I don't know how, but I can feel your sadness. I know how you're feeling. This is how I deal with it."
"Yeah, you regress." Dana sighed. "Sometimes I wish I could. Things seem so magical through a child's eyes. The world isn't so complicated."
"Want to talk about it?" asked Ross.
"Yeah, that's why I came in here." Dana replied. Little Ross hopped up onto his bed and Dana sat down beside him. "Heh, I feel so strange explaining all this to a toddler."
"I can try to grow back up if you want."
"No, that's okay. I know you're more comfortable that way." Dana managed a smile. "This morning, I got a call from my father. He said that my mother had passed away in her sleep last night. She had a stroke." Tears flowed down both Dana and Ross' cheeks. "I just miss her so much! I didn't even get to tell her good bye!" Her tears were flowing now as were Ross'. "Oh Ross! I just don't know what to do!" She looked over at Ross and saw that he was down to two years old now and sucking his thumb. He was looking innocently down at his little feet, kicking them to see the bottom of his shirt rise and fall. "I'm sorry I came in here and bothered you this way. I didn't know it would hurt you so much. I'll leave."
"No!" Ross managed. "I wanna talk some more. I'm weawy sowy that happened. I wish I could hewp." His voice had regressed along with his body this time. Dana and Ross embraced as they cried. Touching Dana seemed to amplify her feelings and Ross began to wail loudly. Dana suddenly felt a tingling sensation all over. Her clothes were becoming loose and her feet were rising from the floor. Now SHE was shrinking! Her shoes fell to the floor with a clunk. Her hair became thinner and changed color to a lighter shade of brown. Her breasts deflated and seemed to absorb into her chest. All body hair had vanished except for what was on her head. Her feet and hands became chubby and she soon has a small potbelly. She was swimming in her clothing, but she and Ross were still hugging. Ross had calmed down a bit and noticed that he could get his little arms around Dana better now. He looked and saw that she was now the same age as he was. They both were taken a back.
"I..I'm little." Dana squeaked in a tiny voice. She looked at her small fingers before instinctively popping one in her mouth.
"Oh gosh! I so sowy I shrink you!" said little Ross. He struggled to regain his adult speech patterns. "Honestly, I didn't know I could! I'm so sorry Dana!"
"It's okay Ross." Dana said still looking at her hands. "I wonder." She got off the bed, her clothing fell to the floor and she want over to a mirror. She looked at her tiny naked body and wondered if it was all a dream. Then her adult mind kicked in and she quickly grabbed her blouse for cover. She threw it on over herself and held it on. "This is actually kinda neat." Ross walked over to her. Together they stood in front of the mirror in oversized shirts. Dana reached out and held Ross' hand. "Thank you so much!"
"You're thanking me for turning you into a baby?" Ross didn't quite understand.
"Of course, silly." Dana said, trying to get into the mindset of a toddler. "I can see now what you like about it. I feel so free. Like anything is possible." She laughed and said, "Wanna play?"
"DO I?!" responded Ross quite happily. Ross went over and got out a bag of his toys. Dana quickly got a ball that Ross was reaching for. "Hey! That's mine! Give it!"
"Hehe, no way! I'm gonna play with it." She ran around the room bouncing the ball. It was about the size of a baseball, but it was made of rubber and bounced really high. It occasionally got out of Dana's control, but she would just chase it down, almost tripping over her over sized garment. "Umm... Ross? Do you have anything smaller to wear?"
"Oh yeah! Follow me!" Ross led Dana over to the bathroom where he had several different sized clothes. "You'll have to either wear diapers or training pants. Just in case. All my stuff's for boys, but you can wear it anyway. Even if you're a giiiiiirrrrrlllll." he mocked.
"Humph!" Dana said defiantly. "I can wear it even if it's made for a dumb ol' boy." She stuck out her tongue and gave him a raspberry. "Well? Get out of here! I don't want you to see me naked! Move it!" Ross ran outside the door and Dana shut it. She decided to put on the training pants as she didn't quite feel like she needed diapers. Ross decided to get dressed in his bedroom. A few minutes later, they were both playing happily again. Ross got out a few colored blocks and built a tower with it. Then Dana came by and knocked it down with a laugh.
"Why you little!" Ross shouted as he got up to chase Dana. Ross suddenly stopped feeling out of energy. "Whoa...so tired..."
"Sleep time already?" said little Dana.
"No, eat time!" Ross said with a broad grin. "Something I forgot to mention, all this age changing takes a lot out of me. Eating helps to recharge my batteries." He padded over to his mini fridge and got out two bottles of chocolate milk.
"I gotta eat from a bottle?!" Dana complained.
"Hey, it's part of the fun. Drink up!" He handed one to her. She had a bit of trouble drinking at first. Ross was an old pro and began sucking his down with passion. Soon Dana got the hang of it. To her surprise, the chocolate milk was the best she had ever tasted.
"Mmm! Good stuff!" Dana said while gulping it down. They sat on the edge of Ross' bed, kicking their feet back and fourth while they drank from their bottles and watched Spongebob. They both chuckled at the undersea antics. Dana hadn't even noticed that she had wet her training pants until she hopped down to play some more. "Uh oh, I'm wet." she blushed.
"Nothing wrong with that." Ross smiled. "You can change in the bathroom." Dana waddled over to the bathroom to change. Just then, Ross noticed a warmth of his own growing in his diaper. He didn't mind. When Dana was finished, they played with more toys on into the night. Ross had never had a playmate his own age before. It was fun, but ended too soon. Dana noticed the clock.
"I forgot! I have to get up early!" she stated. "You can make me grow up right?"
"Yeah," said Ross with a sigh. "I can." Ross didn't really want to lose his playmate, but he knew he had to. "Come over here and let's see if I can do this. You had better take off those little clothes so you don't rip em." Dana did so and quickly grabbed her adult clothing so she could put it back on once she was big enough.
"Ready." she said finally. Ross closed his eyes and imagined Dana at her adult age. It took a few tries, but he finally got it. Dana could feel her body tingling. Her feet rubbed against the floor as they grew. She watched as the room and Ross seemed to get smaller and further away. She was actually sad that she had to leave this wonderful world of his. Her breasts developed again and her modesty returned in full. She put her clothes on her teenage frame. They were still loose, but served as a cover until they did fit. Her hair darkened and freckles disappeared. Her hands gained back their definition and her nails became longer and shapelier. Her legs developed rapidly and her hips grew out. She wished he could some how make her hips smaller, but oh well. Finally she was back to her normal age. She looked down at her former playmate. He had shown her such wonder and happiness. She had forgotten about all her worries for a short time.
"Do you hafta go? You can stay here tonight." Ross offered. He rubbed his eyes and swayed a moment. Dana could tell he was really tired.
"I'm sorry Ross." said Dana. "Any other time would be great, but I have something important to take care of." She bent down to pat Ross on his feathered mop. "Another time, I promise. I liked being little. I really want to do it again sometime." Ross' look of sadness turned into embarrassment. Dana could smell what was wrong. "I think someone's a little poopy." she said with a smile. "If you want me to, I can change you and give you a bath before bed. Would you like that?" Ross' face turned beet red.
"I don't want to trouble you. I can take care of it myself. I've been doing it for some time."
"No, I insist." Dana stated. Ross was too tired to argue. He gave in and Dana took him to the bathroom. She stripped him of his shirt and pants then put him up on the bathroom counter and unstrapped his messy diaper. He blushed and tried to cover up his nudity, but she just moved his tiny hands away with no effort. "It's nothing I haven't seen before. I've got a little nephew. Wow, it looks like you made a big poopy. What did you eat?!" Ross just giggled as she gently scrubbed his diaper area with a baby wipe. It took several wipes, but she managed. Then she ran a tub of warm water and looked at Ross' choice of baby launder aids. "Hmm... You like this one?" she said, pointing at the lavender scented baby shampoo.
"That's my favorite!" said Ross excited.
"I knew it!" Dana poured some into the running water and made a few suds. Then she put little Ross into the tub and gently washed him with a warm wet rag. Ross really loved this feeling. It had been a long time since someone bathed him as an infant. He just relaxed and let Dana do her work. She knew what she was doing. She stood him up and washed around his rear end and then his pubic area. Ross' sense of shame was non-existent now. She poured a dollop of the lavender scented shampoo into his hair and rubbed it in. Then she poured cups of warm water over his head, making sure not to get any in his eyes. She took great care in bathing him. Ross enjoyed every second of it. Then she lifted Ross out of the tub and let the water out. She dried him off with a towel and then oiled, powdered, and rediapered him in a cloth diaper this time. Ross was impressed with how good she was at folding the diaper and pinning it in place. She let him pick out which sleeper he wanted to wear.
"Dat one!" he pointed. "Da one wit Pooh bear on it!" She took the yellow sleeper and gently dressed him in it. Then she carried him to his bed and tucked him in while humming a tune. Ross' little eyes closed almost immediately and he was soon fast asleep. Dana let herself out and went back to her place. She kept thinking of how they had played together and how much fun they had. She knew that Ross had powers that he hadn't even known of. He had somehow made her think like a child as well as look like one. Now she was back in her adult world and had to deal with her mother's death again. She felt like she could deal with it a little better now though.
Ross was really something special to her. From then on, things were different between them. She would stop by often to play with Ross both as an adult and child. She even went out and bought her a few outfits in different sizes. She surprised Ross one day when she presented her own baby outfits to him. He just smiled and they both hugged. They eventually had sleepovers together. Both of them around three years old, wearing footed sleepers and giggling all night long. He was definatly a strange little visitor. One that she hoped he would stay for a long, long time.
The End?